Tom Cruise: ‘Wal-Mart is making a difference & that’s something I really admire’

Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise has been seriously quiet for the past few weeks, and I sort of assumed that a certain blind item was possibly correct and that maybe (just maybe) Tom has been preparing his big Father’s Day surprise for the media. Of course, that’s just a blind item, but if anyone is truly preparing to roll out a new “relationship” with a happy-family rollout next weekend, it could very well be our favorite lift lover. I will admit to keeping tabs on the lovely Julianne Hough to see if she does a “disappearing act” similar to Katie Holmes back in the day; but fortunately, Julianne was spotted shopping in Los Angeles on Tuesday, and I’ve included that piece of photo evidence at the bottom of this post.

Back to our talk of Tom Cruise, who miraculously showed up last Friday at the Wal-Mart shareholders gathering in Fayetteville. He wasn’t the only celebrity in attendance either — Hugh Jackman was there too, and Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson, and John Legend all performed. Oddly enough, none of the famous people who attend these gatherings are paid for their trouble. Instead, the prevailing theory is that Wal-Mart will “decide to feature” the DVDs or albums of the celebrities who willingly kiss their exploitative asses. It makes me sad that Hugh Jackman would go there, but it doesn’t surprise me at all about Tom. Surely, Oblivion will receive a nifty endcap display to promote sales at all Wal-Marts.

By now, many of us are aware that Wal-Mart treats its employees terribly (by keeping wages and hours low so they don’t have to provide benefits and insurance) and destroys small local businesses. One only need to read Barbara Ehrenreich’s Nickel and Dimed or watch Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price to realize how the company will walk over anything in its path. Anyway, Tom was at this shareholder’s gathering to brown nose, and he did so in abundance. He also showed just how clueless he is about Wal-Mart’s practices, and we all know that Tom has never purchased anything at one of their stores. The article notes that Tom was reading from a teleprompter but still messed up whatever it was he was aiming to say about poverty and hunger: “A great many people in America — and this is very hard to believe — they have little food to eat. Little too much food. They do not have enough food.” Whatever, Tom.

Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise raised some eyebrows Friday when he praised Wal-Mart as a “role model” at a gathering of shareholders in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Reading from Teleprompters, Cruise said Wal-Mart is “using its size and scale to improve women’s lives across the world.”

The company is facing class-action lawsuits filed by women in Tennessee, Texas and California alleging gender discrimination when it comes to pay and promotions.

While not referring to the legal claims against Wal-Mart (which have not been proven in court) Cruise defended the company. “Women make a difference to this company, not only as customers but as associates.”

On Twitter, @beantownzgirl scoffed at Cruise’s comments. “I was part time working full time hours no benefits,” she wrote.

Cruise stumbled slightly on his remarks about hunger. “A great many people in America — and this is very hard to believe — they have little food to eat. Little too much food. They do not have enough food.”

He praised Wal-Mart for making affordable, healthy food widely available.

But critics point to reports – including one from the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce – suggesting the retailer’s low wages drive as many as one-quarter of its employees to public assistance.

In California, lawmakers have proposed hefty fines against the company for each full-time employee who ends up on the state’s Medicaid program.

Cruise, who was introduced by Hugh Jackman, said he admired Wal-Mart. “The culture that you have going here is really like no other,” he said. “All around the globe, Wal-Mart is taking the lead in making a difference and that’s something I really admire.”

Many people used social media to react. “This is sickening,” tweeted Monica Cassani. @Inklau wrote: “Totally lost respect. Good example of rich supporting the rich.”

[From Globalnews.ca]

Well, of course Tom approves of Wal-Mart’s practices and probably sees nothing wrong with its labor management policies. After all, Tom loves slave labor like nothing else, and he’s probably been informed by Wal-Mart’s people that they are being “unfairly persecuted,” and you know how Tom loves to cry victim on behalf of cult-like entities. Ordinarily, I’d throw out a “shame on Tom,” but the dude just wouldn’t get it.

Here’s an eye-opener for you though. It’s common knowledge that Wal-Mart’s labor and business practices are unconscionable, and they treat their employees worse than crap. Turns out that they’re not so great to their customers either — despite Wal-Mart’s “lowest price” claim, the company actually charges higher prices than Target and Kroeger on many items. In other words, people have few excuses to continue shopping at Wal-Mart.

P.S. Here’s Julianne Hough, safe and sound in LA yesterday! I guess Tom isn’t going the obvious route for his next girlfriend.

Julianne Hough

Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise

Photos courtesy of WENN

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142 Responses to “Tom Cruise: ‘Wal-Mart is making a difference & that’s something I really admire’”

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  1. mimifarrow says:

    Julianne looks adorbs! (And Walmart can go F itself.)

  2. mata says:

    He has a very punchable face. That is all.

  3. cr says:

    I’m sad that John Legend showed up for this.

    And it’s Kroger, not Kroeger.

    • Lina says:

      John Legend should have greater awareness than this. Not surprised at the rest, including Hugh Jackman!

  4. neelyo says:

    This reminds me of Hilary Swank praising that dictator at his birthday bash. Do any of these celebs bother to find out where they’re going or is it just another step and repeat for them? What a fool!

  5. teri says:

    I don’t have a problem with Walmart, I shop there. There are so many jobs out there, if people truly want a better paying job there’s many available. Personally I know women who don’t like working full time so they still get full welfare and free childcare. Sad but TRUE. Just enough to buy cig and gas money.

    • Kiddo says:

      Well since you know people like that, it must mean that it’s a universal truth.

      Also, you do realize that many people people who work at Walmart are on public assistance because they don’t get healthcare coverage, right? Walmart is a lot more expensive than what it appears on the surface.

      • Kiddo says:

        Too late to take out one too many people.
        I’ll just pretend I did it for accentuation.

      • Daisy424 says:

        Any Liberal Who Whines About Walmart Needs To See This Epic Twitter Truthbomb

        Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/the-truth-about-wal-mart-2012-11#ixzz2W0dKZNPy

      • TheOriginalKitten says:

        @Daisy..I don’t understand what this has to do with politics? It’s not a left/right issue–it’s a HUMAN issue. If you GAF about your fellow human beings then you have no business boning the Waltons, unless they’re paying you to fight their battles?

        Regardless, the Waltons won’t be inviting you over for dinner at their castle anytime soon so maybe you should find a worthier “cause” to campaign for.

      • Veruca says:

        When 7 people make more than a third of the entire population of the United States, there’s something off.

    • Hilldog says:

      To Teri’s comment- wow….just wow

    • Loz says:

      This looks exactly like the type of comment that would be posted by a corporate schil.

    • Maria says:

      The company you keep is a reflection of yourself.

    • hadleyb says:

      Really? They are out there huh? Where do you live? Back in the mid 90’s? Because in this time period it’s hard to find a good job (with decent pay to live off of).

      A lot of job ” out there ” are fake, already taken, ghosts hr just put up there or you have to know someone who knows someone or have a family member get you in the company. Not everyone knows someone or has family who owns a company. If it were all that easy there wouldn’t be this huge problem you might have read about in the last 5/6 years — have you heard? Unemployment? UNDERemployment? ( this is where a lot of times retail comes in — I know many with masters or BA’s who just graduated or had been working CAN”T resume working at a decent level not even a lower pay but decent and are forced to take anything like Walmart, Target etc ).

      So get your head outta your ass, and stop saying ” they are out there” yes there might be SOME out there, but this is a HUGE problem OVERALL. And the answer is NOT to say get a NEW job. It’s a lazy, useless answer that people say when they really don’t care about a problem they want nothing to do with.

      Don’t like your boss being racist at work? Get a new one. He hit on you? Get a new one. They don’t give you a lunch hour? Get a new one. No, it doesn’t work that way. Believe me not so long ago those exact things were allowed until people spoke up, demanded rights and to be treated right.

    • blannie says:

      Here’s a Huffington Post article that says that one Wal-Mart’s low wages can cost a state $900,000 in subsidized costs to its workers for food stamps, Medicaid, etc.

      http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/31/walmart-taxpayers-house-report_n_3365814.html

      I won’t shop at Wal-Mart because I don’t want to support the way they treat their employees. I don’t care how low their prices are. I want my fellow Americans to earn a living wage and I’m willing to pay more for it. And I want women to be treated fairly in the workforce and Wal-Mart fails on that score as well.

      • videli says:

        Walmart prices are not even that low. I buy a lot of stuff from Costco, sometimes in comically big packs, sometimes apiece. It’s proportionally cheaper. The company retains only 10%, they give their employers benefits, and they favor stuff made in the States.

      • lucy2 says:

        I recently read a great article about Trader Joe’s, how well they treat and pay their employees, and how much happier and more productive that place is vs. something like a Walmart. That’s the kind of place I like to support – only wish there was one a little closer!

      • Zinjojo says:

        Costco pays it’s employees living wages, provides healthcare for the vast majority of them and has a terrific record of promoting from within. Their CEO makes far less than the WalMart CEO and Costco’s stock has proven to be a far better investment than WalMart.

        Not surprised Tom showed up, but Hugh Jackman and John Legend? That bums me out and will make me think differently before I support their projects again.

      • Nonnymaus says:

        +10.

    • TheOriginalKitten says:

      I don’t understand how anyone with a conscience can shop at Walmart. I’m not trying to be preachy but WalMart is probably the most unconscionable, unethical corporate conglomerate in America.

      The Waltons can go eat bag of d*cks as far as I’m concerned.

      EDIT: Sorry, I do realize that some people don’t have as many shopping options as I do. I live in Boston, where there are a lot of small, local boutiques and shops but I do realize that WalMart is the only real option for a lot of people in the center of the country etc. I’m not trying to make consumers feel guilty or anything-I just really hate Walmart with a passion.

      • Kiddo says:

        I agree @TheOriginalKitten. The stuff that is cheap at Walmart is basically garbage. Target or Kohl’s have similar prices on clothing and you can actually find natural fabrics like cotton there as opposed to whatever horrors Walmart uses, for the most part.

        Unfortunately, in some remote places in this country, Walmart seems to be the only game in town. I’ve noticed this while traveling.

        As a rule, I won’t shop there either.

      • Virgilia Coriolanus says:

        @ Kiddo

        Unfortunately, I live out in the praire, where the biggest store here is Walmart. My mom worked there for about a year because she had to, and by the end of it she hated Walmart. As the other posters said, or just where I live, they would only let you work part time so they don’t have to give you health insurance…..and at their orientation, my mom said they were talking crap about how they don’t need to give you insurance, because “we take care of our own”.

      • Lucinda says:

        That’s exactly it where I live. There’s Bi-Mart and Wal-Mart. I ALWAYS go to Bi-Mart first. Wal-Mart does build in little towns where other stores like Target won’t. In fact, that was a big part of how they started.

        For me the closest city is twice as far as Wal-Mart and I’m not wasting the gas and the environmental impact to go buy something when it can’t wait. That said, I will often pile up my list and errands and drive into the city to shop Target and other places. I also shop online when I can instead of Wal-Mat. But sometimes Wal-Mart is my only option and I really hate that.

    • V4Real says:

      I refuse to support Walmart due to their slave labor in China as well as how they treat their employees. I have seen documentaries about their business practices and it’s sickening.

      I bet some people were not aware that Walmart took out life insurance on some of their employees but they do not give the money to that staff family if that employee dies. This happened with a man who worked at Walmat who died of cancer. Somehow the insurance company called the wife instead of the Walmart execs and that’s how she found out about it. I believe I saw this in one of Michael Moore’s documentaries.

      Celebs need to know more about the businesses they are endorsing before they stand on a public stage in show of support for that particular business. Of course I know that there are other companies out there with similar practices but they are not so damn blatant and arrogant about it.

      • Barhey says:

        The problem is that while Walmart has a lot of unethical practices (it just lost a lawsuit for the dumping of toxic waste into water supplies, for instance) so do many, many companies.

        Like, why single out Walmart when the clothes on your body and the computer you are typing on are also the result of underpaid workers in poor conditions? It’s hard to justify targeting one business particular when there are so many others doing the same things, but nor is it realistic to simply stop shopping for groceries or clothing altogether.

      • V4Real says:

        @Barhey I stated I know there are other companies doing it if you read the last part of my post. Just because others are doing it is no reason to not single out the company that is well known for these practices. Wal-Mart is a huge corporation so why not start with the big dog.

      • Mayamae says:

        I watched a Walmart documentary. Basically, when you’re hired they give out info on how to get public assistance and Medicaid. So they do intentionally make the government subsidize their company.

        A few other facts:

        They tend to have a larger than average percentage of customers assaulted in their parking lots but refuse to increase security or lighting for cost purposes.

        Their employees – who frequently fall below the poverty level – donate a larger percentage of their money than the combined Walton family.

        Not only does Walmart deliberately drive pre-exhisting businesses out if business, they drive down their suppliers profit margin to the point where they barely stay in business – who can turn down doing business with Walmart? There’s a very famous story regarding a pickle supplier almost destroyed by Walmart. I don’t have time or I would provide a link.

        Walmart is the definition of capitalism gone wrong. And no I am not a socialist.

    • Luna says:

      Wal-Mart intentionally pays its employees little enough that they (employees) qualify for food stamps. So, Wal-Mart is basically government subsidized in its payroll. You should not support this. It’s not a good place to purchase anything except guilt.

    • Pandora says:

      The taxpayer subsidizes Walmart. This is a postmodern workhouse milking the welfare system to offset cost and moral responsibility, it flies in the face of the heart of what being American means, and it’s a fking disgrace that it has now become the MO of big business here and globally (Bangladesh??)

      I could shop at the Walmart down the street that recently popped up ,literally overnight, and save in some cases 50% or more, but when I look at those employees I feel nothing but shame and anger. Young minority (90%) men and women, so cowed and disenfranchised by their “career” they won’t even look you in the eye when they speak, and a dear lady in her 60s with her upper and lower front teeth missing.
      As an expatriate Australian, very much in love with her adopted country, I find it very hard to reconcile the America we love and want to believe we live in with the reality of life for others in our community, in a perpetual cycle of poverty and disadvantage regardless of how hard they work.
      It’s a crying shame and a national embarrassment.

  6. e.non says:

    makes sense that cruise would admire a corporation that barely provides a liveable wage for its employees… actually paying them up to the point that would make them ineligible for state welfare benefits like food stamps…
    not to mention the class action lawsuit filed by women who were routinely discriminated against…
    not to mention the employees who were locked inside overnite in order to assure they worked…
    not to mention that walmart employees are so broke by mid-month that it’s even impacting walmart’s bottom line….

    • Aussie girl says:

      We don’t have wall marts or the same health care system here. I have never understood how employment with benefits works. Is it only better paying jobs or is it a companies choice etc?????

      • emmm says:

        Aussiegirl: in the US a lot of people who are employed are still under certain income guidelines our government has set for poverty level. These people can get help with food (food stamps WIC) or government subsidized healthcare (if their job doesn’t offer insurance) its based on your family size and income. This is how employed people can get assistance. Hope this helps explains very complicated and broken social aid system!

    • jwoolman says:

      For years my brother worked in a privately-owned cafeteria in a government building. All the employees with families were on food stamps. No health insurance either ( the owner didn’t offer a group plan). My brother made so little that he was always hitting up family for loans. And he didn’t have any expensive vices either. Food and lodging were barely covered by his paycheck.

  7. carol says:

    He has that sociopathic look about him, doesnt he?

  8. Kiddo says:

    Some people should really just stick to acting. They should be grateful that they were afforded that opportunity, as they may have failed terribly elsewhere, where intelligence is a requirement.

  9. Meredith says:

    Tom is looking more crazed than ever if that’s possible. His plastic surgeon did good work but he just looks too …. something.

    • MsGoblin says:

      Right! He’s got a GREAT plastic surgeon. Some of the best work I’ve seen. He doesn’t look different – just refreshed.

      If I were to consider plastic surgery, I’d want his doctor.

  10. Thora says:

    The word sellout doesn’t get tossed around enough these days. Can we bring it back?

  11. Lucy2 says:

    I am disappointed by those who decided to attend this. It’s pretty easy to find info on Wal-mart that should have made them think twice.
    There’s many areas where they are the only place for shopping or employment (esp after wrecking small businesses). I’m grateful I have enough other options so I don’t have to go to the one in my town.

    Not surprised at all about Tom though. I don’t think he has any idea what the regular world is like, and I doubt he cares about any causes other than himself and CO$.

  12. mkyarwood says:

    🙁

  13. smee says:

    Just one more reason to despise that midget.

  14. CAJ says:

    Many, many companies cap employee’s hours so they aren’t paid benefits. Probably everywhere you shop. Walmart isn’t unusual in that regard.

    • TheOriginalKitten says:

      Right, but most companies’ CEOs do not have a combined net worth equal to 42% of the American population (or 132 million people) and they don’t pay their average employee only $8.81/hr.

    • lucy2 says:

      This is true – a friend worked at Target (which I much prefer to Walmart) but they did the same thing, capping her hours so they didn’t have to provide benefits.

      • Mauibound says:

        I worked with a gentleman who had prostate cancer. His wife worked at Target and their insurance paid for his treatment and my friend and I are union construction workers with pretty good benefits! I was very impressed with the way they way they handled his care. They aren’t perfect by any means but to me wallyworld is the worst and I wouldn’t give them a dime!

    • Bs says:

      I work at The Body Shop, which is a so-called ethical company and they do that. They love to talk about their company values but I make minimum wage, have been promoted to a more demanding position but denied a raise, and my hours are so inconsistent that I can barely buy food some months.

      I would wager that almost every major company treats their employees like garbage.

    • Bs says:

      I work at The Body Shop, which is a so-called ethical company and they do that. They love to talk about their company values but I make minimum wage, have been promoted to a more demanding position but denied a raise, and my hours are so inconsistent that I can barely buy food some months.
      I would wager that almost every major company treats their employees like garbage.

    • Nonnymaus says:

      Office Max does it too. I used to work there.

  15. anneesezz says:

    Wow. I didn’t think I could like him any less, but I was wrong. Could he be more out of touch?

    “A great many people in America — and this is very hard to believe — they have little food to eat. Little too much food. They do not have enough food.”

    Actually, it’s not hard to believe at all since I actually watch the news!

    I can’t believe I used to think he was awesome! What an idiot.

    • Carolyn says:

      Couldn’t have said it better. Whoever is Tom’s agent is giving him super bad PR advice. Unless he’s ignoring it.

    • jwoolman says:

      Non-major businesses likewise. My brother now works for a small local grocery store. They unexpectedly cut his hours to less than half what he had been working a few years ago. No discussion. Others were also never knowing from week to week how many hours they could work. My brother almost got evicted and almost got his phone cut off (I paid the overdue phone bill) because the small amounts he was paying on those bills weren’t enough but it was all he had. Plus he had to keep up the co-pays on his multiple prescriptions. He had to apply for early Social Security at a reduced rate just to keep afloat, at least he was old enough to do that. He has more hours now, thankfully, plus the SS payments. But he could lose that job any time and be right back in the same bind with no notice – they will probably drastically reduce his hours as before and whittle him down. SS won’t be enough to pay his bills. At least Medicare has kicked in this year, so he’ll have health insurance. He had to stick with that job regardless because he needed the health insurance, and many employers didn’t have it. And as he got older it was very unlikely that he could find anything. I’m not much financial help — I’m self-employed and had to drop my own health insurance several years ago because they kept raising the premiums and deductible to an insane amount (I quit at 53% of my income…). The economy has affected my business badly because in hard times, my translation services go to the low-priority pile and also I have to chase most clients for payments now, getting paid weeks or months late, and everybody wants their job done yesterday without rush fees and with a deep discount… Like my brother, I’m no longer at an age where I can try to shift gears and just have to hope the economy picks up enough. I keep threatening to hire the cats out as mousers.
      .
      Anyway, that’s why Wal-Mart workers can’t just up and leave for another job. Jobs are scarce, so they put up with the poor medical insurance options and everything else. And employers know everybody is in a bind so if one person leaves, it will be easy to get a replacement. There’s no incentive for treating people right. I get it because it’s happening to me even as self-employed. I give clients the discounts they don’t deserve and work double shifts all weekend for less than my normal non-rush fees and put up with their slow payments because something is better than nothing and they’ve got plenty of other people in their address books ready to take my place.

  16. don't kill me i'm french says:

    even me living in France, i know Wal-Mart is not a role model but at least it gives many jobs

    • smee says:

      Walmart provides low wages, poor working conditions, inadequate health care, and they’re strongly anti-union to say nothing of their effect on the environment. They’re prices are not so cheap when they’re done on the backs of poorer people. So, they give many crappy jobs.

    • Aud says:

      Yeah, I guess that a job in a sweatshop is a job right?
      *roll eyes*

      It seems to me that Walmart is really putting on a show, particularly after two major factory accidents in Bangladesh.
      These companies that demand cheap labour also need to be responsible for the working conditions of their ‘sweat shop’ labourers and I’m probably wrong to say ‘their’, because they always make sure they never incur liability by paying factory owners, but in the end, they’re selling their bargain basement garments in their stores.

    • mccora96 says:

      Good point. Since they are such a big presence, it would be great to see them lead by positive/progressive social example. Who knows if that is even a consideration in the race for profits. If you’ve seen Food Inc. (excellent oscar nom documentary), there is at least one example of Walmart doing some good- they have started to carry some organic products. Of course, customers started the demand, so profit is still a motive.

  17. Aud says:

    how much have these celebs been paid to endorse Walmart?
    Sure it gives many jobs. But at what long term cost? The employees don’t earn that much and the sweat shops still continue don’t they?

  18. skeptical says:

    Walmart makes me sad. I only go there when I can’t find what I’m looking for anywhere else.
    I’m sad that Drew Barrymore only has her makeup line at walmart. And apparently only online too, so I haven’t tried it.
    I do like Hard Candy makeup sometimes. Does it exist anywhere other than walmart? I can’t find!
    I tend to bounce between kroger, target & meijer. I haven’t heard any bad things….. did I miss them?

    • Oceansoul89 says:

      I worked at Kroger for over a year and they do the exact same as Walmart. Even though they have a “union”. They cap hours, deny union mandated raises, only offer the crappiest health insurance. If I wanted to get health insurance the cost meant I would be owing them money every check. I ended up hating the place and can’t even shop there anymore because the horrible store manager (who called me many racist things while working there) told me that she missed having me as an employee and wished I would come back.

      Kroger has such a high turnover rate that we constantly only had two people working in the front. I know many people that have severe stress related illnesses from wrking there. My front end manager had a stress related stroke and died. The woman that took over is having problems too and is having chest pains and over things. The last time I saw her she was n so many sedatives she needed help going to the bathroom. It isn’t a hard jb but the work environment is horrible. If I wasn’t treated like shit everyday i would still work there part time.

      I bet Barney Kroger is rolling around in his grave right now.

  19. Micki says:

    Walmart practises are used by many others though.
    I wish celebrities use Google more often before they go and polish their trade mark with such events.

  20. Kristine says:

    My best friend and his wife live in a small town with very few job opportunities. They both work at walmart and because of that are a lot better off than they used to be. I’m not saying walmart is a role model company, but for some people it does make a difference. I would say being employed by walmart has improved their lives tremendously since they both have steady reliable incomes.

    • frivolity says:

      Thanks, friendly little troll from the WalMart PR machine!

      You have got to be F$%ing kidding me if you think WalMart has helped anyone or has provided “steady, reliable incomes”!

      WalMart is the worst of the worst simply by virtue of their size and power and prominence in exploitation, but all of these corporations are the same. Target, Kmart, JCPenney, Macys, and on up to Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus, etc., etc., etc. Comparing them is just choosing the lesser of evils, which is, of course, still just evil.

  21. Mal23 says:

    I grew up in a small poor town in upstate New York. A Wal Mart moved in about 10 years ago and has made a noticeable impact on the community. It employs hundreds of people (and don’t say the jobs aren’t worth it because they are low paying, these people had NOTHING before) and the community is booming with new businesses. This Wal Mart provides affordable food for a very poor place. I’m well aware of Wal marts less than savory business practices, but there are good sides to it too. Many large box stores share the same employment practices. Target has very similar practices and in fact it is harder for target employees to get health care than it is for Wal mart employees. Of course, no one will ever mention that because the middle and upper classes shop at Target. Gotta love the hypocrisy.

    • kk2 says:

      I agree. Two women in my family work at walmart. Neither of them joined that discrimination lawsuit a few years back and both of them are better off than they were before walmart rolled into town. Sure they have their complaints, but they generally like their employer. Not saying other disgruntled employees are wrong or unreasonable, just that this isn’t a clear black-or-white walmart is evil type o f thing as i think anyone who has actually spent a lot of time with walmart employees would understand. My cousin has borderline low iq and wouldn’t be able to work in a lot of other jobs, but she can stock shelves at walmart. She is full time with health insurance.

    • kk2 says:

      I agree. Two women in my family work at walmart. Neither of them joined that discrimination lawsuit a few years back and both of them are better off than they were before walmart rolled into town. Sure they have their complaints, but they generally like their employer. Not saying other disgruntled employees are wrong or unreasonable, but its not that cut and dried. My cousin has borderline low iq and wouldn’t be able to work in a lot of other jobs, but she can stock shelves at walmart. She is full time with health insurance. And yes I have read nickel and Dimed.

  22. TG says:

    It doesn’t surprise me to see tiny Tom at a Wal-Mart corporate event somehow it is eerily similar to those tapes of him receiving the freedom medal of valor award (excuse me while I gag). His comments and praise of WAl-mart also remind me of Romney’s remarks about Chinese factories. He is so dumb from years of religious munbo jumbo that I think he actually believed the Chinese official who told him that they put up fences to keep people out not to lock the workers in.

  23. nuzzybear says:

    Walmart does “make a difference.”

    So did Hitler… Stalin… Bin Laden… Scrooge McDuck…

    Difference-makers! All of ’em!

  24. Joanna says:

    Holy dental work, Batman.

  25. UghInsomnia says:

    Delusion, thy name is Tom Cruise.

  26. Relli says:

    As if I needed more reasons to dislike Tom or Walmart!

    Walmart free since 2003! Thanks for putting and keeping the facts out there CB!

  27. mommak918 says:

    Oh, Tom and his moobs.

    For real tho, the man is an alien. He hasnt aged and he is clueless about humanity.

  28. mel says:

    I haven’t shopped at a walmart in years…I just refuse after a horrible incident at Sam’s. Why on earth a celeb would support a corporation like Walmart is BEYOND me. Such ignorance!

  29. LakeMom says:

    Where I live…a small town…we have no choice but to shop at WalMart because they ran all the smaller stores out of business. They are not cheaper, they do not offer quality merchandise, and they treat their employees and customers like crap. Of course, Tommy Boy thinks they are wonderful. He’s as far removed from the real world as are the WalMart execs.

    • Relli says:

      Yup thats exactly what they do, happened in my parents home town and its just so sad.

  30. skipper says:

    Wal-Mart was my first job when I was 16 years old and I worked there off and on for several years. You couldn’t ask for a better group of people to work with. Some of the best people I know, I met while working there. However, when it comes to pay and benefits Wal-Mart is certainly lacking.

    • TheOriginalKitten says:

      I have no doubt in what you say. Good, hard workers who deserve better than they’re getting from Shitmart.

  31. Ann says:

    F-k Walmart and f-k Cruise! I don’t shop there and sure as f-k don’t waste my money on his movies.

  32. Tulip says:

    Here’s hoping that these celebrities had to do this as part of a promotion clause in their contract. I am desperately hoping that’s the case- perhaps Walmart approached the studios and said if you want these DVDs to be showcased properly, get some celebrities out here to act like they like us. I don’t want Hugh Jackman to be in this mess at all.

  33. BeesKness says:

    http://www.buzzfeed.com/sapna/11-stars-who-have-performed-at-wal-marts-annual-shareholder

    Here are some other celebrities that have performed at the shareholders meeting in the past. These people really do live in some sort of bubble don’t they?

  34. T.Fanty says:

    But Target is a union-buster, too. It’s hard to talk about ethical shopping, because of the lack of options. If a person lives in a rural area, Walmart is the only available option. Plus, almost all of the major corporations work unethically. If they aren’t breaking the unions, they’re exploiting foreign labor. Look at Apple and its factories in China. *How* does one shop ethically in this age of corporations?

    • TheOriginalKitten says:

      Ideally you buy things second-hand, from etsy/ebay or locally-made products from mom and pop shops but when faced with a lack of options, I think choosing the lesser evil is still a good start.

      Here’s a list of ethical companies as composed by the think tank Ethisphere:

      http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2012/03/15/the-worlds-most-ethical-companies/2/

      Notice Target, Best Buy and Costco are on there…no Walmart to be seen though.

      • T.Fanty says:

        I was just reading that there’s a petition to have Target removed from there. And I don’t like to shop at Target because of their financial support of Proposition 8 in California. This is what I’m talking about. I’m in NYC, so it’s fairly easy for me to shop small (and thereby more ethically), but it does cost money and resources to do so. Especially when one has a family and is on a budget. Corporations have destroyed choice, and we’re all subject to these economic or cultural consumerist pressures that drive us. And I’ll acknowledge my hypocrisy: I love my iphone.

        Sorry that was meandering and pointless. I think you’re right that we need to make the small changes we can, and have faith that if enough of us do so, it will be enough. It’s hard to think about making a significant change, though. I also think that celebs (and disappointed in John Legend, btw) do have an obligation to think about the moral impact of endorsing things like this. Cruise repels me.

        Also: I LOVE LOVE LOVE Etsy.

      • TheOriginalKitten says:

        …did not know about Target supporting Prop 8. Ugh. That’s disappointing..

        Yeah I can’t argue with you-it’s really difficult. I shop at Whole Foods a lot mainly because there’s one on every block out here and I can buy my stuff with a free social conscience but WF is in NO way affordable. Farmers Markets are a bit better but still–not cheap.

        I don’t even know how you could develop an effective business model for a socially conscious, successful big box store. It just seems economically impossible…it sucks but I guess small changes are better than no changes?

      • jane16 says:

        TOK, thanks for the link!

      • Frivolity says:

        Ah … ethical corporations…

        Sorry… That list is a joke, right?

  35. Cam S says:

    Wal-Mart is not that different than any other department store imo. I worked retail for years in high school and college. Most employers: JCPenney, Belk, Dillards, Target- keep their wages low. Or if they give you a raise, they make it near impossible for you to meet the “sales goals” they set for you, eventually they cut your pay back down again anyhow. Also, they would make sure they keep your hours JUST below the average that is required so that you don’t qualify for insurance.

    People that haven’t worked retail would be shocked to know what goes on. During the late 90’s the shift from customer friendly focus changed to money driven a HARD way. They started requiring me to stock, put up and track sales signs, floor displays, unload trucks etc (cause they got rid of those people who previously held those jobs to save money). Now, I’m NOT lazy but I couldn’t wear 7 different hats and focus on helping customers. YET they still expected me to maintain my sales all the while I’m not on the floor because I’m in the stockroom.

    I implore you guys to try to find an employee these days near a sales floor that is just smiling there to help you (a medium priced store, not designer). Customer service is dead because of the greedy companies. I believe this is one of the many reason JCPenney is suffering.

    I used to dread when a customer came up to me to ask a question or need help because all I could think was (“I gotta get these sale signs up, restock these shirts, mark them down all BEFORE 3pm because they won’t give me hours”).

    Have a little sympathy next time for those kids in retail. My husband is from Germany and he tells me why they won’t allow Walmart there. But then again, if you ever go to shops in Germany, you’ll see they care more about the employees than the customer.

    However, I hear Chic- Fil La treats their employees very well.

    • Lflips says:

      You’re right Cam, the only thing that makes Wal Mart worse in my opinion is that people know how bad it is and yet they turn a blind eye. Most people aren’t aware that Target, JC Penny, Elder Beerman etc.. are all the same as Wal Mart.

  36. siobhan says:

    I worked at wal-mart from 20-23. It was a terrible experience. They treated their employees like dirt. I worked third shift and when my dad died I missed two days of work. I was called into the manager’s and told that since I worked nights it was unnecessary for me to miss work as I could attend the funeral service during the day and then come to work at night. I haven’t been in a wal-mart since I quit that night

    • Aussie girl says:

      That is a f–ked up story. To have no empathy for someone grieving for their father

  37. MG says:

    I worked for Walmart for 6 years at the corporate headquarters in Arkansas. I loved it, never have been treated better by an employer and never have worked for a company that did so much for their community. Walmart has over 2 million employees so I’m sure there is a lot of sh*t that goes on. Walmart is a target because they are huge, but do people really think they are the only ones that buy from countries with cheap labor or have bad health care plans or have low wages. Gimme a fu*king break. I now work with Target in Minneapolis. It’s all the same.

    • siobhan says:

      Wal-mart definitely isn’t the only company with bad business practices but they are the biggest. Wal-mart makes an obscene amount of money even compared to other retailers. They could do more for their hardworking employees. They could provide their employees with health care and still make plenty of money. They could provide their manufacturing employees in China better conditions rather than slave labor conditions. Wal-mart is in the position to set an example for other companies but they are only concerned with making money even at the cost of losing any sense of humanity.

      • MG says:

        They do offer their employees healthcare plans. I think the cheapest is like $11 a pay period. I’m not going to disagree with what people say. Walmart has the workforce and money like a small country…so there is a lot of opportunity to do better. But it cracks me up when people say “I won’t shop at Walmart, I’ll only shop at Target.”

  38. LouLou says:

    I know this is a gossip site, but I do appreciate that people sometimes discuss these topics here.

  39. Amandajo says:

    I went to Walmart this past Sunday against my better judgement, all of the produce was disgusting and I accidentally purchased carrots that were a month expired! I only resorted to shopping at Walmart because it was late on Sunday and everything else was closed but never again!

  40. Runs with Scissors says:

    aaaaaand his transformation into the antichrist is complete.

    all he needs to do now is cozy up to Monsanto and Halliburton and he’ll win the trifecta of evil.

  41. DEB says:

    How, by poisoning us gradually with toxic Chinese products and “foods”? Chemicals? If so then they’re making a huge different and it’s mostly about population control.

  42. Janet says:

    Making a difference in what? They treat their employees like dogshit. Thank God they don’t have a Wal-Mart in NYC. You want bargains shop at Costco.

  43. Sandy says:

    You know what I like about Katie Holmes? Katie made Tom look like the idiot and puppet (to Scientology, to Wal-Mart) that he is!

    My only question: Is there a Scientology tie-in to Wal-Mart, or did they just have pictures of Tom’s boy-toys?

  44. Sandy says:

    Hugh Jackman was there too, and Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson, and John Legend all performed.

    Also, just lost a LOT of respect for these dopes!

  45. aang says:

    Hugh Jackman? Ugh, can I still see Wolverine?

  46. Lflips says:

    Yeah, because if it has Tom Cruise’s endorsement you know it must be good. Wal Mart is an evil corporation that is particularly good at destroying small town businesses and exploiting the people who produce their garbage.

  47. jane16 says:

    Douchebag. We would never shop at Walmart. My son did a report on the Nickel & Dimed book and the Walmart doc mentioned in the post and the facts are that we taxpayers are subsidizing Walmart. They have obscene percentages of employees that are also on public assistance for welfare, food stamps, housing, Medicaid, etc. Companies like Costco have proved that that they can make a tidy profit and still pay their employees good wages and give benefits. This is all about greed, the greed of the assholes that own Walmart, the richest people in the country. Its companies like these that are bringing down this country and destroying the middle class. If you shop there, please go to your local library and check out some of the docs and exposes on Walmart!

    • TheOriginalKitten says:

      I just had to say that I think it’s effin’ awesome that your son did a paper on “Nickel and Dimed” 🙂

  48. johncarter says:

    whats wrong about walmart? they are no different then apple, macdonalds…etc…they hire cheap labor to maximize profits

  49. videli says:

    My husband almost accepted a job offer in Fayetteville. (Shudder.) And it’s a dry county too! Because of course alcohol is the devil, but treating humans like beasts of burden is godly.

    Regarding the capping of working hours in order to avoid paying benefits: it’s happening right now in state universities and colleges across the nation for part-time staff, both teaching and admin, in view of the impending introduction of the Obamacare.

    • jwoolman says:

      I doubt that “Obamacare” explains it. Besides, teaching staff don’t have their hours capped. They’re on salary. They have to put in as many hours as it takes to get the job done, at home and at school. College professors typically work 60-80 hours per week while school is in session, and I can confirm that from personal experience. They also work between sessions, preparing for courses and developing new programs. There are no time clocks.

      Schools have access to professional group medical insurance plans already. The health care reforms will help people without insurance through employers now (small businesses are exempt) and self-employed like me, to keep insurance costs to a reasonable percentage of their income. That means underemployed people will be able to get insurance at a reasonable cost precisely because of the reforms, which is a major improvement over previous options. A lot of scare tactics are being used to oppose the reforms – follow the money to see who is funding such campaigns. Profits are huge in the medical insurance industry, and they don’t want to make less money off us.

      Schools definitely have been trying to downsize for a long time because of funding problems, however. Tuition costs have been rising for decades, including for state schools, and higher tuition means fewer students. I taught at a college back in the late 1970s, and they were downsizing by attrition (not replacing faculty who left) back then. There were 100 applicants for my job when I quit…. Back when I was applying for grad school, several schools told me that ordinarily they would have accepted me but jobs were so scarce that year that they were trying to support recent grads as post-docs and taking fewer new doctoral students. So the economy has been fragile at the university level for a long time. Yes, sometimes they use part-time staff as a cheaper option. They did that when I was teaching also in departments where it was feasible (it often isn’t feasible). But medical insurance is only one benefit, and the Insurance reforms really are not the reason for such measures except in the imagination of Glenn Beck.

      • videli says:

        Before you plunge into writing a long reply, read carefully my initial posting. Higher education schools across the nation are capping the hours of PART-TIME instructors. Do you know how much they make of the teaching body? At least 50% depending on the institution. Pretty shocking. I’m sure things were not that bad 4 decades ago, when you used to teach. And now, instead of paying people benefits as mandated by the federal law (Obamacare), colleges and universities held hostage by Republican boards of trustees and MBAs are cutting the part-timers’ working hours. It’s not downsizing, it’s an expansion of the staff. They’re actually scrambling to find qualified instructors, and because they can’t find them, esp. in rural areas, the next step will be to lower the qualification threshold.

        There’s online specialized journals that will tell you more.

  50. anon says:

    I work part time at Walmart and have for 1.5 years (just graduated from university). I can honestly say from the bottom of my heart, f–k you, Tom Cruise!!! And f–k any other rich opportunistic scumbuckets who benefit from the misfortune of many millions of others.

  51. Msmlnp says:

    Ugh, I can’t believe Im going to defend, but he clearly misspoke his words off of the teleprompter…he is known to have dyslexia, perhaps he had a moment there…

    He is still a tool, and Walmart certainly has questionable business ethics.

  52. Decloo says:

    Are Walmart and Scientology one and the same? Was Sam Walton a Thetan? I wonder if there’s any connection there? creepy.

  53. Mandy says:

    I haven’t shopped at Wal-Mart in over 3 years. I just won’t. But it’s mostly due to keeping the little sanity I have left. Also, it’s true that Target is cheaper. My husband bought some lotion from Wal Mart one day and when I asked how much he paid, it was $2 more than what I pay at Target.

  54. thebutlerdidit says:

    I do imports from China, Mexico, and S. Korea for a living. Part of my job requires me to travel to these places and visit factories and assembly lines. While I couldn’t give 2 sh*ts about WalMart, please let me tell you guys, whatever little documentary or books you’ve read, you have zero idea what you’re talking about. The factories for the big American corporations do have poor conditions and poor pay. However, you should see what they look like for smaller companies if you want to see modern slavery. There are no inspections, no big companies being fined, or Americans throwing fits about them, but you consume their products, daily. None of these situations are ideal, but WalMart, Target, Costco, Toyota, Apple, etc., are considered primo employment in these countries. You not shopping there isn’t hurting the mega gajillionaire Walton family, but I have seen with my own eyes who it does hurt. Rethink what you hear in the blogosphere and on sites with agendas. Travel there and see it first hand. You will be shocked and humbled, I promise.

    • Mayamae says:

      With this logic you can argue that northerners who owned house slaves were acceptable because – hey you know those southerners treated their field slaves like non-human savages.

    • Mayamae says:

      But with this logic it can be argued that owning house slaves was acceptable. After all, they were treated far better than the field slaves, and at least the illiterate house slaves were fed in clothed which was an improvement from their lives in the fields

  55. Marie Antoinette Jr. says:

    Even if you don’t care about all the bad things mentioned in this thread, isn’t shopping at Walmart jarring to your senses? I mean, it’s HORRIBLE in there! (If you don’t have a headache by the time you leave Walmart, maybe you don’t have a head?)
    The employees are usually (understandably) miserable and I’m sorry, but in my experience it’s usually filled with more than it’s fair share of the dregs of society–I’ve seen some pretty questionable characters at Walmart.

    The Walmarts around here are disgusting. So, it’s worth it to me to pay a little more and shop at a clean, bright, well maintained Target or Costco.

    • Deedee says:

      I’ve read articles that have stated that they show Inspectors what they want them to see and instruct the employees as to what to say to specific questions when they were asked them after seeing what happened in Bangledesh, I think I believe those articles.

      • Marie Antoinette Jr. says:

        Yes, I believe that. I wasn’t specifically replying to butler’s comment–just making an observation in general.

        But really the issue is, in this country we can afford to pay most citizens (who want to work) a living wage. And we don’t. Instead we let a few greedy pigs like the Walmart family steal ALL the wealth. It’s not just morally wrong what we allow to happen here and in other countries, it’s stupid. We are a bunch of fat lazy chumps and idiots and we better wake up and set things straight before it’s too late.

  56. Rena says:

    Tom is a CLASS A idiot. Wal-Mart is a horrible employer, with many of their employees paid so litle they qualify for Medicaid. Guess they paid him enough to appear at the annual meeting as a cheerleader knowing he was as stupid and ill informed as they come.

    • Marie Antoinette Jr. says:

      Bingo. Tom Cruise is as dumb as a box of hair. He’s a one track automaton with zero insight and no morals or conscience. Which is exactly why he is so financially successful in this society.

  57. Ravensdaughter says:

    Has Tom switched from Scientology to smoking crack?

  58. Bodhi says:

    I can’t stand Wal-Mart, but unfortunately it is the closest store to the house & sometimes I just cannot drive 10 miles out of my way for a gallon of milk,

  59. jl says:

    Of course their are a lot of hungry people Tom-Ass, a large percentage of Walmart’s employees are on Welfare aka Food stamps!

    I haven’t been in Walmart in 20 + years and seem to do just fine with Target, Costco and Amazon.

  60. SaraB says:

    it’s obvious that Mr. Cruise doesn’t honestly know what the bleep is really going at Wal-Fart. get real!

  61. BoomTownRat says:

    Tom, sign me up for a five year contract, I am f#$king tired of poverty.
    Walmart, I hope your employees torch you to the ground.