When did it happen? When did Black Friday merge with what is supposed to be a holiday and a day for family, friends, and thankfulness? I won't ask why> I already know the answer to that one. Greed - plain and simple. Of course I could go farther back and ask, "When did the day after Thanksgiving become such a big deal for Christmas shopping? It really was a bad idea.
I remember a few years ago a woman was trampled in a Wal Mart store on Black Friday. Yep, that is black alright! This year I have read about someone pepper spraying other people to keep them from taking "Xbox", and someone being shot in a store parking lot. Really? I mean, REALLY?!?!? How desperate do you have to be to do something like that? Of course, I don't even see the point in going shopping on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Too stressful. Not really any GREAT deals (unless you are one of the first ten people in line, and to do that you would have had to miss Thanksgiving). But seriously folks, the deals are not THAT great, the quality of the stuff that is on sale is not as good, you'll wait in line for four hours to get $10 off that one special toy...not worth it to me. I'll spend the extra ten to just run in and pick it up and be done with it in 20 minutes. Better yet, I'll spend the ten for shipping when I order it online.
I am afraid we have become a nation of greedy, materialistic people (well not all of us).
2 comments:
I think you're right. We've become a nation made up of a lot of greedy, materialistic people. Corporations egg it on and push the message that consumers must have the latest and greatest to be happy. It's awful.
Not only are the big box stores encouraging bad behavior by opening early on Thanksgiving and turning it into a sideshow, but they're also taking store employees away from their families on a holiday. I'm sure most of the employees would have rather spent that time with loved ones. Instead they were in the thick of things. I think it's sad that companies put profits over the welfare of their employees. They've lost every shred of humanity they might have had at one time.
And you're right about the deals. There are a few that are amazingly incredible; however, they're usually a very limited quantity deal that only 3 or 4 people will "win". Everyone else will fight for moderately discounted items that in the heat of the moment they feel they just have to have, even if it means stomping over or punching a stranger to get it.
I wish people would have stayed home this Thanksgiving and Black Friday and sent a message to the retailers that the days of greed are over. Unfortunately they didn't, and greed is still rampant. If anything, things are worse now because people feel desperate. It just makes me sad.
I was just talking about this! First it was Black Friday, then Cyber Monday, and now it's Cyber Week. And it all starts a month before Christmas. As if Christmas hadn't become superficial and materialistic enough already. And I felt myself getting sucked in a bit this year.
Wal-Mart had amazing deals on all this...stuff. Stuff I didn't need, but that I wanted. And y'know what? Those deals are going to be around in January and March and July.
I can't think of anything (except maybe a car since I don't have one) that I'd sit around for 24 hours in a parking lot waiting for. My time is more valuable than the $20 or $30 I'd save on some trinket.
I agree with Christy: if we boycotted Black Friday, maybe retailers would get the message and stop ramming this crap down our throats. Of course, if people being shot and trampled wasn't enough to make them re-think their marketing strategy, I don't really know what will.
Merry Christmas! LOL!
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