Black Friday

[Faolyn]

Despite not being very religious and not having much of a wholesome family to celebrate it with, I still believe Thanksgiving is a time to sit down and appreciate what you have and resolve to get things done in the future. I know historically that Thanksgiving really didn't happen the way it did, but at its core it's still a time to celebrate the harvest season and to, well, give thanks.


So why the hell does Black Friday happen the literal moment after this holiday that tells us to appreciate what we have already.

I don't get it. I know that corporations tend to focus on Christmas more than they do Thanksgiving, but no other country has a day like this.

It's sickening how greedy and ignorant people are, especially right after they finish their Thanksgiving meals. So, was everything you said at the dinner table last night a lie? Is Thanksgiving really such a chore?

You'd rather get shot for a TV than sit down with your family and just treat yourself to a nice meal while appreciating the family and friends by your side?


Thanksgiving and Christmas have become so superficial I don't even know if it's right to celebrate them anymore. It's a waste of money and time to make dishes only for people to turn their backs on what they said and literally fight for stupid and unreasonable things. Who **censor** NEEDS a plasma TV? Who NEEDS a MacBook Air?


If corporate retail really wanted to prove that what they're doing is in the spirit of these holidays, they would mark their prices down on things like practical clothes and food. Things that you can give to the less fortunate or things that EVERYBODY needs.


Maybe I'm just sour about Friday because I have to work. I'm one of the few people they call in the store to break up arguments or even physical fights. Hell, I might have to bring my padded boxing gear just so I don't get trampled.


For those of you that shop on Black Friday or Cyber Monday, don't let me stop you. I just want you to be safe and have a good time with your family. Happy holidays.

[Fable]

I completely agree. My family has never been big about doing anything for thanksgiving and we don't do big gatherings but It's still sickening to watch people literally jerk things away from other people, punch, kick, scream, and kill, just for a cheap Ipod. The amount of greed and people display in the name of cheap goods is just horrible. I understand some people use it to get really cheap gifts for their family for Christmas but if you are ripping it away from some other person that goes against thanksgiving AND Christmas spirit.

It would be amazing to see people getting together and waiting for HOURS to help people in need, not just stuff their own pockets... I would never go out on black Friday. I would be absolutely crushed.

good luck Faolyn and be safe working on a hectic day like that.

[Rocket]

It's an integral part of a consumerist society, it would seem. It's not like people have the innate urge to go out and buy superfluous [stuff] right after eating irresponsible amounts of Turkey and dinner rolls. Corporations like Walmart, Target, and pretty much every retailer have their own tradition of getting people to buy their [stuff] by lowering the price by what would seem like a ridiculous margin, even though they profit more from the sheer volume sold.


So, as the price goes down, demand increases and people (especially those with little disposable income) rush out to try and snag whatever they can get, whether it be for themselves or Christmas gifts that they may not otherwise be able to afford.


Could it be any other day between Thanksgiving and Christmas? Yeah, but they have their own "tradition," and if one retailer suddenly decides to change their sales to a different day or spread them out over a longer period, they'll lose that massive volume that makes it more profitable for them to begin with.


And, unfortunately, even if there are those of us who refuse to participate, we'll likely be a minority for a long time and, unfortunately, be dragged along by the will of the majority (that same majority that elected Trump as president).

[Captain Degenerate]

Pretty much the same reason that Christmas has been turned into a horrid consumerist pile of tatty decorations exploiting saint Nick ignoring whos actual birthday it is and corporate greed.


Gatta keep them corporate bucks rollin ,


I dont mind it because I'm broke but it just seems like people turn into utterly disrespectful savages over it and its not essentials I can understand rioting over a lack of essentials but over a bunch of TV sets!

[Rocket]

Funny thing I came across recently though: The Coca-Cola Corporation actually shaped the modern-day image of Santa Claus that we know and love today (source).


My favorite one:

In the beginning, Sundblom painted the image of Santa using a live model — his friend Lou Prentiss, a retired salesman.

So our modern-day depiction of Santa was based off a salesman.

[Michen_S]

Christmas used to be a Christian holiday, celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. Now most people see it as a reason to panic to get all the presents bought and packed int time, as well as to look forward to the presents they'll get. Also the stores get a lot of money because of all of this. Even for Christians, the meaning of Christmas has drastically changed. I find this rather sad, to be honest.

[Faolyn]

Well, this thread is about Black Friday, not Christmas. Please don't steer it off topic.

[Michen_S]

Sorry for that. But the same counts for Black Friday and Thanksgiving, though I don't know what Black Friday originally was for. People are and have always been greedy. Thanksgiving was designed to appreciate what we have, but the next day it's over and it's almost completely gone. Especially now we live in a time where more is better, and you just got to have <fill this blank>. If you don't have it, you're behind on the rest of your peers. People constantly want to buy stuff, and the companies try their best to attract customers by using that in their advantage. Even if it is by throwing ridiculous sales at a special day of the year.