What Does The FL Think of So-called Black Friday?

[Guttersnipe]

My Question is, what do FLoungers think of this event / practice?

Loungers outside the U.S. may not be familiar, but "Black Friday" is the day immediately following the U.S.'s national day of Thanksgiving, which always falls on the fourth Thursday in November. Traditionally seen as the first day of the holiday shopping season, many retailers (especially large chains) hold sales on the day following Thanksgiving. This leads to anecdotal news items about people lining up for hours in the cold and then trampling one another in order to buy deeply discounted schlock.

Personally, I find it somewhat distasteful, too materialistic, and not really in keeping with the Holiday Spirit. It also seems (to me) to be part of the wider commercialization of Christmas / Hanukkah / Kwanzaa / Winter Solstice / Festivus (did I leave anyone out?). I also can't help but feel sorry folks who work in retail and often have to forgo Thanksgiving Day with their families in order to prepare stores for a flood of shoppers . . .

 

[LizzieMaine]

Personally, I find it somewhat distasteful, too materialistic, and not really in keeping with the Holiday Spirit. It also seems (to me) to be part of the wider commercialization of Christmas / Hanukkah / Kwanzaa / Winter Solstice / Festivus (did I leave anyone out?). I also can't help but feel sorry folks who work in retail and often have to forgo Thanksgiving Day with their families in order to prepare stores for a flood of shoppers . . .

I think it's loathsome, the ultimate example of consumerism run rampant. The idea that anyone would feel compelled to storm a store in the middle of the night because of some cultural requirement that they participate in a holiday is both disgusting and immoral, the sure sign of a society whose god is its belly. I never heard of Black Friday before the late '80s or so, and I wish I never had.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

I've never done the Black Friday thing but I might go just for the entertainment value because I've never seen lemmings before.
and of course viewing it from a safe distance

[video=youtube;Va73gytRkfE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Va73gytRkfE[/video]

 

[LizzieMaine]

You know, when you think about it, Black Friday definitely hits five of the classical "Seven Deadly Sins" -- Wrath, Greed, Gluttony, Envy, and Pride. You might arguably put Lust in there too.

If they can think of a gimmick to appeal to Sloth, they'll have hit the Jackpot of Human Degeneracy. Maybe a knockdown midnight sale on mattresses?

 

[Justin B]

If they can think of a gimmick to appeal to Sloth, they'll have hit the Jackpot of Human Degeneracy.

It's called Cyber Monday.

 

[LizzieMaine]

It's called Cyber Monday.

Ah, of course. "We've Come So Far."

 

[Foxer55]

Guttersnipe,

My Question is, what do FLoungers think of this event / practice?

Loungers outside the U.S. may not be familiar, but "Black Friday" is the day immediately following the U.S.'s national day of Thanksgiving, which always falls on the fourth Thursday in November. Traditionally seen as the first day of the holiday shopping season, many retailers (especially large chains) hold sales on the day following Thanksgiving. This leads to anecdotal news items about people lining up for hours in the cold and then trampling one another in order to buy deeply discounted schlock.

Personally, I find it somewhat distasteful, too materialistic, and not really in keeping with the Holiday Spirit. It also seems (to me) to be part of the wider commercialization of Christmas / Hanukkah / Kwanzaa / Winter Solstice / Festivus (did I leave anyone out?). I also can't help but feel sorry folks who work in retail and often have to forgo Thanksgiving Day with their families in order to prepare stores for a flood of shoppers . . .

You forgot to mention to our non-US members the reason its called "Black" Friday is it assures (hopefully for them) that retailers account books will show positive balances from increased sales for the Christmas season. Hence, any "red" ink on the books will become "black" ink.

Personally, I'm agnostic about the matter. If it was good enough for John Payne, Maureen O'Hara, Edmund Gwenn, and Natalie Wood in Miracle on 34th Street its good enough for me.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Guttersnipe,



You forgot to mention to our non-US members the reason its called "Black" Friday is it assures (hopefully for them) that retailers account books will show positive balances from increased sales for the Christmas season. Hence, any "red" ink on the books will become "black" ink.

This is actually a retronym -- in fact, the "Black Friday" name originated as an inside joke at the Philadelphia police department, in honor of the traffic issues that developed in the shopping districts the day after Thanksgiving. It wasn't until the '80s that the Boys From Marketing caught hold of the idea outside of Philadelphia and built up the idea of turning the day into a named sales event, using the "black ink" legend to justify it.

 

[3fingers]

It is the embodiment of everything that has gone wrong with our society. People behaving like animals to acquire more crap they don't even really want, that will either be broken or tossed aside in a short time in order to acquire a new round of garbage. They don't seem to realize that the only reason they are buying is because somebody has conditioned them to think they need to. Just look around your own community at how many self storage units there are. We already have so much junk we have no real use for that we have to pay someone else to have a place to keep it.
I will admit to having been in the process of getting rid of excess things for a while now, and have found that I seem to be a bit happier each time a few more items have disappeared.

 

[vintageTink]

I always feel like I'm some kind of degenerate when I tell others that I despise Black Friday. The crowds, the noise, the fighting...

 

[Tomasso]

Not a big fan of huge crowds and long lines so I won't be visiting any retailers this friday. I much prefer the after Christmas sales; much less of a rush ( everybody's tapped out) and better prices.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

I was talked into going one year by my oldest Daughter (who never misses the black Friday sales). After a few hours of being so rudely ran into with shopping carts..slammed..pushed..and stepped on by over zealous wild-eyed women I grabbed my wife and left vowing never ever to do it again..and I never have since. I would rather pay double for merchandise...and stay out of jail for defending myself from crazy women who have gone completely nuts.
HD

 

[Virginia Creeper]

I find it detestable that Canadian retailers are starting to offer "Black Friday" deals in an ostensible bid to keep shoppers from crossing the border to take advantage of the American deals. You keep your folkways below the 49th parallel, we'll keep ours above, and we'll all be happier for it.

 

[sheeplady]

While I am not opposed to deals, the most I ever do is go to a craft store for some cheap interfacing, ribbons, etc. I've never seen anybody line up outside a JoAnn Fabrics in the cold to get crafting supplies. Yet alone run anyone over. I don't really need anything else in my life, especially the junk they are pedaling at most of the stores.

I did get my first sewing machine at a Black Friday sale at Walmart for $50. This was almost 15 years ago though and it wasn't as wild as it is now.

Some years I've gone at 10 minutes to closing on the last day of the sale at Jo-Anns and still found the products I wanted. Nobody else thinks 10 yards of interfacing for a dollar is worth the drive, apparently.

 

[Tomasso]

I find it detestable that Canadian retailers are starting to offer "Black Friday" deals in an ostensible bid to keep shoppers from crossing the border to take advantage of the American deals. You keep your folkways below the 49th parallel, we'll keep ours above, and we'll all be happier for it.

Where exactly is this place you call Canada? One hears it mentioned occasionally in passing......

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Where exactly is this place you call Canada? One hears it mentioned occasionally in passing......

I believe it's the folks "upstairs" who consume vast quantities of donuts.
beauty, eh

 

[gear-guy]

+1 Lizzy /Well said!

 

[Gregg Axley]

Canada is a land full of woods, pretty women, and some cool rock bands.
They are also responsible for our winters.
Now shut the door, the cold is all the way down to Texas!

I do most of my shopping online, BECAUSE of crowds.
I don't care if you save 60% on that big tv, or shoes, etc.
If you shop around on the internet, you can get that same deal without the crowds, simply because the stores need your money.
As for the crowds and camping out...
You make people work on a holiday when they should be home with thier family. You should be home with your family as well. And camping refers to the woods, not store fronts, so keep it that way.

 

[Gregg Axley]

I always feel like I'm some kind of degenerate when I tell others that I despise Black Friday. The crowds, the noise, the fighting...

My family as a whole, does not participate in this.
I have a BIL that does, only for gaming systems, games, etc.
When he told me last night "I'm going to Walmart and try to beat the crowd for a PS4 Thanksgiving night.
My response?
Ding dong....

 

[LizzieMaine]

Interestingly, surveys have found that most of the people out there on Black Friday aren't buying gifts at all. They're buying crap for themselves. 'Tis the Season.