When: Wednesday 16 November 7:00 PM
Where: Big Car Gallery 1043 Virginia Ave. Suite 215 Indianapolis, IN. Big Car Gallery is located in Fountain Square southeast of Downtown. From the intersection of East, South and Virginia streets take Virginia southeast to Woodlawn. Turn right on Woodlawn and the take the first left on St. Patrick. Park behind the Murphy Art Center and enter in the glass door with the Big Car sign. Follow signs to the gallery.
"Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism" and "Uncovered: The War on Iraq," Robert Greenwald
's two previous documentaries, were much better I think than Michael Moore's. Greenwald's latest will be released this week: "Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price." Good chance that if you like his first two, you'll like his latest ... even though cable news, the US empire, and global+local capitalism may seem to be distinct topics. Such is the politicized world in which we live. But regardless of your feelings about the president or anything like that, the issues Greenwald raises in his film demand serious attention.Like so many issues, I have to admit I am passionately undecided about Wal-Mart. A Big Box is not the direction I want to see society or the economy go. But unless we can find a way to provide goods at prices that are as low from alternative sources, I don't want to penalize the low income people I have seen shopping there. When people are struggling financially, working a couple of poorly paying part-time jobs to get by, we are asking a lo
t for them to sacrifice a few dollars and convenience. We have to offer them something better that doesn't inflict the damage that Wal-Mart does ... I'm still working on what that is. I am confident that these questions will be raised at the Nov. 16. Jim Walker, executive director of Big Car (which is hosting the event) wrote an article in NUVO this summer that went beyond observing that Wal-Mart sucks and tried to consider alternatives. We have to do better than just raising consciousness about what Wal-Mart is doing (more than making people feel guilty for saving a few dollars). While I doubt "Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price" will provide a realistic and effective alternative (any more than filmmaker Robert Greenwald's previous movies told audiences how they should get their world news or how the US ought to conduct a transparent and non-imperial foreign policy), I am hopeful that the discussion will suggest an idea or two.For more about the film, including trailer and clips, check out its website, or listen to the NPR interview with Greenwald. You can get Wal-Mart's side by going to its website or I guess by watching TV for a couple of hours. There are a lot of books written about Wal-Mart. Simon Head's "Inside the Leviathan" discusses some of the best critical studies; see also the critical exchange this article provoked. Or go to the conscience of American journalism, Jon Stewart and the Daily Show.
This event will take place at Big Car Gallery, which may be the coolest art spot in Indy. Way to go, guys, branching out from surrealism to an issue like this. For more about Big Car, check out the stories from WISH-TV and INTake. Expect a Buzz soon about Big Car.
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