The Book Selection at a Lakewood Wal-Mart during Christmas Time

A few weeks ago, I was rushing to buy my fiance's goddaughter a gift before school began at 8AM.  

There was nothing open at 7AM.  No clothing stores.  No book stores.  Not even the 99 cents store.  No Target so that I properly give hackers more information about myself.

The only thing open that early was the 24-hour Wal-Mart in Lakewood.  I wasn't sure what to get her goddaughter but my default is usually books;  they are usually flexible and practical.


When I made my way to the book section, buried deep in the corner of the store, near their electronics,  I found their one row section populated by the intellectual giants of our time:

Bill O'Reilly. Glenn Beck. A LOT of Duck Dynasty.

Incidentally, you can see in the photos that they do have an autobiography of JFK and Mandela, influential, but both are dead and neither are current.

I had to wonder, is Bill O'Reilly, Glenn Beck, and Duck Dynasty what actually sells at that particular Wal-Mart or was this a deliberate decision made by some middling manager, or even higher up the chain?

It makes me wonder who (besides a procrastinating, desperate Christmas Shopper who actually doesn't like Wal-Mart) shops there for books?

Counting just the teen/adult books, they had a general books section for adults, one for Latinos, and an African-American literature section.   I don't remember seeing anything about any talking head there, though maybe "it's not what sells."

By the way, this is also my first post under the Tag "Informationscape" where I will post some bits and pieces of "information" posted in public spheres that may play a role in influencing everyday beliefs.  Basically, I'm interested in what's in on the libraries, our TV and radio stations, etc.