There’s a new video floating around titled “Black Friday at Target Was a SCAM!!” that shows shoppers camping out before dawn for so?called mystery grab bags — and the description mocks the haul as nothing more than Uno cards, Nerds candy, and the sort of junk you’d expect to pick up at a gas station. Whether that exact clip blew up on YouTube or TikTok, the broader point is familiar: Americans are fed up with marketing stunts dressed up as deals while hardworking people freeze in line for pennies of real value.

The reality is that Black Friday theater has been gamed by big retailers for years, with savvy shoppers now documenting identical “sale” stickers and prices that never actually change, exposing the gimmick for what it is. Journalists and social media users have been flagging these practices, showing that many so?called bargains are just marketing rebranded as “events.”

One reason this kind of bait?and?switch is common is that “mystery” or “grab bag” merchandise is an easy way for stores to clear low?margin, overstocked items while creating viral content. Small shops and national sellers alike run mystery promotions during holidays; sometimes they’re fun, but often they’re a thinly disguised way to move inventory that wouldn’t sell at full price.

Conservatives should call this what it is: corporate pettiness dressed up as celebration. Target and other retail giants have become expert at monetizing nostalgia and impulse, treating customers like marks rather than neighbors. There’s a cultural rot in celebrating these hollow spectacles while everyday Americans sacrifice time and comfort for the illusion of a deal.

Here’s the practical truth for shoppers: don’t let the lights and megaphones make you stupid. Read price tags, use your phone to price?check competing offers, and demand stores honor price guarantees when the advertised “Black Friday” price is a simple repackaging of the same markdown that’s been in effect for weeks. Target and others advertise extended promotions and price matching, so voters and customers should hold them to their own posted policies.

If this kind of nonsense keeps happening, the answer isn’t more regulation from Washington, it’s better citizen vigilance and market consequences. Vote with your wallet, call out dishonest marketing on social platforms, and support local businesses that treat customers with respect rather than condescension. The free market works when consumers refuse to be played.

I searched for independent reporting to verify the specific claim that Target’s Black Friday grab bags in that particular video contained Uno cards and candy, but reliable national outlets did not corroborate that exact haul; what I did find was widespread documentation of misleading Black Friday signage and the commonplace use of mystery grab bags by retailers to clear inventory. In short: the larger pattern of manufactured “deals” and gimmicky grab bags is well documented, though I couldn’t find a trustworthy source confirming the precise items shown in the YouTube description.