What is it with this Black Friday Madness?

[goodsamaritan]

What is it with this Black Friday Madness? I see youtube videos where these Americans are going insane in shopping malls.

Walmart Black Friday Madness 2011

Black Friday madness starts at midnight

[eveheart]

Are you asking what Black Friday means? It is the beginning of the Christmas gift shopping season, traditionally the day after Thanksgiving. "Black" refers to the use of black (profit) and red (loss) in accounting. This is the day each year that retail businesses turn from loss to profit.

[RawZi]

    I never shop at Walmart, but somehow they messages my cellphone twice today.

[CitrusHigh]

What do you mean they messaged your phone? How?

[ys]

What is it with this Black Friday Madness?

That's exactly what it is.  People are going mad by trying to save a few bucks.  If they would do the same kind of sales in 3rd world countries there would be many dead people because of massive stampedes.

[goodsamaritan]

That's exactly what it is.  People are going mad by trying to save a few bucks.  If they would do the same kind of sales in 3rd world countries there would be many dead people because of massive stampedes.

Black Friday madness reveals animalistic behavior of modern people

Seems Mike Adams made an analysis of Black Friday Madness last year.  It's pretty grim.  What do you think?

Any of you raw paleo dieters will admit to getting black friday madness?

[Inger]

Nope.
I go shopping as little as possible. I never run after sales etc. I just cannot stand these overfull markets and shops.. uh.
People have much to much stuff today.
Toys. Families with kids have toys over all!! OMG. Why not let kids play outside, make their own toys? Why not play with your children yourself? Today, the parents buy all these toys cause they have Little love to give. So they compensate it with toys, material things. It is SO sad, really. What kids need is love, time, to be with their parents. But no. Everybody is running after money, so they could by more. More of these stupid things that nobody needs. That only adds to the pollution of our planet.
Goash. It hurts to see.

Inger

[eveheart]

I live in a typical large US city. Yes, the scene in the video does happen, but it's the exception, not the rule. That's what makes good newsreel footage. Today, I went to the market and to a sporting goods store. Traffic was heavier than usual as shoppers began their holiday buying of gifts for their families. Nobody was trampling each other. Police weren't resuscitating trampled shoppers. Nobody was lined up on the street.

Again... yes, that happens in some places. Especially at Walmart <rolly eyes>. But to characterize our whole country based on sensationalist news footage is like saying that every young Philippine woman emigrates to the US as a mail-order bride for some sleazy old fart.

[PaleoPhil]

It's rare, sure, but it used to be nonexistent. As an American I have to admit that this is one of the ugliest phenomena in the USA. If a way to control it isn't found soon I wouldn't be surprised if it spreads, the way that shootings of crowds at schools, campuses, offices and restaurants has spread across much of the modern world. It has been happening more frequently so that in recent years there is at least one of these incidents every year. Walmart does appear to be the most common site. I wonder if the free press on this, even though it's negative, actually generates more revenues for them?

Here's another incident in which a woman came armed with pepper spray:
Black Friday Shopper's Rage: Woman Uses Pepper Spray at Walmart in CA

Black Friday takes ugly turn at Los Angeles Wal-Mart: Shopper pepper sprays crowd to get deals, 20 injured 
The suspect began shooting the pepper spray when the coverings of items she wanted were removed, police said
BY Aliyah Shahid <http://www.nydailynews.com/authors?author=Aliyah Shahid>
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Friday, November 25 2011, 7:30 AM

I wonder what triggers the screaming that starts as soon as the rush starts and before the fighting even begins? Is it just due to the excitement, a hoorah? Is it a sort of war cry, with maybe a subconscious purpose to fire up adrenaline or attempt to scare others off?

It's interesting that these incidents are usually incited by sales on electronic goods.

[eveheart]

Walmart does appear to be the most common site.

Well, Walmart shoppers are called Walmartians... IMO, this phenomenon is part and parcel of the Jerry Springer/Reality TV permissiveness to bare our unrepressed impulses wherever and whenever we want.

They say the pendulum swings, but I say the rocking chair rocks... implying that there is a tipping point of no return. I'm not so sure we haven't gone past the point of no return. When a generation doesn't follow good manners, nobody is there to teach the next generation. What disturbs me more than Black Friday madness is everyday madness, such as shoppers letting their children amuse themselves in the toy aisle while the parents shop elsewhere in the store.

[raw-al]

Walmartia
People Of Wal Mart

[RawZi]

How?

    Text messages to my phone number.

[CitrusHigh]

Sorry I should have been clearer. How would they get your phone number? Do you have an account of some kind with them or..?

[sabertooth]

Doesn't anyone else think its ironic how black Friday follows thanksgiving.

Think about it. Thanksgiving Thursday is when families gather around for a feast and people are expected to be thankful for all they have. Then the very next day the people who were so humble and contented with what they already have, are all of the sudden spurred into a splurging frenzy of materialistic megalomania , also known as Christmas shopping.

[RawZi]

How would they get your phone number? Do you have an account of some kind with them or..?

    I don't now nor ever had any kind of account with them. Perhaps my kid ordered something and gave my number for them to alert when products are ready. That's not the mine of messages they left, and they even left an option to opt out, but ... I thought it was funny that Walmart was mentioned first thing in this thread and they had just started sending me messages, and didn't stop at one.