Great Moments In Journalism: Is “Black Friday” Racist?

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by Steve Krakauer | 12:00 pm, November 28th, 2009

» 8 comments

Here’s the answer to the headline: no.

But Joy Behar wondered on The View yesterday if describing the day after Thanksgiving as “Black Friday” was actually racist – and Whoopi Goldberg told her it wasn’t.

Newsbusters reports the conversation at the beginning of The View yesterday, when Goldberg mentioned that it was “Black Friday” – to cheers from the audience. Then came this exchange:

Behar: Isn’t it a little racist to call it Black Friday?
Goldberg: Well, I would have called it African American Friday, but I feel that’s taking something away from it.
Behar: But there’s a negative connotation to it? Or does it mean something else?
Goldberg: No, it’s like when you make all the money. You’re in the black.
Behar: So it’s positive?
Goldberg: Yeah. It’s in the black, so it’s a huge, great thing.
Behar: A lot of times, like blackmail is negative, black sheep.

Actually, there doesn’t seem to be one set reason for the term “Black Friday,” but the possible explanations range from the “huge, great” reason Goldberg describes (stores making money), to a neutral explanation that it’s still dark out when the stores open. But nowhere does there appear to be a “Black Friday” reference to a negative, subconsciously racist connotation.

When Behar refers to the “blackmail” and “black sheep” examples, she’s bringing up a language pattern that has been written about extensively (here’s one example). Words and phrases that contain the word “black” tend to turn the original word negative, while those with “white,” like “white lies,” tend to turn the original word more positive.

Still, that is not the case in “Black Friday” – it appears to just be a case of jumping to political correctness conclusions.

At least it looks like “Black Friday Sales Were Encouraging” according to Time magazine.

Here’s the exchange at the top of the show yesterday:

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abc, Black Friday, Is Black Friday racist?, Joy Behar, The View, Whoopi Goldberg

http://www.facebook.com/people/Bill-Adkins/1585417987 Bill Adkins

You’re kidding — right? Whoopi sets up the schtick, Behar runs with it and Krakauer gets his panties in a wad? Think of all the material Martin could have provided being straight man for Lewis. Krakauer!!! Get on that!!!
Tommy Christopher

I worked in the retail sector for 10 years, and we called it Black Friday with a sense of dread at the crush of shoppers. It was a logistical and staffing nightmare. I always thought that was the origin of the term, a takeoff on Black Days of the stock market crash.
marigrace

I always thought that Black Friday was in reference to the stores financial accounts. If store’s financial status was in the “red” up until this time, the many shoppers on the Friday after Thanksgiving, usually put a store’s finances status in the “black”. So it was called “Black Friday”.

I think this nation is becoming overly sensitive to “race” and the word “black”. Next thing we know, Betty Crocker will need to rename her chocolate cakes something other than “Devil’s Food Cake”.
MartiniShark

This might actually underscore how we are moving backwards as a nation in regards to race. Media players are now actually seeking out reasons for people to be offended. Unreal.

To alleviate some of the confusion, this derives from old accounting methods where fiscal deficits were recorded in red ink, and profits or figures in positive totals reverted back to standard black ink. “Black Friday” means retailers looked forward to the holiday season to balance their books and bring them into positive territory for the year.

Ask Joy if “red ink” is offensive to either Naitive Americans, or Communists.
http://trickletown.vox.com/ Trickletown

Behar does for me what Sarah Palin does for many. What comes out of her mouth is the gift that keeps on giving.
timzank

Hard to imagine anyone dumber than Joy. That is one of the stupidest conversations I think I have ever heard.
MikeLI631

JOY has learned one thing…BE OUTRAGEOUS and you will get attention ! Even Joy, who is one of the pilot fish, of modern day…”talk”, is it ?

Eventually, this spent Talent, will go back to the Catskills, where she, and her type of “schtick”, belongs !

Behar is the JOE FRANKLIN, of our present time !
ImNotBlue

Perhaps it’s just that Behar associates things that are “Black” with bad. Perhaps this is just HER bias… and because SHE thinks that, she believes everyone else must. Hmmm….