Black and Blue Friday

For those of you old enough to remember the good ole 1970’s, you will recall the ramping up of the day after Thanksgiving, now referred to as “Black Friday”.  For me, it still conjures up the image of two women nearly beating each other to death over a “Cabbage Patch Doll”.  The stores became “Texas Death Match” arenas where the last person standing gets the last piece of discounted merchandise.

People, elbow to elbow, shoving and maneuvering with little regard for courtesy or respect, this day was truly a winner-takes-all brawl.  Stoking the fires of the Black Friday melee were the corporations, using every form of special deal advertising they could devise, like chumming the waters for sharks.  For the first twenty customers that crashed down the doors, trampling employees to death, you got a great deal on a television (with stereo sound). But wait there’s more!

Well, those days are gone right?  Today, it is the E Black Friday that rules, right?  Gone are the mad dashes through the aisles, maiming and killing anyone foolish enough to get in the way—right?  All of that replaced by ordering from the company with the swooshing dick symbol, from the comfort of your own home—right?

No, those days are not gone, Black Friday lives on, but it is different now, a new form of insanity has taken over.  Today, shoppers, fueled by more corporate incendiary advertising, have created the new model of insanity—campers!  Yes, that is right, people now put their tents up on sidewalks, parking lots or anywhere close to the entrance of the shopping target (no reference to the store intended).

Now, Black Friday has become a “survivor” show, a Himalayan like trek up the mountain, hoping to survive until morning.  Braving freezing temperatures, snow, sleet or the occasional parking lot sweeper that could run over them, these shopping adventurers take a brave stance to save $200 on a tv.  Seriously, I have witnessed this spectacle outside of one the most popular electronics store.

Corporate America has truly proven that they can lead us customers around with a ring through our noses.  We will risk life and limb to save and to get more gifts with our money than our neighbors.  The holidays have become a contest to see who the most frugal shopper and survivalist is. The holiday season has become so artificial, Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanzaa or any other form of the holiday has become a Wall Street, retail game of survival.

So, as you might guess Black Friday is a day of hibernation for old “Grumpy”.  Shopping is a pain in the ass under the best of circumstances, when you put the silliness on steroids, it is totally unbearable!

Talk to Ya Later

The Grumpy Old Fart Customer @2018 All Rights Reserved