The Irresponsible Purchase That Altered My Relationship to Media Forever
And the Black Friday deal that changed my life for the better
Rare are the times when real-world value emerges from the consumerism-driven spectacle that is “Black Friday.” On the heels of the gratitude that colors the Thanksgiving holiday, the American people make an oblivious turn toward 20% off Christmas deals and trample whoever stands in the way of their brand-new air fryer or Swiffer WetJet. They’ll trounce whatever eager kid has been waiting in digital line to buy an unscalped PlayStation 5 since the turn of the pandemic.
The bargain-driven holiday is a rife subject for satire and stands as one of the most revealing oddities of American culture. Between the holiday of giving and the day devoted to thanks, the yearly event can be succinctly summed up as “gluttonous.”
It wasn’t a holiday I’d partaken in much in the past. So when a 65-inch, 4K TV found its way into my digital cart on that fateful, consumerist night, I struggled to keep a feeling of guilt at bay. Eyeing up the 1,000+ dollar price tag with the trepidation of a college dropout at least a decade and a half shy of affording his first home, the earth stood still. And with a weighty gulp and one portentous click, a blow of unprecedented proportions was waged against…
