It happens once a year, towards the end of November and has reared it's ugly head again. Black Friday depicts society in a vulnerable and selfish state. Yet we are all victims of it's success by flocking to the sales, hoping to pick up a bargain and will do anything to scoop the best deal by acquiring a state of the art plasma TV, fridge or pair of headphones.
I was keen to find out what all the fuss was about but didn't face being pushed or crushed and decided not to join customers to go on a rampaging spree. Various supermarket isles across the UK were turned into boxing rings with customer's intent on scooping their favourite deals and wouldn't resist the temptation to get into a fight. Why are we so obsessed with Black Friday? Is it a backlash against consumerism? Well, it's a no brainer; the best deals are offered. It certainly doesn't appeal to working men and women. I met a taxi driver who works up to 15 hours a day. He voiced his concerns about Black Friday "It's not for us. We don't have time to queue at 6am to get crushed by a bunch of idiots".
Many celebrities and academics have questioned the meaning of 'Black Friday', on the origins of it's name, some citing it stemmed from the sale of slaves with images posted across social media. Others have used it as a form of protest with recent events in Ferguson to boycott big brand and corporate companies. We have all become enslaved to the annual custom of obtaining super deals through mass advertising and media coverage of Black Friday. There is no escaping this new retail beast.
I was appalled to see people in my neighbourhood fighting other customers to grab a TV, an item of clothing or goods that were marked down. From the scenes I witnessed on TV customers had turned into vultures at prey intent on acquiring their goods. The scenes in supermarkets across the country from Wembley, Blackpool to Cardiff were horrific and frightening. If goods can be reduced for Black Friday why can't retailers do that at other times of the year, a couple of weeks before Christmas? Sales reductions should be applied offering at least a 70% discount. This would deter customers to act in a barbaric manner. So who does Black Friday actually appeal to? Not to the poverty stricken but to a greedy minority of consumers. It should be scrapped in order to protect our morals, integrity and respect towards one another. Imagine if Black Friday became a weekly or monthly occasion? I dread to think what would happen. The supermarket scrambles highlight how selfish we have become and protective over acquiring material goods. That doesn't set a good example to the next generation.
Black Friday is not a British tradition; it's an American trend that we have adopted. Let's face facts we're not American so we should stop calling it Black Friday. We are a liberal, friendly and tolerant nation and would not stoop low to fight our fellow neighbour for material goods. We've paid the ultimate price for Black Friday. It's time for us to get a grip and eradicate it.