# Wal-Mart Targets the Girl Scouts! (mild) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 23, 2010, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-targets-the-girl-scouts-mild/530143 "2010-02-23T17:48:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-targets-the-girl-scouts-mild/530143/1 "2010-02-23T17:48:27Z")
[http://authenticorganizations.com/harquail/2009/08/03/wal-mart-knocks-off-the-girl-scouts/](http://authenticorganizations.com/harquail/2009/08/03/wal-mart-knocks-off-the-girl-scouts/) Summary: Wally World has decided to start marketing fake Thin Mints and Tagalongs (a.k.a. Peanut Butter Patties). Well, this explains why they wouldn’t let us set up any booths outside their store this year :mad:. One less reason to visit The Evil Empire. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-targets-the-girl-scouts-mild/530143/2 "2010-02-23T17:50:35Z")
Man, this is gonna be better than a Godzilla vs Mothra movie. ---
**Author:** ![MysteryFellow63427](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e4f/32.png) [@MysteryFellow63427](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysteryFellow63427)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-targets-the-girl-scouts-mild/530143/3 "2010-02-23T17:50:44Z")
Is Sam Walton turning in his grave yet? ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-targets-the-girl-scouts-mild/530143/4 "2010-02-23T18:00:25Z")
I’ve very impressed. WalMart has indeed proven that they are perfectly capable of beating up little girls. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-targets-the-girl-scouts-mild/530143/5 "2010-02-23T18:05:27Z")
That was almost seven months ago. Did the Girl Scouts survive? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-targets-the-girl-scouts-mild/530143/6 "2010-02-23T18:08:33Z")
Let me know when they start making knockoff Samoas. But I say, good for Walmart. The actual girl scouts cookies are expensive and only come out for a limited time each year. If I can have my chocolate covered peanut butter cookies year round for less, that’s a plus plus for me. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-targets-the-girl-scouts-mild/530143/7 "2010-02-23T18:09:34Z")
> [@Contrapuntal](#): > > That was almost seven months ago. Did the Girl Scouts survive? Cookie season varies (ours just started), and the cookies per that article weren’t yet nationally available. We might just have to start [playing dirty.](http://picasaweb.google.com/MamaZappa/GirlScoutCookies#5387456922921953106) note to mods: the above is a humorous depiction and does not express any intent or desire to… “reprove” any business that stands in our way… ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-targets-the-girl-scouts-mild/530143/8 "2010-02-23T18:19:22Z")
Wal-Mart isn’t “targetting” the Girl Scouts. They are simply selling a product for a cheaper price. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-targets-the-girl-scouts-mild/530143/9 "2010-02-23T18:19:35Z")
They’re craptastic cookies anyways and I’m sure the Walmart cookies will have to be made worse to taste like them. Get over it. It’s not like those flavors haven’t been made by others as long as cookies have been mass produced. Either people feel sorry for your kid and pity buy cookies, or you push them at everybody at work to sell these boxes of culinary shit. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-targets-the-girl-scouts-mild/530143/10 "2010-02-23T18:20:45Z")
> [@Blalron](#): > > Wal-Mart isn’t “targetting” the Girl Scouts. They are simply selling a product for a cheaper price. …a product that happens to be only sold by a single other organization. I would say that it is accurate to say that they are “targeting” that organization. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-targets-the-girl-scouts-mild/530143/11 "2010-02-23T18:23:35Z")
Yaknow, Keebler (I think it was) made some peanut-butter-chocolate and caramel-coconut-chocolate cookies that were preeeeeeeetty much Tagalongs and Samoas. I see the peanut butter ones on their site but not the caramel ones. I know I’ve had them in the last year, and I distinctly remember thinking how much they tasted like Girl Scout cookies. I’m no fan of Wal Mart, but I don’t think ripping off the Girl Scout cookies is anything new… ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-targets-the-girl-scouts-mild/530143/12 "2010-02-23T18:26:18Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > …a product that happens to be only sold by a single other organization. I would say that it is accurate to say that they are “targeting” that organization. Well, nobody else makes Girl Scout Cookies, but then again, neither does Wal-Mart. Are you sure that no one else makes a similar cookie? ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-targets-the-girl-scouts-mild/530143/13 "2010-02-23T18:32:40Z")
Yeah, OK. But I still maintain that if Wal-Mart is making knock-off versions of Girl Scout cookies, you can legitimately say that they’re targeting the Girl Scouts. I mean, I’m not making any kind of moral value judgment about this. I’m just saying that the use of the term “targeting” is fair. ---
**Author:** ![tacoloco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tacoloco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tacoloco)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-targets-the-girl-scouts-mild/530143/14 "2010-02-23T18:33:13Z")
> [@Contrapuntal](#): > > Well, nobody else makes Girl Scout Cookies, but then again, neither does Wal-Mart. Are you sure that no one else makes a similar cookie? These seem similar: [http://www.taquitos.net/cookies/Keebler\_Fudge\_Shoppe\_Grasshopper\_Mint](http://www.taquitos.net/cookies/Keebler_Fudge_Shoppe_Grasshopper_Mint) ---
**Author:** ![3\_20\_59\_or\_bust](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/47e85d/32.png) [@3\_20\_59\_or\_bust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3_20_59_or_bust)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-targets-the-girl-scouts-mild/530143/15 "2010-02-23T18:35:34Z")
> [@Harmonious\_Discord](#): > > They’re craptastic cookies anyways and I’m sure the Walmart cookies will have to be made worse to taste like them. Get over it. It’s not like those flavors haven’t been made by others as long as cookies have been mass produced. Either people feel sorry for your kid and pity buy cookies, or you push them at everybody at work to sell these boxes of culinary shit. Christ, take a deep breath already. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-targets-the-girl-scouts-mild/530143/16 "2010-02-23T18:36:09Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > Yeah, OK. But I still maintain that if Wal-Mart is making knock-off versions of Girl Scout cookies, you can legitimately say that they’re targeting the Girl Scouts. I mean, I’m not making any kind of moral value judgment about this. I’m just saying that the use of the term “targeting” is fair. If someone else makes a similar version, are they targeting the Girl Scouts? ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-targets-the-girl-scouts-mild/530143/17 "2010-02-23T18:37:33Z")
Yes? ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-targets-the-girl-scouts-mild/530143/18 "2010-02-23T18:37:37Z")
I want to be outraged, but last time I bought Girl Scout cookies the Samoas were the size of Life Savers. I used to feel real, tangible guilt after eating an entire box! ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-targets-the-girl-scouts-mild/530143/19 "2010-02-23T18:40:58Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > Yes? By that logic, every hamburger chain is targeting every other hamburger chain. Why can’t they just be in competition for the same market? That’s kind of how America rolls. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-targets-the-girl-scouts-mild/530143/20 "2010-02-23T18:44:23Z")
If someone made a Big Mac knock-off, I’d say they were targeting McDonald’s, sure. Anyway, this is really just semantic nitpicking and I don’t have time to get involved in one of these types of arguments today, so I’ll just say that I see where you’re coming from but still think “targeting” is appropriate in the thread title. 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-targets-the-girl-scouts-mild/530143.md?page=2)