Laid-Off Grocery Store Employee Turns Downsizing Into An Alien Attack
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Whether you adore or abhor your job, you should probably never take it for granted, as there are many people in the world who would give anything to trade places with you. Steve Yamamoto knows exactly how quickly a job can get ripped away, as the longtime employee of grocery chain Dominick’s was one of many that lost their jobs once the company was taken out of the Chicago market by parent corporation Safeway Inc. But Yamamoto’s reaction wasn’t to go and cry in a corner, nor to rage against the corporate machine. Instead, he made a hilarious video that turns the supermarket downsizing into an alien attack, with Safeway as the giant, violent beast in the sky. But he’s not trying to be a dick about it; it’s all in good, sardonic fun!
Granted, it isn’t the most polished affair, as it doubles up footage and employs some choppy editing, but it’s not like he submitted this to the Academy. It’s all about making a statement, and that statement is “Safeway destroys buildings and lives with complete disregard, and they also use dragons to do their dirty work.” But apparently all of the massive explosions, fiery murders, and sarcastic comments about Safeway did not please the grocery chain in the least.
In what was by far one of the most ball-less and bullshitty moves I’ve ever heard of, Yamamoto’s manager suspended him from work on the last day the store was open. What’s more, he may lose the three weeks’ severance pay he was to receive. For what it’s worth, he takes full responsibility for the video, and no one else in the video caught any hell for it.
Below is a video from Chicago’s CBS2, where Yamamoto explains his motivations for making the clip. And “Some men just want to watch the world burn,” wasn’t it.
Over 6,000 employees in the area are without jobs now, though 15 of the 72 Dominick’s have been sold to grocery competitors, so it’s possible some of them may get their jobs back in some capacity. In the meantime, I think it would be an even bigger travesty if some indie film company didn’t reach out and hire Yamamoto to help out with special effects. Sure, it was made using an app and not all handcrafted, but it still looks a hell of a lot better than Sharknado. Pick up your phones, Syfy.
