What Are You Doing Black Friday 2009?

I find it hard to believe that while I am in hear writing this right now, millions of consumers are out there spending ridiculous amounts of money for no reason other than the fact that the giant conglomerates dubbed today "Black Friday". I have to struggle to find a parking space to buy milk for my child as every senior citizen is there to get the 7.99 fax machine that they are actually paying 57.99 for and will never send in the fifty dollar mail-in rebate.

These major companies trick us into thinking today is the day for all of the good sales, where we can really stick it to them. They sit back in their corner offices watching us scramble through the mayhem to buy their product that probably isn't even really on sale. All across America every Walmart, K-Mart, and Sears parking lots are spilling out into the streets so people can catch the sales that were on sale days before on the normal week day.

What price are we really paying by giving into this level of consumer ignorance? Large companies generally pride themselves on being able to trick the American people. And for most of us the trap is too alluring not to give in. It's despicable that they take a holiday like Thanksgiving, a great long American tradition and turn it into the fuel stop before the shopping spree.

I do not personally feel it it necessary to sit through hours of traffic and rush around inside of a store to buy a new steam cleaner today that I otherwise didn't need. That is the scheme of our advertising system. They make you feel like you need something that you generally do not need. The level of consumerism on these " Black Friday's" is appalling and I for one am not going to give in to the fat cats on wall street making millions of our ignorance.

I give thanks to all those who have decided to stay home on this hidden American holiday. The real sales will be next week when they have to start the closeouts for everything that they didn't sell today. Congratulations to all those who have not yet fallen ill to this consumer fever we call advertising.