Why the disdain for Black Friday?

[B2G]

OK, I get people being pissed about others being forced to work on Thanksgiving. But what exactly is wrong with shopping today?

I'm not, but there are great deals to be had for those that want to wade into the morass. And shouldn't we all be hoping for a strong retail season to help boost the economy?

I don't get some of the objections.

[LeftyMom]

1. It's disdain.

[B2G]

3. Yes, it is.

[ScreamingMeemie]

2. I used to like people. And then people ruined it for me.

That sums it up for me. I have gone shopping exactly once on Black Friday. I had a woman hang on to my cart for a full 5 minutes claiming it was her cart, before shoving it into my gut and storming off.

I much prefer to shop online in my jammies this month and enjoy the free shipping.

There are no truly "great deals" to be had.

[B2G]

4. I do almost all of my shopping online

I abhor malls. Lol.

[ScreamingMeemie]

7. Me too.

It doesn't bother me that others go shopping on the Friday after, I just don't get wanting to spend time in crowds like that.

[polichick]

5. The desperate accumulation of stuff...

just seems to miss the finer points of the holidays.

[get the red out]

17. That is how I feel

Just the insane rush for stuff. I don't like crowds, personally, but that's me.

[CBGLuthier]

6. It brings out the worst in people and is embarrassing to witness.

Sad pathetic people who think a 32 inch crap brand tv for under a hundred bucks will bring them the fulfillment their sad lives lack. It has dick all to do with Christmas as most are obviously buying shit for themselves and it encourages the retailers to treat us like fucking idiots.

But hey, shop your ass off, WTF do I care.

[BlueJazz]

8. Does not bother me but the behavior of the crowds brothers me.

I don't like to be reminded that some people are selfish, inconsiderate pricks.

..but...that's MY problem...nobody else. Happy holidays everyone !

[Mz Pip]

9. It's the insane hype that gets me.

People camping out to be first in the store, the pushing, shoving, fighting over merchandise and parking spaces.

It just seems to bring out the worst in some people. I avoid leaving the house on BF if at all possible. No sale is worth that level of nuts. It's like Gladiator on steroids.

[rudolph the red]

10. I stay home because I don't like large crowds and long lines,

but I have plenty of friends and family members who like to get out there and take advantage of the sales. I don't get why the whole concept seems to bother some so much.

[rrneck]

11. For me it's an orgy of consumerism.

[BainsBane]

12. It's disdain for consumerism

which I understand, on one hand. The fact is, however, we are a consumer economy. If Black Friday goes poorly, the economy does as well. We should not wish for low sales today.

[maced666]

13. It's not black Friday for me.

It's forcing minimum wage workers at the point of a job/your-health-care gun that means come in on THURSDAY now, leave your family, or we take your job.
6am Friday may cause grumbles, but destroying the holiday with a Thursday nuke button is going to make for 'disdain'.

[B2G]

14. Uh yeah. I addressed that in the OP.

[SomethingFishy]

15. I'm not a "shopper". But I remember "Black Friday" as a fun day for the family

when I was a kid. Go visit Santa, eat out, check out the Christmas displays, maybe do a little shopping.

But now it seems to have turned into this crazy... thing, where I don't even want to be out in public.

I don't really have any distain for it, and when they first started getting crazy with it I thought it was amusing.

Now it just reminds me of Miley Cyrus. It's portrayed as cool by the retailers, it's shown as "shocking" by the media, but in reality it's just plain stupid.

[kydo]

16. I have nothing against shopping on black friday or any other day. But what I don't like

about Black Friday is the propaganda.

Not just for Black Friday but for the holidays in general. Corporations have the media create the event buy covering it. Oh but they don't just have some hapless reporter showing you the crowds. Oh no, they actively promote the sales. Free advertisement.

Ok then when the news programs go back to the anchor they tell you what items are hot and where they are. More free advertisement.

Then there's the ads. On tv on the radio on the internet. Its Christmas buy stuff everyone else is you should too. Over and over again.

Shop Shop Shop Buy Buy Buy

I feel like sheep being herded. We were told by our masters to shop.

Screw that!

Besides I hate all the crowds. Even if retailers were doing the right thing and have legitimate supplies of quality merchandise, (good TV's not the cheep defective one's and have several hundred in stock not 5), I still just don't like the massive crowds.

It's just especially worse on Black Friday because a majority of the people in the crowds shopping haven't sleep much and in many cases there is not enough supply of items to match demand. So you have lots of tired angry people. Not exactly my idea of relaxing.