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Black Friday: Consumerism Minus Civilization

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A Summary and Response to Andrew Leonard’s “Black Friday: Consumerism minus Civilization.”
It all started in the 1960s; Someone thought that it would a good idea to make the day after Thanksgiving a great day for advertising for shopping for Christmas. Andrew Leonard covers this topic of how bizarre shopping has become in recent years in “Black Friday: Consumerism minus Civilization.” Leonard pokes fun at the consumers who rush these stores for the best deals offered up by the crazed advertisements.
In the beginning of his essay, Leonard asks “What does it all mean?” He asks this after first telling about video clips and commercials about consumers acting senseless over midnight openings and sales. “Mind-boggled, fascinated, or even flabbergasted,” …show more content…

Times. “Our guests have expressed that they would prefer to kick off their holiday shopping by heading out after their holiday celebrations rather than getting up in the middle of the night.” Showing that it truly is consumerism over civilization in this day and age. Through it all Leonard shows that one take on Black Friday is a serious one. With all the videos and ads for psycho shoppers and the stories of employees not wanting to work on their holiday. Leonard argues also that this at some point is a question of morality. Stating that “Stay home Thanksgiving night. Go shopping after getting a full night’s rest. Sure, you might miss a sale or two. But you’ll be a better human being.” This overwhelming amount of pathos in this final line leads one can be a better human being but simply just staying at home can have an obvious impact others. Leonard shows with his depictions of companies’ advertisements that there is a rampant epidemic of hitting lower standards with their stagnant approach each year, regardless of the civil reaction. Additionally, today’s consumers in these companies’ ads provokes the Leonard’s readers to arbitrate the negative significance for what has become of our

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