Black Friday? Bleuch Friday, I say!
Maybe it just takes me longer than some to catch on to these things - it's quite possible I'm missing something here. But I haven't been aware of such rampant commercialism in New Zealand before around this North American and European retail tradition.
What is this Bleuch Friday all about? In North America, particularly, Black Friday is the first day of the Christmas shopping season and a day off that many employers give to their staff after the Thursday Thanksgiving holiday.
Viewed from afar, Thanksgiving looks to be a special occasion, one with a warm, family atmosphere untainted by the glitzy trading that many view as the core of a successful Christmas.
I'm sure there were plenty of Thanksgiving dinners around New Zealand last Thursday. But for the majority of the population, it is not something we celebrate. So introducing Black Friday here seems a totally cynical marketing ploy. One major retailer went even further in its blaring television advertisements: ''Black Friday sale - continues all weekend''. What? We definitely could do without Black Saturday and Black Sunday too.
What do you think about Black Friday's adoption here? In my view it is unnecessary, unless we can have the much nicer Thanksgiving as well. It's part of a drive to get you handing over your money more often, something we've already seen with the burgeoning of Valentine's Day, Mother's Day and Father's Day, and even Halloween, sales.
However, in spite of my curmudgeonliness, I'm sure plenty of Kiwis bought into Bleuch Friday.
Working surnames
I could have used a photo of one of the major retailers relentlessly pushing their Bleuch Friday offerings. But I don't see why they should have a free ad. Instead, these glider photos are jaw-droppingly stunning.
A colleague also pointed out the appropriate surname of the photographer - Philip Plane. Philip, if you're reading, can you let me know if your last name had any influence on what you've ended up doing?
I've also overlooked a very important person in this discussion - no less than Otago Daily Times deputy editor Craig Page.
Tim Pierce, of Wanaka, points out the English cricket team's
fourth seam bowler, Jake Ball. And David Williams, of Christchurch, remembers a union organiser called Raven Boss.
Gibberish alert
Lots of feedback coming in of corporate and everyday mumbo-jumbo on the loose. Tomorrow we will go all gobbledygooky again.
-By Paul Gorman