When it comes to Black Friday shopping, once you are in it - you are in it. You've made it this far and both is going to stop you from taking advantage of the deal you came for. It doesn't matter who you have to trample over to get it.
As you can see, there is literally no escape, even for the dog. What on earth was the dog shopping for? Perhaps there's a discount on kibble or something. Who can say really? One thing is certain though the humans and the dogs are pretty much on the same page in terms of behavior.
Either these people are huddling up for warmth because it's just that cold or they are just trying to get into a crowded store. Yeah, sadly it's the latter. Before you can even go shopping on Black Friday, you have to push through crowds to get in and none of the people care about your personal space.
In this sea of jackets, you can almost see the light at the end of the tunnel, but sometimes you might be waiting hours to get through it. But with COVID, maybe things won't be as bad this year. But it's probably safer to just do all your shopping online.
Typically you might think about savings on gadgets, games, TVs and other electronics as offering the biggest savings. However, you can also save on home goods and even clothing. And the lines for clothing can be just as long as anything else - believe it or not.
In this photo, a table at JCPenney's feature pants on sale for just $15. Yeah, that's a pretty good price for pants. But the question you really have to ask yourself, is if that price is worth it if you don't have any legs after shopping there for Black Friday?
Recently Amazon gave UK residents a taste of Black Friday, something the country never participated in. On November 28th 2014, the people depicted in this photo are waiting outside a Tesco store on Western Avenue in Cardiff. Since Amazon introduced the shopping "holiday" many retailers in the UK have since participated, having sales just before Christmas.
All this goes to show, it's not just Americans who are looking to save a buck. The crowds in the UK can be just as chaotic as anywhere else and the world isn't getting any cheaper to live in so expect more people to participate in these sales events. A few bucks can go a long way, particularly around the holidays.
These angry little people are dead set on getting a discounted TV. They are literally about to eat each other alive to get the TV they came for. One man and a woman appear as though they are playing tug of war with an expensive TV. Congrats you have a new TV...
...It's just a shame you won't be able to enjoy it because it's likely coming to your home in two pieces or at the very least with a cracked screen. Hope it will be worth all the money you wasted. But let's face it: you are going to try to take it back, even though it was your fault. Aren't you Karen?
Some people don't just wait in line, some people take it a step further and camp out. Certainly, this kind of camping is not quite as exciting as being out in the woods and certainly not as rewarding, because there's no guarantee you are going to find everything you are looking for.
But hey, maybe you can make the trip worthwhile and build a fire pit outside of that Best Buy. You can roast marshmallows, make smores and tell scary stories - about your previous Black Friday experiences no doubt. But really, don't do that, because someone will think you are an arsonist and call the police.
There's nothing quite like the feeling of disappointment when you've been fighting everyone in the story or camping out for days in line, only to discover the item you came out for was all sold out. You could probably live without that disappointment but what would be the fun in that?
As you can see this cabinet of games is sold out. That's because while you might think you have a good chance of getting what you want because you want it the most - chances are everybody else wants the same thing. The games that are actually in the cabinet? Nobody wanted those. It's not just a coincidence.
Growing up, you may have been taught that fighting is generally wrong. That is unless you are fighting for something incredibly important like a television. In this great battle on the field of Walmart or whoever, noble fighters are hitting each other with TVs and crawling over crippled bodies to get that sweet discount.
The good news is that Walmart will probably not charge people for those TVs because there is no way to figure out who broke them. And insurance will likely pay for all the damages to their bodies. However, nothing will erase the waking nightmares you have long after you've been hit in the face with a 60-inch flatscreen. But hey, that savings though!
Sure, this is just a staged photo of Black Friday, but it's accurate as heck. The two women fighting over an article of clothing with one of them on the floor - it might look like an exaggeration - but it's really not. When a Karen wants what they came for, nothing is going to stop them, nothing, I tell you.
But sure, there are some civilized people with manners and a laid-back personality that are sure to just let the item go, but nobody at Black Friday is going to be happy and courteous about it. Consumers want one thing and it's disgusting. And that thing is material goods. Yay for capitalism!
Black Friday is always a big deal at Macy's. In fact, Macy's is the company that started it all. Since the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade of 1924, the day after Thanksgiving has been the day to start shopping for Christmas and it's been that way for decades now and will be so for decades more, no doubt.
Black Friday gradually turned into a thing as more and more retailers realized they could draw in people to their stores with discounts, they could get people shopping earlier in the year and create buzz surrounding their stores. Today people can shop fro deals online as well as in stores.
Are these people running towards something or away from something? Only god knows. When it comes to Black Friday, it really can be difficult to tell. Of course, it's likely that they are in fact racing to through the store, trying to grab all the stuff they want before anyone else does.
It's important to remember one thing when you are going into Black Friday. Slow and steady can win the race if you are prepared. You won't have to tackle people if you go in with a game plan. Prioritize what you want and strategize with a map of the store and where everything is, or - just buy everything online. Oh, yeah!
Sure, you got everything you wanted. You got the TV, that coat you wanted, the air fryer, the Playstation 5 - everything is now yours and your shopping is almost done. But at what cost? You just spent your day off in the most stressful environment possible to save some money for the holidays.
And now you are tired and you are probably going to want to sleep the rest of the day. But let's face it: the kids won't let you. And as you sit outside contemplating the direction your life has gone and everything you've sacrificed to get where you are, you realize how empty that feeling is.
When it comes to shopping for kids, the most expensive of everyone on your list to buy for, you really want things to go smoothly. Sometimes, if you can't get that toy or game on sale at Black Friday, the kids may not even get it at all. These moms know what's up and they are on a mission.
Does anyone remember the Nickelodeon Nickelodeon Super Toy Run sweepstakes they had in the '90s? The whole thing took place at Toys "R" Us and the kids had like five minutes to pick out ass many toys as they wanted. These mom's carts got a lot more full than any of those kids though.
No, wait, that's a receipt! A man and his wife are featured here, having a laugh as they look at their ridiculously long receipt. A laugh of pure enjoyment or nervous laughter, having come to the realization that they just spent their month's paycheck all at once? That's the gift that keeps on giving throughout the holidays.
They are laughing about it now, but their wallets aren't. Sometimes you can get all caught up in the hype and not realize just how much you are spending. With that said, don't overdo it. Go in with a budget and a list of things you want and do not deviate. It's only one sale - there will be others.
Let us be clear here: it's not just shoppers who are suffering through the torture that is Black Friday, it's the employees who suffer too. trying to help every shopper on Black Friday is almost impossible but that's not even the main problem. Employees have to deal with the receiving end of Black Friday.
The employees have to deal with 10 times the number of Karens, keep everyone in line and try to get them out quickly so others can shop. And with mask policies in place, they also have to deal with enforcing that. Getting up early and dealing with customers is never on the top of anyone's wish list.
Shoppers all up in this Best Buy, buying TVs, monitors and whatever else, because nothing says Christmas much like an LCD display. And then also note the people pushing carts with a complete disregard for everyone else. Maybe you pick up something great if they still have it in stock, or maybe you don't...
One thing is sure though, it won't be worth it in the end and after it happens, you'll tell yourself that you will never do that again, but you'll be lying to yourself. The time to decide not to shop on Black Friday is now. Break the cycle and be free.
Nothing says romance more than a day of shameless commercialism. Before you savagely mutilate someone over an air fryer, you can enjoy a romantic night with your boo. After all, if you are going to wait in line, you might as well enjoy it by cuddling as much as possible.
This cute couple looks super cozy as they wait in line at 5 am in order to catch some savings at Target, waiting hours before the store opens. Even if you don't get anything in the store, they will always have this romantic night to cherish forever. That's real love. and you can't buy that.
Nothing says "holiday" quite like a parade through a store. These people have never been more psyched to spend all their hard-earned cash on some garbage. This shameless display of capitalist society has everyone gleefully participating in a mass illusion - that they are actually saving money, when in fact it's the opposite.
Every dime they will save will be spent on something else and they don't even realize it at the time. To fill the void in the hearts, come Christmas time, all the extra money they have will be spent on something they had no intention of buying before,
Nope! It's just a really cold lady. If you are going to stand outside in the cold to get shopping on Black Friday, it's important to warm up. Take a blanket for outside, enjoy a nap, but don't let anyone cut in line. Then, when it's time to go inside, you can wear your blanket as a cape and look really cool.
This lady already looks angry and she hasn't even started shopping yet. Sometimes you just got to put on your mean face and get ready for battle, like Batman. This woman isn't Batman obviously though, because Batman where's a black cape. Yep, that's the only difference. Oh yeah, and also Batman has a ton of money and doesn't need to resort to Black Friday shopping.
Before Black Friday can happen, employees have to get ready for the waves of shoppers. As you can see in this photo, possibly hundreds of carts are lined up for customer use. Customers will be grabbing these carts in masses and then it will be like bumper cars in every aisle.
This Target looks well-prepared for their shoppers except for one thing: there's no first aid station. We jest, of course, it probably won't be that bad, but you can also never know. Luckily Target carries plenty of bandaids - they just won't be included among the Black Friday deals.
You always think about the line going in, which is certainly long enough but then after you've done all of your shopping for the morning, you have to worry about waiting in line all over again to pay for your stuff. That line can be just as long and as equally unfun.
Black Friday is indeed a time of patience. If you don't have it, you are likely to hurt people or at the very least have an unpleasant attitude about it all. And that is multiplied infinitely if you haven't even had your morning coffee yet. Look how thrilled this woman looks. She's definitely had her coffee.
Not everyone participates in Black Friday, of course. Some people are way too cool for that, like this guy with his custom Black Friday Sheep sweatshirt. Making an effective comment on society and consumerism, this man has taken to wear this highly political piece of attire while shopping. Good for him.
But sure, this sweatshirt will show everyone what is up. And this looks like a pretty high-end store. Maybe it doesn't really count as BlackFraiday if you are spending hundreds of dollars on one thing. I honestly don't know and I honestly don't care. If shopping on Black Friday makes you happy, go for it. I'd rather sleep though.
Oh, yeah this looks like so much fun. Who would want to miss out on all this fun? You could spend all this time in line to save money on a set of steak knives so you can effectively kill any moment of joy on your day off. Who wouldn't want that?
At this Best Buy, things are sure to get unpleasant quickly. Look at these folks though, lining up like lambs to the slaughter. Not literally, though - unless Best Buy has a new customer service policy we don't know about. Who can say though? I won't be there. I'll be doing my shopping online, for one.
Is Black Friday just a regular sales event or is it something more? of, course it's more! It's also a time where you can dress up and roleplay like you are homeless. Given the opportunity, a homeless person would gladly switch places with any of these people, being that they would go live in their homes while they camp outside this store.
Why on earth would someone camp outside of a store and sleep on the hard concrete by choice is beyond anyone, but whatever floats your boat. Again, you aren't even guaranteed to get what you came for. And suppose you sleep through the morning...Do you think people are going to wait for you to wake up or are they going to cut in line?
This sea of faces really shows what Black Friday means to everyone. Everybody is super excited going in to be sure, but before that there's the tiredness and the anxiety. And after that, there's the sadness and despair in the face of all the time you've wasted. Does it get better? Yes. For a year - until you try again.
Once the doors open, anything can happen and it will. But sure, get hyped up about all that savings. Just be sure to remain cautious and keep on guard. People have literally died. You don't believe us? Google it. Hopefully, you think your life is worth more than a discounted InstaPot.
Even children are not immune to violence on Black Friday. Here you can see a woman ripping a box from the hands of a small child. It's like taking candy from a baby but only that's not candy and it's not just an expression in this case.
Having said that, Black Friday sales events are really good places to bring your children. As we've said, things can get chaotic and they are really no place for a child. If you have someone to babysit them, you should probably do that and if not, do your shopping online,
Maybe there are those out there that like being around crowds. I suppose people who go to concerts certainly don't mind them but crowds like these - there's nothing really pleasant about them. These crowds just get violent and in an anxiety-inducing environment, which just makes everything so much worse.
Sorry, this photo is a bit blurry, but it really enhances the experience of being there. Once you've gone through the chaos early in the morning, the whole thing would be a blur anyway. Let's move on though. If you still aren't convinced Black Friday is terrible, look at this next one.
Here you can see a crowd of customers practically pressed up against the glass like a horde of zombies. But instead of eating brains, they are about to eat everything off the shelves, each other and then the employees behind checkout counters. Nobody is safe and there are no prisoners.
You can almost feel the pure fear in the employee's hearts as their day quickly turns ill. When people start shopping, they become a new creature entirely. Is it the savings that's doing it, is it the material goods or is it the hive mindset turning everyone into a walking dead? Maybe all of the above.
These people are literally fighting and climbing over one another to get what they want. Is there no shame? Do they not see what they have become? Scrambling about for some useless junk that may end up getting returned after the holidays anyway.
I have to say though, there is something about their determination that is commendable. Or perhaps not commendable, but admirable? I don't know what it is, but it's impressive - to literally have the audacity to interact with your fellow humans this way. I mean, wow.
We've come to the end. If you aren't convinced that Black Friday is a crazy free-for-all in, in which there are no survivors, there are no amount of pictures that will. as you look at this ridiculous crowd photo of people in a store, try to imagine yourself there. Imagine yourself being that close to people that will hurt you if they need to.
Black Friday comes just once a year and every year it's the same. For 2021, there will be mask mandates for most stores and the whole social distancing thing, so maybe, just maybe things will be slightly less chaotic. But that's the thing about chaos, you can't control it. So, wishing you the best of luck this Black Friday. But really, just shop online.
