Giving Them A Chance
March 1, 2008 by Noel Boehm
Filed under Beauty Products
It’s no secret that I have a love/hate relationship with Whole Paycheck. Maybe that’s too strong. How about I have an attraction/repulsion relationship. There are some things that I just can’t get anywhere else without major inconvenience so I find myself there more often than I would like. Maybe the real problem I have is with some of their clientele. You know the kind. Smug liberals with Obama ‘08 stickers on the back of their H2s that openly tisk, tisk the Ann Coulters and Bill O’Reillys for being prejudicial zealots, lacking in compassion, but would hastily get a new alarm system if a black family moved in next door. Yes, I know that was a run-on; I don’t care.
I know they are not like that in every location and it’s probably more indicative of the city than the store itself. It’s hard to 
make a distinction sometimes. Especially when I feel pissed off just by pulling into the parking lot like I did the other day. But all that started to dissipate as I walked down the beauty and personal care aisles. That’s right, aisles: plural. All these wonderful products we talk about, here, and more that are just sitting on the shelf waiting to be plucked up. It’s really hard to find fault with such a selection. So I left with a pot of Dr. Hauschka’s lip balm and felt a bit chagrined.
It’s supposedly the fastest growing grocery chain in America and they really are doing their best to provide planet-conscious alternatives to consumers: albeit at sky high prices. So I decided I was being too hard on them and that I am going to make an effort to let my guard down and give them the benefit of the doubt. Starting tomorrow. Maybe. Well, unless some Prada wearing “lady who lunches” steps in front of me in the dairy section again. In that case I will take a glass bottle of organic, hormone-free milk and beat her with it. Is that harsh? Hmm…maybe I just have anger issues.
Where do you live? In my old city the shoppers at Whole Foods were equally divided among race. Slightly upper class, sure. But allllllll hippies basically. I never got a racist vice from anyone there. That was Takoma Park/Silver Spring Maryland. So I don’t know. I’m sure it depends on where you live. I always liked WF cause they actually sell organic food there and have policies about the kinds of grocery bags they use, etc. I think it’s a pretty beneficial establishment compared to most stores, who do nothing for the environment whatsoever. I like to buy Kosher food there as well.
Or maybe I’m a snob too, LOL
We’re in Chicago but I never had this problem in California. Not a hint of snobby. I don’t think you’re a snob. I think maybe I am*snort* I’m trying really really hard to seperate the location from the store. But for some reason here even the employees are a pain in the ass. Like they’re doing you a favor or something. Ack it’s so hard because I think it turns off a lot of people but again it really must be the location.
LOL! Yeah I think it must be. I haven’t been able to find a store ANYWHERE near me. The closest is 40 miles away. It’s soooooo depressing. I can go to Super Savers or some creepy incarnation of Safeway I don’t understand. But none of these places have the fresh fruit/vegetable selection I’m used to. And NONE of them have edible beef. I know, I know, I’m not nearly as environmentalist as I should be. But, I love steak, I just can’t help myself.
That is depressing, I’m sorry! Hey I have a meat eating family so it just became easier to eat meat after a few years, I understand. LOL about the market problem. We went to our share of scary stores here before we found the right one. Have you ever looked into any delivery services like Diamond Organics? I prefer to use local when at all possible but in your situation you may go crazy before long if you dont get some fresh food!
I go to a couple Whole Foods in the Philadelphia area and I find similar problems, so it’s not just you. The suburban one in particular is much like the one you describe. The inner-city version has a lot more hipsters but also a lot more people who are shopping there because they are health conscious or require special diets. I’ve seen parents with cancer-ridden kids trying to find something that won’t hurt their kids anymore. So I still like Whole Foods because I can’t resist the selection they offer, but it also can help more people who really need it or who care about the environment and health. I try to ignore the ironic rich people in fur coats buying organic kale and yelling at the poor salespeople.
Well, this post just cost you a devoted reader. I live in Chicago too, and I agree that Whole Foods is always crammed with annoying yuppies, but why the “liberal” label? I guess that as a “smug liberal” with an Obama sticker on my car, I’m not welcome here anymore.
Lillian it’s a shame that you weren’t able to catch the sarcasm of my comments. I thought the distinction was quite obvious. Liberals are not smug by nature. Are you kidding? I was describing a very specific kind of person that I see there quite a bit. Why would you assume that I was commenting on liberals as a whole, that’s purely ridiculous. The kind of people I was describing are the type of people that give me attitude and dirty looks while waving the banner of equality. Irony it’s called.
By the way Pretty by Nature is written by a black woman whose political views would probably be labled as liberal and will be voting for Obama. Jumping to conclusions maybe?
Which Whole Foods do you go to? The employees at the one on Ashland are usually really great and I haven’t encountered many snobs there – although I know the type of whom you speak! I really think some people equate WF solely with some sign of affluence, and miss the environmental message. Although, i also think those people try to one-up everyone no matter where they go in the city.