Nov Dossier: Black Fri-NAY

Are you being bombarded with Black Friday “deals” like I am? We’re a week out, but it really started before pumpkins had even been hauled to the curb. Somewhere along the way, Black Friday slithered out of its little post-Thanksgiving cave and ballooned into an entire month of “BUY NOW! DON’T MISS OUT ON THIS THING YOU DIDN’T KNOW YOU NEEDED!” hysteria.

It used to be one ridiculous day where people lined up at 4AM to body-check each other for flat-screen TVs. Now it’s a 30-day endurance sport. Black Friday isn’t a day anymore. It’s a mood. A vibe. A full-blown American ritual. And I say Black Fri-Nay.

The “deals” are almost always fake. There’s documented evidence (Consumer Reports, Wirecutter) that companies produce cheaper, lower-quality versions of their own products specifically for Black Friday. Thinner fabrics. Hollow plastic. Smaller ounces.

And we fall for it because we’re tired, bored, scrolling on our phones, and told relentlessly that the consumption is savvy and smart. A deal is a deal!

The noise around us is so loud, and the marketing sooo aggressive, that it feels like we’re missing something if we opt out. Like we were removed from the group chat.

Meanwhile, the real cost is invisible. Not just the environmental stuff (landfill avalanche incoming). I mean the human cost of compulsively looking down at a phone to hunt deals instead of enjoying the actual point of the holiday. Time with people we love. Long meals. Walks around the neighborhood. It seems like we’ve traded all of that for a dopamine rush that wears off in three minutes.

So here’s a thought experiment for this year. What if you chose a Black Fri-Nay instead? Keep your money. Keep your time. Spend your long weekend doing things Big Retail can’t monetize.

• Long conversations.

• Long naps.

• Long walks with people you love.

• Make something with your hands.

Black Friday is supposed to be about “getting more for less.” But we’ve managed to design a tradition where we get less for more. Less quality, less joy, less meaning, more stress, more trash, more noise.

This is your reminder that your time, energy, and attention are yours — not a commodity to be harvested by a marketing department.

Plus… In December I’ll be sharing amazing gift guides that support small businesses, so hold tight!

xo, sonja

Here are past articles you may like: A round-up of Made in the USA items I love, fave BIPOC-owned brands, and great candle brands you’ve probably never heard of.