As it turned out, Black Friday was not the most out-of-control display of mindless consumerism in America this year. That honor now goes to today, Black Friday Redux, and the accompanying violence and senseless behavior over the latest release of sneakers endorsed by a washed up has-been who hasn't played a game in nearly a decade. Here is BBC with the details:
There was disorder from California to Georgia as shoppers vied to buy a retro version of a classic Air Jordan model.How many of these people do you suppose were also putting themselves even deeper in debt just to buy a pair of these overpriced pieces of shit? What a sad, sick culture we live in. Frankly, when it finally collapses I won't miss it one damn bit.
A new pair costs about $180 (£115), but they are already being listed on eBay for as much as $605.
The ugly scenes recalled the violence that broke out in the early 1990s on streets across America as the shoes became popular targets for thieves.
In the early hours of Friday, police used pepper spray on about 20 customers who started fighting at a mall in suburban Seattle, Washington state, as they waited in line to buy the black-and-white Air Jordan 11 Retro Concords.
Gunfire
One man was arrested for allegedly punching a police officer.
"He did not get his shoes. He went to jail," Officer Mike Murphy said.
He added: "It was not a nice, orderly group of shoppers. There were a lot of hostile and disorderly people."
In other disturbances:
At least four people were arrested after customers broke down a door at a store selling the shoes in Lithonia, Georgia
There was an attempted robbery on a victim who was mistakenly believed to have just bought the shoes in Stockton, California
About 100 shoppers forced their way into a shopping centre in Taylor, Michigan
A gunshot rang out as shoppers queued in Richmond, California, although no injures were reported
Disorder were also reported in Charlotte, North Carolina; Indianapolis, Indiana; and Omaha, Nebraska
I love this story Bill, people like us are worried the world is going to hell in a handcart, meanwhile there are still people willing to fight for overpriced plastic shoes. Future generations (assuming there are any) will surely scratch their heads in wonder at how stupid people were in the age of plenty.
ReplyDelete@iwe - I actually use stories like this as a gauge of how close to collapse we are. If there are still countless numbers of nitwits around the country with with money to blow so frivolously, we're obviously not there yet.
ReplyDeleteWe're not even close. Mexico is still a functioning country with some very nice spots. So is Uganda. I was in Siberia in 1994 after the collapse of the USSR and while food was tight, the people were more civilized than many in the USA today. They taught me the old Russian proverb "It can ALWAYS get worse."
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas, "Bill," if you celebrate this one of the winter holidays.
@Mr. Sunshine - thanks! I'm not religious, but have always treated the holidays as a time of reflection and to get together with family. Hope you have a good Christmas as well!
ReplyDeleteBill, we well and truly are going down the toilet at an ever increasing rate of knots. $180 for a pair of sneakers? Getting further in debt to own a set? Getting assaulted because you did by a set?
ReplyDeleteSomeone needs to pull the chain on this old toilet right quickly.
@sabre - we are certainly in the toilet, all right. When someone will finally pull the chain is anyone's guess.
ReplyDeleteAs long as these vicious, mindless animals have overpriced basketball shoes to kill each other over, they are probably too preoccupied to pay much attention to you or I (unless we hapen to be stupid enough to be wearing a pair of them).
ReplyDeleteWhen the time comes that they don't have these kinds of distractions, they'll likely be kicking in your front door to cut your throat for your can of chili.
While I do agree with you at least in a theoretical sense, when you say, "this needs to end"... be careful what you wish for :-)
i would guess none of these monkeys know that a 10 year old girl likely spends 16 hours a day glueing soles on these shoes - bring on the kill off.
ReplyDelete@anon - believe me, I suffer under no illusions that the end will be at all pleasant.
ReplyDelete