Anyone watching the "please go shopping" local news coverage today?

[AP]

One of my local stations is at Best Buy today (which is, interestingly, the store that was featured in the New York Times photo accompanying their "people will go shopping this Christmas, please" story yesterday).

They had a shot of people rushing into the store at 6am. Funny thing is, it looks really staged. People are rushing in the door, but it doesn't look like they need to rush -- there aren't that many people. And the expressions on their faces...there's something kind of phony about the whole thing.

Anyone else notice this? Is all this local coverage just staged advertising trying to encourage shopping?

[SlavesandBulldozers]

1. yep

in Florida its all over the place. national news too.

CONSUME.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

2. Staged.

They do this every year. Lucky for them, there is always enough people who are led by the rings in their noses by the media.

The truth should become apparent in 3 weeks, when the retailers start to report their numbers. If they suck, look for store closing announcements after the new year.

Prediction: There will not be naked festivities in the street.

[otohara]

3. Today is BUY NOTHING Day

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 26 2004 IS BUY NOTHING DAY

For 24 hours, millions of people around the world do not participate -- in the doomsday economy, the marketing mind-games, and the frantic consumer-binge that's become our culture. We pause. We make a small choice not to shop. We shrink our footprint and gain some calm. Together we say to Exxon, Nike, Coke and the rest: enough is enough. And we help build this movement to rethink our unsustainable course.

In its 13 years, BND has become a flashpoint, a day when people of all stripes come together in symbolic protest. Visit the new BND Action Pyramid for a sample of great ways to celebrate.

http://www.adbusters.org/metas/eco/bnd/

Internationally....
http://www.ecoplan.org/ibnd/ib_index.htm

[cliss]

16. Count us in.

I'm staging my protest by refusing to participate in the machinery which contributes to the madness.

I'll have a much nicer weekend staying home and cleaning.

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. And I will tell you DON'T consume

especially today.

And if you must, support LOCAL retailers, and... buy hand crafted goods

[tridim]

5. I just saw a "news" report in a Wal Mart

and the reporter kept reminding us that Wal Mart no longer counts on high sales on black friday because people are doing more online shopping. Sounds like they're trying to soften the blow. All signs point to "worst xmas shopping season ever".

[tx_dem41]

6. I doubt its staged, but....

....its definitely the sign of two phenomena: mass hysteria and the whoring of local media to local businesses.

[andyhappy]

7. got up early

to drag my tired ass to work and could not believe how crowded all the parking lots were at target/besybuy/circuitcity/all that shit at like 6am!!!!!

sheep....baaaahhhh....sheeep....

hey, does anyone have that link to all the corporations that gave to the republicans.

I ain't given those fuck-offs one more dime than I have to!

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

8. The only way the economy is being propped up

is through massive consumer spending and debt. The idiots in charge sort of forgot this when they outsourced/downsized. Folks I know don't have the money to buy stuff, and are making it or doing what I'm doing-going to small discounters/independent stores that need the business.

BTW, if anyone likes murder mysteries and would like to give one for a gift, I have one I'll give you to print out. PM me for details.

[acmavm]

9. I'm not spending much this year, didn't last year. What's wrong with

people. The Christmas has turned into an obscene greedfest. Spending every last dime you've got is not the point of Christmas. Neither is it some gushy love story on tv about how some pathetic pair who lost touch years ago find each other again on Christmas Eve (or any of a number of lame assed plots I've seen advertised in years past).

If the dolts, idiots, and morons who claim to be Christians really were, they'd understand this. The point of Christmas to celebrate the birth of Christ, and his message was to give to the poor, the lonely, the sick, the underdog. Not a massive greedy blow out.

[Radio-Active]

10. I just got back from an area near a bunch of shopping centers

it seemed pretty normal.. and there wasn't much traffic at all.

[AP]

13. Note to self: start a business next Thanksgiving renting cars to

strip malls which I get from car rental places and auto dealers.

[auburngrad82]

11. The news at 5:30AM was one big commercial

Every story was about the early bird shoppers. I'm not spending any money today.

I'm hoping Wal-Mart, Sears, Penney's etc take it in the shorts this year. Serves them right for all the contributions they've made to the GOP.

[ChicanoPwr]

12. It is staged

If the media says people are shopping, the rest will feel the need to go. Look at last year, the media said nobody will shop and nobody did.

But can somebody please explain to me how the 12 million families who are going hungry in the US have the money to go Xmas shopping? I really doubt they are giving up buying food for Xmas presents.

[durablend]

17. There's hungry and homeless people in this country?

YOU'RE SERIOUS?

PUH-LEEZ...no such thing in this country. You sound like one of those "pessimistic demmycrats"

Everything is just PEACHY! The economy is STRONG and getting STRONGER!!!

:eyes:

[sariku]

14. I never shop day after T-Day

I just can't stand the crowds. In fact, I do less shopping from T-day to Xmas than the rest of the year. This year, christmas will be pretty slim. We bought a house last year (and because we're poor, we went for the super-duper fixer upper) and money is tight. On top of that, I missed over a week of work last month and my company only gives paid sick time to the managers (thanks. fucktards). My kids have a general idea of what they'll get for xmas. House stuff! Decoration, storage stuff. That's it.

I've been looking at the clearance section of target online - anyone know how target leans politically?

[annabanana]

15. a little personal experience from this morning..............

After my honey made himself 2 HUGE turkey sandwiches to take to work with him this morning, I was struck with the realization that I was WAY too low on the white meat to make it though the teenaged boy locusts that swarm around here. I decided to scoop up one of those "breast only" packages to roast and supplement my supply.

Dreading the crowds I had seen on TV, pushing and shoving their way through doors, I headed to the local strip mall, which features toy stores, clothing stores, music and video shops (you know, a little of everything) along with my regular Stop and Shop supermarket.

Much to my surprise, I was nearly alone. The parking lots were sparsely occupied. I looked across the street to a similar mall and found it in much the same condition.

Is there anyone here who found those "crowds" when they went out?

(When I look over the shoulders of the "wow lookit all the happy shoppers" commentators, I see plenty of room)

[__Inanna__]

18. Speaking of Best Buy

I will never purchase anything from them again and recommend for those who do, check your receipts at the point of purchase!

I purchased this computer (that I am tapping away on) from them last year. At the register, I noticed they had overcharged me for several accessories, which I mentioned, which was corrected then.

What I didn't realize is that they overcharged me $100 for this computer, until about a month later. I went back and was met with, oh well, it's been over 30 days so too bad. (it was about 35 days) The guy who sold me the computer happened to be working that day and even verified that the sign posted said $100 off, and that I had been overcharged. I disputed this for MONTHS, and Best Buy lied and said there was a rebate (in addition to the legit HP rebate) I had to fill out, but I had not. To get my HP rebate, I had to follow up three times with HP to make it happen. I ended up losing on the dispute and paid $100 more than the stated price at the store, due to Best Buy's rip-off tactics. I purchased a fax machine from Office Max or one of those companies and never got that rebate either.

Moral of the story - be vigilent about shopping at ANY of these major chains, and don't buy anything counting on a rebate, unless you're willing to follow up ad nauseum, just to get them to honor it.

[Deja Q]

19. That's why I use Sam's Club

Any big chain is going to support the pukes to some level. And one person cannot make a difference in boycotting. Going online invariably leads to easy ID theft, so forget that...

And why buy a 250GB hard drive for $240 up front with $80 in special holiday rebate returns - half if which you won't get back because they claimed you didn't follow their directions (but you DID and now no longer have the fucking PROOF!) when Sams' has the same exact drive for $120 with no rebate hoop-jumping actions required?

(Now I only use S.C. for certain items where there really is a price difference to talk about (which is about 35% of the time), it's not an all in one store by any means.)