Dare to delve into the chaos and sheer madness of Black Friday with me, your host, Tommy Heitz?.Ever wondered why this shopping frenzy, synonymous with mega deals and sometimes even violence, holds such a colossal place in our culture and economy? We trace the history of this annual phenomenon, from its sobering origins linked to a financial crisis, to its transformation into a globally recognized shopping bonanza. Hear about the darker side of this retail rampage - the strain on workers, the incidents of violence, and the cultural implications of unchecked consumerism.
Prepare to have your shopping habits questioned as we gaze into the crystal ball of Black Friday's future. As e-commerce becomes the norm and deals are scattered throughout November and December, will this one-day shopping spectacle continue to exist in its current form? With a heightened awareness of sustainability and ethical consumerism, is it time to rethink the significance of Black Friday in our lives? Also, for a sneak peek into our next episode - brace yourselves as we venture into the world of competitive eating. How do they manage it and what does it take to actually be a champion in this quirky sport? Join us for all this and more on the Observation Station - where curiosity meets insight!
Dare to delve into the chaos and sheer madness of Black Friday with me, your host, Tommy Heitz?.Ever wondered why this shopping frenzy, synonymous with mega deals and sometimes even violence, holds such a colossal place in our culture and economy? We trace the history of this annual phenomenon, from its sobering origins linked to a financial crisis, to its transformation into a globally recognized shopping bonanza. Hear about the darker side of this retail rampage - the strain on workers, the incidents of violence, and the cultural implications of unchecked consumerism.
Prepare to have your shopping habits questioned as we gaze into the crystal ball of Black Friday's future. As e-commerce becomes the norm and deals are scattered throughout November and December, will this one-day shopping spectacle continue to exist in its current form? With a heightened awareness of sustainability and ethical consumerism, is it time to rethink the significance of Black Friday in our lives? Also, for a sneak peek into our next episode - brace yourselves as we venture into the world of competitive eating. How do they manage it and what does it take to actually be a champion in this quirky sport? Join us for all this and more on the Observation Station - where curiosity meets insight!
Do you ever lift your head up from your phone, look around and think to yourself my God, everything is weird. Well, we do a lot. This is the Observation Station, a unique, entertaining and hilarious podcast. If we observe it, we talk about it. Anything and everything, anything and everything. Let's get weird and let's have some fun. This is the Observation Station and now your host, tommy Heights.
Speaker 2:
Hey, what's going on? Welcome back to another episode of the Observation Station, where curiosity meets insight. So I'm your host, tommy Heights, as usual, bringing you the stories that make you think, smile, maybe even shop a little bit smarter. So today we're going to be diving into Black Friday. It's a phenomenon that has become a cultural and economic landmark. Buckle up, we're about to explore the history, frenzy and impact of this shopping extravaganza. So let's start off with the origins, the beginning.
Speaker 2:
Black Friday. It wasn't always about scoring the best deals on electronics or toys. In fact, black Friday was first used in 1869, linked to a financial crisis, not shopping. But fast forward to the late 1950s, in Philadelphia, we see the term used to describe the chaos that ensued the day after Thanksgiving, when people flocked to the city for shopping and football games. The day that basically, is like hey, let's get out there, have this Friday that we have off, just spend a bunch of money. But police officers coined the term because of the sheer madness of the day. So the name stuck and the retailer soon turned it into a positive. It's marking it as the day they turned a profit. So going from in the red to in the black, so the evolution, really it's from modest beginnings. It evolved into a global phenomenon and it officially kicks off the holiday shopping season. In the United States, retailers open early, offer huge discounts and shoppers, I mean, will they line up for hours, sometimes days, to grab these deals? So it's a retail bonanza that has spread to countries around the world, even where Thanksgiving isn't even celebrated. So I'll tell you exactly.
Speaker 2:
There was something that was amazing when the PlayStation 3 came out. I remember back in Chicago that the guy bought the last one and basically, well, he shot the guy. I mean, this is basically what happened. He says, oh, this guy has the last one, I'm going to have it where. I'll just shoot this dude. That was really his game plan. I'm going to have to assault the dude that bought the last PlayStation Still smart. So let's talk numbers, because it's staggering.
Speaker 2:
According to the National Retail Federation, in 2021, over 154 million million people shop during the Black Friday weekend. That's half the US population. And it's not just about brick and mortar stores anymore Online shopping, amazon, ebay, whatever it is it exploded, with billions spent over this period. It's a crucial time for the economy, accounting for a significant chunk of annual sales for many businesses. Amazon actually is kind of the move nowadays, especially. Here's an insider tip the Amazon Prime Visa, I think. Yeah, it's a Visa credit card. You get 5% back on your Amazon and Whole Foods purchases. But think about how much you spend on Amazon 5% of virtually everything You're looking at like. Sometimes if you're spending a couple hundred bucks here and there, it's like 15 bucks here, 20 bucks here, 15 bucks there. The stuff adds up A lot of this Black Friday when you're buying, you can get some pretty good deals. So having it where you're getting discounts plus having it where the 5% back on top for your credit card, it's a win-win situation.
Speaker 2:
Now, I'm not saying go over and spend above your means than be evicted from your house because you can't pay rent and now your kids are hungry and you're a terrible parent. We aren't talking about that as understanding that nowadays the economy is not looking hot for a lot of people. Everybody's broke as shit. So I mean, look, this is not about just trying to pay for some gifts for Christmas and whatnot. It's all about like rainbows and unicorns. You know this is about discount tags. People just think, hey, it was 20,000, now it's 5,000, I'm getting a deal.
Speaker 2:
I mean, there's really a darker side to Black Friday that we can't ignore. It's faced criticism for promoting this over-consumption and materialism. There's even been incidents of just the violence and chaos as shoppers compete for these limited deals. Let's not forget the workers, many of whom have to work long hours in hectic conditions. It's a complex picture that makes us question the true cost of a bargain. I don't know if any of you guys remember like the South Park episode where they were talking about Black Friday deals. It's like when they come on to the Intercom don't quote me on it, but it was something like where Randy was working at the mall during Black Friday. Every time that the mall had put on the Intercom there's a bigger deal. The people that are on the outside act like they're zombies that are trying to come into the mall and on the Intercom. It goes like we are now having 75% off Black Friday deals and there was just going crazy, like zombies that are just going crazy, ready for the Friday after Thanksgiving Coming into 2024.
Speaker 2:
Right now, a lot of the online shopping is really where Black Friday is done. It's not like when I was more like in high school that, the time where Best Buy, a lot of TVs, were lined up. Lined up, you would see, like video recordings of just people thrown fists, just absolutely trying to pull TVs out of people's hands. All this crazy stuff. I just couldn't believe how the animalistic nature, when people get Into these stores trying to find these kinds of deals, I Really just don't understand how people can Start having it where they're killing people. That that, to me, is amazing. They're like you know this, this GoPro is worth me just busting a cap in somebody. Bam. I mean, where is that gonna end up in a good, good scenario for you? I mean, look, what does the future hold for black Friday?
Speaker 2:
With the rise of online shopping, the importance of a single shopping day is Diminishing and retailers now spread out their deals over in November and December, diluting the black Friday frenzy, but extending the shopping season. So sustainability and ethical consumption are also becoming more important to consumers, which could reshape how we approach this day. So a Lot of things now where people were just trying to buy, buy, buy, buy, buy. It really comes down to where the generation that I'm in, which is the millennial generation, a Lot of people are looking to say hey, I'm gonna be Hopefully living in this world for a long time and I want to make it good for not only just myself, but for the future generations that are going to come here also. So it's when people are like you know. I need to stop being such a consumer and more of a producer.
Speaker 2:
The black Friday frenzy when I was a kid is just buying a bunch of knickknacks and chachka. It's like, okay. Now people want to be more minimalistic and I understand it completely. The whole point of my life is like saying what do I need in my life and what don't I need? There's enough chaos in a person's life where you can just say hey, look, this is not necessary, let's donate this and that is taking up space in the room. Let's get rid of this or, you know, just give it to the neighbor, whatever it is. This is something where your life becomes simpler and simpler, with all the chaos that's going to be coming to you not only today, tomorrow, the next week and the following week, every single day. You're going to have chaos. If you can minimize it from your life on a baseline level to say I need to get rid of this junk, donate this, give this to a Family member or whatever it is. That is where it comes into play to declutter the mine. We don't need to be buying more junk. Really, that's what it comes down to. So you mean, black Friday is more than just a shopping spree. It's a cultural event. It reflects our values, habits and economic trends. And as we gear up for another Black Friday, it's worth pondering the impact of our consumption and the way we can make it more sustainable and humane. And that's a wrap for today, folks.
Speaker 2:
Next week or Well, I guess it's this Friday, but you know we're switching gears and Ever wondered about the world of a competitive eating? So how do they do it and what does it take to be a champion in this unusual sport? Join me next time observation station for an episode that's sure to leave you hungry for more. Until then, keep observing and Stay Curious. Alright, take it easy, guys. And now it's not going to be next week, it's gonna be this Friday. Getting carried away here, have to figure out the schedule. So, adios, everybody, stay Positive and just keep the smile going. It's almost Thanksgiving. Let's have a Happy rest of the week here. Nobody take life for granted, alright, bye, bye.
Speaker 1:
You've been listening to the observation station. We find everyday life and everyday situations Hilarious. We hope you've enjoyed the show. We know we had a blast. Make sure to like, rate and review and be sure to tell a friend about the show. That would help to see you next time on the Observation station.
