Black Friday Spree

Black Friday shoppers at a Target electronics
department in New York. 

        Going in stores with a full stomach, from Thanksgiving dinner, and leaving with a full shopping bag; Black Friday is the official start to the holiday shopping season with countless promotions and eager shoppers. But who really shops on Black Friday? Why would someone want to go out after hearing numerous stories of people being trampled, fighting over items, or even "pulling a gun on line-cutting"?! I personally would not even want to put myself in any sort of situation like that. I mean, is it really worth it? American society is based on consumption. I don't mean consuming food and eating a lot, but having an extreme excess of goods that we just don't need. According to Helaine Olen, a contributor to Forbes, the two main shoppers that Black Friday attracts are "the young and the economically desperate." This seems like a logical conclusion because both these groups may not mind the huge crowds for the huge deals. Others, perhaps the economically stable, may not even bother going through the hassle of the big crowds of people and the hassle of fighting over items. I also think it is interesting that Black Friday, a consumer based day, comes directly after Thanksgiving, a day for family and friends to come together (not-so-consumer-based-day). Here we have a holiday that is geared toward family, and what is the first thing we think of? Shopping. The success of the American economy is driven by consumerism. So is shopping patriotic? Did you shop on Black Friday? If so, what lured you into the store and if not, what geared you away from shopping?