The struggle of Black Friday

More by Kai Fortner Newby
Kai Fortner Newby

More stories from Kai Fortner Newby

Flipping to success
November 22, 2017

For most the term “Black Friday” means cheap deals, great bundles, and easy, early Christmas shopping. However, the term “easy” goes out of the window when fist fights, line cutters, and angry mobs loom among the deal finders.

Black Friday marks the start of the holiday shopping season. According to the Huffington Post, nearly 150 million Americans went shopping last year, spending more than $57 billion. This amount could buy a round-trip to the moon, the Chicago Cubs, the Solomon Islands, with enough money left for good ol’ Mr.Trump to build his infamous “Trump Wall.”

The authorized – however inaccurate – origin story of the event reveals after an entire year of operating in the loss (in the red), stores would apparently earn profit in the black on the day after Thanksgiving due to all of the discounted merchandise accumulated in stores. Retail stores used to record profits just in black and losses in red.

Black Friday has provided some of the most quirky occurrences. Including the 80 year old fighter, the “frozen lobster pants stuffer,” and the breakfast zombie. Yes, the breakfast zombie. A manager at a local restaurant, located in a mall food court, experienced a peculiar sight at the crack of dawn, when at the gate of his establishment stood a groggy old lady with zombie-like characteristics. “She spit at me and said ‘I know you have bacon,’” The manager said. The manager then sarcastically replied “We do. In a fridge waiting to be cooked and put on a burger.” The woman continued to shake the gate of the burger joint until finally giving in and moving on to another spot for her early morning meal.

Recently, a new theory of the term “Black Friday” has arose to the surface. The other side of the story provides a disheartening feeling. The new testimony explains back in the 1800s, Southern plantation owners could purchase slaves at a discount. Slaves. Merchandise. How times have changed.

Countries around the world each have their own unique traditions and celebrations, but Black Friday is not necessarily a “Hot Topic” elsewhere. Here in America it brings out the best in some, but obviously the worst. Others view Black Friday as a joke, just another one of those “silly American people” traditions. Then again we all know what Nala told Simba after seeing a herd of mad shoppers: You gotta ‘Mufasa.’