Whenever I see a comedy segment on Black Friday, it sort of reminds me of the way that Dickens used to give the middle and upper classes a glimpse into the life of the poor. While Dickens used to use this window in order to attract sympathy from the wealthy and inspire social reform, this window is used for comedic effect. For example, when I watched a Wendy Williams segment over the holiday, she happened to have a video from a store that had a middle-aged woman getting ready to sprint into the local Walmart. Once midnight struck, the ribbon was cut and the hundreds of people standing behind this middle-aged woman began racing into the depths of the store. Meanwhile, the middle-aged woman tripped over a carpet and the audience watched as her weave fell off of her head and out in front of her.
This image sparked my imagination in so many ways. For example, it looks like a commercial that would be perfect for a consumer who would want to get in on the good deals that occur during Black Friday, but does not want to partake in the madness of Black Friday. This video clip might work for someone who would be more attracted to Cyber Monday. I also wonder what Dickens would have thought of this video clip. While it could serve as a window into the life of those who would need to use Black Friday in order to participate in the consumerism, the window is also one that depicts these people as barbaric, brutish, and a little vicious. Dickens’ characters were typically “good” characters who would gain sympathy from the audience because of their perfect character. Some of these characters are Oliver Twist, Bob Crachit, and Tiny Tim. These characters never displayed any weakness in character and although that may have been a little alienating for the reader, it did give the reader a positive image of the poor.