black friday humans or the possesed?

[thoughtful]

I have to say, I'm somewhat surprised. I did Black Friday last year, at a Wal-Mart in my mother's town. The Wal-Mart is pretty much the only place to shop for anything, so I was bracing myself for it to be crazy, but it was positively tame - I didn't even see any arguments. I assumed, that with deaths and craziness in recent years, followed by more organization and stores opening earlier, that they'd figured out how to stem the crazy. I guess it's still very much a case-by-case basis.

I hope so - I hate to think the whole country is that crazy.

I have no idea how things were in my area, but traffic near shopping areas was not bad, when I was out.

[SamuraiKatz]

Man falls to the floor ill during a black Friday event at a Target in West Va. Most people ignore the guy and continue shopping. I just don't understand people.....

http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/ ... -at-target

[PBrooke]

To be fair, when people complain because they only see Black Friday ads, and not Thanksgiving ads - well, that's the whole point, isn't it? There wouldn't be an ad for Thanksgiving, because Thanksgiving isn't about selling you anything (okay, maybe food). And if you saw Thanksgiving ads, people would probably complain about the commercialization of Thanksgiving, same as they've been complaining about Christmas for, oh, a hundred years or two.

My husband and I do (secular) Christmas, but we don't really do presents - we get what we want/need throughout the year, and there's no "wait until Christmas!" Christmas is about family, and relaxing together. We intend to do the same thing when we have kids, if we can. That being said, the commercialization of holidays doesn't bother me - most of our traditions are product-based and less than two hundred years old anyway. Today's product placement is tomorrow's nostalgia.

[thoughtful]

Today's product placement is tomorrow's nostalgia.

I read and enjoyed this book, years ago:

http://www.amazon.com/Consumer-Rites-Se ... =1-1-spell

Might be something FJers would find interesting.

[NurseNell]

I read and enjoyed this book, years ago:

http://www.amazon.com/Consumer-Rites-Se ... =1-1-spell

Might be something FJers would find interesting.

Looks very interesting. Thanks!

[Beb]

Black Friday....seems to me it's a media creation, and it just illustrates how easily the lemming public can get all worked up merely by media suggestion.

"What??? A $20 towel for five bucks???? Where! Lemme at 'em. NOW!"

Camping out at Best Buy? Hell no! I don't care how cheap a few of their electronics are.

I'd be willing to bet people spend far more than they would have saved because of the mentality that it's on sale at such a good price, so I'll buy several just because they're cheap. Probably a bit of thought and selective shopping at other times could turn up some equally good buys.

I don't venture near shopping areas during the Black Friday times, and not solely because of the shoppers in the stores. Road rage grabs me every time, and the nutjobs racing to Walmart will use their vehicles to kill you.

[NurseNell]

I'd be willing to bet people spend far more than they would have saved because of the mentality that it's on sale at such a good price, so I'll buy several just because they're cheap. Probably a bit of thought and selective shopping at other times could turn up some equally good buys.

I don't venture near shopping areas during the Black Friday times, and not solely because of the shoppers in the stores. Road rage grabs me every time, and the nutjobs racing to Walmart will use their vehicles to kill you.

I think you are right about spending more than intended. Of course, the stores know that and are banking on it.

And definitely true about staying off the roads.

[fundiefan]

I think it is all insane. It's definitely a media creation, but retailers jumped on it in increasing degrees over the years to get it to the point is at now. Ridiculous insanity. People acting like those in the video posted. Fighting. Pepper spraying, for fucks sake.

It started, I think, in the years of the Tickle Me Elmo mess - when stores ran out and people fought over the last one; whatever the 'hot' toy was on any given year. Now, that has just carried over to everything and anything.

The only stores I'll go near the weekend after Thanksgiving are grocery stores. Black Friday is actually an awesome day to grocery shop. No crowds, fresh stock, peace and quiet in the isles.

[anniebgood]

The only thing I bought on Black Friday was a book from Amazon. And it wasn't on any huge sale. I got a text today saying it would be here Wednesday which I wondered about because I have Prime and it should be 2 days free.

My daughters best friend worked 11p-8a at Target and slept most of yesterday. Today she was back for more.