WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT: Greed and Gluttony - American Values

F LoBuono

BLACK FRIDAY is to greed what the NATHAN'S FAMOUS HOT DOG EATING CONTEST is to gluttony.

Unfortunately, both of these co-called American traditions show us at our worst.

Black Friday is an orgy of unfettered consumerism. People will wait for hours, often in the cold or other inclement weather, to shop until they drop. And, it is not unusual for virtual stampedes of shoppers clawing and climbing over one another when a store opens, just to make sure that don't miss out on a bargain. What's so ironic about it is that, with a little searching, most of those discounts can be had in other stores on other days. But, with the guileless help of the local media, the day is hyped as a SHOPPING DAY LIKE NO OTHER.

Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, which takes place every 4th of July at the site of the original Nathan's, Coney Island, is a Bacchanalian excess of consumption. Contestants ram hot dog after hot dog into their mouths within a time limit to see who can shove the most tube steaks down their gullets, often spewing the half-chewed contents out of their noses and other orifices. And, the crowd roars!

Many take no issue with these events. Some Black Friday shoppers actually look forward to the competition of shopping in such an aggressive environment. Others, often people of limited means, see it as their only opportunity to purchase high-end items that they would not normally be able to afford. And, the hot dog eating contest has become so popular that it is actually carried live by ESPN to millions of viewers watching along with the thousands actually in attendance.

Perhaps, it is really harmless. I live by the credo of to each their own. But, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, it may be an indication of something a little more insidious - that at the core of American values lie two that, perhaps, we shouldn't be so proud of: GREED and GLUTTONY.