Just hours after they probably sliced into turkeys, toasted the holiday, and gave thanks for everything wonderful in their lives, some eager shoppers said "to hell with graciousness" and elbowed their way into packed stores to -- literally -- battle it out over hot items. So, which piece of merchandise stood out as the one most worthy of slaying crowds to conquer? No, not iPads or a laptop (my guess) and not even that precious Elmo doll that promises your child a lifetime of hugs and affection.
It's still way too early on Black Friday to declare this the item of the season, but the one that has (so far) brought out the worst in people is...
...the television set.
Yawn?
But, it's true! At one Wal-Mart in North Carolina, a shopper says he was kicked out of the store after videotaping 50 or so shoppers pushing and shoving each other while trying to get their hands on one of the many flat-screen TV's that Wal-Mart had marked down considerably. In the vid, one woman can be heard screaming "Oh my God!" and a shop worker seems to be trying to help another woman who had been trampled on in the middle of the TV-obsessed mob.
TV mania was also reported in New Jersey, where yet another Wal-Mart shopper was arrested on Thanksgiving night because he argued with a store manager over a television set.
What could there be to argue about? You're getting a huge TV for $98 -- you should be penning handwritten notes of thanks to these shop workers for sacrificing their holidays in order to deal with your consumer madness. According to police, the 23-year-old shopper was charged with aggravated assault on an police officer, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest. He has to appear in court today, which is surely punishment enough for a person who would much rather be shopping again.
I get that the deals are amazing, but watching this video only proves to me that Thanksgiving and Black Friday shopping are so not worth it:
See this video on The Stir by CafeMom.
Did you shop on Thanksgiving or Black Friday? See anything wacky?
Image via YouTube