what do you want on this Black Friday?

I think I'll buy a few more LCD monitors they are super cheap these days...

Huh, Black Friday is something very different for you than what it brings to mind for me.

a ... kiss? Why not? It's christmas!

I think I'll buy myself some cans of spam and maybe some more astroturf.

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Original post by jbadams Huh, Black Friday is something very different for you than what it brings to mind for me.

Yeah, I have also thought it was kind of odd that this major retail sale day has been dubbed "Black Friday", as that is usually attached to negative things. The fires come to mind, shootings are sometimes called "Black ", etc. Even at my old company, major lay-offs were referred to as "Black " when they were brought up later. It also makes me think of the Black Plague, which really wasn't a fun time for anyone involved.

Remember last year when all those fun loving black friday shoppers killed a walmart employee because he didn't open the doors to the store fast enough for them to get their cheap chinese televisions?

Wasn't that awesome?!!

Maybe this year we can kill TWO people!!!

YEAH!!!!!


/I would have boycotted black friday over that
//but I used to work retail. I've already been boycotting black friday for a decade.

I am going to gorge on food. Again.

I think it is "Black" because every year some crazy shopper(s) kill or trample each other. I think last year there was a trample at Wal-Mart, as well as a shoot-out at Toys R Us. This year my guess is somebody will find a way to kill somebody with a Furby.

ah, Black Friday.. the day which proves to the world once again that the US is full of self obsessed retail junkies \o/

Oh yes, Black Friday.

Every year someone gets trampled, and I get subjected to the same old meta analysis.

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Someone dying is 100% a reflection on our consumer spending habits, not on any sort of organizational skills from the $store who had the event. $store is powerless from organizing a safe, effective way to enter. Crowd control barriers do not exist. The only thing $store can do is open the door and pray no one gets hurt as the American consumer runs past screaming.

I can't wait for this years version.

Does anyone else remember the news about the Wal-Mart who was selling laptops for 75% off, and they were tossing them out into a crowd of people? Two people were hit in the head with them, and one had to be hospitalized. I think it was about 2 or 3 years ago.

Right, so the idea of self control, waiting in line and not rushing into the store at openning time like a herd of wild animals* doesn't occur to anyone? everyone is that.. I dunno... scared? that they will miss out on a life redefining deal they have to run into the store at the expense of anyone who gets in the way..?

Trying to shift the blame to the shops is laughable, or has 'self control' been outlawed or something?

(*tbh, this might be a bit harsh on animals...)

I think it's called Black Friday because it has something to do with shops getting their books into the "black" (positive) as opposed to the "red" (negative).

I went out a couple years ago but I wasn't impressed with any of the deals. But then again I'm the kind of person who sets their sites on specific products, not prices. If I want a particular $1000 dollar TV, and an $800 TV is on sale for $400, I'm just not interested. And for most other things, I'm willing to pay a little extra to avoid the crowds :). I may check online though.

Recovering shopaholics rejoice! You have nothing to lose but your chain store credit cards!!! Buy Nothing Day is upon us, salvation has arrived! Our friends from the Church of Life After Shopping have a few words for your enjoyment:

">Reverend Billy on Buy Nothing Day, 2006. Hallelujah!!!

I want to not have to work and deal with the horde of angry violent people trying to get cheap laptops and tvs.

I don't make a special shopping trip for Christmas. I pay attention throughout the year for things that I think would make good gifts and generally buy them at that time. I also order things online. I specifically stay home on the day after Thanksgiving, and try to stay out of stores for the next week. I try to stay out the last week before Christmas, too.

I don't remember many people or stores decorating for Thanksgiving this year. They've all had Christmas decorations up for several weeks now. It bothers me a lot that people these days treat Thanksgiving as just a barrier they need to get through to get to the Christmas season, which they are only going to treat as a "buy me shit" season. I like Christmas a lot, too, but come on, give Thanksgiving the respect it deserves.

[Edited by - capn_midnight on November 21, 2009 5:37:45 PM]

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Original post by capn_midnight I like Christmas a lot, too, but come on, give Thanksgiving the respect it deserves.

Any perticular reason it should be given respect?

I'm just curious because from my brief reading about it the basis seems to be a harvest festival and, well, personally I don't see what needs respecting there. It has some historical significance granted, but I fail to see why that needs respect; if that was a pre-cursor for it then we need to respect halloween, Nov 5th, Xmas, Easter and any other number of "holidays" most of them based on religion (ugh) or significant national events.

But, I'm curious as to your reasoning...

The "deadly herd of humanity" problem probably isn't helped by the fact that they advertise the Friday morning sales as "door busters". It's like they're instructing the customers to mob against the doors and burst them open at the seems when opening time comes.

I did my first, and last, Black Friday morning last year. Waking up early to save a hundred bucks didn't seem like such a bad deal. I didn't take the horror stories literally, and that was a mistake. You really do have come just this close to fisticuffs to get the decent deals. I'll wake up early to save a hundred bucks, but I won't let a department store manipulate me into acting like an animal to save a hundred bucks. They should just make it into a straight-up gladiatorial contest and get it over with.

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Original post by phantom Quote: Original post by capn_midnight I like Christmas a lot, too, but come on, give Thanksgiving the respect it deserves. Any perticular reason it should be given respect? I'm just curious because from my brief reading about it the basis seems to be a harvest festival and, well, personally I don't see what needs respecting there. It has some historical significance granted, but I fail to see why that needs respect; if that was a pre-cursor for it then we need to respect halloween, Nov 5th, Xmas, Easter and any other number of "holidays" most of them based on religion (ugh) or significant national events. But, I'm curious as to your reasoning...

It's an American thing, more a founders day than a harvest festival. When I was a child, even when I was a teenager, the blitz of advertising and promotions associated with Christmas holiday season didn't begin until well after the Thanksgiving holiday. Now it begins before Halloween. The rush to go shopping for Christmas presents the day after Thanksgiving really got a push in the 1980's and 1990's. You could even blame it on Elmo if you wanted to.