Black Friday, as Seen by Smith and Marx

For all the flare-ups over coveted toys and conflict over labor practices, Black Friday—which only became a nationwide phenomenon in the 1980s—remains very exciting to shoppers. On this day, American hyper-consumerism is on full display. But in many ways, Black Friday is about what we don’t see. A look back at the early theorists of capitalism explains what’s behind the doorbusters and exuberant shopping, and why it’s important that we look.