Week 4 Review: Black Friday

Assignment 4-1: Weekly Written Analysis 4





Black Friday has become a part of the American lexicon and Popular Culture.


Black Friday has more specifically become a ritual of American society whereby people leave their warm houses after Thanksgiving dinner to stand in line starting as early as Midnight to grab merchandise from retail stores for bargain basement prices and early bird specials.


The day after Thanksgiving is usually a day that many employers remain closed and people begin shopping for Christmas. According to Wikipedia, the term Black Friday can be traced back, at least symbolically, to the 1970's and is known as a day when many retailers go from red ink (indicating lost profits) to black ink (indicating profits). Although the idea that retailers only start making profits during this time of year is more than likely just an Urban Legend, the day has come to be known symbolically as a day when retailers make huge profits because of the increased volume of purchases made on Black Friday. In the last decade Black Friday has grown in popularity and has truly become the busiest shopping day of the year, even busier than the last Saturday before Christmas.


Just do a Google search for Black Friday, and we can see how Black Friday has become a part of our current Popular Culture. Regardless of age, sex, origin, or race, millions of consumers all over the United States take part in this ritual of shopping on the day designated by the mainstream to shop until we drop!!!


I came across an article written in the The Undercurrent, an online publication for Buena Vista University in Iowa. In the article, the author notes that:


"Black Friday is like a ritual every year that starts by waking up at the same time, going with the same people and hitting up the same stores; it can turn into a family tradition."


The article goes further by quoting a student that says:


"I think it's the best feeling and memories when I can wake up at 4:30 in the morning to go shopping with my mom. It's a great mother/daughter bonding time especially since I'm three hours from home and don't get to spend a lot of time with just the two of us," senior Cassie Kubik said.



Please join me in welcoming Black Friday has a mainstay to our Popular Culture!



SOURCE:


Wikipedia, the Online Encyclopedia. Black Friday (Shopping). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Friday_(shopping) on December 2, 2007.


Monjaraz, M. (2007). Black Friday sparks new traditions for students and their families. The Undercurrent. Retrieved from http://media.www.ucbvu.com/media/storage/paper1235/news/2007/11/16/Features/Black.Friday.Sparks.New.Traditions.For.Students.And.Their.Families-3105983.shtml on December 2, 2007.