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susannah_breslin

susannah_breslin

I'm lost
June 2005

MAR 30, 2006 07:09 AM

Skyler Bartels is a 20-year-old sophomore at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. An aspiring writer, Bartels came up with an idea for a magazine article: Spend a week living in a 24-hour Wal-Mart. His college advisor approved of the idea. So, for 41 hours, he wandered the Wal-Mart aisles, reading, watching movies, and playing video games. Eventually, employees got suspicious, and Bartels gave up before he got busted. Now, New Line Cinema is interested in turning his experiment into a movie.

He bought meals at the in-store Subway sandwich shop, but was able to catch only brief naps in a restroom stall or on lawn chairs in the garden department.

Other shoppers and employees didn't pay much attention until the end of his stay, he said, when it appeared some store greeters began to take notice -- pointing at him and whispering.

A shift manager approached him and asked him if he was finding everything he needed.

"He said, 'Didn't I see you over by the magazines, like, five hours ago?' I told him, 'Maybe,"' Bartels said.

Tiring to the point of hallucinating, Bartels said he decided to go home before he was thrown out.

He considered the project a failure.

Then, The Des Moines Register, which had been contacted by Spaulding-Kruse, called to ask him about the experience. Once the story ran, TV networks began calling.

He also talked with a book agent, has been contacted by New Line Cinema about a movie concept and did a radio interview with National Public Radio.

Bartels told The Associated Press he has decided the stunt wasn't such a failure after all.

via Boing Boing

Motionboy

Motionboy

Vancouver, BC
January 2004

MAR 30, 2006 07:31 AM

why the hell would I want to watch some guy live on wallmart for 48 hours? I guess they will cast tom hanks as the lead and put catherine zeta jones as the aisle girl he falls in love with.

adjunct

adjunct

Philadelphia, PA
July 2002

MAR 30, 2006 07:44 AM

Hooraydiation

Hooraydiation

Boston, MA
October 2005

MAR 30, 2006 07:46 AM

The entire point is to get thrown out! I know I could make it to 48 hours. I can aspire ten times as hard as this guy.

Hooraydiation

Hooraydiation

Boston, MA
October 2005
apesamongus

apesamongus

Atlanta, GA
July 2002

MAR 30, 2006 08:05 AM

What, exactly, would the magazine article be about? Even more to the point, what, in the living hell, would a movie be about?

DrZaius_

DrZaius_

Shallotte, NC
OLD SKOOL

MAR 30, 2006 08:15 AM

spending 41 hours in a Wal-Mart is the work of a rookie, millions of people spend their whole lives there.

Someguysteve

Someguysteve

USA
September 2005

MAR 30, 2006 08:55 AM

Heres an idea, lets make a movie about that stupif theif who got stuck in a chimney overnight. That'd make a great fucking movie. Jesus christ has everyone run out of ideas for movies already?

Nexus

Nexus

SUICIDEGIRL

Iowa, USA

MAR 30, 2006 09:59 AM

Yeah, I still haven't grasped the grand point of this whole thing, but it is really kind of neat to see my school (and even Des Moines Iowa) in national headlines. In conclusion, Go Drake!! whoo!

ChristopherLove

ChristopherLove

Rockmart, GA
June 2005

MAR 31, 2006 06:01 AM

Next challenge: one week in a 24-hour truck stop.

They could do a reality series.

Cash

Cash

USA
OLD SKOOL

MAR 31, 2006 06:15 AM




Re-hash is the new originality.

Wren

Wren

SUICIDEGIRL

Minnesota, USA

MAR 31, 2006 06:22 AM

You know, I'm sure he could've slept for an hour or two at a time on the porch swings. I did it all the time on my lunch breaks. For all the employees know, he could've been a new associate. If it was a 24 hour store with a Subway, it was probably a supercenter. I know when I worked in grocery I never even had the opportunity to speak to people on the general merchandise side. He could've wandered around and pretended to straighten shelves. Clearly an amatuer.

Seriously, though, he should've stuck it out. If they'd taken him aside to ask him was was going on he could've explained himself and they'd just have thrown him out. The managers probably would've gotten a kick out of it.

Martini

Martini

SUICIDEGIRL

Ontario, Canada

MAR 31, 2006 06:38 AM

GoatsGoToHell

GoatsGoToHell

USA
OLD SKOOL

MAR 31, 2006 07:03 AM

TV does everything best and first...

I will say this whole concept was much more entertaining on an episode of Malcom in the Middle from last year , where a guy literally, without anyone knowing, lives inside the Lucky Aide after having enough with the outside world. The guy at one point says he helps out whenever he can, restocking shelves, putting things back where they go, that kind of thing. surreal

(episode 617 "Butterflies" Reese raises caterpillers. Malcolm works the graveyard shift with Lois and discovers a man living at the Lucky Aide.)


Mythicus

Mythicus

Lawnside, NJ
May 2004

MAR 31, 2006 07:34 AM

surreal surreal surreal

PointBlank

PointBlank

New York, NY
November 2004

MAR 31, 2006 07:52 AM

Funny that the two responses are:
"How are they going to make a movie out of this?"
and
"They already made a movie out of this!"

daniofthedead

daniofthedead

Philadelphia, PA
June 2004

MAR 31, 2006 09:10 AM

fuckin stupid.

xhippykid

xhippykid

Chicago, IL
August 2004

MAR 31, 2006 09:18 AM

christopherlovet said:
Next challenge: one week in a 24-hour truck stop.

They could do a reality series.




Haha. Isn't there already some sorta trucker reality show? Or is that Pimp My Truck??



wink

Necia

Necia

San Francisco, CA
August 2005

MAR 31, 2006 09:51 AM

A movie deal?

Well, hey--my sister knows this guy--if he's going to be a movie star, maybe I ought to go make friends with him now.

On another note, this whole eating-at-Subway thing just shows the gross quality gap between those hallowed Super Wal-Marts and the crappy little Wal-Marts that those of us at school in the true middle of nowhere are forced to live at when we have to do a random experiment of that sort. You can bet your sweet ass that there's no Subway at the Wal-Mart near me; we have to walk a whole six blocks from Wal-Mart (at least) to get to the nearest Subway. *tear*

[Edited on Mar 31, 2006 11:56AM]

jason

jason

USA
August 2002

MAR 31, 2006 10:02 AM

Wren said:
He could've wandered around and pretended to straighten shelves. Clearly an amatuer.



thats exactly what he did (except for the pretending part).

comiddle

comiddle

Calgary, AB
September 2005

MAR 31, 2006 10:04 AM

AceTracer

acetracer

Hollywood, FL
January 2004

MAR 31, 2006 10:04 AM

Yeah, this guy seems like a bit of a wuss. 41 hours isn't that long, even to stay awake. And if this was one of those huge ass Walmarts, he could probably camp out in some corner and nobody would even notice.

This guy has been living in an airport since 1988.

PointBlank

PointBlank

New York, NY
November 2004

MAR 31, 2006 10:08 AM

1) Guy Gets Interesting Idea
2) Acts On Idea
3) Writes Story
4) Gets a Great Offer to Write a Film
5) Message Board Posters Cry "Booo!!"

adjunct

adjunct

Philadelphia, PA
July 2002

MAR 31, 2006 10:47 AM

6) Profit!

jason

jason

USA
August 2002

MAR 31, 2006 10:50 AM

Necia said:
You can bet your sweet ass that there's no Subway at the Wal-Mart near me; we have to walk a whole six blocks from Wal-Mart (at least) to get to the nearest Subway. *tear*



you are lucky to have blocks.

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