Two reasons, actually.

1) They're stupid. Well, perhaps not stupid, but easily manipulated. People want to feel like they're getting something for nothing, and what better way than a store advertising ridiculously low pricing?

2) They're competitive. The feeling that you got a deal that someone else didn't, especially when that someone else is in the same line as you, is a powerful motivator.

Humans are not rational beings, they are rationalizing beings. I'll cop to falling to the Black Friday fury in the past. After living through it a couple times, you realize that you were undergoing a sick amount of physical abuse to save a few bucks.

That and the deals just don't seem so good any more. Probably because that part of the brain that likes sleep finally won the battle.

But, why do so many people still buy into this?

The key word is BUY.
Buy, buy, buy.

Frankly, you couldn't PAY me to go to a retail establishment today. I will be out more than I care to be only because I have to help my older son (who lives 2 towns over) figure out what's wrong with his car and see if it's worth repairing.

Joining a throng of rabid shoppers at 5am must be one of the new circles of hell.
For me, at any rate. I suppose "running with the bulls" is part of some folks' Xmas excitement.

Happy Jolly, Y'all.

I'm working on getting a list from Gregg of all the presents he needs for his family. I'm going to get his Amex card number and just buy them all online, and have them shipped to me, and hand them to him wrapped when he goes to Detroit for the holiday.

(Personally, I just get something for my editor, my bookkeeper, and my assistant. And I bought two of those presents in August, so there's just one to go!)

I don't know, it's definitely not mine or my partner's thing, but my mother loves it. She was probably out there at six a.m., getting totally into it. Of course she won't be using a credit card and actually has most of her Christmas shopping done already.

I couldn't deal with too much of it. Unfortunately, I have to go out extra-special early tomorrow, to pick up the five year old's crowning Christmas gift. But I will be waiting when they open at 5:30 and getting in and out as quickly as possible. Saving forty bones is worth it, especially as I too, will not use a credit card.

Theory: In terms of the Big Picture, every transaction for an organism is a risk... Shopping is therefore thrilling behavior, and some people approach it as a thrill-seeking experience.

Obviously, since I'm something of a clothes horse (along the lines of Secretariat) I'm not shopping averse. But, it's shopping as sheeping with the overspending and the horror of the day that boggles me.

Actually, I'm really into the treasure hunt aspect of shopping, as is my little sister -- finding some fabulous thing for 50 cents or $5 at Goodwill or on eBay. Sometimes, I must confess, I'll go as high as $40 on eBay.

I'm choosing to work but it's serving it's purpose. I work building maintenance. Because all the insane people are out doing this, I'm having a blissfully quiet and peaceful day. I'll use my leave time to some better purpose. Some stores in my city actually opened yesterday. Christ! I think it's sick that they made their low-paid employees come in on the holiday itself to financially exploit the true shopaholics. My daughter works retail and, fortunately, the mall she works in was closed yesterday. She's working an 11 hour shift today and goes back at 8:00 am tomorrow but at least she works in the better of the city's two shopping malls. The other one, which is the larger of the two, I won't even go near between Thanksgiving and Christmas. There's constant stories of fender benders (and sometimes worse) with hand wringing attempts to fix the traffic flow and by bus isn't any better. Last time, I went (about 10 years ago), the bus was an hour getting out of the parking lot. Why would anyone want to subject themself to this?

But...but...but...god WANTS us to shop...and drive big gas guzzling SUVs in jesus's name!

Consume, you commie bastards!!!

Actually, my wife and I got up early to spend the day in Griffith Park. An elegant way of giving the finger to certain elements of our "American" culture.

I'm not going anywhere near the malls, today, as I am throwing a birthday party for daughter #1 and her best friend (which could be worse!). Having 30 teenagers over here this evening from 4 p.m to 9 p.m. We're going to have a fire going in a little while, they can make s'mores, I've got snacks & soda out, they'll have pizza around 6, cake at 8 and they're outta here by 9! Then I'll have my little party.

People go shopping on Black Friday because they enjoy feeling that they are a part of something larger, and because most of us live lives that are low on real challenges. For me, the ads I was seeing for stores opening at 4 am came as close as anything ever has to turning me into an anti-consumerist. Fortunately, my inborn capitalism won out, but it was a close thing.

I will be doing my holiday shopping online. No lines, no parking, no treks, nada, just some clicks. Fun!

Flynne -

I keep hoping mine will just skip being teens. I have a well formulated fantasy that it just won't happen to us. Pesky reality!!! I know they don't just go from being kids to suddenly being an adult, but I can't seem to wrap my head around the notion that eventually I'm going to be living with teenagers. I hope to be on Valium by then.

On the up side, A friends wife just called. Apparently she and momma were talking earlier and she picked up the gift for the five year old, so I don't have to venture forth in the morning. And you all claim there aren't any gods...

"and hand them to him wrapped when he goes to Detroit
for the holiday"

Is he driving or taking the train to Detroit? Note that
TSA says you're not supposed to take wrapped gifts with you
to the airport.

Thanks, good point.

Amy - Avoid any problems with the morons at TSA - send the packages Fed Ex (not UPS, they lost a $10k tape drive on me and threw me a week behind on a big project).

If I'm forced to travel anywhere again, I'm shipping all my shit out Fed Ex, and traveling with nothing but my passport, wallet, PDA and cell phone. I might even forgo pants.

Oh, and I did eventually go to a store today - Lowe's. Needed a staple gun. It was pretty normal at 1 PM.

Thanks, but Gregg takes 'em with. All I can help with is the shopping destressing.

This artice was written about my cousin and her husband.

http://dailycamera.com/news/2007/nov/24/tales-of-black-friday/

Yes, I do think they are insane, and there is no way I was going anywhere near a mall or Wal-Mart last weekend.

We are a group of volunteers and starting a new scheme in our community. Your site provided us with valuable information to work on. You have done a formidable job and our whole community will be thankful to you.