Classic Americana

[Silvermink]

Okay, yeah, this is absolutely horrifying and ridiculous... but can we not with the US-bashing? :|

I think most of the comments have been pretty "what the hell is wrong with us" rather than "what the hell is wrong with them", but I agree with this. It's easy to fall into US-bashing but it's pretty uncool. There are plenty of halfwits in this country too.

I admit, though, I wonder how much of the fuel for scenes like this is people who just can't afford those things other than when they're on ridiculous sales trying to acquire them during the only opportunity they have. When you think of it that way it's almost more poignant than it is disgusting.

[visgar]

Okay, yeah, this is absolutely horrifying and ridiculous... but can we not with the US-bashing? :| It's not the entire country that's like that, and--on a personal level--I don't much appreciate having my birth nation being generalized as such.

I do agree that there should be no US bashing, but besides maybe one or two things that were said... there was no bashing of the states. You can't really sugar-coat the fact that this video is from the US though. Granted, there are people like them everywhere, but still.

[Red]

I feel like this should be set to "Beautiful World"

http://youtu.be/k3MxuDk7wqo

[Pat The Fox]

I am curious why people think these types of social deviances are worse than the Stanley Cup riots (let alone the soccer riots where people get killed frequently).

In these unfortunate displays of primal behaviour, people are scrambling and struggling with each other for a trivial item, but luckily there is limited damage being done, and once out of the struggle people seem to carry on as normal.

In the Stanley cup riots, there was nothing to struggle for. These people had not played the game and hadn't exerted any effort to obtain something and then went about doing millions of dollars in damage not just in a centralized space. In soccer riots there is active hunts for opposing team members, many suffering grevious harm.

[Nibi]

I am curious why people think these types of social deviances are worse than the Stanley Cup riots (let alone the soccer riots where people get killed frequently).

In these unfortunate displays of primal behaviour, people are scrambling and struggling with each other for a trivial item, but luckily there is limited damage being done, and once out of the struggle people seem to carry on as normal.

In the Stanley cup riots, there was nothing to struggle for. These people had not played the game and hadn't exerted any effort to obtain something and then went about doing millions of dollars in damage not just in a centralized space. In soccer riots there is active hunts for opposing team members, many suffering grevious harm.

I definitely don't think they're worse. Each one is embarrassing for different reasons and it really makes humanity look bad to freak out over trivial things. :\

[Silvermink]

I am curious why people think these types of social deviances are worse than the Stanley Cup riots (let alone the soccer riots where people get killed frequently).

I don't think they're worse, either. The Stanley Cup riots (twice!) are a good illustration of the fact that we have plenty of hooligans in this neck of the woods too.

Though in both cases I'm hesitant to say that everyone who participated is clearly a bad person - mob mentality is a more powerful force than we often give it credit for. That's not the same as saying I think they should be absolved of any wrongdoing, though.

[Drake Wingfire]

Mob mentality really is a huge part of it, people are natural followers, as soon as you give them any motivation to join in on something they just do it for the while "fit in" feeling. Its just like in school when you got that one guy who is being picked on, and you get other kids who are total strangers to the one guy just picking on him as well cause they want to belong, they got no real reason, they just have no real identity and just auto conform to the pack/ mob mentality.

I just call it being a failed human being, when they do that same kinda thing when they are older.

[Neox]

I am curious why people think these types of social deviances are worse than the Stanley Cup riots (let alone the soccer riots where people get killed frequently).

In these unfortunate displays of primal behaviour, people are scrambling and struggling with each other for a trivial item, but luckily there is limited damage being done, and once out of the struggle people seem to carry on as normal.

In the Stanley cup riots, there was nothing to struggle for. These people had not played the game and hadn't exerted any effort to obtain something and then went about doing millions of dollars in damage not just in a centralized space. In soccer riots there is active hunts for opposing team members, many suffering grevious harm.

Let me remark that a couple years ago, someone got TRAMPLED TO DEATH after opening the doors at a Wal Mart on Black Friday.  The riots we experienced here were larger by comparison, yes, but the very same ugly, barbaric mentality exists in the Black Friday issue. Those of you who are comparing the two are forgetting that the Stanley Cup riots were hundreds of thousands of individuals while these Black Friday stampedes are a couple hundred/couple thousand at a time.

Also, look at it this way: Stanley Cup 2010/2011 was a mob and it was destructive, yes.  But there is at least something we can view from the mob-behaviour: were it possible to unite a group of that magnitude under a more positive, constructive goal, then we could really have something going here.  It is sad that the mob was motivated by destruction and mischief, but there is at least something that can be drawn from it; Black Friday mobs are nothing but the epitome of human greed and consumerism... something that does nothing but cause me to seethe at my core.  There is nothing positive gained from this other than being able to say that you would never ever find me exhibiting the same disgusting behaviour as witnessed in OP's video.

Walmart employee trampled on black friday

This video does nothing but cause me extreme anger and contempt for my own species.  You can hear the same anger behind the police-officer's voice, growing as he narrates the events of that morning.  I wish humans could simply evolve and surpass this fucking stupid hunger for consumerism and saving five bucks on a goddamn printer, coffee-maker, whathaveyou.

[dreki]

This is why I'm glad that most stores around here only let in a certain amount of people at a time on Boxing Day sales. I've seen the horrors of Black Friday, and will never go down there for it unless forced to and/or doing a journalistic report on it.

The video really is an ode to North American Consumerism. Bask in the empire that people have built with their desire to buy things at slightly discounted prices. It's rather terrible what some people will do to save a few dollars on things they don't really need.

[Nibi]

Apparently Black Friday sales aren't sales at all, they just gradually raise the prices from summer till that day and drop them down again to their normal prices.

This video also shows the same idea:

http://video.msnbc.msn.com/jansing-and-co/49330296#49330296

[dreki]

Apparently Black Friday sales aren't sales at all, they just gradually raise the prices from summer till that day and drop them down again to their normal prices.

This video also shows the same idea:

http://video.msnbc.msn.com/jansing-and-co/49330296#49330296

In addition to that, manufacturers often sell different but nearly identical products that use cheaper manufacturing channels and/or lesser spec'd components to reduce the costs of them (often denoted by a slight change in model number), or they will sell old products for near the cost of new ones. It's ridiculous really.

[Silvermink]

In addition to that, manufacturers often sell different but nearly identical products that use cheaper manufacturing channels and/or lesser spec'd components to reduce the costs of them (often denoted by a slight change in model number), or they will sell old products for near the cost of new ones. It's ridiculous really.

True dat. The real door-crasher Black Friday sales are usually either a. clearing out the old junk they don't want anymore or b. sales of very limited stock designed to get people in the door and buying something more expensive. Sometimes the price gets them in the door, then they end up buying something else because the item that's on sale is crap.

[Troubles]

 :birdy: I just think it cracks me up. Then again I don't think i have actually had to buy anything from a walmart in over 5 years... o.o;

[visgar]

:birdy: I just think it cracks me up. Then again I don't think i have actually had to buy anything from a walmart in over 5 years... o.o;

I'm jealous! You should keep it that way. I've seen some pretty weird people at wally-world.

[Red]

I'm jealous! You should keep it that way. I've seen some pretty weird people at wally-world.

http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/photos/