Business

‘Occupy Black Friday’ Organizer ‘Screaming Head’ Is Given a Chance to Explain the Boycott

Recently, The Blaze has been covering “Occupy Black Friday,” an initiative by the “99%” to protest major retailers, disrupt credit card usage, and possibly rattle the markets.

Of course, it’s all being done in the name of “income inequality” and as an answer to “corporate greed.”

[Editor’s note: Although it has become repetitious to point these things out, it should be noted that the Occupy organizers who put together the mega-retail boycott did so by blogging on a computer assembled in a factory, sold through a massive chain, and by using an Internet connection provided by, yes, a major corporation.]

Well, for Blaze readers who wanted to know more about “Occupy Black Friday” and the reasoning behind it, today is your lucky day.

Writers at Business Insider had the opportunity to speak with one of the organizers of “Occupy Black Friday” and the interview was, well, “interesting” (to say the least).

Although the interviewee withheld his name (Business Insider refers to him as “Screaming Head”), he was not shy about proclaiming his goals, his idea of how the economy should work, and his long-term plans to battle “income inequality.”

“With its goal of hitting the 1% where it hurts—‘in the wallet’—Screaming Head feels confident that in creating eye-catching signs that convince consumers to forgo one of the biggest shopping days of the year, he’ll spark a discourse and motivate mega-retailers like Target and Walmart to question pandering to Wall Street stockholders who keep putting the wrong politicians in office,” writes Business Insider.

Here’s the exclusive interview:

Business Insider: What inspired you to launch the Occupy Black Friday movement?

Screaming Head: I’ve been interested in (Occupy Wall Street) pretty much ever since its inception. I’ve been watching it on the news. But I wanted to do my part and so I’ve been blogging about it and other politics current events in general.

This one was focused on Black Friday just because a definite point where people can express some economic solidarity in the movement is important; that’s where consumers can affect political change.

BI: Be honest, will Occupy Black Friday make the day more hellish?

SH: If people would sit back and look at it, it’s going to be a nightmare anyway. You see all these fight videos and people fighting over the newest toy this year. The reason that I had a post for a publicly traded large retail chains is because those are the firms and businesses connected to credit card companies who definitely have a vested interest in putting forth the consumerism that has hurt this economy.

Even Small Business Saturday is sponsored by Amex. That motive is definitely not altruistic. (Credit card issuers) want people to spend. There has to be some sort of resistance to that. The time to do it is on Black Friday because (retailer’s) eyes are on the numbers.

I have gotten a lot of opposition saying, “Why are you attacking retailers, they’re not the focus.” But (retailers are) connected to credit companies and consumer spending that’s gotten everybody in trouble. Consumer debt is also a huge problem, along with housing and student loans. Retailers need to recognize that they have a political responsibility to their consumers as well as their stockholders.

BI: What is your takeaway message, and why focus on Black Friday in particular? 

The overarching point is that the 1% need to see that they depend on the 99%, not the other way around.
They have to put their money in the banks before the banker has something to leverage.

Black Friday is just the point at which all eyes are going to be on the retail sector to see how it does and that is going to have major implications when all these companies do their reporting on the fourth quarter. It’s also around the time when the elections start heating up. Retailers should think a little harder about their responsibilities come election time.

If everybody boycotted Walmart on January 22 or some random date, it might not even be noticed. A one-day protest is not going to get anybody fired. It’s not going to kill revenues, but it is going to send messages.

BI: Do you have a negative view of Black Friday itself?

It can be fun and I don’t have any opinion of the day itself. It‘s like saying I’m against Halloween because your teeth will rot out. It can be a fun day if people are responsible about what they’re doing.

But it all plays into (stockholders’) culture of pushing the retail stores they’re invested in to do well the next quarter.

Credit card companies don’t care about putting consumer into debt and jacking up interest rates, either.

BI: What is the retailer’s role in all this, specifically?

They’ve donated over a million to democratic candidates, pushed for health care in retailers overall, but it was only because the attention was focused on them and now they have to take on the cost of giving all their employees health care. Of course they’re going to try to make all their competitors do the same thing.

We just have to show them, I think, that we’re going to push them on this way. But they‘re not going to do it unless they’re forced to and that starts with the economic solidarity from the consumer.

If you vote with your dollar as a group, then retailers will be more likely to support who you support. Because as a whole (retailers are) known for flip-flopping, they go with political winners. Whichever part they think is going to be in power, that’s who they donate to.

BI: Could you elaborate more on the consumer’s role?

Well, it comes down to spending money in your community. If big change like Walmart comes in, the consumer can make the choice to choose where his or her dollar goes. He or she has to make a politically-informed choice to spend at the right retailer.

I hope Occupy Black Friday does bring some kind of reflection to the consumer that, yes, we can buy local.

There are long-term benefits to supporting the community and it completely is the consumer’s responsibility for his or her long-term and economic political health. That said, I am not an anti-capitalist at all.

BI: How do you envision Occupy Black Friday taking place?

I’d hope that every community flashes a big projector like they did earlier last week, but I don‘t think that’s going to happen. Hopefully, the Occupy Black Friday protesters will not be spending and will be letting the retailers know they’re not spending. Hopefully there will be some signs in front of the stores informing the public what the actual meaning of this is.

We don‘t want to put all of our money in big retail and never see it again because it flies up to stockholders and to political parties that we don’t like. That is the message.

BI: How do you expect consumers to react to Occupy Black Friday in Alabama?

We definitely have to raise a little more awareness out here, but I think if we can have some conversation because we have some wonderful signs out there or something to get them going like, “Oh, OK this isn’t some kind of crazy hippy movement that I saw in New York. These people here work and go to my church.”

If you get people‘s families out here to talk to people who don’t agree, they’ll at least be open to thinking about it.

It ideally would be a lot of people having dialogues in front of these retail stores about why it’s going on and not just a New York or big metropolitan thing. why the Bible Belt should be taking note of this too.

BI: Do you feel the Bible Belt is taking note?

Some people are, yes. There are definitely others besides me who’ve taken an interest in the Occupy Wall Street movement and agree with it.

BI: How does one go about creating a movement like Occupy Black Friday?

You can’t just make a website and let sit it there, it’s got to be active. I dedicate about an hour to mine. I’ll take an hour to research and put up my blog post and another hour just marketing it to try to get people to catch on.

When you get enough people moving in the same direction, that’s how it starts.

Comments (68)

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  • Alan
    Posted on November 25, 2011 at 7:06pm

    The Screaming Heads are actually Socialist-Crybabies. Your job depends on someone (think 1%-ter) hiring your a$$, not on you showing up. If you don’t show up, they’ll find someone who will: and that is capitalism, which works everywhere it is tried.

    Report Post »  
    • Gold Coin & Economic News
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 8:36pm

      The government in this country is much more of a problem than the “big corporations” are. Congress is where the deals are made. Congress is where the scams happen. Congress is where the favorable atmosphere for one company to reap huge benefits when others can’t is created. Congress is where insider trading happens. Congress is where John Corzine went for 1 term and then took investors money to the tune of maybe over $1 billion in a rip off. Maybe you occupiers should occupy CONGRESS instead of business that employ people.
      http://www.congressinsiders.com/2011/11/congressional-inside-trader-nancy-pelosi-is-a-liar/

      Report Post » Gold Coin & Economic News  
    • A Doctors Labor Is Not My Right
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 11:08pm

      “I have gotten a lot of opposition saying, “Why are you attacking retailers, they’re not the focus.” But (retailers are) connected to credit companies and consumer spending that’s gotten everybody in trouble.”

      It‘s not consumer spending that’s gotten everybody in trouble; It’s government-stimulated consumer spending on misallocated resources that has done so, such as what happened in both the recent housing crash, and the stock market crash of 1929 (The Fed had greatly increased the money supply; The resulting misallocation of resources was the Roaring 20s).

      Report Post »  
    • A Doctors Labor Is Not My Right
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 11:19pm

      “Retailers need to recognize that they have a political responsibility to their consumers as well as their stockholders.”

      Actually, it has always been the political approach to business – not the profit-minded approach – that has caused our economic hardships. When government protects certain groups, such as in the case of corporations and Unions, it either makes it easy for them to charge more, or in the case of banks allows them to take risks at the consumers’ expense (because they have a “lender of last resort” in the Fed that guarantees that they will be covered).

      Report Post »  
    • A Doctors Labor Is Not My Right
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 11:27pm

      “The overarching point is that the 1% need to see that they depend on the 99%, not the other way around.”

      This is false. While it’s true that the 1% needs people to buy their things, it is they who have the capital to make the things you want cheaper (to the extent possible under an increasingly regulated economy). The 1% only gets richer by serving the 99% (unless government intervenes in the economy by protecting some groups or pricing unskilled workers out of jobs via the Minimum Wage).

      Report Post »  
    • A Doctors Labor Is Not My Right
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 11:35pm

      “Credit card companies don’t care about putting consumer into debt and jacking up interest rates, either.”

      And they don’t have to care when they have a central bank that prints money to bail them out. Return to a free market (i.e. no central control of the money supply) commodity money system, and you won’t have nation-wide, or stock-market, crashes.

      Report Post »  
    • A Doctors Labor Is Not My Right
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 11:49pm

      “They’ve donated over a million to democratic candidates, pushed for health care in retailers overall, but it was only because the attention was focused on them and now they have to take on the cost of giving all their employees health care. Of course they’re going to try to make all their competitors do the same thing.”

      The reason that health care costs so much is, again, because of government intervention – not the profit motive. Regulations and the high level of threats of lawsuits are costly and create barriers to entry in the marketplace, and with less competition prices are higher – and no, a doctor’s labor is not your right.

      And by pushing businesses to pay for something other than their own capital and for labor, you are increasing their costs of production, which makes what they sell more expensive.

      Report Post »  
    • A Doctors Labor Is Not My Right
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 11:55pm

      “If you vote with your dollar as a group, then retailers will be more likely to support who you support.”

      But we don’t earn our money as a group, so only the individual can decide for himself whether purchasing something is good for HIM.

      Not only that, but it took individuals choosing what was profitable for them in order to supply the materials that go into the things you buy.

      Report Post »  
    • A Doctors Labor Is Not My Right
      Posted on November 26, 2011 at 12:06am

      “Because as a whole (retailers are) known for flip-flopping, they go with political winners. Whichever part they think is going to be in power, that’s who they donate to.”

      And that is their right. No one is keeping you from telling someone else about your views. Yes, some people can spread their message more easily, but that does nothing to you.

      I complain a lot about the media Black Out of Ron Paul, but really it’s their right to do so. I am able to talk to people and get out the facts about him and Austrian Economics – big corporations (or Unions) with money are not keeping me from talking to people. Which is why increasingly more people are accepting Ron Paul’s platform.

      Report Post »  
    • A Doctors Labor Is Not My Right
      Posted on November 26, 2011 at 12:12am

      “We don‘t want to put all of our money in big retail and never see it again because it flies up to stockholders and to political parties that we don’t like.”

      This can only happen in a fiat money system. Please learn Austrian Economics.

      See here.

      Smashing Myths and Restoring Sound Money | Thomas E. Woods, Jr.
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAzExlEsIKk

      Report Post »  
    • PKama
      Posted on November 26, 2011 at 4:13am

      I agree with Editor’s Note wholeheartedly:

      [Editor’s note: Although it has become repetitious to point these things out, it should be noted that the Occupy organizers who put together the mega-retail boycott did so by blogging on a computer assembled in a factory, sold through a massive chain, and by using an Internet connection provided by, yes, a major corporation.]

      These OCCUPY EVERYTHING aka as THE BOWEL MOVEMENT people are such hypocrites. They hate big corporations but they won’t stop using gadgets manufactured and sold by big corporations.

      TEA.

      Report Post » PKama  
    • loriann12
      Posted on November 26, 2011 at 7:02am

      AT&T was on their list to boycott….how do you boycott AT&T? I want to cancel my service for one day…..

      And if everyone switches to local business, wouldn’t that make them more successful and thus the 1%?

      Report Post »  
  • ANTISOCIAL-IST
    Posted on November 25, 2011 at 7:01pm

    when you create something, provide service, you can give an opportunity for others to make a living while making one for yourself. until you do that, you’re a workerbee. play your position, fool.
    it must really suck to have such an envious and covetous spirit.

    Report Post » ANTISOCIAL-IST  
  • Outlaw_Josey_Wales
    Posted on November 25, 2011 at 6:57pm

    They need to occupy railroad tracks, see if they can stop a speeding locomotive. That will show the stock holders of rail companies who’s the boss.

    Report Post » Outlaw_Josey_Wales  
    • PKama
      Posted on November 26, 2011 at 4:18am

      LMAO !!!! That is a very good one. I’d love to see them lying in front of a speeding freight train on chain themselves to the track. LOL..

      TEA !!!

      Report Post » PKama  
  • ronaldreaganthegreat
    Posted on November 25, 2011 at 6:40pm

    It is disgusting how the left has rotted into a pile of POS communists. Boot out all leftists starting with Obamamao!!

    Report Post » ronaldreaganthegreat  
  • FANGS
    Posted on November 25, 2011 at 6:00pm

    There must be 100% Genocide on Unions and Democrats. Once they are crushed, America will prosper once again

    Report Post »  
    • TheE
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 6:43pm

      I’m assuming that the definition of the word genocide is escaping you. These social cancers need to be removed from power, but we don’t engage in “genocide” in civilized society. This plan is about as much use as your plan to have all militias lay siege to DC, I see that going well for all involved! (sarcasm) Take a deep breath, have a large drink, and calm the F down.

      Report Post »  
  • FANGS
    Posted on November 25, 2011 at 5:56pm

    Lets give Washington a Christmas they’ll never forget. The Revolution starts on 12-25-11. Payback time.

    Report Post »  
  • FANGS
    Posted on November 25, 2011 at 5:53pm

    Unions Communist media and all Democrats must be Crushed. The Democrat Party is Raping the American working Family. It’s Way past time to Crush them .

    Report Post »  
  • ares338
    Posted on November 25, 2011 at 5:47pm

    He’s a little person who is trying to sound all big! He is and he’s not.

    Report Post » ares338  
  • rationallyurs
    Posted on November 25, 2011 at 5:45pm

    I think they should make these little thugs and thuggets shop on black friday–that would be punishment

    Report Post »  
  • I SPY
    Posted on November 25, 2011 at 5:38pm

    The dirt bag can write?

    Report Post » I SPY  
  • Pete
    Posted on November 25, 2011 at 5:33pm

    so he writes his blog about the evils of corporations and retailers. then has to market his blog to these same corporations and retailers. tells people to avoid his sponsors. Great business plan.

    Report Post »  
  • Look4DBigPicture
    Posted on November 25, 2011 at 5:33pm

    Screaming Head’s logic completely escapes me. It makes no sense to punish hard-working middle class people in order to get to the wealthy 1% – who btw aren’t affected in any way, shape or form. Everyone has a choice to use credit cards or cash, and it has nothing to do with the merchant, who’s simply trying to make a living for his/her family.

    It’s time to go to OWS with a chalk board and start teaching these fools basic math and balance sheets.

    Report Post »  
    • Loverof Freedom
      Posted on November 26, 2011 at 4:01am

      Exactly. In all their protesting, they neglect to understand; Individual rights; Government regulation; If a business needs government help, it doesn’t need to exist; We live with a Federal Banking system, which never should have been; The government runs the education system; And you can’t be more correct, that accepting and using a credit card is entirely in the individual’s own hands (no pun intended). Most of their complaints come from a desire to rid us of our Individual rights, and escape personal, and individual responsibility. It’s a game of passing the blame. You can’t govern greed, and leave one person living….greed is something that can only be controlled by the one who’s greed it is….thus, individual responsibilty. The only law for greed comes from within.

      Report Post »  
  • barber2
    Posted on November 25, 2011 at 5:25pm

    And the Left’s War on Capitalism continues….

    Report Post »  
  • possom
    Posted on November 25, 2011 at 5:20pm

    The only thing these hippie‘s are having an impact on is gun sale’s, the people I talked to at the gun shop all said their sick of them!

    Report Post » possom  
  • Secessionista
    Posted on November 25, 2011 at 5:19pm

    Occu-toddlers

    Report Post » Secessionista  
  • Brooke Lorren
    Posted on November 25, 2011 at 5:14pm

    Well, I guess that I was right when I said that I was in the 1%: http://brookelorren.hubpages.com/hub/I-Am-The-1

    Sure, I earn less than minimum wage and my family’s income might be classified as “poverty level” by the US government (which seriously, is not the worst thing in the world), but I’m an evil 1% capitalist pig because I depend on the 99% to read my articles and buy stuff from me.

    That’s okay. I’m proud to stand against these people on Occupy Wall Street. Even if they come to my house and drag me out into the street to beat me for being so evil.

    Report Post »  
  • littlefish
    Posted on November 25, 2011 at 5:07pm

    Hey …I can potentially cause big trouble sitting at home on the computer . . .tellin other people what to do!
    Lets see
    Five hours = general small annoyance
    Eight hours = medium disruption of traffic
    Twelve Hours = masses of asses tying up intersections and railroads
    24 hours = full scale class and race riots in multiple cities
    Ain’t “social” media great >>>>???

    Report Post » littlefish  
    • mtcountrygrl
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 5:19pm

      I am sad that the “occupy” people did not make good on there threat to block stores on black Friday. I told my husband I was looking forward to the videos of them being trampled by the shoppers. Form a human chain to block people from work, piss people off. Form a human chain in front of greedy, out-of-control shoppers, get trampled to death!

      Report Post »  
  • Hereigns7
    Posted on November 25, 2011 at 5:05pm

    An “Open Letter to the United States Congress” http://www.danielsblog.org/

    Report Post » Hereigns7  
  • Hereigns7
    Posted on November 25, 2011 at 5:03pm

    I have written an “Open Letter to the United States Congress” spread the word: http://www.danielsblog.org/

    Report Post » Hereigns7  
  • Findalis
    Posted on November 25, 2011 at 4:57pm

    Occupy Black Friday? They are kidding? Nothing has happened except some of the “99%” acting like idiots with violence.

    Report Post » Findalis  
    • Brooke Lorren
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 5:17pm

      I went to Toys R Us last night to get some inexpensive stuff with my son’s birthday money. I brought my camera along just in case there were any occupiers, and my husband made me bring his cell phone in case someone hit me in the head with a brick (LOL). Didn’t see anything there except a line to get inside, a long check out line, and a lot of people purchasing stuff.

      Report Post »  
  • grayling646
    Posted on November 25, 2011 at 4:47pm

    I wonder if the guy ever had any fun as a teenager.

    Report Post »  
  • FANGS
    Posted on November 25, 2011 at 4:44pm

    The Revolution must begin in Washington. All Malitia’s now take a trip to Washington. Study the layout.

    Report Post »  
    • patricius
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 5:29pm

      Idiot.

      Report Post » patricius  
    • PKama
      Posted on November 26, 2011 at 4:28am

      @ FANGS..why don’t you go ahead and lay the ground work for what you are suggesting. When everything is set and ready then you let us know so we can report your dump a$$ to the authority. LMAO !!! We may disagree with a lot of what our government and the present OCCUPIER of the White house are doing but we will not follow any nutcase like you.No thank you. We will deal with it in the voting booth.

      Report Post » PKama  
  • lukerw
    Posted on November 25, 2011 at 4:43pm

    His “Economic” Plan… is just a Destruction Plan… of a childish tantrum!

    Report Post » lukerw  
  • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
    Posted on November 25, 2011 at 4:43pm

    When will people finally understand the true danger of the #Occupy bands and the puppet masters who manipulate them to bring down the system? More and more pressure on the middle class, and the economy and so forth until the top comes down (very soon I estimate, pray I am wrong like normal) and our Republic is over.

    Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
  • Sue Dohnim
    Posted on November 25, 2011 at 4:40pm

    Personally, I am waiting for ..

    Occupy The Musical

    There is Trouble in New York City…

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s60hOgqLFGg

    Report Post » Sue Dohnim  
    • Rayblue
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 5:19pm

      I’m waiting for the historical musical,“1776 Trombones” myself.

      Report Post » Rayblue  
    • YepImaConservative
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 5:42pm

      I‘m waiting for Obama and Pelosi to go on the Jimmy Fallon show and the band play’s… “A couple of Lyin’ Biatchs!”

      Report Post » YepImaConservative  
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