Culture Monsters

After reading the article about Walmart's uniform change, I started thinking about other cultural changes In the Walmart scenario, they were changing the uniform from a smock to a polo shirt and khakis, and we discussed the impression the uniforms had on employees and customers, and how they spoke about Walmart's culture and values. At first I thought of uniform changes at places where I have worked, but then I started thinking outside of just clothing. One thing that I considered was Sesame Street, and changing the Cookie Monster to the Veggie Monster. I don't recall watching the show much when I was little, so I'm not really affected by the change, but I know a lot of people who dislike the change because it's simply not what they grew up with. The change was intended to send a healthier message to kids about eating, and thus trying to shape the culture of American youth. This also made me question whether Sesame Street defines youth culture, or is simply an accent, and the same for Walmart. If youth culture pulls from greater influences than just Sesame Street, the change from Cookie Monster to Veggie Monster could result in a loss of viewer interest because they can no longer relate to the characters. If, on the other hand, Sesame Street has a significant influence in defining youth culture, then perhaps the change can help to encourage healthier eating habits among American youth. In the situation with Walmart, I feel that there is an issue with who defines Walmart's culture between the employees and management. Depending on what cultural influences impact an employee outside of work, each employee may have a different take on the uniform and whether they accept or reject it. Walmart can try to change to a more business-casual uniform, but just because they change the appearance of their employees does not mean that they can make the employees buy in to the core values and culture of the company.