Today is probably the hardest day. Even though I usually do
not like buying, I still want to check out Black Friday deals. There were some
items I really want, such as a phone case for myself and some presents for my
relatives, but I had to remind myself that I cannot buy them. As I was walking
around, I saw people putting at least one television in their carts. This made
me think: do people really need that many television in their house? Or is it
that people cannot resist the good deals?
After I got home from Black Friday window shopping, I decided to
find the origin of Black Friday. Based on the article by Amadeo, Black Friday
used to have bad connotation. “Black” day is used to refer to bad days in history,
such as the beginning of an economic depression. But as Black Friday becomes a
common practice, “Black Friday” becomes a positive term (at least, for
companies). Even though Black Friday brings profit for companies, there are
some dark sides. For example, many fights break out during Black Friday because
people want to fight or because people shoplift. In addition, I also find the
idea of Black Friday weird. Before, Black Friday actually occurs on Friday. But
for the past few years, Black Friday occurs on Thanksgiving. It seems
Thanksgiving is becoming a profit day, rather than a day to give thanks.
In Mai Yamani’s reading, the author discusses how outfits
can indicate one’s status. As I look back to Black Friday, I do notice that
people have the tendency to go to branded stores. By having certain brands,
people would be associated with certain social status. Black Friday seems to be the
perfect day for people to go to branded store since it is also discounted;
however, I feel like this is just one of the strategies that companies use to
lure people. Even though they claim that they are having a big clearance sell,
the material and labor cost for each branded item is still much lower than the
price that is listed.
References:
Amadeo, Kimberly. "How Black Friday Got Its Name." About
News. About.com, 2014. Web. 27 Nov. 2014.
Yamani, Maii. “Changing the Habits of a Lifetime: The Adaptation of
Hejazi Dress to the New Social Order.”
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