Publisher’s Points to Ponder: The Ridiculousness of Black Friday and Cyber Monday

In a few days, most of you will be fighting the crowds that flood retail stores on the day after Thanksgiving, commonly known as Black Friday. Are the sales worth spending hours in line to save a few dollars? Are the “Black Friday” sales indeed sales or just marked up products that have been marked down to the original price? What could you do with the four hours you spend waiting for the store to give you access to the “door-busters?”

I must admit that all of the craziness associated with Black Friday is entertaining. I remember seeing a video of people running so hard to get into Target; they knocked down a lady who fell so hard, her wig came off. She picked up the wig, put it in her purse, and proceeded inside the store. Her actions exemplify determination at the highest level. Still, is it worth all the effort?

For some, rising early for the Black Friday sales have become a family tradition. You put up the turkey and put on your track shoes for a day filled with the thrill of catching the best deals. Some families go in with a plan to divide and conquer. I was part of a similar strategy and was selected to stand in line for diamond earrings. The retailer advertised the diamond earrings as 1 carat, but somehow, we overlooked the TW—perhaps because it was written in the fine print that was conveniently located at the bottom of the ad. You know the place no one ever reads. That’s not the best part of this story. The best part is I was the fifth person in line. I was crushed when the saleswoman told the person in front of me that they only had three pairs of earrings that they sold to the three people in front of him. False advertising? Technically, no. Morally? You bet!

There is a bright side to my Black Friday nightmare. I was able to purchase the diamond earrings on Cyber Monday. Is the Black Friday phenomenon ridiculous or rewarding? Share your thoughts with us on Facebook/Olney Enterprise.