Saturday 29 October 2011

mixed messages


Once again we are approaching the one night of the year when it's perfectly acceptable for women to go out dressed as sluts wearing outfits that would normally be reserved for the bedroom or fetish clubs.
I don't see anything wrong with that, I've done it myself and I have to say going out in a red pvc nurses outfit got me a lot of indecent proposals attention. But it does seem that nowadays the fellas are the ones being creative with fancy dress, the girls just head for the nearest Ann Summers.
Halloween is fast becoming almost as big an event as Christmas and New Year.


The thing that bothers me about it is trick or treat.
I know it's been a long held tradition in the states, but it wasn't even heard of here when I was a child - we had pumpkins and witches hats but that was about it.
Bonfire night was a bigger deal.

Then, I guess, thanks to film and TV the paedophiles dream that is trick or treating caught on over here.

Think about it.

You spend 364 days of the year teaching your kids that they shouldn't talk to strangers or take sweets from them, and most certainly NEVER go into a strangers house.
Apart from the 31st October.
Then it's perfectly fine to knock on strangers doors and ASK for sweets.
In fact you're allowed to threaten them with a 'trick' if they don't have any.


Mixed message if ever I heard one.
Children only hear what they want as it is, so what are you going to do when your kid comes home on November 2nd and tells you he was offered sweets by an old man on the way home from school, when two days ago you let him go begging for them.

I know that most responsible parents will go with their kids on Halloween, or only allow them to knock the doors of the people they know in their neighbourhood, but how well do you really know your neighbours ?
Isn't it often the case that when someone is found out to be a murderer or a wife beater or a fucking nonce most people will say things like "we had no idea. . ."

Peadophiles don't hang a sign outside their door advertising the fact that kids should stay away, but I bet they hang out the bunting, pumpkins and trick or treaters welcome signs for Halloween.


What if someone said to your kid they had nothing today "but if you come back on your own tomorrow and don't tell your friends I'll have chocolate. . ."

And even if you don't let your children go trick or treating there will come a day when they are old enough to go and do it anyway. Although by then they might be a bit too old to appeal to the average pervert, but devious enough to scare the elderly into handing over cash with the threat of a trick.
Halloween can also be the teenage nieghbourhood terrorists idea of heaven.

The rest of the year most decent parents would die of shame if they thought their kids were blackmailing the neighbours into giving them sweets, but at Halloween it's acceptable behaviour ?


We send enough mixed messages to our kids as it is, we spend the first couple of years teaching them to walk and talk and the next 18 wishing they'd sit still and shut the fuck up.
But no real harm will come to them from that, whereas knocking on strangers doors and begging can be very dangerous.

Just ask the ones that dare to knock on my door.
Lets just say this isn't the first time I have voiced this opinion.

I know that a lot of people will say it's just a bit of fun, and I guess it is for the kids who come home safely and spaced out on a sugar rush.
Doesn't change my opinion though.



Scary flaps ??? Now there's a costume I REALLY don't want to see.




30 comments:

  1. I'm so ugly I don't need costumes. (:

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  2. And I respect your opinion. I really didn't know that trick-or-treating way new your way.
    Shame about the pedophile aspect, though. It really is.
    I just think it's kids having kids fun (we never really did any "tricks").
    Your post makes me think. Doubt my opinion will change, but it does make me think.

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  3. I'm not sure what Halloween is like now. Lots of kids on my street trick or treat, but I've stopped handing out candy. When Someone I Love was in elementary school, about 20 years ago, the schools were getting away from having Halloween parties because so many parents complained Halloween is satanic and it's against their religion. I don't know how people feel now, but you are absolutely right that it sends children confusing messages.

    Love,
    Lola

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  4. Definitely a thought-provoking post!

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  5. Do American children really trick-or-treat neighbours their parents don't know? I suspect they're better behaved than the English kids you're familiar with.

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  6. @ Gorilla Bananas, your comment actually made me laugh out loud. I can't tell if you're joking or not, but funny nonetheless.

    @ dcg, I totally agree with your post. :)

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  7. Normally I'd ask if you were a Daily Mail reader after reading something like that, but you are correct imo. It's not a good thing to encourage for all the reasons you've mentioned.

    However, I'd like to point out that it's the one night of the year when guys can also go out dressed as sluts too! Or is that just me?

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  8. The more I think about it.....if any woman comes to my door dressed as a slut, she can have an treat she wants.

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  9. Al, I'll have a photo of myself in my slutty costume at my blog on Monday. If you aren't following me yet, you might want to.

    Love,
    Lola

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  10. @IWF, Or are you just too lazy ?
    @Al, I don't expect to change your mind, no doubt when you were a child things were a bit different, I know that kids enjoy it but it's really the hypocrisy of the message that bothers me.
    And as for the other, I can let you have a number where for a small fee it could be arranged ?
    @Lola, I've heard that argument here too, but it's origin was as a pagan festival, odd that it survived so long given that everything else associated with paganism has changed. I'm glad you agree though, and as for Al - don't encourage him :)
    @Eva, indeed, I don't think a lot of people consider the dangers.
    @GB, LOL - probably.
    @Vee, You should check out GB's blog, it's one of my favourites.
    @Arlequin, I don't read any papers, they're all full of propaganda as far as I'm concerned. I've wrote about that before too.
    And I've not noticed any, but you could post a picture ?

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  11. dirty, i don't celebrate halloween anymore ... it's so much work lol!

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  12. Is this thought provoking or ru turning into part of the pc brigade and your now going to try and sap the fun out of Halloween?

    You can't have fun because you may be surrounded by kiddy fiddlers ! Bit strong isn't it ?

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  13. @Andrea, it does seem to need a lot more effort now then it used to.
    @Stu, No - of course not, but I have thought this for a long time. It's more about parents giving hypocritical advice to kids.
    Have you packed your brolly and wellies ready for Thailand yet ?

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  14. I want to celebrate Halloween but where I'm from, going trick or treating would probably land you five hours in juvie for harassment.

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  15. Here you go... this guy is from last night, I'm sure the intertubes can provide others. It's not me btw...

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  16. Wow, you actually do make a great point about sex offenders and what trick or treating teaches kids. Personally I hate how all costumes for chicks need to be slutty, plenty of girls I know aren't keen on how these costumes are all presented, to where you need to dress as a nun to not be slutty or something!

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  17. You are so right about the mixed message. However, in the States it trick or treat has been a tradition for a very long time. I'm 46 and some great memories came from Halloween. My biggest issue with it now, is the churches in the southern US are starting to "satanize" Halloween, having "fall festivals" at church on Halloween night to suck kids into their preachings.

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  18. Nah just me budgy smugglers , arm bands and some prozzie money ! I ma going in deep baby !

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  19. I had a ninja and Spiderman come around last year. What's supernatural about them?

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  20. Hypocrisy is an unavoidable side affect of parenting.

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  21. @Stu, I hope there will be pictures.
    @Tony, I don't know, I went to the shop earlier and there was a smurf buying bread.
    @Flip, that is very true.

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  22. Never give sweets to strange children.

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  23. DCG: you raised an eerie and valid point.
    But hell, everyone loves to be a slut at least once a year! (children included)
    Well these days my Halloween is more in the lines of lots of alcohol as treats, and keeping decently intoxicated as the trick! Being in a slutty costume is gravy! hahaha

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  24. i will stuff a pair of socks into the budgy smugglers so i am looking on top form for you ! Enjoy India mate i hope you have a blast ! I wont be blogging now til at the earliest january so thanks for the guest blogg on yours . See you on the other side DCG :)

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  25. You're right. *This* is exactly why the news has been suggesting people check their local sex offender registery all weekend. (<-- nice state of affairs, huh?)

    Costume (check)
    Candy (check)
    Discover local pervs (check)

    Anyhoo, Haaaaaaappy Halloween DCG!!

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  26. I was a little ticked off this weekend when I had to go get things to put my costume together for work today. All the damn costumes were for little skinny petite things...which I am not. If I were, I'd be happy to buy one and I'm sure my husband would not mind me walking around holding on to his arm while garnishing a g-string and tubetop type of get-up.

    But it ticked me off.

    Trick-or-Treating is overrated and it's a huge expense when you don't have the extra $10.00 a bag to spend on candy to hand out to little ungrateful children...

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  27. Funny how it is becoming popular over there as it seems to be losing momentum over here. Most malls do "alternative" to trick or treating, in the safe mall environment. I gotta say, I loved trick or treating, and will be taking my brother out.
    In saying that I was never taught not to talk to strangers. Wonder if I should question that.

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  28. @Fraser, Yeah but they all look strange this time of year.
    @PB, Wearing a slutty outfit is the only good thing about it.
    @Gizmo, good :)So did I.
    @Stu, sent you email (if you see this..)
    @BBG, At least you have access to that information - we don't here, but Happy Halloween to you too !!
    @Kim, Very true, scary Nun outfits for us then. Guess the fancy dress business is just like the rest of the fashion industry.
    @Jamie, maybe they were hoping you'd be abducted ? Have fun !!

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  29. SMBC? You are one cool lady. I haven't dressed up and gone out for Halloween in years, but I guess I'm too old to do it now without taking a kid with me. One of my nieces, not one I pick up on the street randomly, that'll give a bad impression. I can agree with this post, never really thought that much about it, but it's true. I think it's digged into their heads enough that Halloween is special though, like how a kid will recognise they only get presents on Christmas and birthdays, they'll recognise they should only accept sweets on Halloween.

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