Call me old-fashioned or preachy, or too conservative if you will - I DO NOT care. I am tired of seeing the focus of Halloween being being shifted to grownup naughtiness and seeing that spill over into the kids' day. It's for SMALL children, y'all. I was appalled to see the following at Kroger yesterday:
Note: "Drunk Clown Mask" - would you want your child going door to door announcing he's a "drunk clown"?? I wouldn't.
Note the middle bag, with the blonde girl showing a ton of cleavage. She looks about 15, right?? I looked at the bag for a moment before it was obvious that what is inside it for sale is a long blonde wig. But the real message is, don't you want to look sort of like a slutty vampire chick??
I don't know what to say about the white guy in the rasta cap and dreads. He looks highly uncomfortable. Why would this be thought of as good marketing? I don't understand it. Oh, and just FYI - most middle school kids associate that look with smoking pot, unless they are very sheltered.
I am amazed more parents don't speak out about this. Our Kroger is a great store and has a lot of nice perks to shopping there - a huge natural foods section, a good pharmacy, a big bakery and deli section. We have shopped there for years, because it makes life a lot simpler and the food is generally good.
However, there's a section in the middle of the store called Seasonal, where they put things like Halloween costumes and candy, then Christmas products, then Easter, etc. They have a couple of racks of kids' costumes there, and right next to those, maybe 5 feet away, the display above.
I'm sorry, but there are a lof of kids in and out of Kroger. What sort of message are we sending to them by displaying this stuff so prominently?! Why can't they just either not stock this stuff, or alter the display in some way to indicate these are for grownups?
Of course, a lot of teenagers can wear these things. And they aren't impressionable at all, right?!
If grownups want to wear costumes and go to parties, fine. I think it's silly but it's a free country. GO for it. But when grownup costumes are all over party city, and 8 year olds are looking at "naughty schoolgirl" and "pimp" and "slutty cheerleader" costumes right next to the kiddy stuff, what sort of messages are being received?
I don't know. It worries me, however.
When I was a kid we almost always made our own costumes. I don't even recall a single "store bought" costume. My favorite one was a black cotten "witch dress" my aunt made for my cousin. I got it as a hand-me-down and LOVED it, and used it for several years.
When I was about 12, Mother said I had to stop trick or treating. I saw it as horribly unfair. However, I now realize the wisdom of it. It's a holiday for little kids, primarily.
I am seriously considering putting a poster on my front door with a line drawn across it, and text saying: "If you are taller than this, no candy for you!" - because I am NOT going to give candy to anyone over 5'9. EVen if they are Michael's friends. I'm sorry. Quit begging for candy if you're a teen. It's ridiculous.
Or maybe I will just keep a basket of sticks of sugar-free gum by the door and give big teens only that.
At the very least, don't let me see you wearing a "Drunk Clown" mask. Then you may get hit over the head with a plastic pumpkin...
