Have you been on Twitter or Facebook today? If you have been on Twitter or Facebook today, then you'll have noticed that it's Black Friday. It's been trending all day, between between #CameronMustGo and that shit Star Wars trailer.Be good to see @tesco put some profits from the encouraging to buy what's not needed to @inverfoodbank they promoted. pic.twitter.com/a9h9OUiHZk
— Christopher McEleny (@Cllr_McEleny) November 28, 2014
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Bringing the phenomenon to the UK is clearly a cynical move by retailers. Sales dipped by 0.3 percent in September and rose only marginally in October, whilst online sales struggled for momentum. But everyone knows that the High Street, and Wonga, are just waiting for Christmas – our national celebration of the birth of Steve Jobs.We don't celebrate Thanksgiving (though I think we all had a nice Thursday) here in the UK, so Black Friday falls on a weird workday. It might've made more sense to schedule it to coincide with a bank holiday, but I guess "Black Monday" is less sexy. Plus, coinciding with the US means piggybacking their sales and hashtags.
While retailers have been chinking champagne glasses, shoppers have been going crazy. Online, I've witnessed people treating Black Friday like its some sort of zombie apocalypse. The hordes are braying at the gates of Curry's, salivating like rabid dogs over the prospect of discounted electronics, clothes, and video games.
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Another sad Americanism #BlackFriday all the brain washed morons thinking they've got a bargain. It's marketing exercise. You've been sold!
— Nicholas Stuart Ward (@nicholasward74) November 28, 2014
Mild xenophobia aside, what people are really enjoying, when they post videos of people climbing over one another to get to the discounted plasma screens in Asda, is desperation. This is poverty porn where the money-shot is a child getting knocked to the ground over an iPad.Black Friday.. Basically were people turn into animals for the day to get cheaper things… Pretty pathetic if I'm honest.
— Danielle (@Dani_Says_BMTH) November 28, 2014
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