Black Friday 1994

[AppleQueso]

I have no choice, I work overnight at a wal-mart. I'm there whether I want to be or not.

How does that work actually? If the sale begins at 12:00am at a 24 hour store, what's to stop people from coming in a day earlier, grabbing the item and loitering around til the sale goes into effect?

The special sale items are on their own displays, and we have them wrapped until the time comes when we cut them open and let the customers have at it.

A lot do show up several hours before and just stand around waiting to nab it though.

[Luke]

i think it's a hilarious exercise in human weakness. i spend most of the morning laughing at people, literally to their face, and watch as nothing happens.

Huh? None of this makes sense.

What's weak about people buying retail items at manufacture cost?

So... You wake up at 3am to go to stores to laugh at people? I doubt that as much as I doubt nothing happens on Black Friday.

[aaron]

people's selfishness and greed is inherently a weakness. when people get all bent out of shape about not getting something, and they are acting ridiculous as a result (and they more than likely know it), i point it out to them, subtly.

this makes me a total dick, i know, but it's really gratifying. maybe that's my weakness.

[Luke]

people's selfishness and greed is inherently a weakness.

Dude.

People are going out to buy gifts for loved ones, and if they're not, they're only being smart by purchasing items at the lowest price possible.

I don't think you're a dick, your opinion is just clouded by your weird perception of what reality is.

[aaron]

people's selfishness and greed is inherently a weakness.

Dude.

People are going out to buy gifts for loved ones, and if they're not, they're only being smart by purchasing items at the lowest price possible.

I don't think you're a dick, your opinion is just clouded by your weird perception of what reality is.

people don't trample others to death and leave them behind simply to buy gifts for loved ones.

i appreciate your neo-utopian sensibility regarding black friday, but the world doesn't work that way, and i'm sure you know that, having a tight grasp on reality and all.

the only people i'm talking about are the people who FLIP OUT and create a huge scene. they are the ones who i think are the funniest. and when someone starts laughing at them, they kinda realize how silly and childish they're being and calm down, or flip out even more.

not trying to get into a huge argument here, you do what you do, and i'll do what i do.

[AppleQueso]

I'm suddenly reminded of that movie Jingle All the Way

[sevin0seven]

I'm suddenly reminded of that movie Jingle All the Way

i used to love that movie...

[dsheinem]

Black Friday limited stock sales appeal to the very worst impulses of a disappointing majority of contemporary American consumers. Some of the most detestable aspects of humanity are on display on this day. In all honesty, stores should be ashamed of themselves, as they are really exploiting those who can least afford the holidays in the first place. Black Friday preys on the poorer and lower classes who are taught that upward mobility comes through consuming the right goods.

Fuck it: anyone who goes to these things should be ashamed of themselves.

As for games: in the past I have just kept an eye on Amazon from mid-November to mid-December, and there's no shortage of amazing deals on current gen games to be found on their site. Not having to fend off the angry and unwashed masses of parents who MUST have Halo Reach for little Jimmy is a serious plus.

[saturnfan]

You do realize that Black Friday allows these "unwashed masses" and "those who can least afford the holidays" to actually afford gifts for their loved ones that they normally couldn't?.

That copy of Halo: Reach for little Jimmy costs $35 on Black Friday, quite a discount from the normal price of $60.

[dsheinem]

You do realize that Black Friday allows these "unwashed masses" and "those who can least afford the holidays" to actually afford gifts for their loved ones that they normally couldn't?.

That copy of Halo: Reach for little Jimmy costs $35 on Black Friday, quite a discount from the normal price of $60.

I was being somewhat facetious, but that probably didn't come across clearly. Upon rereading it, part of my post sounds overly harsh.

I know Black Friday creates great deals for those who otherwise couldn't afford it. BUT that fact that retailers make them jump through hoops and degrade themselves in the spectacle of the whole thing is despicable. That people are willing to do this to themselves is almost as bad, and appeals to that base instinct I refered to earlier. One need only look at the violence and commotion of a Black Friday rush to see that retailers are being irresponsible in working people up into a frenzy.

I'd prefer that Black Friday be made illegal, that people would get over the commercialism of the whole holiday season, and that little Jimmy learned to live with whatever he got.