| # | Author | Message |
1
| SingleParkPassholder
Thu 11/22/2012 5:16a | I was in retail loss prevention for over 22 years, from 1978 to 2000. We never called it "Black Friday". Maybe we muttered a few epithets under our breath about working, but it was always the Day After Thanksgiving Sale, which officially kicked off the Holiday season. In the last several years it seems people want to name or label everything, whether it needs it or not, from "Breaking News" to "Black Friday". Just doesn't seem right.
And for the record, this business about opening on Thanksgiving for retailers is just greed run amok. So there. Get off my lawn. |
2
| hopemax
Thu 11/22/2012 7:16a | According to Wikipedia, publications in Philadelphia began using the term in the 60's. But it stayed a regional term for quite awhile.
I don't think it went into widespread use into the late 90's/early 2000's though. I remember talking about it during the Disney Bean Bag Plush giveaways in the 98/99/00 time period.
I googled and found people talking about what was on their BF lists in 2001, and a usenet post from 1999. |
3
| ecdc
Thu 11/22/2012 7:26a | >>And for the record, this business about opening on Thanksgiving for retailers is just greed run amok. So there. Get off my lawn.<<
+ a gagillion
I will be at work today. People will call up for help with their cell phone that they can't apparently live without for a day, and without a hint of irony, will ask, "Why do you have to work today?" |
4
| rockcow1
Thu 11/22/2012 8:42a | Black friday was a book keeping term that retailers used. It is the day they went from being in the "red" to being in the "black". This is the day retailers start making a profit. Booking would use red ink for what they owe and black ink for profit. Retailers make 40-50% of the years profit this time of year. Retailers wanted to get people out of the house to shop. So now we have all this craziness! |
5
| melekalikimaka
Thu 11/22/2012 8:43a | I remember hearing about it in my high school marketing/DECA class in '87 in Oregon. |
6
| Jim in Merced CA
Thu 11/22/2012 1:56p | All I think of is the Steely Dan hit of the same name
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...Y&sns=em
Enjoy |
7
| oc_dean
Thu 11/22/2012 4:47p | Seems the coined phrase began to be used heavily in the early '00s ... and now .. it's just ridiculous. The way it's used now ... you'd think it's been used for a hundred years.
>>In the last several years it seems people want to name or label everything, whether it needs it or not, from "Breaking News" to "Black Friday". Just doesn't seem right.<<
Yeah - No shi... shikes! ;)
There are some things in life the modern world could live without .. and stupid terms like "Black Friday" .. and these ridiculous camp-outs for days, that some think are far more important than having a nice Thanksgiving Meal in the comfort of their own home.
Another is - "The OC."
OH ... PLEASE!
Just call it "Orange County" or simply "OC" for god's sake.
It sounds so trite and pretentious!
Lets not make Orange County any more pretentious.
But why call it BLACK Friday?
"Black" makes it sound like it's a bad thing.
In a way it is .. because some people would rather ruin their time off work, ruin a relaxing Thanksgiving holiday at home ... for camping out on a cold concrete store front, and storm a shop in pandemonium!
It's not like it's the only sale day for the entire Christmas Shopping Season.
That's just Retail Consumerism gone too far!
|
8
| DlandDug
Thu 11/22/2012 9:12p | Funny-- we were having a similar conversation here on LaughingPlace seven years ago:
http://mb.laughingplace.com/Ms...-P-1.asp |
9
| SuperDry
Fri 11/23/2012 12:21a | <<< Another is - "The OC."
OH ... PLEASE!
Just call it "Orange County" or simply "OC" for god's sake.
It sounds so trite and pretentious! >>>
And while you're at it, why not remove the "the" from the front of every freeway in SoCal? |
10
| melekalikimaka
Fri 11/23/2012 2:35a | That's hilarious, Dug! |
