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Beware the Black Friday frenzy
Beware the Black Friday frenzy
Farrah Heidari '27
Farrah Heidari '27
Features Page Editor
Features Page Editor
Sleeping on sidewalks, fighting in stores and destroying merchandise - why do Americans go so crazy over Black Friday? Every year on the fourth Friday of November, people across the country flock to stores offering insane sales for Black Friday.
In recent years, some have gone to these sales with pepper spray, pocket knives and in one unfortunate event at a Toys R Us in Palm Desert, California, a gun. This outrageous behavior enacted by Black Friday consumers has caused fear and wreaked havoc, so why do people keep participating?
“If you love it, buy it! Otherwise someone else will!” is a well-known expression amongst shoppers. The chaotic energy of Black Friday, combined with the possibilities of discounts, seem to draw people back to stores year after year. All year round, most people live and work in professional environments but for some odd reason fighting over blenders and home decor can act as a once-a-year stress reliever. The thrill of “winning” an item or hunting for deals seems incredibly enticing, so much so that some people tend to treat Black Friday like a game. Who can get the most items for the least cost? How many stores can you get to in one day? For some Americans, Black Friday is an even better, bigger holiday than Thanksgiving or Christmas.
However, the exhilaration of running through Targets and Best Buys has sometimes led to violence. In 2008, a mob of people broke down the doors of a Walmart, resulting in injuries of many shoppers and employees. Employees attempted to form a human barricade to prevent customers from rushing in, but the customers trampled over and broke many in-store displays. The results of this event were the trampling of a pregnant woman, and even the tragic death of an employee trying to stop the chaos.
"I look at these people's faces and I keep thinking one of them could have stepped on him. How could you take a man's life to save $20 on a TV?" stated one of Walmart employees and a friend of the victim.
The violence of recent years and chaos of recent Black Fridays have caused some shoppers to take a step back, grab a cozy blanket and a warm cup of hot chocolate and go online to shop. Many of the sales provided in stores still apply to online shoppers, so a lot of people have decided to purchase their items online rather than shove a person in a store for them.
“I approximated the Black Friday experience at home by hurling myself into a wall a number of times and then ordering online,” expressed actor and comedian Kumail Nanjiani.
Black Friday is, as always, the day after Thanksgiving, so whether you’re battling it out in store or sitting comfortably on your couch scrolling through Amazon, make sure to safely secure your Christmas gifts, household appliances and all your favorite goodies. But seriously, do it SAFELY!
Aftermath of a Lousiville Black Friday battle
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