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Shoppers Brave Cold for Black Friday Deals; Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Goes Underway; Is Black Friday Dying?; College President Pens Letter on Sex Assaults; Athletes React to Ferguson; A Very, Very Tiny Thanksgiving

Aired November 27, 2014 - 10:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. I'm Carol Costello. And Happy Thanksgiving. Thank you so much for joining me.

Right now you might be thankful for a heater if you're lining the route for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The holiday tradition winding its way through Manhattan right now, with temperatures hovering just above the freezing mark, with snow that messed up so many plans this Thanksgiving, moving out. Leaving behind colder than average temperatures for much of the East Coast.

But hey, we'll take that. We can do without the snow.

Now to another tradition perhaps in decline, and that would be shopping. Many, many stores will be open for business on Thanksgiving Day, even though most Americans say they will not shop today, although a sizeable number will work off the turkey by pushing a shopping cart.

My favorite stat is from Retailmenot.com. Twelve percent of shoppers will hit the stores under the influence of alcohol today. Of course that does not, does not include Mike Frankie. He's stone cold sober and celebrating the day by camping out at Best Buy. In fact he's been there with his buddies since last Thursday. He's on the phone now from Delafield, Wisconsin.

Hi, Michael.

MIKE FRANKIE, HOLIDAY SHOPPER: Hi, how are you?

(LAUGHTER)

COSTELLO: I'm good. How are you? Where are you exactly? Describe it for us.

FRANKIE: We are in Delafield, Wisconsin. We're right off the freeway in front of Best Buy. It's about 17 degrees right now. Kind of cold but we've got heaters. We're doing pretty good.

(LAUGHTER)

COSTELLO: You do this with five friends every year. Why?

FRANKIE: You know, we've been doing this -- we met in line six years ago. And we've been doing it ever since. We just got to know each other and kind of like our vacation we spend together.

COSTELLO: Are you guys eating turkey?

FRANKIE: We'll eat turkey tomorrow. Most of us, today it's really all about the shopping and that sort of thing. I'm a retired corrections officer so I'm used to working every Thanksgiving Day anyway so tomorrow will be fine.

COSTELLO: I feel your pain. You must have this routine down. A plan. So what is the plan every year for you guys?

FRANKIE: Well, we break up into groups on Thanksgiving morning. Like half of my group left this morning and went to Wal-Mart and they're going to get the deals there, and the other half, the rest are here, are going to get the deals there and then we'll meet later tonight at McDonald's and we'll split up all our deals.

(LAUGHTER)

COSTELLO: So what deal are you hoping to get?

FRANKIE: Well, I'm hoping to get -- I should get since I'm first in line. I'm getting a couple of tablets, a 50-inch TV, a Canon camera, and a laptop.

COSTELLO: And are these gifts for you or for others?

FRANKIE: Most are for my family members, for my kids. The TV is for my wife and I and the camera is for me and the tablets are for the kids and that sort of thing.

COSTELLO: OK. So you are -- you're very experienced doing this, camping out for Black Friday and for Thanksgiving Day shopping. There are some people out there who say the tradition is dying. So over the years have you seen less and less people waiting in line?

FRANKIE: Yes, it is dying apparently. You know, you can get so much online now except for the big door busters like the TVs. I think most people just wait and don't spend, you know, but, you know, some of these TV deals, you save a lot of money.

COSTELLO: Oh, that's for sure. That's for sure.

Mike, thank you so much for being with me this Thanksgiving Day morning. And good luck with your purchases. I appreciate it.

So you heard what Michael said. You know, he thinks the tradition is dying but he certainly will not be alone despite those dire predictions. According to a CNN-ORC poll, 12 percent say they will go shopping today. Now that might not sound like much but there are 300 million people in the United States, 22 percent say they will go shopping tomorrow.

But be that as it may, Bill Tancer, who's general manager of Global Research for Experian Marketing Services is one of those people who say Black Friday is a dying tradition. Good morning.

BILL TANCER, GENERAL MANAGER OF GLOBAL RESEARCH, EXPERIAN MARKETING SERVICES: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: So you've been predicting for years that Black Friday will fade to black but there's Mike and his friends camping out.

TANCER: Well, it's still a holiday tradition but what our data shows is that over the years we've seen more and more sale days happening both online and in brick and mortar stores. You've got Cyber Monday now, Super Saturday, Free Shipping Fridays. That, combine with the fact that a lot of retailers are offering deals year round now makes Black Friday just slightly less significant than it has been in the previous years.

COSTELLO: So if Black Friday is becoming so insignificant, why do so many stores insist on opening on Thanksgiving Day and then remaining open through Black Friday?

TANCER: Well, that's a really interesting point. And something that we've known. I've been tracking Black Friday for the last 10 years. And I can tell you over those 10 years, the most important day for online shopping hasn't been Black Friday. It's actually been today, Thanksgiving Day, as so many consumers were going online before they were doing research to purchase or find the best deals to purchase on Black Friday.

But now as we find, as you mentioned, stores are opening, a lot of big box stores, 6:00 p.m. tonight on Thanksgiving Day, Thanksgiving is becoming one of the most important days for online shopping.

COSTELLO: So, you know, I've heard that the best day to actually get deals is not Thanksgiving Day or Black Friday but something like December 18th.

TANCER: Yes, it's a very good point. And we've found over the last few years that deals are getting better the closer we're getting to Christmas Day. Now we do expect some changes this year. One big change that we've seen looking at what retailers are mailing out to consumers is that free shipping may not be as significant as it was in the previous years.

We've actually seen a 22 percent decline in free shipping offers as we get closer to the holiday season. So while it has been true in the past that December 18th and days closer to the holidays there are better deals, it may not be the case this year. It's almost like a game of chicken between the retailers and the consumers, trying to figure out when I can get the best possible deal. And my suggestion is take that deal with it looks the most attractive to you.

(LAUGHTER)

COSTELLO: Good advice. Bill Tancer, thank you so much. And Happy Thanksgiving.

TANCER: Happy Thanksgiving.

COSTELLO: Thanks.

So let's head back outside, shall we? Miguel Marquez has been watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade since it got under way.

Good morning, Miguel.

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, how are you? I do have to show you, even though we're going to show you the elf's butt here, Elf on the Shelf has gone by, it's incredible to see these things go by.

The crowd here having a great time. Happy Thanksgiving. And coming up next is one of 12 bands here out of Nevada. They will be coming right down the way here. A nice turkey sound. And beyond them who lives in a pineapple under the sea, as SpongeBob SquarePants, the only square balloon in the parade today and the first square balloon as well.

We've just started to see a little snow out here but so far not too bad. The crowd is staying warm. And an enormous crowd. It must be a thousand people back there just trying to get a little view of what's happening here. And these bands are incredible to see. The biggest band here. The biggest band ever out of North Carolina, 505 members of that band. It took 14 buses to get them up here.

The band took over an entire hotel. But they are here.

COSTELLO: Wow.

MARQUEZ: They have march. And it's absolutely incredible -- Carol.

COSTELLO: And they look very snappy.

Miguel Marquez, thank you so much.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Don't get drunk and you won't get raped. That is the message that Eckhart College President Donald Eastman sent to students in an online letter.

In that letter, Eastman, who says he wrote the letter from a place of deep concern, writes, quote, "You can do your part in helping this college and this culture address the nexus of problems by doing two relatively simple things. One by limiting your own consumption of alcohol and encouraging your friends to do the same.

"Two, you can be thoughtful about the dramatic and often negative psychological effects that sexual affectivity without commitment can have."

So he says say good-bye to casual sex. Here to talk about this, CNN commentator and legal analyst Mel Robbins

and CEO of the Genesis Women's Shelter and Support Jen Langbein.

Welcome to both of you.

JEN LANGBEIN, CEO, GENESIS WOMEN'S SHELTER AND SUPPORT: Thank you.

MEL ROBBINS, CNN COMMENTATOR: Thanks, Carol. Happy Thanksgiving.

COSTELLO: Happy Thanksgiving. I'm sorry we have to talk about this but I thought it was important because it's just so ridiculous.

So, Jen, I'm going to throw this at your way first. In a response, the Eckhart College student newspaper said that while taking precautions can help, Eastman's focus on alcohol ignores the fact that there are victims of rape who are stone cold sober.

So did the president's message -- the president's message did miss the mark. Tell us why.

LANGBEIN: Well, I actually hope that this was from a positive place that he has made an effort to do this. But this is assuming that, A, number one, somehow it's the victim's fault. B, that sober women are not sexually assaulted. But, you know, it's not just enough that I don't have too much to drink, I also have to walk with pepper spray, and I also have to park under streetlights and I can never put my cocktail down. So I think we have missed the mark here.

Every two minutes in this country, Carol, someone is raped. 85 percent of those victims know their attackers. And a majority of these are drug facilitated sexual assaults.

COSTELLO: Mel, I always like to turn the tables when some people blame drunkenness for rape. Can you imagine your father or your brother getting drunk and then forcing themselves on someone? I can't.

ROBBINS: Well, I certainly hope not. I mean, I guess part of the problem that I -- that I'm seeing, because let's face it, Carol. We were talking about UVA yesterday where a female president is basically putting the reputation of the college before protecting the safety of female students and the head of the rape crisis board is also talking about how, if I a guy admits that he's raped somebody, that goes into consideration for them being able to stay on campus.

And then we have the Bill Cosby story where every single day it seems a new accuser comes out. We've got a societal problem with sexual violence. And by problem I mean not only that it's happening but more importantly that we choose to ignore that it's a problem. We choose to ignore the shame that victims tend to feel, and we choose to let men that are being violent against women because it is an act of violence.

It's not an act of sexual gratification. It's an act of power and of overpowering somebody. And we've got to change that. And so yes, it is completely wrong to tell women not to drink because what that presumes is that they're at fault somehow for the fact that they're getting attacked. And why a man needs to know that having sex with a woman that's too drunk to consent is still rape is beyond me, Carol.

COSTELLO: Well, you know, something that --

LANGBEIN: Carol, Carol, if I can say --

COSTELLO: Sure.

LANGBEIN: Carol, if I can jump in here as well. If you think about what I mentioned earlier that many of these sexual assaults are drug facilitated whether that is drugs or alcohol, but if you think about a guy getting up, getting ready for a date, combing his hair, putting on his clothes and putting Rohypnol in his pocket, that's not just rape. That is premeditated rape.

COSTELLO: That's absolutely true. You know, I was going to bring up something --

ROBBINS: Yes, right.

COSTELLO: -- Liz Roberts told me. Liz Roberts, she runs Safe Horizon here in New York. She told me we as a culture like to blame the victim because it makes us feel safe. She told me, we, women included, have a subconscious believe that if we just did all the right things like dressing modestly or not drinking, then we would never be raped. But sadly, Jen, that's not true, is it?

LANGBEIN: That is correct. And I think we do need to shift the focus and the blame to the perpetrator. But also in addition to these few that do perpetrate these violent crimes, there are also a lot of men out there who would not rape, no matter how drunk someone was, no matter how they were dressed. They will not rape.

But it's not just enough to refrain from sexual assault. There are fraternity brothers that need to stand up and hold their brothers accountable. There are men on the golf course that need to stand up and hold their friends accountable. So it's not just enough for us to look at the victim, we look at the perpetrator and we take it one more step in holding them accountable.

COSTELLO: Mel, you know what would be an interesting thing to find out because only a very small percentage of men rape? Very small percentage. So when you -- when you look at sexual assault on college campuses, are the perpetrators just a very small percentage of men?

I mean, I wonder, you know, what the ratio is? Do you know the answer to that question?

(CROSSTALK)

LANGBEIN: You know, I actually have seen a study.

ROBBINS: I don't know the answer to that question.

LANGBEIN: I've actually seen a study, Carol, that said that a -- a study was done on college campuses that 50 percent of men said if they could get away with it, they thought it would be OK. Now I'm not -- that's not saying they would do it or would do it, but if they could get away it.

You know, Alaska is the number one state for sexual assault. And the majority of those villages and towns up there have no law enforcement. I would hate to think our country is raising men who think if they could get away with it, it would be OK.

COSTELLO: See, Mel, that's shocking to me. That statistic is shocking to me.

LANGBEIN: Right. Right.

ROBBINS: It's extraordinarily shocking. I would hope that it's not true. I'm going to obviously defer to Jen on this one because I don't have any basis for, you know, corroborating that statistic at all. I mean, I suppose the thing in my mind that is really awful is that no woman wants to be the face of rape. There's a lot of shame, there's a lot of self-blame which unfortunately happens.

And in college settings what you have is you also have that social pressure where you're living in a very small eco system. If you come out and you accuse the guy in the fraternity or you accuse the guy that's on the sports team and he is then suspended, everybody will know. And that then colors the next two to three years of your life in this small community.

And so I think a lot of women do also feel that added pressure particularly in a college environment. And what we saw at UVA is even at the highest levels, the people in charge of -- of reviewing sexual assault cases have that exact same opinion. So here you are a victim already worried about the implications for you personally if you come forward in this community. And you have a system that's going to look at you and say, are you sure he's sorry?

Do you really want him suspended because a lot of women don't want the added punishment that comes back to you when you're the one that's deemed responsible when actually he should be deemed responsible because he's one that raped you, Carol.

COSTELLO: And it's important to note that most rapist are repeat offenders. Most men don't just rape once. So it's important that they pay some kind of price.

LANGBEIN: That's right.

COSTELLO: Thanks to both of you. I sure appreciate it, Jan Langbein, Mel Robbins. Thanks for the interesting conversation.

I'm back in a minute.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: I'm angry. I'm frustrated. I'm fearful. Those are just some of the words New Orleans Saints tight end Benjamin Watson is using to describe his feeling following the grand jury decision not to indict Officer Darren Wilson in the Michael Brown shooting. And he's not alone.

Andy Scholes is here now with more.

And I must say, Benjamin's Facebook page with his article about why Ferguson affects him is powerful. I mean, really powerful.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS: It certainly was, Carol. You know, he's one of many athletes who took to social media to vent after hearing the grand jury decision. You know, the most talked about reaction has come from New Orleans Saints tight end Benjamin Watson.

The message he posted on Facebook where he reflected on how he felt about the grand jury's decision and everyone's reaction to it. It has more than 500,000 likes and it's been shared more than 300,000 times.

Now as you say, Carol, it's very powerful. I'm going to read a portion of it to you. One part he says, "I'm confused because I don't know why it's so hard to obey a policeman. You will not win. And I don't why some policemen abuse their power. Power is a responsibility, not a weapon to brandish and lord over the populace."

He went on to say, "I'm introspective because sometimes I want to take our side without looking at the facts and situations like these. Sometimes I feel like it's us against them. Sometimes I'm just as prejudice as people I want to point fingers at. And that's not right. How can I look at white skin and make assumptions but want assumptions made about me? That's not right."

Now these are just two excerpts from Watson's post. You can check out the whole thing on Facebook. And it's definitely, definitely worth the read.

Now the NBA's two biggest stars also weighed in on the grand jury's decision when speaking after practice this week. Kobe said that the legal system is to blame for what happened. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KOBE BRYANT, NBA PLAYER: We can sit here and argue about it until we're blue in the face and, you know, protest about it but, you know, until the legal system -- until we have a serious legal system conversation, it's going to keep on happening.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Now LeBron meanwhile posted this pic on Instagram of Michael Brown and Trayvon Martin with their arms around each other. It had the caption, "As a society, how do we do better and stop these things like this from happening time after time. I'm so sorry to these families. Violence is not the answer, people. Retaliation isn't the solution as well."

And Carol, these are just a few of the reactions we saw on social media from athletes. Of course a lot of them, you know, upset about what happened but also advocating for change, you know, whether it'd be the legal system or in the society.

COSTELLO: Well, I'm telling -- I'm telling everyone, go to Benjamin Watson's Facebook page. It's really a fabulous read.

Thank you, Andy Scholes. We appreciate it.

SCHOLES: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: I'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Oh, the grand marshal finally making his way down in the Macy's Day Thanksgiving Day Parade. There's Santa. Hi, Santa. It's awesome. Just wanted you to see that sight because it's so awesome.

OK. So if you're preparing a big Thanksgiving feast and it has you stressed out, Jeanne Moos has a solution.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Baste the turkey, prepare the pie, when you sit down to Thanksgiving dinner, give thanks your portions aren't hamster sized.

Tiny Hamster, Tiny Thanksgiving is actually dinner for four. Two hamsters wrapped in a rabbit, which made it --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Extremely chaotic.

MOOS: And long. This not quite two-minute video took 12 hours to shoot. The pilgrim hats are taped on and the human pilgrim serving the feast is actually an L.A. food critic.

Hamster Thanksgiving was brought to you by the same folks who created Tiny Hamster Eating Tiny Burritos. And Tiny Birthday Cake and Tiny Hamster versus Kobayashi, the former Nathan's Hotdog Eating champ. The hamster won.

A viral ad agency called Dennison, dreamed up tiny hamster eating tiny food to show off their creative chops.

(On camera): Are those actually dental instruments you're using?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

MOOS (voice-over): That's a dental mirror inspecting a burrito. And that's a scalpel carving the turkey.

(On camera): We are assured no hamsters suffered indigestion in the making of these videos.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With every shoot we hire our food stylist to kind of design and work with the animal trainers to find out what each animal's diet is. MOOS (voice-over): Then they turn hamster friendly ingredients into

human looking food. The videos were so popular they inspired imitators who paid homage by using pet hamsters to suck up spaghetti and nibble pizza.

(On camera): As is often the case with Thanksgiving dinners, there was friction between the tiny diners. One hamster was caught in the act of stealing a drumstick from the other hamster's plate. But at least there were no pies in the face.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Who knew there were hamster trainers? You can train a hamster. It's amazing. You learn something new every day.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. I'm Carol Costello.

"@THIS HOUR" with Berman and Michaela starts now.