Will you be going Black Friday shopping tomorrow?

[Let's Get Free]

If so, what will you buy this Black Friday, the most sacred holiday of the Capitalist religion?
It is the day when the orgy of consumption reaches its peak, when we consuming masses flock to malls to worship our corporate gods. Although these beings remain invisible themselves, their salespeople, like priests, transform our offerings of cash and credit into tangible goods. We hope these sacred gifts will bring joy to ourselves and our loved ones.

[Yuppie Grinder]

Hell no.

[Os Cangaceiros]

The only thing I really appreciate about Black Friday are the tales of crazy shoppers, like the lady who pepper-sprayed people in a store over an Xbox last year.

[Ostrinski]

Too much of a clusterfuck for me. Violent, rude, and impatient people are not my cup of tea.

[Ele'ill]

Solidarity with all those who have to work

[cynicles]

If I lived in the US I would go but only to support the striking workers and labour actions taking place.

[smellincoffee]

I'll be engaging in my own Black Friday tradition of self-righteously sneering at all the wee sheep partaking in the stupidity.

The only promising thing about today is the supposed Wal-Mart strike. I don't think anyone at the local supercenter will be striking, which is disappointing. The south isn't friendly to self-organization, anyway. This is a place where a handful of planters once started the US's bloodiest war, coerced the common folk into fighting it for them, and are now cherished in memory by the ancestors of said common folk.

[Rugged Collectivist]

I usually go out but I never buy anything. I just like to watch the animals at the zoo.

I might head down to the local Wal Mart later to see if they're striking and if there's anything I can do to help.

[GoddessCleoLover]

Anyone get trampled this year?

[hetz]

If I were an American I'd definitely go, there's some really sweet deals..

[Philosophos]

Whenever I see videos that people are beating the shit out of each other just to get something cheaper or people crying because they won a competition for money or products make me sick... Over-consumerism makes me sick... So no if we had something like that here I would never go even if it was the great pc I've wanted half price...

[Landsharks eat metal]

I haven't gone out on Black Friday in years. The mall is overwhelming enough on a normal day. I usually ended up trying to hide somewhere when my dad would take me out (plus he always makes me help him find something for my mother in Bath and Body Works even though it's so crowded I tended to be on the verge of a panic attack, and the smells were so strong I felt sick.)

[GoddessCleoLover]

Most of the deals are illusory, they fail to take into account the psychic cost of getting up and going out at three or four in the morning and fight the hordes of shoppers looking to get one of the limited number of advertised items that usually end up being sold out within five minutes of the start of the sale. Non-Americans often don't realize how much bullshit goes on in the United States. People really do get trampled or beaten at some of these Black Friday events.

[Red Commissar]

I don't go to any of the dumb "doorbuster" deals, never have. When I go to a store it's usually like 3 or 4 pm on Friday, I never go in the morning or be one of those that line up outside. I really don't like the fact that these stores open in midnight- honestly most of these "doorbuster" deals aren't worth the trouble, either to yourself or making an excuse for managers to bring their employees in when they should be enjoying their day off on Thanksgiving.

I had a good haul of books today from a second hand store, mostly old titles

Absolute War, Chris Bellamy
Battle Cry of Freedom, James McPherson
Reconstruction, Eric Foner
Ulysses, James Joyce
Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck
William Faulkner, A Light in August
Spartacus, Howard Fast

Got about 20% off those titles, on top of the 50% they were already marked down from.

[Q]

Apple had a worldwide Black Friday deal, which gave the amazing discount of 35 Euros on a Macbook Air (starting at 1067 Euros, so, about 3%) and 25 Euros on a Macbook Pro (1.6% on a unit starting at 1270 Euros).

lol

[Os Cangaceiros]

At least a couple people got shot, and I think there may have been a few beatings and a vehicular assault as well. The gods of consumption need blood sacrifice!

[Let's Get Free]

WBk32OUxCnU

[Os Cangaceiros]

I'm glad I don't work in retail!

Look at the crowd @ 4:12. You would not want to trip and fall if you were one of the first people to get into the store, lol ;)

[#FF0000]

i had work.

went to a record store in the morning though. forgot vinyl was so expensive goddamn.

EDIT: also i think black fridays shoppers aren't all the insane people other make them out to be. I think the breakdown is more like 20% of them are legitimate fucking morons who actually get hype over it. Another 30% are people who get hype because of the atmosphere and then the other 50% are just along for the ride and maybe shopping and being like "man goddamn what the fuck is going on i'm trying to get a tv for christmas holy shit"

[Flying Purple People Eater]

What is 'Black Friday'? I've never heard of it before.

[NewLeft]

there's never any good deals on black friday/boxing day anyway

[Q]

What is 'Black Friday'? I've never heard of it before.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Friday_(shopping)

http://t.qkme.me/35e89g.jpg

[Aurora]

I'll be engaging in my own Black Friday tradition of self-righteously sneering at all the wee sheep partaking in the stupidity.



I usually go out but I never buy anything. I just like to watch the animals at the zoo.

It's a funny kind of communist who sneers at workers trying to save a couple pennies on a holiday they can't afford.

[Q]

It's a funny kind of communist who sneers at workers trying to save a couple pennies on a holiday they can't afford.

It's one thing to save money on purchases you'll be doing anyway. It's another to partake in a consumerist ritual that was created to increase consuming.

I of course don't know which of the two is dominant. Fortunately we don't have it in Europe.

[Aurora]

It's one thing to save money on purchases you'll be doing anyway. It's another to partake in a consumerist ritual that was created to increase consuming.

I of course don't know which of the two is dominant. Fortunately we don't have it in Europe.
Either way it's pretty shit to call people sheep or animals for going shopping.

'Consumerism' really misses the point i think, there isn't anything right or wrong about buying something, what makes one day with slightly lower prices worse than every other day with higher prices?

Consumption isn't the problem, the problem is production, the private ownership and chaotic organisation of it which limits our ability to consume societies products.

[bcbm]

lots of people go shopping on black friday and deal with the madness because there are actually a lot of good deals and when you are buying gifts for your whole family those savings add up in a hurry and make it possible for people with limited economic means to give more and nicer gifts than they would otherwise be able to. but why should we let that stop them from being sneered at by 'communist' elitist pieces of shit?

[smellincoffee]

It's a funny kind of communist who sneers at workers trying to save a couple pennies on a holiday they can't afford.

I was going to say that it's less wearing to laugh than to be outraged or saddened all of the time, but then I realized that made me sound like yet another jaded asshole. I may be one, but I don't wish to be. Cynicism's easy, but it isn't worthy. Still, what are we to do when people make fools of themselves when they're immersed in a culture that encourages it?

For what it's worth, the comment wasn't made seriously. I find the black friday attitude too discouraging to think about.

[Ele'ill]

but why should we let that stop them from being sneered at by 'communist' elitist pieces of shit?

I know, we'd have no communist elitist pieces of shit to sneer at then

[Krano]

8O6IMYSSs7c

[Q]

8O6IMYSSs7c

All just rational people trying to save a buck or two. No commodity fetishism and hysteria to see here, just carry on.

Seriously though, Aurora, how can you keep up that consumerism isn't a problem? Especially with days like these where people are being made crazy to take this very exclusive and one time opportunity to make a great bargain.

[l'Enfermé]

Americans, you barbarians...

[Ravachol]

Americans, you barbarians...

I'm pretty sure this is the high point of civilization so far though...

[Ostrinski]

I'm Canadian! :(

[Ostrinski]

It's one thing to save money on purchases you'll be doing anyway. It's another to partake in a consumerist ritual that was created to increase consuming.

I of course don't know which of the two is dominant. Fortunately we don't have it in Europe.You're telling me. It's bad enough just having to hear about it for two weeks.

[Sinister Cultural Marxist]

It's a funny kind of communist who sneers at workers trying to save a couple pennies on a holiday they can't afford.

This is more than fair. Why sneer at someone trying to save money when they are poor?

However, what about sneering at the petit bourgeois yuppies talking about how they got 50% off some shitty heels or sports jacket that they will practically never wear? Not all black friday shoppers are poor workers suffering under false consciousness, a lot are privileged 18-somethings using daddies money to buy themselves $400 jeans for $300.

What's more bizarre is that this fucking even masquerades somehow as a Christmas holiday. The messiah came to give us great deals on flatscreen TVs! This is the greatest creation of retail marketing geniuses since they came up with sexy people smoking in movies.

[Aurora]

Seriously though, Aurora, how can you keep up that consumerism isn't a problem? Especially with days like these where people are being made crazy to take this very exclusive and one time opportunity to make a great bargain.
There are different definitions of consumerism ranging from the increased use of consumer goods, which is undoubtedly a good thing and has existed since the beginning of time, to buying things you don't need, which i question happens at any sort of scale and even if it does i don't think it's relevant.



However, what about sneering at the petit bourgeois yuppies talking about how they got 50% off some shitty heels or sports jacket that they will practically never wear? Not all black friday shoppers are poor workers suffering under false consciousness, a lot are privileged 18-somethings using daddies money to buy themselves $400 jeans for $300.

Why bother though, is it really our place to decide what people do or do not need and how they spend their money?
I obviously don't have figures for the classes who go shopping on Black Friday but it strikes me as extremely suspect that the bourgeois come out in droves to save a little money, if anything it seems to me that at an event like this poor workers will be overrepresented than a typical shopping day.

Anyways rather than argue that people are buying too much or unnecessarily which, not that i'm accusing you comrades, reminds me very much of lifestylism i'd much rather say that it's capitalism that limits our ability to enjoy society's products, first by amassing and locking away huge profits from labour and second by using austerity to cut wages and increase charges and taxes.

[bcbm]

The messiah came to give us great deals on flatscreen TVs!

sounds like a better religion than him coming to save us from his obsessive and deranged father

[Sinister Cultural Marxist]

Why bother though, is it really our place to decide what people do or do not need and how they spend their money?
I obviously don't have figures for the classes who go shopping on Black Friday but it strikes me as extremely suspect that the bourgeois come out in droves to save a little money, if anything it seems to me that at an event like this poor workers will be overrepresented than a typical shopping day.


I live in a very well-off neighborhood ... it consists of the upper echelons of the middle class (i.e petit bourgeois), old money, new money and some very lucky "labor aristocracy" in there. There are a few less well off people of course ... teachers and whatnot, but they're not in the majority by any means. You find that these neighborhoods go just as crazy over black friday. They just don't go to walmart, they go to the local malls and boutiques.



Anyways rather than argue that people are buying too much or unnecessarily which, not that i'm accusing you comrades, reminds me very much of lifestylism i'd much rather say that it's capitalism that limits our ability to enjoy society's products, first by amassing and locking away huge profits from labour and second by using austerity to cut wages and increase charges and taxes.Criticize lifestylism all you want ... sure Marxism isn't a philosophy exactly concerned with ethics as much as material conditions ... but it's annoying when privileged people go about their daily lives enjoying their privilege without being critical of the institutions of our society. Of course, this isn't an issue that I'm incredibly serious about obviously ... I'm not going to go protest their day at the mall. I'm also not going to pretend that they're the same as people who are buying because it's the only time of year that they can afford XY or Z.


sounds like a better religion than him coming to save us from his obsessive and deranged father

There are better ways of critiquing the institution of Christianity than caricaturing the trinity :P.

[l'Enfermé]

I'm pretty sure this is the high point of civilization so far though...
Pfft, Americans don't even speak French, how could they possible be civilized?