Watching CNN. They showed frenzied shoppers stampeding into a store (a Wal-Mart, I think) and a shot of a couple of guys on the floor fighting.
What’s the deal? Why are these people behaving like herd of animals in the desert who have just smelled water? Just because of the sales? It reminds me of the Monty Python sketch:
‘Hello, Mrs. Gorilla.’
‘Hello, Mrs. Non-Gorilla.’
‘Been shopping?’
‘No, I’ve been shopping.’
‘What did ya buy?’
‘A piston engine.’
‘What did ya buy that for?’
‘It was a bargain.’
I like a bargain as much as anyone. And I’ve been known to buy things I don’t need. But I’ve never been in a frenzy, as the people shown on CNN were.
When I saw the images I didn’t think, ‘Wow. I’m glad I’m not there.’ I didn’t think, ‘Oh, geez, I’m nissing out!’ I thought of a CEO sitting at a big desk watching the mayhem on a monitor and wringing his hands evilly as he says, ‘Run, you fools! Buy my consumer items! I dangle a trinket, and you scramble and grasp like children. My little puppets! Muwahahahahaha!’
Heh…I laughed my butt off at that move when It first came out. I’ve since read Farenheit 451 and lived through the post 9/11 overtures of “Spendit all to do your part for the economy” spiel.
Ah, the holiday spirit. Nothing quite captures the sentimentality of love, peace and good-will toward all humankind than a brawl over Fad Product A [sup]TM[/sup].
Online shopping is the way to go. No driving here and there, no traffic, no having to park 3 miles away, no fighting off Richard Petty shopping cart drivers that wield them like weapons, no lines, no worn out sales clerks with mostly deserved attitude problems…
I was just thinking about this this week… I was mostly unemployed for about a year and a half, and got out of the habit of spending money if I didn’t absolutely have to (for example: most people in our family are getting coffee mugs for Christmas this year…). I look at these ads for Black Friday (50% OFF ON DIAMOND RINGS!!!) and I think, “you know, I can save 100% by just not buying those…” and comercial after commercial is trying to get me to go out and BUY STUFF NOW!!! and I’m thinking, “I wonder when House is on?”
Jevver wonder whether some of this stuff isn’t staged? It wouldn’t be hard for a manufacturer or retailer to recruit a couple of paid shills, or even a dozen or so to stage a full-scale riot.
Some of the stores around here opened their doors an hour early. Might have been because it was about zero degrees outside, might have been so that next year, more people think their chances of getting the good stuff involve getting there early…
I’ve been in a shopping frenzy.
It starts in the street as people from both sides try to stretch their turn at the traffic light into the lot. Then they circle and juggle and zoom around to get the best parking spot first, madly repositioning themselves when a spot is too tight to get into or contains a shopping cart.
Then they hustle to show that even though they parked last they can get into the store first.
Then they try to outdo each other getting to the sale bin first.
And this isn’t even a great sale, but it was hyped on TV with an ad showing people rushing.
Some people enjoy the shopping madness. They see it as a challenge, or a fun time, or a way to get all their Christmas shopping done fast and cheap. Personally, I avoid it like the plague, but if they like it then what the heck?
I just got home from shopping, and while it was a little crowded in some places, on the whole it was quiet and pleasant enough, and I never had a problem getting help. I took care of my in-laws (towels, yeehaw), my daughters, and got some excellent shoes for my new dress, which was the real goal for the day.
And no charity hucksters. I don’t refer to the Salvation Army bellringers. I refer to the Toys for Tots table inside the entrance of my local CVS, staffed by people who apparently think I should, nay must, buy someone a toy every time I buy milk or the Sunday newspaper between now and Christmas. I’ve already donated for natural disasters, natural conservation and soup kitchens; toys are not high up my priority list. Besides, nothing brings out my inner Grinch like being pounced on afresh EVERY DAMN TIME I go in the store.
I spent the holiday at my parents, and read thier paper this morning. Cover story was a riot at the local walmart as people swarmed the electronics dept. to get super cheap laptops (I think $300) and portable DVD players.
People were trampled, an elderly woman was knocked to the floor and ended up in serious condition, police were called, and according the article, Walmart employees eventually started throwing the boxed DVD players into the crowd coming at them. 2 employees also walked out and quit.
They don’t need to stage them; they happen without it, and free advertising is the best kind.
I never shop on Black Friday. I detest crowds, so if I go to a mall during the season, it’s usually on a weekday evening (Tuesdays are reputedly the slowest). That, and I buy online. I’ve never seen the appeal of fighting crowds, and the sales will continue to show up through Christmas.
