Thumbs Down On 'Black Friday'
This column was written by CBS News Early Show co-anchor Harry Smith.
It's the day after Thanksgiving — a shopper's holiday. But, please can we find another name for Black Friday? I know it's a hopeful reference for the black ink store owners want to be using after all that cash flows into their coffers but, Black Friday sounds more bleak than celebratory. Black Friday feels foreboding doesn't it? Does any store actually welcome customers to its Black Friday sale?
I checked some papers this morning. In all the ads, Black Friday isn't mentioned once.
My sister loves this day. She plots out her shopping mission with meticulous care. She has goals, objectives and strategies. She's armed with credit cards and coupons. She will have researched the mere sales and the serious markdowns. Come to think of it, my sister — like the millions of others who are in the stores today — aren't just shopping, they are on a mission. To them it's war. What price victory? No less than 40 percent off.
By Harry Smith