Vultures, for this week, write a blog post that comments on the cultural tradition of Halloween. Think about how Halloween is represented in pop culture via movies, shows, images, etc. If you don't celebrate Halloween, you can still explore how fear/horror is portrayed in the media.
Try not to simply talk about your favorite Halloween memories, nor what your costume is this year. Think about fear, horror, and Halloween in terms of pop culture. Any images, video clips, etc. will be useful. Have fun!
Try not to simply talk about your favorite Halloween memories, nor what your costume is this year. Think about fear, horror, and Halloween in terms of pop culture. Any images, video clips, etc. will be useful. Have fun!
Also, below is a video clip of seven great moments in horror films. Watch, if you dare...muwahahahaaaaaa...
I have searched up the most popular costumes for Halloween 2016 and found the link provided below. Of course when people dress up on Halloween, they usually choose characters that are recognizable to them as well as to others. I usually encounter many traditional Disney costumes, (princesses, mickeys,) as well as costumes modeling after the most popular, recent movies and games (particularly of that year). People don't usually just stick to traditional pop culture figures' costumes but tend to look for new trends to renovate and to show they're up-to-date. No surprises that this year, the top and most trendy costumes include Pokemon God Trainer, since the Pokemon Go game has been outstandingly widespread to committed teen gamers all over the world, Starbucks Rainbow Drinks (modeled off of Starbuck's fruity teas), Hodor from the Games Of Thrones, Harley Quinn from Suicide Squad, Snapchat Filters (dogs, face stickers), and Star Wars figures. These few costumes represent some of the most talked about movies, themes, and social media that highlight 2016 so far. If you live in the United States, you would be familiar with most, if not all of these media signs What I find surprising is that I did not come across any dark costumes such zombies, vampires, or witches. I think it is because we haven't had any horror forms of media that influence us to great depth. None of the horror movies really influence to us to the point where it is recognizable by the vast majority. Also, people may think of those costumes as too traditional since Halloween has always been associated with fear, so people push for a change instead of dressing scary-like another year.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.popsugar.com/celebrity/2016-Pop-Culture-Halloween-Costume-Ideas-42385068#photo-42385068
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DeleteIt's so obvious, but I've never thought about looking at Halloween costumes as a reflection of the latest American trends and fads. I don't celebrate it, but I recently heard friends complaining about how expensive it is to go to Halloween Parties and for the costumes. And on that note, I smell dollar signs being generated for candy makers and costume manufacturers. Hmmm....
DeleteThat's very interesting that you bring that up! Just a few years ago people were dressing as vampires and zombies, but now everyone is into the latest memes. It's so fascinating how fads work, whatever the masses deem as most popular is what everyone does. I've seen people dress as a Snapchat figure, Blac Chyna and Rob Kardashian, and the list goes on.
Deletehttp://www.avclub.com/article/babadook-it-follows-and-new-age-unbeatable-horror-227172
ReplyDeleteI am very much a fan of horror films. Horror was one of the first genres I found myself drawn to as a kid, and the obsession never really faded from there. I love the ability that horror has to analyze and examine some of the darkest parts of the human psyche, and though I will defend the genre until my last breath, the formulaic patterns of horror cinema have made me hesitant to become enthusiastic about newer films coming out. I’ve been a horror fan for long enough that jump scares are more of a mild irritation than anything else, especially when I can see it coming from a mile away (which is what happens in most recent horror films I’ve seen, unfortunately). Honestly, the two movies mentioned primarily in this article have been two of my favorite films in recent history; neither of them really rely on the jump scare. So much of their core is framed around instilling a constant feeling of unease, and that happens so rarely that I was enamoured from the moment I saw them both. I’ve included the article above mostly because I feel like it encapsulates one of the main reasons I adore these films: the main goal is never to conquer the beast. The characters never think they’ve really won, since both films end with the characters resigning themselves to developing methods to keep coping with the demons they’ve found themselves struggling with. I love films where the message isn’t “things will be okay,” but instead “you’ll learn to live with how bad this is.” It’s a dark message, but I feel as if it’s a more realistic one.
I agree with you. Horror has definitely become formulaic recently, and the quality has really suffered. I always loved watching horror for the same reason you do. Seeing the darker sides humanity in horror was always so intriguing to me. The scariest movies to me are always those with human antagonists. People are the real monsters!
DeleteOne aspect of American culture is that a lot of us are thrill seekers and/or adrenaline junkies. We love to find new things to get our heartbeats racing, to test our bravery, and to find excitement. Each year, our amusement parks create rides that get higher and/or faster. Whereas, in TV and film, each year the special effects become more advanced to make things look more realistic and/or gorier.
ReplyDeleteThe Horror genre in TV and Film, has become a “safe” place for many of us to experience the adrenaline rush that we seek. My favorite TV show is The Walking Dead, which made its season debut last week. It shows that the horror of zombies and monsters pales in comparison to the terror that mankind is capable of inflicting or creating. The evils that can be conjured up within the depths of our hearts are the scariest things of all. And yes, even though there is a battle between good and evil in general, what I love about The Walking Dead is that it’s an example of how each one of us is capable of doing good as well as evil. This ancient battle is first fought within our hearts, before it spills out to affect the people around us.
In your opinion, who’s the worst monster of all?
That is definitely a difficult question! There a probably many answers to that. In regards to your post about The Walking Dead, I especially am intrigued how the characters evolve into monsters themselves. It portrays a harsh reality that makes one question what people would do in order to survive.
DeleteI feel like the point of a lot of monster-based shows and films is to highlight the fact that humans are one of the most monstrous creatures that exist out there. Sure, zombies are gruesome and violent, but nothing can be as consciously cruel and vindictive as a human can be.
DeleteI wholeheartedly agree that we love the feeling of excitement and how horror films provide us with just that. I honestly feel that recently, none of the monsters have been as scary as the monsters back in the day. Maybe it is because we're getting used to how scary they are, and we don't feel the intense fear anymore compare to how we were first introduced to them. I also agree that we are inventing riskier things, which can sound very scary for the future because it will get to the point where we can almost experience what death is like
DeleteI've always been the most scared of the monsters in movies that never make an appearance, or make an appearance very late into the movie. Not knowing what the monster is or what it looks like always freaked me out.
DeleteJack O'Lantern (Part One):
ReplyDeleteThis week I decided to that it would be appropriate to share the Irish origin story and background of the Jack O'Lantern. Most people know that Jack O'Lanterns were associated with warding off evil spirits before becoming a popular Halloween tradition/decoration, but the legend goes deeper than that. All-in-all the story is (like most legends and fairy tales) meant to warn young children about the consequences of bad behavior, but I found it interesting about how something so trivial could have a lasting effect on society. Without further ado, here is the story of the Jack O'Lantern.
There once lived a mean, drunken man referred to as Stingy Jack. He was infamous for his cruel pranks and manipulations of everyone in town. He made such a stir among the townspeople that even the Devil himself had heard rumors of the old drunkard's tricks. The Devil was unconvinced and decided to test the human's cruelty. One day, Jack was drunkenly wandering along a cobblestone path when he noticed a body laying across it. Stingy Jack quickly realized that he had, quite literally, crossed paths with the Devil. Assuming that Satan was there to take his mean old soul to Hell, Jack asked one last request of the Devil. Intrigued by the man's reputation, the Devil agreed. All Jack wanted was to have a few drinks before his descent into eternal Hell...The Devil saw no problem with his request and took Stingy Jack to a local pub. The human drank and drank, somehow managing to get even more drunk than before. When he was finally finished, he asked the Devil to pay the tab. The Devil was impressed by the man's unwavering and careless attitude and agreed; Jack had one catch, though. The Devil must transform himself into the silver coin or coins to pay the barkeep. Again the Devil allowed this not suspecting anything further from the old drunkard, but as soon as he morphed himself into a coin, Jack picked up the coin and shoved it into his pocket...the same pocket he kept his crucifix in. Now the Devil was trapped in the form of a coin in stingy old man's pocket next to a crucifix. The Devil furiously pleaded with the man to let him out; the man had proven himself. Stingy Jack agreed to release the Devil, but only under one condition: the Devil could not take Jack's soul to Hell for ten years. Desperate to be released, the Devil accepted his offer and Jack released the Devil.
Ten years passed and the Devil came back to collect Jack's soul. Jack acquiesced and agreed to go back to Hell with the Devil, but just before they left he stopped the Devil to ask him a question. All he wanted was an apple so he wouldn't be hungry and there just happened to be an apple tree right where they were. Thoughtlessly the Devil approved and even climbed the apple tree to retrieve the apple for Stingy Jack. Just as he was about the reach the apple, Jack ran around the tree surrounding it with crucifixes. He had yet again, tricked the Devil. Full of rage, the Devil screamed at the old drunk to let him out of the tree and, again, Jack agreed on one condition: the Devil must never come for his soul. Satan accepted and was set free.
Many years later, Jack died. His life of drinking and his old age finally taking its toll on him. When he got to the gates of Heaven, St. Peter refused to let his soul enter. The saint told Stingy Jack that his life was spent being cruel and that his soul was unworthy of Heaven and sent him down to Hell. In Hell, Satan recognized the man's soul, and true to his word, refused hid soul entrance to Hell! The Devil decided to make a lesson of Stingy Jack, though. Satan gifted him an ember from the hell fire to light his way as he wandered in the Netherworld between Heaven and Hell for the rest of eternity. Jack pulled a turnip he kept in case of hunger from his pocket and carved it hollow. He placed the single ember inside and continues to wander the darkness of Netherworld carrying what has become known as "Jack's Lantern."
I never knew the story of Jack O Lanterns and why faces were carved in pumpkins. Great post! I'll have to do more research on this..
DeleteJack O'Lantern (Part Two):
ReplyDeleteOkay, so it's clear where the Jack O'Lantern came from, but why would people make them? The answer comes from the original name for Halloween: All Hallow's Eve. The holiday originally celebrated the remembrance of the dead and it is said that it is the only day in which all souls can roam the earth again. To prevent Jack's soul from playing tricks on people Irish families would carve faces out of turnips, rutabagas, gourds, or squash and place a candle in them. As people immigrated to North America, Pumpkins were found to be a much more practical alternative. Most Halloween decorations still include pumpkins even to this day and over the years the story of Stingy Jack has inspired other creepy legends and stories!
The story of Stingy Jack probably sounds at least a little familiar, but that is because it inspired so many other stories. There is a similar German legend known as "The Master of All Masters," which has a slightly happier ending than Stingy Jack. Even if you haven't heard of that legend, though, you would be hard-pressed to find someone who has not heard of the Tale of Faust/Faustus or the Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow."
I love finding modern connections to ancient beliefs or legends like this - it says so much about the beliefs and superstitions of our society! If you think of anymore stories this reminds you of or connects to, please comment and let me know!
I really love that this was your post! I never knew the story of the Jack O'Lantern. All the myths and legends that are connected to Halloween are great and I think thats why people enjoy it so much!! Great post
DeleteWow that's actually really cool! I had known that jack-o-lanterns used to be carved out of turnips in Europe, but I didn't know about the legend and significance of everything. It's funny how jack-o-lanterns in america have evolved into so much more and how we have sort of made them our own with so many uses and activities centered around pumpkins (pumpkin chucking, pumpkin candy buckets, etc.)
DeleteI just now read your far more in depth origin of Jack o lantern after posting my entry. I was not at all familiar with the legend. Interesting posts.
DeleteHalloween is by far my favorite festivity of the year. Carving pumpkins, eating candy, and watching my favorite Halloween themed films were always enjoyable when I was growing up. Hocus Pocus is definitely one of the best movies to watch for Halloween. After learning the reality of certain aspects in our culture, my views have changed. Nowadays our society celebrates and portrays All Hallows’ Eve very differently from its original intent. Holidays in general have become centered merely on profit for businesses because as consumers we buy into the popular and trendy traditions we have cultivated. Stores even start to display and sell products that are themed for holidays several months in advance. Every year people decorate their houses earlier and earlier before the actual holiday month. Halloween is treated the same way by companies and families. Kids fantasize about the night they get to dress up in their favorite fictional character and eat tons of candy. Halloween even turned Hollywood with all the movies that depict cliché frightening and suspenseful encounters. Horror films in our recent past and currently have archetypal characters and plots that still attract countless viewers, and profit in the box office. It ties into the discussions that we have had in class about our society’s desire for fantasy, and how we like to have entertainment that distracts us from our stressful lives. Halloween gives kids a chance to eat and hoard bags of candy for months after, and gives teenagers and adults a reason to dress up abnormally and party. Regardless, it is fascinating to go out and see the innovative costumes kids and adults come up with.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxQq8HTtb4A
ReplyDeleteHalloween is a very fun and festive time of the year. It's the perfect time for one's inner kid to come out or for the kids to really enjoy themselves. We all love having an excuse to throw on a costume or just binge on candy. However, what’s gotten out of control is the line crossing. So many have been dressing as other races or cultures. It has been going on for some time now, but it has really been at the forefront with white people painting their faces black. People have been dressing up as tacos and referring to Cinco De Mayo as Cinco De Drinko. There have been so many cases where Halloween costumes have been offensive, but people are getting bolder and bolder. I think it’s so crazy that it’s getting worse. You’d think that the “cultural appropriation” would be simmering down in this day and age. What’s worse is that people actually have these types of parties, like the Martin Luther King party that college students hold. Some things are okay and can slide by, but an entire party just to mock such a historical figure is a bit much. Not only is dressing up as other races offensive, but it’s actually played out. It’s 2016, how and why is that still a thing? It’s literally thousands of other creative and appropriate things to be. Nevertheless, there will always be people who think it’s okay to mimic another culture. Halloween is still Halloween though.
This was a great topic to address and very relevant. We see a lot of celebrities doing this. Hilary Duff just made a public apology for dressing as a pilgrim and her husband was a "indian" for a Halloween party. there has also been repeated offensive racial parties at Duke University, one of the most talked about was the 'Asian themed' party. Follow this link!
Deletehttp://gawker.com/5981941/outrage-at-duke-over-fraternitys-asian-themed-racist-rager
Halloween, this is my favorite time of the year. Perfect weather, a cool breeze on a beautiful day with leaves flowing across the street. Families gathering together carving pumpkins and setting out fall decor. Usually I would have scary movie nights, try to attend a few haunted houses and have some random costume photoshoot. Sadly this year, I've done absolutely nothing due to the lack of friends.
ReplyDeleteYes Halloween, an exciting time of year also known as All Hallows' Eve. This day was originally dedicated to remembering the dead. Obviously everyone celebrates differently; some attend church and follow old traditions, some stay home and choose not to celebrate while others attend events such as haunted houses, parties and maybe go "trick or treating".
Halloween originated with ancient Celtic festivals of Samhain, where bon fires were lit, livestock slaughtered and rituals performed. People would dress up reciting in exchange for food. Samhain is the festival of the dead, the beginning of the spiritual year. Times have changed drastically, as the years proceed Halloween has become less superstitious/religious, to women identifying their future husbands on this day, to now as we choose to scare ourselves, dress less and have fun. Halloween the largest commercial holiday, we spend so much money (6 billion to be exact) trying to impress one another yet celebrating a holiday we know little about. Personally I just like the feeling, the beauty of fall.. never knowing what Halloween really meant and how it came about.
Halloween has been around for thousands of years, dating back to an ancient Celtic festival in Samhain, where wearing costumes was to ward off ghosts. Now Halloween has transformed into this child-friendly (for the most part) community based event where dressing up and passing out candy is the main treat. Since Halloween has changed, so have the costumes. It seems like each year more and more costumes start to become more controversial and for the year 2016, there have been many questionable outfits.
ReplyDeleteThere are some people who question Halloween and wonder if it should be celebrated, since it tends to deal with the dark aspects of life. When I was younger “questionable” outfits, more from those with religious backgrounds, were outfits such as witches, wizards and devils. Since previous years costumes have been more controversial because they insult cultures and people. Within this year the most controversial costumes have been: Kim Kardashion robbing incident outfit, Pilgrims and Indians, Clowns, the Zika Virus, and anything to do with Harmbee (as one website stated “let Harmbee be dead”).
The most recent offensive costume offense was by Hilary Duff and her boyfriend, who decided to dress up as an Indian and “sexy” Pilgrim. Many people took to social media to let out their frustration with the lack of respect that their costumes held, especially with what is going on with the Native Americans today. Today the Standing Rock Tribe is protesting against the North Dakota pipeline and it feels as though more people could be doing something about this. Dressing up as a Native American is very offensive considering the history brought upon their communities in our country, and it is tone deaf to the things happening today. There are so many costumes that people don’t think about and are offensive to so many cultures and people today, when they really are. Halloween has changed so much over the years and it will interesting to see where it is within the next 20.
One popular Halloween tradition is trick-or-treating – where children/adults go from house to house in search of candy or other goodies. However, back then, trick-or-treating wasn’t only about asking for yummy treats. Trick-or-treating originated from the All Souls’ Day – a day to honor the dead. Poor people visit wealthy families and ask for pastries known as soul cakes in exchange for prayers. In the medieval Halloween tradition of guising, young people would dress up in costume in exchange for food, wine, and money. In the 19th century, Irish and Scottish immigrants revived the soul traditions, which is now known as trick-or-treating.
ReplyDeleteHalloween is the second most popular holiday right after Christmas. People spend so much money, more than 6 millions to be exact, on costumes and treats. Recently, I saw memes about girls on Halloween dressing as Harley Quinn with one girl as a witch. I realized that the traditional costumes aren’t popular anymore. Girls are changing the typical traditional costumes and making it more provocative. At first, it was women who were dressing more revealing, but as each year progress I see that younger girls are too. The other day I went out to purchase a costume for my brother, I saw costumes revealing costumes for young girls (ages 4 – 13). I just don’t understand why it’s “cute” for kids to be showing any chest or booty. I think it’s the parents’ responsibility to keep an eye out on their children.
That is a very interesting tradition. I didn't know what people exchanged pastries with prayers. I also agree with you the costumes have become more revealing for both adults and children.
DeleteI had no idea trick or treating originated from All Souls Day, awesome post!
Delete-Jensine Taylor
Times have definitely changed and parenting style are not the same anymore. Kids are able to do a lot more and industry feeds off of that because they know the community will spend so much money for costumes that they will only utilize for one night. I didn’t know Halloween was the 2ns biggest holiday behind Christmas. I thought Valentine’s Day or Thanksgiving would be the next in line. A lot of interesting facts in your blog though.
DeleteHalloween is one of America’s favorite holidays but does everyone know the history behind it? They say Halloween is a time for celebration and “superstitions” (which I don’t know if we should necessarily call it superstitions because these are people’s actual beliefs) and it was supposedly originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off roaming ghosts. This was known as ‘All Hallows Eve’, the night before “All Saints Day’ which was a holiday created by Pope Gregory III as a time to honor all saints and martyrs. Over time this became a community event and incorporated friendly activities like ‘trick or treating’ and wearing costumes. Another historical reason for Halloween could be the Día de los Muertos, a.k.a ‘The Day of The Dead’, which is celebrated in Mexico. This is also connected to the catholic religion and All Saints Day and it last from midnight October 31st to November 2nd. On the Day of the Dead yhey believe that the gates of heaven are opened at midnight on October 31, and the spirits of all deceased children are allowed to reunite with their families for 24 hours. On November 2, the spirits of the adults come down to enjoy the festivities that are prepared for them.
ReplyDeleteSo there you have it folks, Halloween didn’t even start in America! However, by the second half of the nineteenth century so many immigrants had flooded to America, and brought their cultures with them of course, so Halloween became popularized here (which also made it a national holiday). Today, we see how much Halloween has evolved over the time! It has become so popular that I’m just waiting for the year that they cancel school and work on Halloween!
Follow these links to see some cool images regarding my pot!:
https://www.google.com/search?q=day+of+the+dead&biw=1600&bih=751&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiHl-f7wYXQAhXJ6SYKHd8hA5oQ_AUIBigB&dpr=1#imgrc=QDyzBoLF-oaKeM%3A
For me, Halloween has always been the time for me to become anything. Although it is a fun thing to do nowadays, previously it was something that people considered serious. This is because people would dress up as the devil or other satin like characters to protect themselves from the devil/ satin. For instance, instead of dressing up as zombies and princesses, people would dress up just as witches and devil. Even though Halloween is something that was made long ago, it is still a tradition in which people still follow today. By dressing up, people are influenced through the types of clothes that they wear, and what type of character they wear as.
ReplyDeleteFor instance, currently many fashions became popular through costumes. Halloween is made up of people dressing up and putting on customs. I believe that Halloween customs have influenced our society’s current fashion. For instance, previously, ripped clothing was not appropriate to wear outdoors. But during Halloween many people wore clothing that were ripped for characters like zombies and other scary characters.
Another way that people still relate to Halloween traditions is by dressing up as something they are not. In today’s world, people want to become characters that they see online or through television. By wanting to dress up as a character it shows how much our society has dependent on television and other shows. Instead of dressing up as a devil or devil related characters, people are dressing up as characters such as doctors, Disney princesses, and action figures.
I think Halloween can be represented by one poster. In this image, there are barren trees, bats, graves, crosses, and ghosts. I think this is the ideal image of Halloween. The bats are creatures of the night, flying rodents; they suck blood and are carnivores. Traditionally bats are scary creatures. The graves, represent death, everyone is scared to die. No one truly know what happens once you’re dead. Graves in their entirety represent the unknown. In this image there is also a ghost, ghosts are people who are already dead and gone. Plenty of horror films like Paranormal Activity series capitalize on the true terror that ghosts bring. The trees are barren this represents death. Without fruitful nature, as humans, if all nature died, we would as well. In full I think Halloween is a time to experience what terror really is.
ReplyDeletehttp://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NTUwWDg3Mw==/z/tVUAAOSw5ZBWF5lw/$_32.JPG?set_id=880000500F
-Jensine Taylor
Halloween really is one of those universal American holidays. No matter what your background, race, ethnicity, or religion, you still find some way to relate to the holiday. This being said, a hallmark of this time of year for most people is a good horror movie. The other night I found myself with nothing to do, so I figured it'd be a great opportunity to watch one. I decided to check the local movie theater for any horror movies currently playing, assuming I would find a decent selection considering it was a few days before Halloween. I found that the only genuine horror film that has been released this month was "Ouija: Origin of Evil". I saw the movie and it was decent enough, but it got me thinking about why more horror movies aren't being released around the holiday known for all things horror. I searched the web for information and ended up finding this really detailed article:
ReplyDeletehttp://screencrush.com/horror-films-summer/
Even though it was published in 2013, it reveals a lot of information about why horror movies are being released more in the summer than during the Halloween Holiday season, and includes testimony and opinions from some well-known horror movie directors. What I gathered is that the driving force behind this phenomenon is money; the distributors are looking for the biggest profit possible, and if that means releasing a solid horror film in the middle of July, they will do just that.
I've been thinking about what draws us as a society to Halloween and fear in general. Trying to link children dressing up as their favorite disney princess, and movies about gruesome murders is quite the conundrum. Both are ways that we deal with reality. Dressing up as a character, scary or not, is a form of escapism. We have the chance not just to watch a different life in a movie, but to live one. A kid dressed as spiderman isn't a kid as long as they're dressed up. They are spiderman. Spiderman doesn't do chores. Spiderman doesn't have these things to worry about, and neither do these children. Adults dressing up for parties at halloween are accomplishing the same thing, as well as acting as a return to our childhood and the memories that accompany it. We dress up to forget about the gloom in our lives for a while. Similarly, I think watching scary movies helps us to reconcile our lives. Life in a horror movie is pretty grim. Friends are constantly murdered, siblings are possessed, and nobody can buy a house without worrying about demons. Thankfully, most of us don't have to deal with these things. That's why we enjoy scary movies so much. It is one step beyond normal escapism. Scary movies comfort us. Sure life might be grim, but at least your house isn't inhabited by evil spirits. From scary movies to costumes, commercialized fear is just how we get away from life, and real fear, for just a little while.
ReplyDeleteHalloween is fun and scary, especially when people go all-out. I've noticed each year there's different trends for costumes, for example I feel like I saw a lot of devils this year but maybe that was just me. I love it when celebrities dress up. This year Katy Perry went as a very convincing Hillary Clinton with her friend as Bill. She had full prosthetics on that looked like it took hours. My other favorite was Kylie Jenner as Christina Aguilera from her Dirrty music video that came out in the early 2000s. It was a really well thought out costume, she was instantly recognizable and I don't know if anyone else who has done that costume. Kylie is often under criticism for being culturally insensitive so it was relieving to see her not offend anyone. Christina Aguilera even reposted a picture of Kylie on her Instagram praising the costume. I think a lot of people are becoming more aware not to pick out offensive costumes. Hilary Duff tweeted out an apology this year after people got upset at her costume. She was a pilgrim, which isn't in itself that problematic, but her boyfriend was a Native American, and since they are a couple and the costumes were suppose to go together, hers was insensitive. For the most part celebrities steered clear of offensive costumes, which I liked. What I don't like about Halloween is how I have to pick out like three different costumes because Halloween is like a three day event in college.
ReplyDeleteHey Logan! I agree when you mentioned how people are becoming more cautious when it comes to race appropriation. I feel that social media and media in general has allowed this situation to become more noticeable. Along with race appropriation, sexualizing children has become a new problem when it comes to Halloween Costumes.
DeleteAround the holidays people generally have holiday traditions. Traditions can consist of doing secret Santa every year with your whole family for Christmas, watching the Charlie Brown's Holiday specials as a family every Thanksgiving, Halloween, and/or Christmas, or even just having a big family dinner every year. For me, my family traditions vary each Holiday. On the day of Halloween or around the day of Halloween, my dad, my siblings, and I will watch scary movies. One of the movies that is always placed into Rotation is the movie "Friday the 13th" made in 1980 and directed by Sean S. Cunningham. This movie was a movie that paved a way for the most recent horror films, and is still watched frequently by many. On the surface, this movie is about a psychopath serial killer who haunts/kills campers at Camp Crystal Lake, but when analyzed deeper we see that it is a story about a man, Jason Voorhees, who is emotional distraught and seeks revenge. The cause of this is from being teased and mocked as a kid while attending that camp and odd/unusual parenting from his mother, Pamela Voorhees.
ReplyDeleteDressing up, Gutting Pumpkins
ReplyDeleteHalloween season is a time to celebrate the grotesque in our pop culture. A time when pumpkins are carved out and their guts used to flavor everything from coffee to chewing gum. A time when children and adults are encouraged to play dress up as their favorite heroes and monsters. A time to wear slit throat necklaces, severed limb sweaters and skeleton pants. What began as an Irish harvest festival and brought to North America by those immigrants soon became a national holiday in the 19th century.
I searched on History.com to learn where the Jack o lantern tradition originated. The legend of Stingy Jack, a man who was frenemies with the devil, on one occasion invited him for a drink but did not want to pay. After convincing the devil to turn into a coin to pay for their drinks, Jack kept that devil coin in his pocket near a silver cross which prevented him from changing back to his regular form. He eventually freed the devil after making a deal that he could never claim his soul. Since Jack was a sinner, God would not accept him into heaven. The devil kept his promise to not take his soul when he died but left it with only one burning coal as payback for his tricks. Poor Jack put the coal into a carved-out turnip where he would spend an eternity.
Some Irish believed the legend and began carving out vegetables and placing them in their windows to ward off evil spirits like Jack. The tradition was brought to North America with the Irish where the native pumpkin caught on as the perfect vessel for these wards.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/94/RIP_Pumpkin.JPG