Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Rage against the Black Thursday machine


Black Thursday? Come again?

The last time I checked the Thursday before Black Friday was called THANKSGIVING and has been for almost 400 years since those Pilgrims broke bread with the Indians in 1621. Its symbols are the turkey and the family around the table, not the shopping cart.
I'm livid that stores are open on Thanksgiving. Open at 5 a.m., 3 a.m., whatever, on Black Friday and be done with it. While I'm not a Black Friday shopper and never have been, I know that some people love it and it's part of their tradition to kick off the season. I'm not begrudging any shopper or retailer Black Friday.

Opening stores on Thanksgiving is another story entirely. I think that flat out sucks. The fact that those employees have to leave their family on a relaxing and lovely holiday of thanks to man a cash register so people can get an extra $100 off electronics is ridiculous. And you people leaving your homes to go to stores on Thanksgiving, what are you doing? Stay home! Shop online if you absolutely must shop.


I like shopping as much as the next person. And I love love love a good deal. Do I need the good deal so badly that I'd sacrifice my lazy, wine filled Thanksgiving night in my pajamas with my family? Not on your life.

What's wrong with us as a society? We need to stop being consumers first and humans second. If none of us showed up at the stores, they'd stop opening on Thanksgiving and taking people away from their families.


Don't give me the whole "they knew what they were getting into when they took a job in retail" noise either. Stores never opened on Thanksgiving. It wasn't a given. It's corporate greed and it's bullshit.

It's out of control. Vote with your wallet! Stay home on Thanksgiving and enjoy your family and some wine and some late night turkey to fortify yourself for the Black Friday shopping you may or may not do.











Linking up with HeleneEmilyKathleen and Mariel for Tell me about it Tuesday.

Helene in Between

20 comments:

  1. Totally agreed! I will not be spending my Christmas dollars at any store that makes its employees work on Thanksgiving (I'm looking at you, Target! Too bad since I usually spend so much there!)

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  2. You hit the nail right on the head Steph... Love it...

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  3. I 100000000% agree with you. You are totally right, it is corporate greed and bullshit. I personally don't do any Black Friday shopping but I'm sure as hell not going out and shopping on Thanksgiving (especially since I'm hosting - can you imagine??). People have seriously lost their minds.

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    Replies
    1. Right? Sit down! Have a Bailey's with your coffee! Play a board game! Christ.

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  4. PREACH!!!!!

    I am a Black Friday shopper, NOT for the deals, it's just something a friend and I have done for years. Now it's more tradition than anything. We meet at Target at 430 to be there when the doors open at 5 but wait until the stampedes of people rush in. No way I'm getting trampled to death so some douche canoe can get a Tickle Me Elmo. As a nurse, I work holidays. It's the territory of the job. CHOP doesn't close for Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Years, and I actually enjoy working the holidays because we do fun things to make it easier for the patients. Do I hate missing time from my family, of course! But pulling retail workers away from their families so you can sell some piece of shit big screen TV by some brand no one has ever heard of that will probably break in a month?

    Deplorable..

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  5. I never shopped Black Friday and probably never will... don't have anywhere NEAR the patience required for such an endeavor, but I don't have a problem with others' participating in it. But Thanksgiving is for family, food, and fine wine - the 3 Fs - and should never be desecrated! And certainly not for greed or profit!

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  6. There needs to be a live feed of the people that find it necessary to shop on Thanksgiving. Unreal.

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  7. Greed from every economic level needs to end. Greed to have more from the top, greed to do less & get hand outs, etc. Those waiting in line now UGH.
    We all have to look at ourselves in the mirror- if you can easily and happily live with the person you see, then good for you. I am so thankful
    myself and all my loved ones REALLY do have everything we need material & intangible. I say thank you a zillion times a day. So much to be thankful for.
    Thankful for these blogs,Steph!
    Love you!!!
    Your MOMMA

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  8. I have worked retail in the past, and the deals on friday are NOT the best deals of the year. This always confused me with the huge crowds and horrible customers on that friday... now they are including thursday in this madness?? Ugh. I really hope people boycott and stay home!!!

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  9. Ugh, so annoying...it's nothing but greed on the part of the stores.

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  10. Preach it sister! I couldn't agree more! :)

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  11. I worked at Target in college, and it was hard enough to leave Thanksgiving early so I could get to bed to be at work at 5 am. (and then get trampled when I opened a box of BRatz dolls because everyone wanted the blonde one. Eff off.) Now the only stores I may go to on black Friday are craft stores (even Michaels opens on Thursday night now) and fabric stores. I don't even think it's worth it this year. A food coma is much better/

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  12. Amen! I hate this! My BFF is a store manager and has to go in at 8:00pm on Thursday and won't get off until the store closes at midnight on Friday. 28 hours!? Which means he has to sleep all day Thursday and can't do any fun Thanksgiving stuff.

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  13. GREAT post. agree with you so much.

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  14. I completely agree! I've never been a black friday shopper, but I understand it. But it's pretty horrible making the employees leave their families and friends to come sell things for you. Let them enjoy their day! And why wouldn't shoppers want to stay home and be with their families?! I just don't understand...

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  15. The other side of the coin, not that I'm trying to play devil's advocate here, is that there are unfortunately those who need the money so desperately (and the higher-up muckety-mucks know this) that they'll leave their families to go in to work so they'll have money to pay the rent, or utilities, or for their own Christmas. It sucks, it's insane.

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  16. Newest follower here! I found you through the blog hop. I love your blog, its super cute :)
    You can find me at meandmr.com

    -Melanie @meandmr.com

    ReplyDelete

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