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  • Essay / Breaking Black Friday: A Cultural Phenomenon That's Gone Global

    As the holidays approach, we're seeing shoppers save their money for the special deals that will hit at dusk on Thanksgiving Day. Black Friday has become a pastime for Americans across the country. Popular shopping locations such as malls, outlets and high streets are flooded with people. There is an extremely obvious difference between going to the mall on Black Friday and any other day. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get an original essay We start seeing Black Friday ads on TV, and even hear them on the radio as early as late September, finally , early October if we're lucky. These advertisements advertise extremely low prices on everyday items and luxury products that are normally extremely expensive. For example, an Apple iPad that would normally cost around five hundred dollars would be on sale for two hundred. Or, if you're really lucky, maybe even fifty. Groups of friends and families leave their homes for Thanksgiving with full bellies and full wallets, ready to shop. But the question is: what's so dark about this Friday? Colors surrounding Thanksgiving include burgundies, browns, and shades of orange, while Christmas colors are reds and greens. So where does this black come from? Well, the reason the Friday after Thanksgiving is called Black Friday is because it's a day known for violence and car accidents because there are so many people everywhere. Or at least, that's how it all started. “The [Philadelphia] Police Department coined the phrase to describe the chaos surrounding pedestrian and automobile traffic congestion in downtown Center City” (Amadeo 2014). The name Black Friday suffices in the fact that the violence that breaks out on these special days results in many people getting black eyes and even death. For example, on an ordinary Friday we can see shoppers in stores, not crowded, calmly going about their business. Taking your time to look at clothes, objects, play with displays, go shopping is an opportune act. Depending on the time of day, the food court can be bustling with laughter, screams and smiles from people eating their food, perhaps taking a break from their shopping. Some teenagers even go to the mall just for fun – to hang out; I don't go shopping, I don't buy anything. Simply, take up space. On Black Friday, there is no room to walk, stand, shop or breathe. Coming from someone who regularly shops at the mall and who has also attended the last three Black Fridays, let me be the first to tell you that shopping is one of the last things done. On Black Friday, people fight over clothes, rush into stores, and tear down displays and shelves. The atmosphere is completely different on a regular shopping day in a mall than on Black Friday. I remember in September 2014, I went to Atlanta, Georgia with my friend Natalie from Canada to visit our friend Nicole. In Atlanta we went to a music festival called Music Midtown. I have never felt so claustrophobic and compressed in my entire life. I had no space to move, breathe or stretch my body. This experience is the only parallel I can draw to the madness and compaction of Black Friday. Keep in mind: this is just one..