This is just a nice little story to cleanse your palate from yesterday’s Star Magazine cover story about Angelina Jolie needing to go to rehab (which, yes, had very little to do with heroin, despite the cover line lie). This story is about the Jolie-Pitts trip to Missouri last week, and where they went. Apparently, Angelina and Brad are Kmart shoppers. For real. Us Weekly reports that Angelina and Brad went to Kmart (with Pax and Zahara) in Springfield, Missouri, and spent about $300. Now, I’m not some kind of hardcore elitist, but even I don’t shop at Kmart. Is the Kmart in my town particularly trashy? Yes, it is. I always feel like I’m about to be stabbed just driving by the place. So what does it say about Angelina and Brad that they shop at Kmart?
Venice, Paris… Missouri? After celebrating Christmas in Namibia (and donating $2 million to an area wildlife sanctuary), globetrotting couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie rang in the new year with some very American activities.
Visiting Brad’s parents in Missouri December 27, they, along with Pax and Zahara, went on a Kmart shopping spree.
“They spent about $300 on cosmetics and toys,” says an onlooker. The next day, they hit a Barnes & Noble in Springfield with Zahara and Shiloh to buy Nook digital readers.
Upon their return to LA later in the week, their average-joe adventures continued. The brood – minus Knox and Vivienne had dinner on January 2 at tourist fave Benihana, where a chef grilled for the group tableside.
Says a witness, “they looked like they were having fun!”
[From Us Weekly, print edition]
Cosmetics and toys? You’re going to go bargain shopping at Kmart and you’re not even going to check out the Martha Stewart Everyday Living line? The hell? Martha sells some nice stuff at Kmart. That’s the only reason to even visit!
Also – Benihana? Is that better or worse than taking the kids to McDonalds? I think it’s about the same, don’t you? Brangelina: Just like us. Next thing you know, the paparazzi will get a shot of Brad scratching his balls on the front lawn while Angelina files her nails as she watches The Price Is Right.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
KMart is probably more of an exotic adventure for them than any of their global stops.
Thinking of them as just normal folks makes them seem….hotter. Or, maybe I’m just weird LOL The thought of watching neighbor Brad (or Angelina for that matter) run outside in his robe to get the morning paper (while scratching his balls) makes me a little weak in the knees;)
so, she’s not in rehab?
INSERT EYE ROLL HERE
I’d say that Benihana, while not fine cuisine, is definitely better than McD’s. If it’s what I’m thinking of, all the food is grilled and the “worst” thing on the menu is the carbs in the rice…other than that, isn’t it comparatively healthy? in any case, it’s yummy.
also, totally agree on the Kmart shopping…the one near me was always dirty and filled with sketchy types. I prefer Target (and even WalMart, which I really don’t like) over Kmart.
It hasn’t been 2 weeks after christmas and they’re buying toys? Doesn’t really make sense…unless the kids needed stuff to play with while in Missouri.
I wish there was a kmart in my town. Most of the Kmart stores in TX closed years ago.
They got nooks instead of kindles. Good job brange.
Where else are they supposed to shop? Have you been to Missouri? Because department store there means Burlington coat factory, not barneys new york. It’s not like it’s a slow news day so I dunno how this non-story full of common sense I could’ve guessed before I read the article made news. I kinda feel for them, although I’m sure they’re all too busy jetsetting and swimming in piles of cash to care that the media just loves to write pages long stories about innocuous, inconsequential details. Especially UsWeekly.. It must be at least a little amusing though.
Edit: and benihana is NOT mcdonalds. That statement makes it seems as if you’re never even seen, been inside, let alone eaten at a benihana. It’s not three forks or the ivy, but the meat is actual meat and the food is on the healthier side of dining out, where mickey ds, while delicious, should not qualify as real food. And i would put money on them going because the kids like watching the food prepared. Most do.
I cannot stand stepping into a Kmart. It’s only Target for me.
Can you imagine if Gwennie and Brad did get married? If she ever went to a Kmart with her children it was probably to teach them a lesson about the struggles some face in life, and to show them there are real peasants who face real hardships in their lives, so they are forced to buy their underwear, sheets, toys, makeup, maxipads,rifles, bicycles, and soap all in the same store.”We need to pray for those people, Moses and Apple.”
what i don’t get is where their missing kids are. they’re never with all the kids, there’s always like 2 missing at any one time. i get that no one wants to take babies out to eat but they are their kids, i find it weird they just hand them off to who? a nanny or something while the rest of the family does something together. it’s like “i can’t be bothered with these children until they are old enough to behave- take them out of my sight nanny until they reach at least 6”
Funny how things are different. Walmart and Target here are extremely sketchy and filled with way trashy people. Kmart is where the yuppies shop. Go figure. 🙂
Flourpot, that’s crazy! Target is the classy one here, Wal-Mart is middle ground (we have some decent Super Wal-Marts), and Kmart is EWWWWW!
I LOVE that they went to Kmart. They are super awesome.
I’m surprised this is a story.
…I could have sworn I commented on this.
I despise Kmart because my mom has worked at one for the past 23 years and they treat her like crap. I wish she would just hurry up and retire.
I hate Target because their return policy is stupid. I was given a Kindle for my b-day in November. Turns out it was a broken one that someone else had previously returned (the manager TOLD me this!). Instead of sending it back to the manufacturer, they put it back out on the shelf to be sold again. Then they gave me all kinds of grief about returning it.
Wal Mart is the only one I can tolerate, but I much prefer doing as much of my shopping online as possible.
OMG proof! Her heroin addiction is costing them so much that they’re reduced to shopping at Kmart!
😉
Never been to Benihana but there is a restaurant something like it in California called Tokyo Wako where they grill the food fresh at your table and it’s scrumptious.
I’ve had a Color Nook for over a month now and I absolutely love it. Beats Kindle coming and going.
I like it that they are bargain shoopers. I remember Angie going to a premiere a couple of years ago in a black dress she picked up for $26 in a thrift store.
Well when we did have KMart’s in Texas, I only saw really clean, well stocked stores. I live in Collin county and the stores out here were nice.
I was so disappointed that they left. Now I am left with only Target for my misc home needs.
I refuse to step foot into Walmart. They are always higher priced for the things I need, versus Target prices. Plus I just find their customer service lacking. Too many rude non-helpful people.
I think it varies place to place which is better. They’re all the same to me.
Still pretty sure I commented on how this was a non story earlier.
Ok they went to Kmart… so what? Kids – and people – need to be able to see everything.
OMG proof! Her heroin addiction is costing them so much that they’re reduced to shopping at Kmart!
@ WhiteNoise: Awesome!! Roflmao!!
I live in Vermont: We don’t have a Target (boo!!), the Kmart here is sketchy, so I have to go to WalMart for my household goods. Ugh…Please Target come to Vermont!!!
Never heard of Benihana, is that a west coast place. anyway,
Kaiser, Kmart is not all bad, I need to go there today on my lunch break to get a space heater for my office. I hope I dont get stabed. I’ll let you know around 1:30
I went to Miami a few times and Target was more expensive than Walmart there. Never been to Kmart though…. I love Walmart Hotel collection sheets.
Where I live, WalMart is way trashier and scarier than KMart, but I still like Target best.
I think it’s cool that they try to be normal with their kids and just go to
K-mart. Where I live all three.. K mart, Walmart and Target are about the same quality and price. We always have to go to the toy section when we visit, so I’m sure they do to.. They probably just needed a couple of things, but the kids wanted some toys too.. I like this story.
oh and I get why they go to Benihana’s .. it’s noisy and a fun place to take kids and probably has something everyone likes..
I’ve never been to KMart although there is one in downtown Manhattan. Wal-Mart has tried unsuccessfully for years to open a store in NYC and has repeatedly failed, thank God.
Target used to have a very nice line of women’s clothes designed by Isaac Mizrahi at very affordable prices. I found a suede skirt, fully lined, for $39.95. I told everybody I got it at Tah-zhay. 😉
brin, that’s priceless.
funny because it is true!
love whitenoise’s comment as well.
“Next thing you know, the paparazzi will get a shot of Brad scratching his balls on the front lawn while Angelina files her nails as she watches The Price Is Right.”
Love It!!! That just made my day. 😀
Lol @ Cheyenne…I heard that word Tah-zhay alot lol.
There used to be a Kmart here in San Antonio way back in the day. When I had gotten my first apartment, i bought alot of my immediately needed supplies there, including this super cheap snap together plastic ‘coffee table’ thing that my computer sat on for a few years til I got a desk. I wasent sad to see it go though, when it finally closed. It was always crowded and noisy and full of the downtown homeless that sat in the front of the store all day panhandling. And it smelled bad in there, like the ventilation didnt work right and they used old mop water to wash the floors with. Good riddance to Kmart.
When buying sheets is the 1000 tc better? I only bought upto 600 tc. the 400 tc tends to get the small knots on it….i dont know the proper word….
@ Toe – the higher the thread count, the smoother the sheet. And it’s important to get 100% cotton. Your 400 tc is probably a polyester blend, which is why it pills.
Next headline Brangelina seen drinking bottled water in public…
Can they be any more boring. I really hope Angelina starts carrying around vials of Brad’s blood, it’ll make them more deserving of this attention 🙂
But this does prove she’s not in rehab right?
Brad looks so smooth, so smooth in the face.
Has been pressed with Botox?
Just like us. Next thing you know, the paparazzi will get a shot of Brad scratching his balls on the front lawn while Angelina files her nails as she watches The Price Is Right.
LOL Glad I was not drinking anything when I read this! It would have flew out my nose!
But I can see it in my minds eye right now.
K-mart is not that bad, location could be.
If he used Botox he needs more in the forehead to get rid of wrinkles .FYI they shopped at Walmart when they were in Texas for Tree of Life filming. Personally I prefer Kmart over Walmart
Martha Stuart Living! Totally the only reason to go to Kmart. I bought copper-bottom pans there 8 years ago and they are still beautiful. I forgot about that, thanks for the reminder.
Yeah for me it’s all about Tar-get. WalMart is scary crowded and Kmart is too far away.
Thank Kaye. So the word is pills.
Vi- I only have 3 small kids and if I have the opportunity to leave them with someone so I can shop, I totally take advantage of it! I doubt the babies really get much out of shopping at this age.
I’ve been to the part of MO where Brad is from, KMart is the only game in town. I would guess that they just needed to pick up things to occupy the kids while they were there.
Pssshaw…I love all the Target fans, my girlfriends are all obsessed too. And I always tell them it’s just Walmart in a prettier outfit! 🙂
$300 on toys is very easily doable…but on cosmetics from drugstore brands? Huh.
I used to love shopping at Kmart for Martha Stewart items, but there aren’t any more Kmarts in Texas. I absolutely refuse to shop at Walmart because of the way they treat their employees and their vendors. I should know, the company I work for is one of their vendors and they are absolutetly horrid. It’s their way or they won’t do business with you.
@Isabel.. that is exactly the way it is here.
They got a lot of junk at Kmart..
Do they have a REHAB in KMART now?
This is the problem with society at large. They feel that celebrities are not normal people. The eat, breathe, and crap just like the rest of us and do Kmart, Target, and Wal-Mart runs. They are not running around eating caviar all the time yelling at their butler. They also have feelings too. Alot the stuff written about them is hurtful and they choose to ignore it. It’s one of the things about LA, there is paparazzi here, but they congregate in certain area where you may see celebs and celebs know that. Most of them go about leading their normal lives away from this and people here tend to leave them alone. I see them at my Target all the time and you notice they are there, but nothing is said and people generally don’t fall over themselves to get at them. Fame is a crazy thing that you can never give back.
Walmart definitely mistreats their employees. My cousin was only allowed to work I think 38 hrs a week because if she worked more she would be eligible for health insurance.They give her info on how to apply for Medicaid rather than giving her a few more hours/ week
I live in Springfield, my cousin went to school w/Brad at Kickapoo. When he visits he is treated with respect to his privacy. His family is well respected, very involved in the community and are very down to earth. When here he has always visited local establishments and treats everyone as his equal – this is his home town.
OMG proof! Her heroin addiction is costing them so much that they’re reduced to shopping at Kmart!
ROTFL
Some of you guys are really funny.
TXCinderella, if you won’t shop at WalMart because of the way they treat their employees, then you wouldn’t want to shop at Kmart anyway. It wasn’t that many years ago that Kmart lost a class-action lawsuit in which older, long-term employees that were nearing retirement eligibility were either fired on trumped up charges or had their schedules screwed with so much that they couldn’t keep working there (making day employees suddenly start working overnights stocking, then switching them back and forth randomly, for example). It was ugly, and although they don’t do that anymore, they still treat their employees like absolute crap.
Thank God for the Internet! I’d rather shop here than anywhere else!
#46 Thanks for info. I read on another site that they visit Springfield 3-4 times a year and that the locals respect their privacy, not asking for autographs or pics. TX Cinderella- I’m shocked that a state as big as Texas has no Kmarts. What store bought them out?
@ #43 – I’m from a place that celebrities go to on purpose because everyone leaves them alone.. it’s a respect issue and they can just live their lives without being hounded. You are right, they can stay away from the paps (pretty much) if they choose to. They must have had a pretty uneventful trip to Kmart because there are no pictures of it. They must have been in and out before anyone knew it, or that town is the same as mine.. they leave them alone.
KMart has downsized and no longer have stores all over the country. The stores they did keep have been upgraded and enlarged and are now just as good looking and nice as Target and WalMart. (Maybe they haven’t gotten around to modernizing stores in some areas.) And if people refuse to shop at KMart because of how they treat their employees then you also cannot shop at WalMart or Target or most so-called Big Box stores because they are all the same . . . there are very few full-time employees so that the companies don’t have to pay medical insurance!! That’s how their prices stay so low and how they stay in business.
I really hope the manager at that KMart store is not the one who gave out the info on what this family purchased!! That would be so tacky!!
And, to co-sign, Benihana is definitely NOT Mickey D’s!! The food is fresh and cooked right there at the table; you get soup/salad and the main course and the food is really delicious. I love the veggies and that orangy-colored sauce. And the kids probably had the best time watching the crazy guy throw the food around. It’s a great place to take kids, as long as you keep their busy little hands away from the hot part of the table!!
I have 3 kids and let me tell you – kids LOVE Benihana!
OF COURSE it’s better than McD’s. Can you get lobster sliced and diced for you at McD’s?
As for K-Mart, they’re not in Paris anymore, they’re just going with the flow!
I work at Walmart and all their employees are eligible for medical benefits, full and part-time. You can only get DENTAL insurance if you are under 40 hours. Also, the state of the any store, walmart, k-mart, or target, all depends on the location of the stores. The ones in nicer neighberhoods are nicer. Just a fact. And all you people who shop online because of the way these stores treat their employees, you do realize that the less customers in the store means that less people will be hired at the store, so thanks for contributing to the whole “no jobs” thing!
I’m from Missouri and no, we don’t consider Burlington Coat Factory to be a fancy department store. At least not while I can shop at Neimans or Saks.
I hate K-Mart and WalMart. Both places treat their employees like they aren’t worth the shit beneath their shoes and employ illegal immigrants so that they can keep costs down, work them to death and not have to bother with paying any benefits or giving them healthcare. The stores in my area (when my mom shopped there when we didn’t have a lot of money) were always dirty and the types of people who were in there were just disgusting. The employees barely spoke English, the bathrooms were filthy and the both places were just decidedly seedy.
Thanks for supporting corporate scum, Brangelina.
Hamm: the types of people who were in there were just disgusting.
========================================
Well listen to Lady Hamm who is too good to mix with the low-class slobs who don’t have the megabucks to patronize Saks and Bergdorfs. Jeez, do you have any idea how snotty you sound?
@Moreaces: Benihana is all over the country; there are three in NYC alone. It’s a lot of fun watching the chefs preparing and grilling food at the table and the kids love the way they throw the knives around like circus acrobats. And the food is delicious.
fyi: Martha Stewart collections left KMart in 2009. She is with Macy’s now.
maybe they gave the toys away or just things the kids seen on tv , give them a break .
There were many Walmart sightings of them in TX when Brad was filming there- they also do A LOT of hand-me-downs. I like it- sets a good example for their kids. What is “normal” anyway? I guess normal for their income/celebrity would be new designer duds everyday & shopping on rodeo Dr, so they’ve at least shown their kids that there is life beyond Beverly Hills- yea!
Cheyenne: I’m not snotty, I’m realistic. There are disgusting people in this world who don’t care about their surroundings and leave things an absolute mess. Clearly you’ve been lucky enough to not have to deal with people like that on a regular basis.
I’ve never stepped foot into Bergdorf Goodman or Saks. I’ve never bought anything from a fancier store than Banana Republic and that was stretching my budget for a nice dress which cost a whopping $200.
I am solidly hanging out on the lower-middle class rung of society but that doesn’t mean I have license to mess up nice things for other people.
Stop trying so hard to make others look bad.
I am from Springfield. The K-Mart is in the same shopping area as the Barnes and Noble (where I guess they also went). The K-Mart is also never terribly busy, so maybe that was also a factor for them.
i’m surprised that no one’s as fascinated by the idea that angelina jolie alias “probably the most beautiful woman in the world” might wear drugstore cosmetics. i’m immediately like WHAT BRAND? WHICH MASCARA? WHAT SKINCARE? tho of course that’s dumb, she probably still has the most expensive stuff applied by professionals on in whatever pics i’ve ever seen of her.
also, i don’t even know kmart very well, haven’t set foot in one since i was a tiny kid i think. i do know that walmart is evil corporate scum tho, treating their employees (like my little bro, when he was there) like crap, censoring their music on sale to comply with their own “conservative christian values” (this was in the 90s, i remember being pissed off about it- if you wanna censor the music i buy, you’d better put some kind of label on it or something!), basically behaving like an aggressive behemoth all over the place, just, grrrr, i hate them and their filthy noisy stores and their texas republican roots and their old authoritarian media product policy and the fear i always felt in the dark, creepy parking lot in the one by my parents’, blahhh.
… pant, pant. ok i’m done now. i hate walmart, you guys.
Such a non story. Of course the ‘haters’ will find a way to hate on them for this (as shown already…). 😆
AJ lives a busy life, maybe her rehab was a drive-thru one like a McD’s. 😀
I’m shocked that everybody is bashing them for going to Kmart. It’s just a store. Perhaps it was the most convenient one. Also they supposedly just bought toys and cosmetics. A Spiderman figure or Covergirl blush isn’t lesser in quality than what’s at Walmart and Target. If they went clothing shopping than that would be LOL. I haven’t been in years since they all closed down but clothing quality at Kmart was bad.
@lucy-
This is in no way meant to be rude but if the people who worked in stores were not only nicer but more helpful I’m sure that many people wouldn’t avoid them by online shopping.
I also work in customer service although its not retail. It doesn’t matter what is going on in my life or how hard my day is I am nice to people because it is my job.
Any cashiers selling the full receipt of goods bought? I want the eeensty details……
What has my life come to?!!
@cheyenne you’re not missing anything in that Kmart by Astor Place. I’ve gone there to buy emergency items before (black socks for a uniform, khaki pants for last minute work, that kind of thing) and it’s like a dumbed down Target, but with worse prices. I live next to the Target in the Bronx, and I totally call it Tar-jay too. Lol
big deal. i just spent $300 at walmart today. what did i buy? feminine products and toiletries.
@DetRiotgirl: You live pretty near me, then. I’m over in Riverdale.
You got the accent wrong. Tar-jay is a no-no. You gotta say it like Tah-zhay with your nose stuck up in the air. 😆
@Hamm: What was so disgusting about those people you are referring to? Were they drunk and disorderly or loud and rowdy in the store? You can find that among all income groups. Some of the most obnoxious shoppers I’ve ever seen were in upscale stores acting pushy and nasty to the sales staff.
BTW Saks has some terrific bargains from time to time if you know how to shop the sales.
Jacquie…..As I said, I work at Walmart, and I am always nice and willing to help the customers with whatever they need, even if its out of my work area. That being said, believe me I realize not all the employees are like that. Of course, some of the customers can be very rude also.
How do they dare not to give those 300$ to charity!? Those pretentious a**holes never do a thing to help the USA!
No news indeed, yawn.
I’m far more interested in finding out if Bland Pitt is capable of hitting the toilet when he uses it (if he uses it).
I’m sure he’s not able.
I know that Brad/Angie have lots of money. Homes all over, but I don’t understand why people assume they don’t know how to do basic things like shop. Brad was raised in a middle class family and Angie by a single mother. John Voight was never an actor that made tons of money. Plus he was reported to be super picky about what roles he took and thereby he never worked a lot. Thus upon the death of Angie’s mom we learned that he owed her thousands upon thousands in back child support. Angie’s father knew famous people, but they didn’t live this extravagant life. So I don’t get why Brad/Angie get this rep. Other then the red carpet we don’t see her or Brad in over the top clothing. Yes I’m sure the clothes are expensive but they look very ordinary. Angie get criticized all the time because of her clothing choices. And the same with the kids. As a fan I know that the kids wear each other clothes. They are wealthy and enjoy the money they earn.. Just like all the other celebs, I just don’t see them flaunting it all over like many others. They seem to shop and do lots of things considered “everyday”
We never hear about over the top children parties and such either. I think despite the private planes and homes (which all celebs have) they are not so in your face with their money. I could name tons of others that really are. Even those that don’t make near the same amount of money.
When celebrities spend money they are talked about and when they dare go into a store that is not upscale they are talked about for that too..
Can’t win.
SEARS bought out K-Mart when they were in bankruptcy (or near it?) a few years ago. Many, many K-Mart sites were purchased by Home Depot. We still have a K-Mart near us. I’ve never set foot in a Wal-Mart and I never will. Target gives me a headache with all that infernal red and there is something funny about their lighting.
I agree Lisa but I just wanted to point out that even their planes are modest single-engine planes — not huge private jets like a lot of stars of their caliber. When the whole family travels on their own they charter and Angie said once they always buy carbon credits. AJ has always dressed simply and she dresses her children pretty simply. Brad used to be spotted in the Big 5, In-N-Out Burger, GAP and etc. They just aren’t snooty.
Imagine being in K Mart and you look up and see Brad and Ange. I wouldn’t know what to say although I’d desperately want to say something.
Wow- some of the US K-Mart stores you are describing sound like crack dens.
K-Mart is not that bad down here in Oz, but Target is much better quality goods and the staff are friendlier.
And yes we also call it Tar-jay (with snotty accent) LOL.
WalMart is well known to treat their employees very shabbily. I’m surprised the Brange brand supports them. Very bad for their image.
Angie is looking more and more like a classic beauty and Brad is looking more and more like a puffy faced 25 year-old hobo.
Cheyenne: I’ve seen a woman changing her baby’s diaper on top of a McDonald’s table inside of a WalMart. I’ve seen people eating peanuts out of bags they haven’t bought yet and leaving the shells on the floor at WalMart. I’ve seen human fecal matter and smelled urine in a dressing room at WalMart.
So no, I wasn’t talking about drunk, disorderly people.
Brooklyn’s pretty celeb friendly, too.
As for Target, WalMart, KMart, etc, I like Target the best.
tottaly agree the two kmarts around here anymore is located in the trashied places in town, but hey maybe Angelina & Brad went to a better one in that city! But if their visiting kmart I’ll def go in to just to see them!
Cheapskates, they only spent $300 @ Kmart? That’s disappointing they could have stimulated the US economy a little more by shutting that store down and spending thousands. Then a nice touch tipping all the Kmart workers who are only earning $7 an hour. Hell Donald Trump and Ivana shopped at Kmart in the 80’s, it ain’t no big deal the Pitt-Jolies went there. Now if they were maybe spotted at Family Dollar or Big Lots, you got a story.
so….this story is about… comparing…. American retail outlets?
hmmm….
“So what does it say about Angelina and Brad that they shop at Kmart?”
It says that they wanted to go to Kmart. Just because YOUR Kmart is trashy doesn’t mean they all are.
And besides…..WHO CARES??? AND WHY IS THIS YOUR BUSINESS???? It is utterly ridiculous how judgmental people are these days. *smdh*
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