# Is Black Friday Losing its Real Meaning? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 26, 2015, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-black-friday-losing-its-real-meaning/738601 "2015-11-26T03:46:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-black-friday-losing-its-real-meaning/738601/1 "2015-11-26T03:46:47Z")
This was an actual headline on the business page of the Dayton Daily News today. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-black-friday-losing-its-real-meaning/738601/2 "2015-11-26T03:52:54Z")
Kids these days, no respect for the old traditions… some of them aren’t even getting up before dawn on their day off… ---
**Author:** ![russian\_heel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f05b48/32.png) [@russian\_heel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/russian_heel)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-black-friday-losing-its-real-meaning/738601/3 "2015-11-26T09:52:55Z")
Due the ridicule, lack of truly good deals, and Cyber Mondays I think Black Friday will either disappear or melt into something else in the next 10-15 years. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-black-friday-losing-its-real-meaning/738601/4 "2015-11-26T13:36:31Z")
Let’s hope. ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-black-friday-losing-its-real-meaning/738601/5 "2015-11-26T15:06:27Z")
Keep the “black” in "Black Friday " ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-black-friday-losing-its-real-meaning/738601/6 "2015-11-26T15:18:17Z")
It is fading but this is going to be one of those things that die a very slow death and my bet is it continues in some form for several more lifetimes. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-black-friday-losing-its-real-meaning/738601/7 "2015-11-26T16:05:00Z")
It never was a thing in my family - I don’t recall my mom ever shopping that day. I did once - not a smart move on my part. And now with car companies push Black Friday - really?? I just choose to ignore it all. Except on my way to work tomorrow, I’ll have to drive past WalMart and Target - that should be fun at 5:30 in the AM… ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-black-friday-losing-its-real-meaning/738601/8 "2015-11-26T16:34:46Z")
Black Fridays Matter! Too soon? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-black-friday-losing-its-real-meaning/738601/9 "2015-11-26T19:12:21Z")
That’s cold. Funny, but cold. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-black-friday-losing-its-real-meaning/738601/10 "2015-11-26T19:38:38Z")
If you ask me, dialing back some of the craziness of Black Friday is probably a good thing. I don’t think it go away entirely, but will tone down over time. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-black-friday-losing-its-real-meaning/738601/11 "2015-11-26T20:28:42Z")
Only in the first world will someone’s priority in life be to line up for hours or days to save $100 on a 50" television. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-black-friday-losing-its-real-meaning/738601/12 "2015-11-26T20:37:39Z")
> [@russian\_heel](#): > > Due the ridicule, lack of truly good deals, and Cyber Mondays I think Black Friday will either disappear or melt into something else in the next 10-15 years. No, this is not the reason. The problem is that Black Friday is too close to Christmas; surely everyone agrees that the start of the Christmas shopping season should be at least two months before Christmas!!! ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-black-friday-losing-its-real-meaning/738601/13 "2015-11-26T21:04:04Z")
Black Friday was named by retailers because their customers were self-entitled assholes who fought over every item, thinking they were getting a deal. The retailers brought it upon themselves. When retailers realized Black Friday could be a major marketing program, they actively encouraged the mayhem for the free publicity it generated, not to mention the revenue. Now “Black Friday” is a full business plan, expanded to include Thanksgiving day, and the rest of the weekend, including online sales. The backlash is twofold; (1) Thanksgiving itself should be hands off to selling as more and more stores refuse to open at all on Thursday, and (2) the best deals often are no longer Black Friday (and the weekend) at all. If we want to get back to the true spirit of Black Friday, we need UFC rules, including no tag teaming, early 5 am doorbuster starts with only one or two high quality items in several areas of the store. And kids. Let’s not forget the small children, dragged along by selfish parents and bundled up like puffy rag dolls. They should be easier to punt thru the stores by the adults. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-black-friday-losing-its-real-meaning/738601/14 "2015-11-26T22:02:33Z")
And once again, the War on Black Friday has begun. But seriously, for me, Black Friday was always a good day when I worked in a grocery store. The day after Thanksgiving was always a welcome respite after the buisiest grocery shopping of the year… ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-black-friday-losing-its-real-meaning/738601/15 "2015-11-27T17:32:58Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > No, this is not the reason. The problem is that Black Friday is too close to Christmas; surely everyone agrees that the start of the Christmas shopping season should be at least two months before Christmas!!! Like in Canada where Thanksgiving is 45 days earlier than in the US. I know that Place Ville Marie in Montreal has had its Christmas tree up for at least a couple weeks. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-black-friday-losing-its-real-meaning/738601/16 "2015-11-27T17:33:08Z")
Black Friday = Stock market crash of 9/24/1869 Yeah, I would say its kind of lost its real meaning. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Timetrvlr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Timetrvlr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Timetrvlr)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-black-friday-losing-its-real-meaning/738601/17 "2015-11-27T18:13:04Z")
I’ve not seen this before: Red Thursday followed by Black Friday only at Canadian Tire stores. ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-black-friday-losing-its-real-meaning/738601/18 "2015-11-27T18:17:59Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > Black Friday was named by retailers because their customers were self-entitled assholes who fought over every item Damn, retailers are really racist. ---
**Author:** ![excavating\_for\_a\_mind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e8c25b/32.png) [@excavating\_for\_a\_mind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/excavating_for_a_mind)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-black-friday-losing-its-real-meaning/738601/19 "2015-11-28T00:58:08Z")
Obviously a plot hatched by White Supremacists.