Friday, November 21, 2008
Blog Archive    
   

 

BUY THE BOOK TODAY!

NOW IN PAPERBACK!

   "Guaranteed to make the blood boil"
- The New York Times 

"Not to be missed by anyone concerned about the future of America and the West"
- Robert Bork

"Illuminating and provocative"
- Lou Dobbs

"A must-read for anyone who wants to understand why...many in the West are apologetic when confronted with the excesses of radical islam and what we need to do to win the War on Terror. This is a phenomenal book that will truly alter the way you view society"
- Steven Emerson

"Vigorously argued, far-reaching and timely"
- Paul Johnson

"What makes West's invaluable analysis stand apart is her connection of the death of the grown-up to the post-9/11 political, intellectual and moral paralysis that imperils us today."
- Michelle Malkin

"Penetrating and witty"
- George F. Will

RSS Feed 

 
Gruesome grown-ups
Location: BlogsDiana WestGeneral    
Posted by: Diana West Thursday, October 25, 2007 11:13 AM

The Washington Post's Terri Sapienza identifies a new culprit in the ongoing investigation into the death of the grown-up: Halloween.
     In an article called, "From Boo to Eeeww: When did Halloween get so ghastly gruesome," she reveals that adult involvement helps explain the intense gore-ification and even the pornification of the of the holiday.
     Once upon a time, jack 'o' lanterns and Casper the Friendly Ghost made Halloween about as sweet as candycorns. Now, with bloody and severed limb props and maggots, it's got another vibe going. Apparently, things changed around 1978, the year "Halloween" came out. 
    " `Until that movie Halloween was never associated with violence in such a huge way. It cemented a relationship that hadn't existed before.' said Lesley Pratt Bannatyne. It was around that same time, she said, that large numbers of adults started wearing costumes again."
    Hmmm. And there's more:
    "Halloween has become much more adult-driven and sexualized, according to Paul J. Donahue, a clinical psychologist and the founder and director of Child Development Associates, a group practice that works primarily with children and families in Scarsdale, N.Y. Costumes sexual in nature have become more popular.
    And the kiddies? The Post reports:
    "Some child development experts caution that younger trick-or-treaters can find the increasingly gruesome props overwhelming.
    `Children below the age of 7 often have a hard time distinguishing between what's real and what's not real,' Donahue said. ...`Scary and gory images can cause a good deal of distress in young children, particularly those who are already somewhat anxious.'
    Time will tell whether today's children will one day be nostalgic for giant fake maggots and serial killer costumes.   
    `In 1910, people were wearing ball gowns to Halloween parties,' Bannatyne said.  `I don't think they saw an air-brushed bikini coming.'"
    Let alone as part of a $5 billion a year industry.
Permalink |  Trackback
Privacy Statement  |  Terms Of Use
Copyright 2008 by Diana West