Is it just me...

Aray82

Or does anyone else think "Holy crap, get over yourselves!!!" when the sanctimonious posts about Black Friday/Cyber Monday start popping out all over facebook? I mean, yeah, it's good to keep the gift-giving in perspective and not feed into materialism, but not shopping on one day of the year doesn't make you the friggin' pope. 

Full disclosure: I scored some sweet Black Friday deals online at The Body Shop and about to get some Christmas shopping done with cyber Monday as I do every year. I'm a grad student and always interested in a good deal for Christmas gifts!

lacqueredlover

The only thing I have an issue with is people shopping at a store on thanksgiving because I think it's really shitty that employers make their employees come in on Thanksgiving so people can shop (especially since it's shown that the best deals are usually on the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend.)

But yeah, people need to chill out about being sanctimonious about everything on facebook.  Facebook isn't the place for politics, rants, vents, etc.  Use your friends in real life for that, not every person you've ever come in contact with on the internet.

novella1186

Someone posted something on fb yesterday about how Thanksgiving is the celebration of the genocide of an entire people (Native Americans) and is celebrated by the genocide of an entire species (turkeys). It was a PETA-sponsored thing, of course. But I just wanted to be like "fucking Christ, dude, relax a bit." 

levioosa

My cousin always posts in JUNE, "Well, I'm all done with my Christmas shopping for the next year.  I don't know why everyone else waits."  UGHH.  Shut. Up.  

lovegood90

I think Black Friday is so dumb and the deals aren't even that good. Mass hysteria for nothing.

I read an editorial the other day talking about how movie theatre workers and convenience store workers (there were a few other examples) also have to work on Thanksgiving/Christmas but they go more unnoticed.

Thought it was interesting because it's true- it's not just retail workers but plenty of other consumer industries are affected. What's the right answer, to shut everything down those days? I don't know the answer myself but it was food for thought.

Unfortunately it seems it's becoming financially impossible for businesses to not be open on Black Friday.

ETA: forgot to address the point of your post, lol! I agree I hate self-righteous people on social media. Like, good for you for sticking it to the man?

Aray82

lacqueredlover said:

The only thing I have an issue with is people shopping at a store on thanksgiving because I think it's really shitty that employers make their employees come in on Thanksgiving so people can shop (especially since it's shown that the best deals are usually on the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend.)

But yeah, people need to chill out about being sanctimonious about everything on facebook.  Facebook isn't the place for politics, rants, vents, etc.  Use your friends in real life for that, not every person you've ever come in contact with on the internet.

I agree--it is shitty and I don't shop on Thanksgiving for that reason. I had a friend over one year for Thanksgiving who had to leave my place at 7pm to get started on setting up for Black Friday at Target; she was definitely stressed about it the whole day  But I'm also not going to make an announcement about it, just like I wouldn't do "in lieu of favors, we're giving money to charity, aren't we awesome!" 

thisismynickname2

I'm not saying this to start another debate, but I saw something about "Black Friday" and how, in conjunction with Ferguson, people were boycotting businesses on BF unless the businesses were black-owned... and the etymology of "Black Friday" actually pertaining to black people and slave auctions... Sigh. I thought Black Friday referred to the fact that businesses got enough money to get back in the black. As in accounting. Sigh again. 

I scored a better Cyber Monday deal on jewelry my sister wanted than if I'd bought on BF... woo hoo! 

Aray82

novella1186 said:

Someone posted something on fb yesterday about how Thanksgiving is the celebration of the genocide of an entire people (Native Americans) and is celebrated by the genocide of an entire species (turkeys). It was a PETA-sponsored thing, of course. But I just wanted to be like "fucking Christ, dude, relax a bit." 

Relax indeed! And maybe do something positive with all that cyber-rage like volunteer at an animal shelter. 

luckya23

levioosa said:

My cousin always posts in JUNE, "Well, I'm all done with my Christmas shopping for the next year.  I don't know why everyone else waits."  UGHH.  Shut. Up.  

Hmm... in case something needs to be returned??

Aray82

thisismynickname said:

I'm not saying this to start another debate, but I saw something about "Black Friday" and how, in conjunction with Ferguson, people were boycotting businesses on BF unless the businesses were black-owned... and the etymology of "Black Friday" actually pertaining to black people and slave auctions... Sigh. I thought Black Friday referred to the fact that businesses got enough money to get back in the black. As in accounting. Sigh again. 

I scored a better Cyber Monday deal on jewelry my sister wanted than if I'd bought on BF... woo hoo! 

Yeah, that's what I thought as well...because isn't the Monday after Christmas Red Monday? 

Inkdancer

I don't shop on Black Friday because I am an introvert and I prefer to shop when I will see virtually no one. I am not going to pretend to be sanctimonious about it, I'm just gonna stay home in my sweats.

novella1186

Inkdancer said:

I don't shop on Black Friday because I am an introvert and I prefer to shop when I will see virtually no one. I am not going to pretend to be sanctimonious about it, I'm just gonna stay home in my sweats.

I can't stand crowded stores either. Sometimes I get panic attacks and it sucks. I had to go to the grocery store on black Friday just to get stuff to make dinner and I was bracing myself for the worst, but when I got there, there was no one in the whole grocery store! I've never seen that place so empty, and I was so happy! I ran into the produce area and started spinning around with my arms out! I wanted to yell "THE HILLS ARE ALIVE WITH THE SOUND OF MUSIC!" but the produce guy was already giving me a weird look. Yep, I act like a total idiot sometimes, and I don't care :P 

peachy13

I have a FB friend who posted something Thanksgiving night along the lines of:

"heading out in the storm of crazies to pick up a new TV from Target. Everyone shopping tonight and tomorrow, please remember that retail workers are not beneath you and are there, working, because YOU want to save a little money on gifts this holiday season. Please be nice to these people, especially because all they probably want to do is punch everyone in the face and go home."

I liked it.

Maggie0829

I don't get why stores need to be opened all night Thanksgiving eve to Black Friday morning.  What exactly does one need to buy at 2am that can't wait until 10am the next day?  And don't pull the "OMG the deals" bullcrap.  Those same deals can be and are often times offered throughout Black Friday and the weekend so that amazing deal you are getting on whatever you are buying at 2am is the same deal you could be getting at 10am.  Also after eating a huge meal on Thanksgiving the last thing I want to do is stay up all night and fight through crowds.  A warm bed and a great nights sleep sounds much more appealing.

novella1186

Maggie0829 said:

I don't get why stores need to be opened all night Thanksgiving eve to Black Friday morning.  What exactly does one need to buy at 2am that can't wait until 10am the next day?  And don't pull the "OMG the deals" bullcrap.  Those same deals can be and are often times offered throughout Black Friday and the weekend so that amazing deal you are getting on whatever you are buying at 2am is the same deal you could be getting at 10am.  Also after eating a huge meal on Thanksgiving the last thing I want to do is stay up all night and fight through crowds.  A warm bed and a great nights sleep sounds much more appealing.

I worked at a department store for the Christmas season once. The Black Friday deals we had that-- hurry you must get here at 5am!-- everyone rushed super early to get were actually the same deals we had all the way till Christmas eve. And nothing ever sold out. So you could've come in the day before Christmas and got the same sale price as if you had come at 5am on Black Friday. 

princessofgenovia

I went out at 3am on Friday and had a blast. I got some decent deals on clothes, which is what I wanted, and my mom and I listened to Christmas music and ate pancakes. 

I had friends go on about how "really the good deals are on..." or whatever other sanctimonious crap there was to blather on about. Yeah...whatever, I don't give a shit, I had fun, and I even got to see a few friends who work retail. And I hung out with my mommy. 

Sit around and hate on shit, sounds like a lovely way to live your life. I'm gonna sit over and be happy.

theartistformerlyknownas

Lots of industries have to work holidays. My family is heavy on the military/health care/public services, and all us kids worked grocery in high school, so we always had to make do on a different day. But you wanna get all sanctimonious about retail workers needing this one super special day off? Sure, shopping isn't necessary but nurses are, I get that. But nobody gets up in arms about gas station attendants or airline employee needing to work either, cuz YOU (general) want to get home to YOUR family, because family is so important. Mmmkay. Our holiday was never any less special having it a few days early or late, neither will anyone else's.

Jells2dot0

This is why I have the American Airlines Executive Club Card. It has a "price rewind" tool that tracks your purchase to see if they can find it lower within 60 days of the purchase. I have a few refunds due to me in the next month or so

Aray82

peachy13 said:

I have a FB friend who posted something Thanksgiving night along the lines of:

"heading out in the storm of crazies to pick up a new TV from Target. Everyone shopping tonight and tomorrow, please remember that retail workers are not beneath you and are there, working, because YOU want to save a little money on gifts this holiday season. Please be nice to these people, especially because all they probably want to do is punch everyone in the face and go home."

I liked it.

I would like it too! There's more than one way to show your support for retail workers and shopping on Black Friday doesn't make you a heartless wildebeast who is oblivious to the hardships store staffers face. 

Maggie0829

I would just like to add that even though I think it is silly for retail stores to be open on Thanksgiving (do you really need to buy a new scarf or a tv that day?) I don't hate on them for being open and employees having to work normal retail hours.  I do think being open all night long is a bit much though.  Really it is the whole we are open for 48 hours straight that I just don't get, not the whole employees having to work that day thing.

I guess to me it comes down to what is and is not a necessity on holidays.  Nurses and doctors are a necessity.  Gas station attendants are a necessity because people travelling to multiple houses may need to get gas.  Flight attendants and pilots are a necessity because people are travelling on holidays.  But the movie theater?  Retail stores?  Not a necessity.  No one needs to see a movie or buy a new sweater.

princessofgenovia

lolo883 said:

Lots of industries have to work holidays. My family is heavy on the military/health care/public services, and all us kids worked grocery in high school, so we always had to make do on a different day. But you wanna get all sanctimonious about retail workers needing this one super special day off? Sure, shopping isn't necessary but nurses are, I get that. But nobody gets up in arms about gas station attendants or airline employee needing to work either, cuz YOU (general) want to get home to YOUR family, because family is so important. Mmmkay. Our holiday was never any less special having it a few days early or late, neither will anyone else's.

I worked in a hotel during college. I worked holidays. No one was protesting on my behalf.

Honestly I didn't mind. They paid me to show up and work, I showed up and worked. Weekends, holidays, nights, it was all part of working.

jdluvr06

Maggie0829 said:

I don't get why stores need to be opened all night Thanksgiving eve to Black Friday morning.  What exactly does one need to buy at 2am that can't wait until 10am the next day?  And don't pull the "OMG the deals" bullcrap.  Those same deals can be and are often times offered throughout Black Friday and the weekend so that amazing deal you are getting on whatever you are buying at 2am is the same deal you could be getting at 10am.  Also after eating a huge meal on Thanksgiving the last thing I want to do is stay up all night and fight through crowds.  A warm bed and a great nights sleep sounds much more appealing.

It's more fun to stay up and go out in the middle of the nights then to get up in the morning... Then again I'm a big night owl.

princessofgenovia

Maggie0829 said:

I would just like to add that even though I think it is silly for retail stores to be open on Thanksgiving (do you really need to buy a new scarf or a tv that day?) I don't hate on them for being open and employees having to work normal retail hours.  I do think being open all night long is a bit much though.  Really it is the whole we are open for 48 hours straight that I just don't get, not the whole employees having to work that day thing.

I guess to me it comes down to what is and is not a necessity on holidays.  Nurses and doctors are a necessity.  Gas station attendants are a necessity because people travelling to multiple houses may need to get gas.  Flight attendants and pilots are a necessity because people are travelling on holidays.  But the movie theater?  Retail stores?  Not a necessity.  No one needs to see a movie or buy a new sweater.

But you don't have to travel on a holiday. It's a choice. 

The same way you don't NEED a scarf on Thanksgiving. You don't NEED to fly to see your family. You want too. And that want means other people have to work. 

My mom and I see a movie on Thanksgiving (and Christmas). We don't NEED to. We want to. Same way you (general you) want to fly from New York to California to see your Aunt Ida.

jdluvr06

princessofgenovia said:

Maggie0829 said:

I would just like to add that even though I think it is silly for retail stores to be open on Thanksgiving (do you really need to buy a new scarf or a tv that day?) I don't hate on them for being open and employees having to work normal retail hours.  I do think being open all night long is a bit much though.  Really it is the whole we are open for 48 hours straight that I just don't get, not the whole employees having to work that day thing.

I guess to me it comes down to what is and is not a necessity on holidays.  Nurses and doctors are a necessity.  Gas station attendants are a necessity because people travelling to multiple houses may need to get gas.  Flight attendants and pilots are a necessity because people are travelling on holidays.  But the movie theater?  Retail stores?  Not a necessity.  No one needs to see a movie or buy a new sweater.

But you don't have to travel on a holiday. It's a choice. 

The same way you don't NEED a scarf on Thanksgiving. You don't NEED to fly to see your family. You want too. And that want means other people have to work. 

My mom and I see a movie on Thanksgiving (and Christmas). We don't NEED to. We want to. Same way you (general you) want to fly from New York to California to see your Aunt Ida.

Taking that a step further you don't need to fill up your gas tank on a holiday. You can use some forethought and fill up the day before.

princessofgenovia

peachy13 said:

I have a FB friend who posted something Thanksgiving night along the lines of:

"heading out in the storm of crazies to pick up a new TV from Target. Everyone shopping tonight and tomorrow, please remember that retail workers are not beneath you and are there, working, because YOU want to save a little money on gifts this holiday season. Please be nice to these people, especially because all they probably want to do is punch everyone in the face and go home."

I liked it.

I made sure to be super nice to all the employees! 

I always get extra nice during the holiday shopping season. Cause I know there is someone who just threw a fit that no you cannot mark down the price any lower because as a minimum wage employee you do not in fact control the prices in your giant corporate store. I'm like "Nah, I'm gonna try to be the nice person they deal with today, not the raving bitch". I'm also the person whose super nice to the other customers. Look, Santa could still be real. I'm not risking the naughty list just in case.

Aray82

Jells2dot0 said:

This is why I have the American Airlines Executive Club Card. It has a "price rewind" tool that tracks your purchase to see if they can find it lower within 60 days of the purchase. I have a few refunds due to me in the next month or so

I want one of those!!!

Teddy917

I worked on Thanksgiving. Didn't bother me. Not trying to be sanctimonious here, but I volunteered to work so my friend didn't have to. They paid me $104 pre-taxes for that day to screw around. We had no customers, there was only so much we could clean or prep (I did fast food), so we were on our phones doing games or looking at stuff on the internet. And they paid me well for it. A couple customers even thanked me for working so that they could buy a taco. And since I worked morning, I still came home in time to chill with my family.

luckya23

Maggie0829 said:

I don't get why stores need to be opened all night Thanksgiving eve to Black Friday morning.  What exactly does one need to buy at 2am that can't wait until 10am the next day?  And don't pull the "OMG the deals" bullcrap.  Those same deals can be and are often times offered throughout Black Friday and the weekend so that amazing deal you are getting on whatever you are buying at 2am is the same deal you could be getting at 10am.  Also after eating a huge meal on Thanksgiving the last thing I want to do is stay up all night and fight through crowds.  A warm bed and a great nights sleep sounds much more appealing.

I hadn't actually planned on going out Thanksgiving night, but I was very glad to have the option!  My power went out Wednesday night with the snow storm, and my house was freezing, so I tried to stay out late to make sure I was good and tired by the time I had to come home.

We hit up Michaels, Kohls, Kmart, Target, and did a first pass through the mall.  Black Friday this year seemed SO MUCH LESS insane!  But we also didn't go out on Friday until almost 10, which is a first for us.

I wasn't actually too excited about any of the sales, except for refrigerators at Sears, so it was more tradition and entertainment for me.

luckya23

jdluvr06 said:

Maggie0829 said:

I don't get why stores need to be opened all night Thanksgiving eve to Black Friday morning.  What exactly does one need to buy at 2am that can't wait until 10am the next day?  And don't pull the "OMG the deals" bullcrap.  Those same deals can be and are often times offered throughout Black Friday and the weekend so that amazing deal you are getting on whatever you are buying at 2am is the same deal you could be getting at 10am.  Also after eating a huge meal on Thanksgiving the last thing I want to do is stay up all night and fight through crowds.  A warm bed and a great nights sleep sounds much more appealing.

It's more fun to stay up and go out in the middle of the nights then to get up in the morning... Then again I'm a big night owl.

YESSSSSS it was so much better!  Plus my power was back on by the time I got up on Friday, so I was in a great mood!

esstee33

lolo883 said:

Lots of industries have to work holidays. My family is heavy on the military/health care/public services, and all us kids worked grocery in high school, so we always had to make do on a different day. But you wanna get all sanctimonious about retail workers needing this one super special day off? Sure, shopping isn't necessary but nurses are, I get that. But nobody gets up in arms about gas station attendants or airline employee needing to work either, cuz YOU (general) want to get home to YOUR family, because family is so important. Mmmkay. Our holiday was never any less special having it a few days early or late, neither will anyone else's.

Yes, this. Also all those football players you're watching on Thanksgiving don't get to spend the day with their families either. Nor do the people wandering around selling beer and snacks and stuff in the stadium. 

I've gone shopping on Black Friday the past two years before this, because I no longer worked retail and I actually had that day off. It was OK. Having worked retail for many years, I don't get all that titillated by the must-have sale items. The first year I deliberately went to Target because I wanted a TV and XBox and they had both of them for cheap. There were a lot of people there, but the store was very well-prepared and organized, so it wasn't even all that crazy. Old Navy was a shitshow, but that's because the store was utterly disorganized and half the employees had no idea where to direct people. 

This year, FI, FMIL and I went shopping on Thanksgiving, because we ate earlier that day and we had nothing better to do. I accidentally stumbled upon my $23 face wash at Sephora for $10, so, yeah, I'd consider that a win. The craziest store was Macy's and even that was super tame. 

I'm pretty sure opening on Thanksgiving night spaces out the crowds so it's not so crazy all at one time. 

ChemFanatic25

I mostly have an issue with the people who say "Well nurses, cops, and doctors can't always take Thanksgiving off, why are we freaking out about people working at stores." Because shopping is not completely essential to the survival of a society if the stores close down for one day! That's why! Nurses, cops, doctors and other professions can't take the holiday off because their positions are very open. Getting sick, crime, and all that fun stuff doesn't stop for a holiday. Sorry, I don't mean to belittle those who work at stores, not my intention at all. I just wish people would make the proper connection.