Wal-Mart shut down its movie recommendation software after its website suggested movies about famous African-Americans such as Martin Luther King, Tina Turner and Jack Johnson to those looking at boxed DVDs of Planet of the Apes, reports Red Herring. A screen shot of the movie and the suggested movie viewing list circulated on the web Thursday. "We are heartsick that this happened and are currently doing everything possible to correct the problem," said Wal-Mart spokesperson Mona Williams, who explained that the software was faulty.
"To further illustrate the bizarre nature of this technical issue, the site is also mapping movies such as Home Alone and Power Puff Girls to African-American-themed DVDs," she said.