What once were our slowest ships.

"Grandma, why are they camping outside a house?"

-Unknown child-sage, Best Buy parking lot. November 21, 2012

Well ATS,

One event that is currently taking place all over our fair country is Black Friday; even though it is Wednesday. Which I suppose should not come as any sort of shock, considering that Christmas seemed to start sometime before Halloween this year.

Anyway, I felt compelled to go out and snap that image at a nearby Best Buy, I knew they would be there. As I walked up to take the shot, I heard the quote that I posted above, stated by a little girl to her Grandmother as they were entering the store. Why are they camping in front of a house, indeed. What a profoundly deep and strange way to analogize America's addiction to excess.

As I write this, I could also imagine, for instance, a native from maybe some Pastoralist culture, very different from ours, coming upon the same scene and asking the same question: "Why are these people camped in front of such a large and rich looking house?"

Anyhow, I hate this phenomenon and I was just wondering what you all thought of it, too. I am personally not down with this new month called Octonovecember.

When I look at this social phenomenon, I think of lots of things, like: “A fleet is only as fast as its slowest ship”. That's an old saying, and it's true, and when I look upon these folks camped out in the chilly shade of the giant Best Buy, I think, "There they are, our slowest ships".

But what really chaps my hide is that I realize that that is not really true, no matter how hard I would like it to be.

Why? Because in today's prevailing social paradigm, what once were our slowest ships, are now our fastest ships. Quite literally. They got in line first. They will get the stuff. I? Will not get the stuff (If I had a desire for it).

A phrase that I hear thrown around a lot is something like, "Society defaults in all ways to its lowest common denominator". Well, on a day like today when I am feeling poorly about what I think that this whole mess represents, I agree completely.

I wonder what this all means? I thought that we were all supposed to be reflecting on how we got ourselves in to our present dilemma. Seems to me that if you are camping out for three days and more to save 50 or 100 bucks then you really can't afford whatever it is you are buying. And I have to admit that in some small way, I am intrigued by the possibility that some of the tents might be manned by best buy employees.

Who knows.

The whole thing really gets me down and I was really just wondering how the rest of you feel about Black Friday and the seeming institutionalization of Octonovecember?

Thanks for reading.



Black Friday Links

Here is a video from 2006. It was taken by members of Best Buy's Geek Squad. They are very blunt about what they think about the folks that have been standing in line. I am sure things haven't changed a bit.

"Because, ya know, they're stupid"


Walmart is notorious for actual violence and deaths on previous Black Fridays

WalMart 2011 Black Friday

2008. Black Friday Death at WalMart.

so poor people get a chance to buy things they normally couldn't afford, you know, parents that can finally afford to buy their kid a xbox 360 for christmas, and you're going to look down on them with disdain.....
no it's not them who should be looked down upon, it's you and people like you who judge them.
You're the real problem.

A wold of Consumerism is what we live in. They believe they need these things, while they don't. Everyone's blowing their money. I say a homemade gift no matter how grand or minuscule is better than anything from large retail corporations. But alas they are the shepherd and we the sheep.

Yeah, they started camping out Sunday in front of the local Best Buy here.

More power to them, i say. Some of the deals are pretty crazy.

Who am i to judge? I did the same thing for Pink Floyd tickets back in the day, camped out for 5 days. It was one big party.

Originally posted by ProspectPhilosopher
A wold of Consumerism is what we live in. They believe they need these things, while they don't. Everyone's blowing their money. I say a homemade gift no matter how grand or minuscule is better than anything from large retail corporations. But alas they are the shepherd and we the sheep.

Tell that to a 10 year old kid who wants an Xbox....

Originally posted by ProspectPhilosopher
A wold of Consumerism is what we live in. They believe they need these things, while they don't. Everyone's blowing their money. I say a homemade gift no matter how grand or minuscule is better than anything from large retail corporations. But alas they are the shepherd and we the sheep.

Well enjoy your homemade gifts. And have a Happy Holiday season.

Originally posted by Ghost375
so poor people get a chance to buy things they normally couldn't afford, you know, parents that can finally afford to buy their kid a xbox 360 for christmas, and you're going to look down on them with disdain.....
no it's not them who should be looked down upon, it's you and people like you who judge them.
You're the real problem.

We've got 15 more Black Fridays left, tops.

Also, this is what a poor kid looks like. There are millions of them, and the last thing on their minds is the next X-Box release.

Originally posted by Eidolon23
the last thing on their minds is the next X-Box release.

I would think food, would be the first.

Sad, but excellent Post.