[PA Comic] Wednesday, November 14, 2012 - Dark Meat

Geth · November 2012

Dark Meat
http://penny-arcade.com/comic/2012/11/14

Lucascraft · November 2012

I like this comic, and I agree with Gabe. Holday Creep is absurd. I should not be seeing Christmas stuff before Halloween happens.

My personal opinion is that the "Christmas season" should run from Thanskgiving Day til January 3. No music, decorations, sales, or anything else "holiday" related should be played, advertised, or displayed outside of that window.

KalTorak · November 2012

I really love the idea of Tycho just dehydrating and rehydrating food over and over

back and forth

forever

Gaslight · November 2012

My personal opinion is that anybody who actually ventures out to a retail store on Black Friday is a straight-up busta. No deal is worth it. Especially considering how much bait-and-switch, "(very) limited quantities available" bullshit goes on. Cyber Monday is where it's at. Actually more and more retailers like Amazon have a gravy train of deals going the whole month of November.

I just thank God I don't have to work Black Friday this year, after two years in a row of Toys R Us from midnight to dawn.

jackal · November 2012

The 8 pm stuff is just bitchy of Wal*Mart and Target. At least give your employee's turkey time to digest before throwing them to the wolves.

Tofystedeth · November 2012

KalTorak wrote: »

I really love the idea of Tycho just dehydrating and rehydrating food over and over

back and forth

forever

I had a friend who always wanted to get a humidifier and a dehumidifier and lock them in a room to battle to the death.

Last year's Black Friday was kind of nice, because a lot of online stores were starting their sales around midnight, and I just happened to be working 3rd shift and had plenty of time to web browse

Darkewolfe · November 2012

The real losers are retail employees in this mess. I know a few folks who are expecting to basically lose Thanksgiving as a holiday in the next few years as more of this. "Open Black Friday at midnight or even on Thursday" shit starts up. It's fucking ridiculous.

Also, there are 12 goddamn days of Christmas. This shit with Christmas season starting in November is insane.

TychoCelchuuu · November 2012

<-- Reppin' the holiday creep right here

Lovely · November 2012

You're a good pigeon Celchuuu.

Me? For my family, Christmas is the big holiday. And it's not really even about the presents for us. It's the time of year when various members of my family tends to visit and we eat a lot. Ussually we do this a week or two BEFORE the actual christmas day. Because of this, I haven't really DONE anything for thanksgiving for yeaaaaars.

So, I enjoy the early-ness of christmas sparkly stuff when I go out. Though, I should mention, I enjoy sparkly-ness in general.

So, when people bitch and moan about NO CHRISTMAS BEFORE THANKSGIVIIING WAAAAAAAH. I just roll my eyes and bask in the shiny.

.....A bit of a side note though, because my family tends to visit BEFORE christmas, and we do all our christmas stuff then, after they leave.... Well, Christmas is basically over for me, and seeing christmas stuff around after that actually does weird me out a bit. *laughs*

Maz- · November 2012

Face Vase Tycho is back. Hooray!

KalTorak · November 2012

joyous tycho is so joyous

uziel197 · November 2012

I work overnights of wal-mart and I know the pain he is talking about. I have to go to work at 7:00 pm on Thanksgiving because the "Black Friday" sales start at 8:00 on Thursday night.

Petesalzl · November 2012

I hate black friday, the fact that people think the christmas season should start right after thanksgiving is disgusting to me. the thought of it during or before, outright horror. two years ago, a temp employee at the local wal-mart where i live was literally trampled to death black friday morning when he unlocked the doors that morning. people kept walking over him and they didnt even realise he was dead for a good while. then a year ago (the following year) everyone acted like nothing ever happened, or they forgot that a man died cause people wanted to go shopping at wal-mart. fuck you wal-mart, fuck you black friday, fuck you humanity.

KalTorak · November 2012

eventually it will spread to encompass the entire month

Black November will be much darker than Black September.

Monkey Ball Warrior · November 2012

The war on Christmas is real, but we didn't start it! Christmas has been gaining ground on Thanksgiving and Halloween for decades... Thanksgivings Day itself is the final firewall between us and a perpetual Christmas empire. If we lose ground on thanksgiving day, we'll no longer be able to hold Christmas at bay. Children will wake up on Christmas morning and not realize that it is distinct from any other day.

Fandeathis · November 2012

Petesalzl wrote: »

I hate black friday, the fact that people think the christmas season should start right after thanksgiving is disgusting to me. the thought of it during or before, outright horror. two years ago, a temp employee at the local wal-mart where i live was literally trampled to death black friday morning when he unlocked the doors that morning. people kept walking over him and they didnt even realise he was dead for a good while. then a year ago (the following year) everyone acted like nothing ever happened, or they forgot that a man died cause people wanted to go shopping at wal-mart. fuck you wal-mart, fuck you black friday, fuck you humanity.

Yeah, I remember reading about that. A co-worker of mine used to work at Target, and she witnessed a woman pepper spray 5 other customers, including a young child. She actually got away with it in court, pleading self-defense against the crowd. What the hell?

DuelLadyS · November 2012

jackal wrote: »

The 8 pm stuff is just bitchy of Wal*Mart and Target. At least give your employee's turkey time to digest before throwing them to the wolves.

At least they'll get to eat... my Thanksgiving shift is 4pm-8pm. So, y'know, apparently we don't want to eat dinner on a day best known for eating a fancy dinner.

One guy I work with had someone ask him one Thanksgiving how much overtime we were getting. Which, of course, is none- some of the managers get holiday day, but none of the cashier got extra for being there. So then they ask why they made us work Thanksgiving. It took all he had to not snap and say 'YOU- you're why I'm here!'

I can't blame the business too much- if I made in 4 hours on a holiday what I made the entire previous week, I'd want to be open that day too. I do blame everyone going out and buying these crappy deals, thus giving the stores a reason to turn the day into just another sale. (Protip: I usually get the best deals right around Halloween when stores are trying to clear room for Black Friday, or right after when they're trying to lure back the BF shoppers for another go.)

Lovely · November 2012

Oh. Come to think, back when I used to work at Dairy Queen, we used to open up Thanksgiving afternoon/night. I used to volunteer for the shift because, as I mentioned before, I didn't really care about Thanksgiving day all that much. It wasn't bad, as far as working there in general went. Got time-and-a-half, and pumpkin pie blizzards. omnomnom.

Bassguy · November 2012

My christmas tree went up in mid-October. The more people bitch about it being too soon, the earlier I move back my Christmas season.

Commander Zoom · November 2012

I am genuinely disturbed by the depiction of Tycho in the first panel. What hideous capering man-creature has Gabe visualized for us, convulsed in the grip of an unwholesome desire for countertop appliances and the promise of sweet holiday deals thereon?

Operative21 · November 2012

As someone who works in retail, this comic really resonated with me. Honestly, it seems like lately the number of holidays a retail worker is actually eligible for is getting smaller and smaller. Sadly, it's not just Thanksgiving either. Up here in Canada I ended up having to work Canada day, because apparently folks who work retail aren't worthy enough to celebrate their national fucking holiday. Now it seems some retailers up here want to start their own versions of black friday in order to curtail cross border shopping. It goes without saying that I absolutely agree with Gabe's position on the matter.

Gaslight · November 2012

All of the attention Tycho in panel one is (deservedly) getting is keeping anybody from giving any love to Gabe in panel 3. It looks like Gabe's character select portrait in an arcade fighting game or something. All shadowy and angsty.

ryven · November 2012

i work thanksgiving and black friday next week, if you are in the orlando area you can come give me a hug and slip me some cyanide grape drank

Tindi · November 2012

Thanksgiving has always been a family holiday with my family. After my parents split up, the day after Thanksgiving was often also Thanksgiving. This is kind of how it works when you have two families that want to spend time with you but not with each other.

Another thing is, because my dad's best friend throws a famous Thanksgiving party every year, Thanksgiving was as big as Christmas to me for a long time. I got to see people that I only saw once a year, the food was fan-fucking-tastic, and we got to stay up late and talk with the adults. The idea of depriving anyone of the opportunity to spend time with their family, especially if they aren't given SPECTACULAR overtime, makes me sick and sad.

I've worked retail during the "Christmas season" and it is hell. Hell in twinkly lights and overpriced garbage electronics. My expression when I see these sales is similar to Gabe's throughout this comic. Good luck to all of you who are doing it this year.

Mlem · November 2012

I registered just to comment on this comic. The fact is that it's not just Target on Walmart that are doing this. Every company that heard about opening at 8pm thought it was a great idea and implemented it. I work at Sears and we're opening at 8pm on thanksgiving and staying open until 10 pm on black friday. This is my first black friday and I am truly terrified.

EvilBadman · November 2012

I did a Black Friday at Circuit City (remember those?) back in '06. We opened at 3 or 4 am, for some ungodly reason, so I had to be there an hour beforehand. On top of that, I lived a decent distance away, about 40 minutes. Anyways, I put in a 12 hour shift, with one meager break after 9 am, where I couldn't leave the store because they left us giant Wal-Mart sandwiches in the breakroom, not in the fridge, mind you, just out. At room temperature, all morning.

After work, I treated myself to a nice lunch, went to my wife's dorm and slept for ever. They tried to call me in on Saturday, trying to sell me on the fact that everyone is sacrificing this weekend, and the like. I quit on the spot.

Warlock82 · November 2012

I always just took Thanksgiving off when I worked at Shopko (which was easy because I was already off most of the non-summer off due to school, so I just didn't call in asking for hours during Thanksgiving break :P). I remember working Christmas time though. We were open at least until midnight every night and they always made the cashiers stay and help clean up all the aisles for at least an hour after the store closed. And Christmas was bad because customers would just drop shit on the ground and it was all small stuff like ornaments and tinsel so it took forever to clean up.

I do not miss that job :P Also because I hate people

Xaquin · November 2012

3 years ago I went to get my cousin a wedding gift from Macy's (she got married the 23rd or the 27, so this was about the 17th of September). The back half of the store was nothing but christmas trees.

god damn insane.

Man in the Mists · November 2012

I am 100% on Gabe's side. And I don't even work retail anymore.

Cambiata · November 2012

If I can avoid it, I will never go into a store on Black Friday for the rest of my life.

HOWEVER, I love black friday creep because I can get awesome deals from Newegg right now, ("Black November") and I don't even have to leave my desk.

Zoku Gojira · November 2012

Man in the Mists wrote: »

I am 100% on Gabe's side. And I don't even work retail anymore.

This.

These compulsive shoppers could be snug at home with their families letting a delightful holiday meal settle in their stomachs, and quite easily get the same "deals" or far better ones online at Amazon. The ones who instead choose to camp out in a parking lot, then elbow and trample human beings on their way to whatever pile of overstock crap X retail store accumulated throughout the year, are indeed monsters.

TIFunkalicious · November 2012

I remember being stationed next to the small appliances at wal mart to 'discourage theft'

I did not, at all

eride · November 2012

I am sorry, but the elephant in the room is what Fruit Fucker thinks of all of this dehydrate/re-hydrate action. I can't help but feel there is an unexplored fruit-o-phelia angle here.

MichaelLC · November 2012

Cambiata wrote: »

HOWEVER, I love black friday creep because I can get awesome deals from Newegg right now, ("Black November") and I don't even have to leave my desk.

Man, they got October AND November?

Blargfoo · November 2012

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/08/walmart-black-friday-strike-organized-online-video_n_2094698.html
There was a strike in October to protest unsafe working conditions for Wal-Mart warehouse contractors. Seems the agitators got fired, hours cut, or other unsavory retaliation, so now there's a strike to protest that planned for Black Friday. I just like to savor that thought. Wal-Mart getting hit by its first wide-scale strike ever on Black Friday, when it hurts them the most.

Vangald · November 2012

I just want to, as a big box retail giant employee, say thank you to Mike and Jerry for this one. Just thank you. Fuck I hate my job.

P.S. I only get Christmas eve off. I work the graveyard shift.

Kagera · November 2012

jackal wrote: »

The 8 pm stuff is just bitchy of Wal*Mart and Target. At least give your employee's turkey time to digest before throwing them to the wolves.

Digest? I work 3pm to 1 am starting thanksgiving I will have no turkey at all!

Also three pallets stacked on top o each other of 360s and Samsung 46 inch led tvs is just an OSHA violation waiting to happen.

Kagera · November 2012

I mean if an earthquake doesn't topple it all over first.

mare_imbrium · November 2012

My mom works part time at Macy's. Last year when they decided to open at midnight she volunteered to work overnight so she could be at home during the day on Black Friday. We thought who on earth would want to buy fine china at 2am (that's her department). Apparently it was just overwhelming and insane all night long. Now given how insane and busy it was, she checks the schedule for this year. On her floor there is one extra person scheduled as compared to last year. One. And this year they have a big ugly display of toys r us toys on their floor between all the china and crystal and statues too.

Eat it You Nasty Pig. · November 2012

I don't even leave the house on black friday if I can avoid it, nevermind actually shopping

Taramoor · November 2012

I kind of enjoy the whole Black Friday insanity, you just have to be careful is all.

If the store is doing it "open the doors and have medics on standby" style, like the Best Buy and Target, then avoid that store. But the Old Navy and the Toys R Us nearby all do "Only X people are allowed in the store at a time. Everyone else stays outside and waits in line or they get nothing good day sir!".

Fry's Electronics is amazing to visit just because they handle the insanity so well, their queue system is awesome.

Now I'm imagining fast food places with Black Friday deals. "McDonald's Doorbuster MADNESS! Eighteen Big Macs for $10! Only available between 1am and 3am! While supplies last!"

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[PA Comic] Wednesday, November 14, 2012 - Dark Meat

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