There are two camps of people when it comes to the infamous Black Friday. Those that wake up at the crack of dawn (or don’t sleep at all) and head to the nearest shopping center in hopes of finding the best deals ever. And those that don’t. Some truly despise and have an intense hatred for the consumer holiday – perhaps because it’s just plain sad what some will do for discounted clothing and technology… although, admittedly, it’s impressive.

Some would also argue that just about ANYTHING else is better than Black Friday. To find out if this is true, we’re going to put Black Friday and “anything else” in the This vs. That gauntlet.

Black Friday:

This Friday, November 29 is every shopaholics’ favorite “door-busting” holiday. On this day, bargains will be made, deals will be steals and toes will certainly be stepped on. But that’s okay because if you choose to participate in the annual early morning Black Friday shopping tradition, you’re sure to save more than just a few bucks. Not only does the holiday help the economy by increasing consumer spending, but it can also help you check everything off your gift-buying holiday list.

Now for the negatives. In many cases, unless you’re willing to wake up at the crack of dawn or stand around waiting at midnight, you may miss out on the best deals, which defeats the purpose of Black Friday shopping in the first place. There’s really nothing I can say that this picture (above) doesn’t sum up for me. Enough said.

Anything Else:

No, really – anything else. Some people strongly believe that anything else is better than shopping on Black Friday – and we can’t blame them. For our debate’s purpose, we present you with the epitome of “anything else” besides shopping on Black Friday. It is quite possibly the most boring “anything else” you could do with your time: watching paint dry.

Yet, if you actually took the time to watch paint dry (i.e. anything else), what could you actually accomplish? For starters, you could call your grandmother or an old friend you haven’t spoken to in a while. You could shop online instead. You could get ahtsy and paint a picture (with the leftover paint). You could write a book or even make origami (why?). You could eat your Thanksgiving leftovers or work them off with pilates. You could build patience and reverse years of ADD. And finally, (if you haven’t inhaled too many paint fumes) you can enter yourself in an international “watching paint dry” championship. Yes it does exist.

Winner:

Call me a Debbie Downer (or Black Friday Betty?), but I’m going with “anything else.” Because let’s face it, there’s nothing worse than getting trampled on in the name of an iPhone. Besides, everyone knows Cyber Monday is way better anyway.