Wal-Mart's Movie Recommendation System Racist?

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 1/6/06 at 3:55pm

OK, who wrote this software?

"Wal-Mart Halts Web Site's Movie Suggestions After System Generates Offensive Links

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is shutting down the system that creates movie recommendations on its shopping Web site after it linked a "Planet of the Apes" DVD to films about famous black Americans, including Martin Luther King Jr.

Wal-Mart said Thursday it had removed what it called the "offensive combinations" from a walmart.com page advertising a boxed DVD set, "Planet of the Apes: The Complete TV Series."

Under a "similar items" section, the DVD set's page linked shoppers to four films about the lives of King, actress Dorothy Dandridge, boxer Jack Johnson and singer Tina Turner. Wal-Mart later altered the page to link with television show DVDs.

The world's largest retailer said the software that generates links for shoppers from one movie to others of similar interest would be shut down. All cross references would be removed as soon as technically possible until the system can be fixed, Wal-Mart said.

Bill Wertz, a spokesman for the Bentonville, Ark.-based company, said it wasn't yet clear how or when the technical problem arose. "We're still looking into it," he said.

Wal-Mart moved swiftly after a link to the page for "Planet of the Apes" began circulating on the Internet.

"We are heartsick that this happened and are currently doing everything possible to correct the problem," Wal-Mart spokeswoman Mona Williams said in a statement.

"Walmart.com's item mapping process does not work correctly and at this point is mapping seemingly random combinations of titles. We were horrified to discover that some hurtful and offensive combinations are being mapped together," she said, adding that the company was "deeply sorry that this happened."


http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/060106/wal_mart_web_site.html?.v=2

[Love4Cheno]

Posted: 1/6/06 at 3:58pm

I saw this yesterday and i could not BELIEVE it!

[Calvin]

Posted: 1/6/06 at 4:30pm

I gotta agree with John from AmericaBlog on this one:

There's lots to criticize Wal-Mart over, but the Planet of the Apes isn't one of them. Companies can be evil, but they're not stupid, or not THIS stupid. Wal-Mart has been accused recently of discriminating against people with disabilities, but they weren't dumb enough to put it on their Web site.

All I'm saying is that just because Wal-Mart sometimes sucks doesn't mean they suck in this instance. I just don't believe any major American corporation is going to link the Planet of the Apes and black people, it's just not gonna happen. Something obviously went awry here, but I just refuse to buy that racism is the cause. Sorry.

I would bet on an errant racist employee, myself.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 1/6/06 at 4:34pm

Exactly what I was thinking, Calvin. This is probably the doing of one racist tech geek who thought he was making a joke.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 1/6/06 at 4:38pm

Yet another reason to hate Wal-Mart.

[SorryGrateful]

Posted: 1/6/06 at 4:41pm

Yikes, that's really bad, but I don't think WalMart would be stupid enough to do something like this. I mean, it'd be fairly certain to be found out and to cause an uproar, so why would they?

[touchmeinthemorning]

Posted: 1/6/06 at 4:42pm

However, the racist tech geek was probably kept at just under full-time hours, was definately not a female, and for sure has no health insurance or any kind of retirement plan.

So, I guess when we are treated like animals, we start acting that way.

Updated On: 1/6/06 at 04:42 PM

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 1/6/06 at 6:57pm

I have no health insurance or pension. I am under my wife's plan

Not having any health insurance is no justification for this

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 1/6/06 at 6:59pm

Here's a screenshot.

Updated On: 1/6/06 at 06:59 PM

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 1/6/06 at 7:01pm

Can you spell OOPS, Boys & Girls ?

[South Fl Marc]

Posted: 1/6/06 at 7:04pm

Does one really need Another reson to hate Wal-Mart? There are so many already.

[DefyingEDCT]

Posted: 1/6/06 at 7:07pm

OHMAN" ENdz OF THe WURLDZ12

[Mother's Younger Brother]

Posted: 1/6/06 at 7:19pm

Wow. You almost have to give them credit. When they f**k up, they REALLY f**k up!!
Updated On: 1/6/06 at 07:19 PM

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 1/6/06 at 7:59pm

In the world of **** ***, this one was the Grand Canyon