As per normal around this time of year, shops are filled with spider webs, ghouls, zombies and cemetery scenes with retail assistants in many shops dressed in horror themes, all due to it being Halloween.
I understand the commercial forces that drive shops to stock Halloween gear and if people want to take part in this American tradition then that’s their deal.
However….
I have been disappointed at the amount of retail assistants I have seen dressed in bloody clothing, similar to the one in the picture above. I just feel this year more than ever it is simply bad taste….Just seven days ago, Australia was horrified at the brutal deaths of four people on the Gold Coast at Dreamworld….that alone should have caused assistants to be more sensitive in picking their costumes….Additionally, this afternoon I walked out of a local IGA after being served by a woman in a fake blood soaked white t-shirt, to jump in the car and hear an anti Domestic Violence ad on the radio. It did make me wonder the mixed messages we send…..we are all outraged over the Domestic Violence rate in Australia but then days like today we trivialize violence and even get dressed up as a victim of violence and call it fun.
I just think we have to be careful about the messages we send.
Anyway that’s what I think
Peter Pilt
Categories: Australian, Current Affairs
peterpilt 
I agree totally with you Peter ,having just come from our local IGA where we were served by a guy in a bloody t shirt and black eye.More houses seem to be decorated this year too. Poor deluded people really. Being sucked into the giant commercial round about.
Once again Mr Pilt you have hit it on the head. Why would anyone want to dress up like something demonic or just plain right ghoulish because they do it in the States. It is bad enough to see adults do it but then we see parents dressing their children in the same gear. We live in Australia so why do we take on something that another country does like celebrating witchcraft. This stuff is real and not for joking.
i agree on the costumes but I also see it from the childrens point of view where the ;Little children are sometimes frightened by the costumes in the stores.
I have seen so many youngsters where their parents have had to cuddle them into themselves because they are in tears.
I dont think it is appropriate for shop workers to dress as they do.
But in saying that I do see the fun the children in our complex had last night including my daughter
She wanted to join her friends. Her idea of going as a devil consisted of a simple red dress and a set of pretty devil horn headband She didnt even want scary makeup.
Most of the children were dressed as their favorite cartoon type character or a zombie
They had fun laughing and giggling with their friends. They see it as a bit of fun with their friends
We dont teach them the “celebrating witchcraft”ideal
If they knocked on a door that was not participating and the person said no they still said thank you.
My issue is we teach children not to talk to strangers and not to take lollies from them.
On Halloween we allow this. Still not sure why but in saying that we are with them supervising at all time and they are not allowed to eat anything that is not sealed properly.
To the children it is a bit of harmless fun. For the adults it is about seeing the smiles on the childrens faces when they see the treats. Bananas were hugely popular this year……kids were enjoying fruit
It is only as adults that we see all the demonic side of it.
And unlike the states not one Trick was played on any one even if they dont participate,
My daughter had a awesome innocent time. The glow of happiness on the childrens faces were priceless.
agree!!! We left Pacific Fair yesterday with 3 small children worried they would have nightmares with all the shop assistants all dressed with blood and gore – inappropriate especially in the children’s department in one of the larger stores.
Missing that morning news wrap 🙂
Hopefully my Facebook will be reactivated soon.
Wandering through the Local Supermarket, I was whinging to myself softly about the length of the checkout queue, when I felt a tap on my arm. When I turned I was confronted by a youngish looking woman (I think?) with hair pulled back and a face made up of bruises, white paint and large stitches pulling her face together as if she had been badly injured. I felt a shock run up my back as it took me seconds to realise this was Halloween that we are supposed to be ‘celebrating’. As she checked up my grocery purchases (yes, she was working on the checkout), she asked what I thought of the ‘fun’ in Halloween. She asked, and believe me I answered! Babies drowning, people being stabbed to death, drive-by shootings, revenge killings, bashing and break ins aimed at older citizens… and lots more hit our news media hourly. I fail to see what goes on with the minds of those who think this is fun? It is American, and for heavens sake, when are we going to stop following these idiotic trends? Life is short enough! Everyone of us are going to be confronted with death, injury and unbelievably hard and horrific events in this world… why can’t we work on and celebrate the beauty and happiness that actually can save lives, not that which has the power to destroy the mind, imagination and the future!!!