Comments on: Shalloween

By: Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place: Technomaddery, Cyberbusking, and More « Maybe Maimed but Never Harmed

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 11:55:40 +0000

[...] or arbitrary markers like a “new year” are difficult times for me. Either they seem an excuse for thoughtless hedonism—parties without purpose, drinks without delight, gifts without generosity, kisses without [...]

By: maymay

maymay — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 19:55:44 +0000

For instance I’d lose my job (and possibly face a lynch mob) if too much or my private life were made public. It can be very upsetting to think about how limited our freedom really is.

My brother has recently gotten his first piercings: two ear-cuffs and an eyebrow ring. My mother, the traditionalist in our family, is happy with all of this except the eyebrow ring. When questioned about why that piercing in particular upset her so much, her only response was along the lines of "it's not generally accepted." Indeed, my brother may potentially be required to remove his eyebrow ring during working hours at some of the jobs he might want to take, so "not generally accepted" is a perfectly truthful thing to say. Yet, it strikes me as nothing less than insane to equate the performance of jobs with something like an eyebrow ring and not be able to see the correlation between cultural judgments and freedom while you do it.

By: Daremo

Daremo — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 04:58:51 +0000

Even though I love Halloween, and places like the Rocky Horror Picture Show, I understand your point. Halloween is a good excuse for some “normal” people to safely explore aspects of their own personality that are otherwise uncomfortable curiosities. And that’s probably very healthy for them (so they don’t explode)
We can’t dress certain ways in “polite society” without repercussions. For instance I’d lose my job (and possibly face a lynch mob) if too much or my private life were made public. It can be very upsetting to think about how limited our freedom really is.
As for being a novelty, people not in alternative lifestyles just don’t see it that way. My husband complains every year about the teens who dress “goth” for Halloween and call themselves kinky. To some of those kids it’s just harmless fun. To others there is an underlying desire to explore their sexuality. It is a valid point. Some people just got a little sensitive about it :)

By: HNT - Hair Naked Thursday « The Edge of Vanilla

HNT - Hair Naked Thursday « The Edge of Vanilla — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 02:24:48 +0000

[...] I don’t dress up for Halloween, but I sometimes put on a bit of costume when I hand out the swag. Just to amuse the kiddies, mind you, and not because I’m an uptight, sexually repressed wanna-be. [...]

By: Kristy (ScientificMadLove)

Kristy (ScientificMadLove) — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 01:31:44 +0000

I’m sorry for putting words in your mouth. I don’t know you or your tone. Perhaps everyone will enjoy a coming post, “All generalizations are bad.” : ) Two isn’t really a bunch. And not everyone has to like my favorite holiday. Oversensitive much? O.K. I think most (some) of the crow is down and I can hide the rest under the garnish.

By: SJ

SJ — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 00:30:27 +0000

I think that even in the most isolated monocultures, you have differences in tastes, preferences, opinions. In more cosmopolitan areas, we encounter wider divergence from our values, preferences, ethics and tastes. Some people encounter this and broaden their standards of what’s acceptable to them. Others encounter this and shut down, becoming very defensive of their values. Some attempt to impose their values to return order to their perception of the world.

I think that we all live in a larger culture with which we don’t entirely agree. To varying degrees we don’t consent to the rules that culture places upon us – and we also don’t always consent to the lack of rules where we want them. A less restrictive primary culture allows for areas of sub-cultures with stronger or more numerous rules, which is part of why pluralist societies can hold together with less force than enforced monocultures of similar population.

Still, I think people would be most comfortable to live in cultures in which they agreed with and identified with all the rules and assumptions and values – especially including that everything they thought should have rules did have them, as much as things they thought shouldn’t have rules not having them. A comfortable world where things worked as they expected. Not challenging or forcing them to grow – not allowing them to change, even. A soft cotton cage for the spirit.

By: Patty

Patty — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 09:19:22 +0000

Damn. Would you sign my petition for moving Christmas to Friday this year? You see, I get the whole work week before Christmas off, and right now Christmas falls on a Tuesday

I would be happy to! While we are at it, let’s move all holidays to Fridays. ;)

By: maymay

maymay — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 04:42:54 +0000

How do you know these people are repressed simply because they put on a costume? Seems to me you’re the one making the value judgments.

See my update to the post above.

By: Susan

Susan — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 03:49:12 +0000

How do you know these people are repressed simply because they put on a costume? Seems to me you’re the one making the value judgments.

By: Scientific Mad Love » Blog Archive » What I dressed as, When

Scientific Mad Love » Blog Archive » What I dressed as, When — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 03:32:23 +0000

[...] I’ve read a bunch of posts bemoaning the state of the world that people dress slutty and call it kink, then peel and [...]