Inappropriate Halloween Decorations

[Tiffa]

Well you have flesh eating rats and I have Fat Elvis totally not kidding he started working as Elvis now so halloween is extra fun, then Elvis dd thinks she is in a Halloween movie last year she dressed like some kind of zombie dead nurse with knife in hand put a strobe light behind her and came at the kids as they were trick or treating
(I would love flesh eating rats instead)

 

[raysnkaysmom]

Although I do the cutesy pumpkins n stuff...I think it's cool when other people do scary, or even yes, grotesque... I'ts their house and there are lots of people who think it's awesome to see sights like that... it's just decorations.... If it freaks out your daughter, dont' go... but that'd be the ONLY reason I wouldnt' go... I'd think myself 'uppity' if I didn't go just cuz *I* didn't like it....

 

[Mermaid02]

They can do whatever they want- but I would skip their house on Halloween. ICK!

 

[Poppinsme]

I have a REAL skeleton(medical school) that sits in a chair with a bowl of treats. You have to walk up and take a treat out of the bowl. The kids always realize it is a real skeleton. And some of the kids wont come near it but they love it.

 

[Rora]

I voted no because people have the right to decorate however they wish but that does sound a bit scary! You'd think with having kids of her own she would realize that it could frighten lots of children (and gross out some adults.. me! ). But I think you are right about not saying anything to her.. that would just be a bad idea. I would skip her house this year unless you think your kids can handle it! Good luck!

 

[Rebelmom67]

I think its their house and they can do whatever they please. If a person thinks their kids my be upset by it, then just skip that house. Geeeeez what's next? Jack-o-lanterns are too scary? When did this world become sooo friggin PC? Everyone is offended by everything it seems.

Sorry for the rant I just get so tired of it all. If you don't like it, don't go there, if you don't want to watch it change the channel etc etc etc.

I agree! How juvenile! If you don't like it - stay inside and don't trick or treat there. Somebody has way too much time on their hands and no real problems if you ask me.

 

[ginna74]

"They are not real rats! Halloween is a scary holiday! Must everything be sanitized because we MIGHT offend someone. You don't like it don't look at it. It's going to be up for 2 weeks."


I agree

 

[Mouse House Mama]

I think they should do whatever they want. It's their home. That being said, what you might find too scary others may not and vice versa. My dd hates the Halloween section of any store. Things scare her. However we do a huge POTC display complete with pirate ship, well, jail, chess players, tombstones, stockades etc. all with skelton pirates. It doesn't faze her. In fact all the kids help put it together. Now we do not put anything gory for a few reasons. 1- I don't really like that stuff, and 2- Our kids are little and we don't want to scare them or anyone coming to our home. Our house is fun and over the top but fun to see all the stuff. If someone wanted to put scary stuff outside though then that's their choice. I would still trick or treat there though.

 

[ginna74]

bumping

 

[Cool-Beans]

ARGH! Who was the poster who said they didn't remember that every Halloween someone complains that the decorations will scare their small child?????

Here you go, whoever you were!!

 

[CJBaby]

I don't like when people have skeletons hanging from nooses in trees. They creep me out. Rats? They freak my dh out so he would probably be muttering about "what kind of degenerate so-and-so would buy rat decorations."

Also, I only wish that not liking some Halloween decorations meant that I had no problems! I never understand why someone complaining about something always provokes someone else to say that they must not have real problems. I guess only LIFE-THREATENING observations are acceptable to some message board people.

 

[RickinNYC]

Was just having this conversation with Joe the other night when I was putting up Halloween decorations outside of our apartment. Unlike the typical NYC home, ours is not in a large building. We have the first floor of a two family brownstone/row house so when we put out decorations, everyone sees them. I put up some ghost lights in the main front window, a spooky large full moon with the silhouette of a witch flying across it, two lit pumpkins on the sill, and... two blood dripping hand prints on the lower jam for all to see. Then I added a huge, bloody fanged foot tall bat hanging over the front door which was highlighted by a blood red light bulb.

I pronounced the whole thing too tame and cutesy. Not enough for me. Joe pointed at the bat and hand prints and said, "Cutesy? That might freak out the smaller kids."

His comment led us into a discussion of what's inappropriate and what's not. My reaction is that if a child is young enough to be freaked out by it, it's his/her parents' responsibility to teach them what is real, what is fake, what's "for fun" and what's not. Make that learning part of the season and teach your kids, but don't put that responsibility on your neighbor.

P.S. Joe does say that when the day comes and we move to the 'burbs, the neighbor kids are going to think our house is the one that rocks. He knows I'll go over the top with the decorations every Halloween!

ETA: Totally forgot that last night, Joe and I got home pretty late from work and we both bumped into each other a few blocks away from the apartment. As we were walking down the street together and were walking up to the front door, I noted the red light and said, "Cool, we have the coolest decorated apartment on the block with the spooky light... or a house of ill repute. You decide!"

 

[agentpleakley]

Was just having this conversation with Joe the other night when I was putting up Halloween decorations outside of our apartment. Unlike the typical NYC home, ours is not in a large building. We have the first floor of a two family brownstone/row house so when we put out decorations, everyone sees them. I put up some ghost lights in the main front window, a spooky large full moon with the silhouette of a witch flying across it, two lit pumpkins on the sill, and... two blood dripping hand prints on the lower jam for all to see. Then I added a huge, bloody fanged foot tall bat hanging over the front door which was highlighted by a blood red light bulb.

I pronounced the whole thing too tame and cutesy. Not enough for me. Joe pointed at the bat and hand prints and said, "Cutesy? That might freak out the smaller kids."

His comment led us into a discussion of what's inappropriate and what's not. My reaction is that if a child is young enough to be freaked out by it, it's his/her parents' responsibility to teach them what is real, what is fake, what's "for fun" and what's not. Make that learning part of the season and teach your kids, but don't put that responsibility on your neighbor.

P.S. Joe does say that when the day comes and we move to the 'burbs, the neighbor kids are going to think our house is the one that rocks. He knows I'll go over the top with the decorations every Halloween!

ETA: Totally forgot that last night, Joe and I got home pretty late from work and we both bumped into each other a few blocks away from the apartment. As we were walking down the street together and were walking up to the front door, I noted the red light and said, "Cool, we have the coolest decorated apartment on the block with the spooky light... or a house of ill repute. You decide!"

Cool! You can move into my neighborhood. We have the bloody hands too!

The red light makes me want to break out in a chorus of "ROXANNE ................you don't have to turn on the red light."

 

[DznyLvr2005]

We have neighbors next store to us who decorate for every holiday - I love it! We don't go anywhere near as nuts as they do, but I think its great.
So this year I was watching them do their Halloween decorations, and saw them taking out the same stuff they had from last year, and then some new stuff..... They brought out head stones (no prob there), and some skelletons (no prob there), but then some huge nasty looking rats ripping the "flesh" from all the skeletons. I'm not OK with that part at all! First of all, other than the fact that I have two young children over here, they have a young daughter, and I can't believe that shes OK with it! This is a very young neighborhood, and I just really don't think its appropriate at all - and the fact that she is an elementary school teacher down the street, she should know this! What do you think? I don't think I'd ever say anything to them about it, its just not my place, but I know we won't be trick-or-treating at their house this year!

They probably explain to their kids that it's fake and all in good fun. I see nothing wrong with it IMO.

 

[DisneyAddict_M]

I think it might be a good learning tool. If your kids are acting up, you can tell them, "Behave or the flesh eating rats will get you!"

 

[Evil Genius]

I'm not understanding what her being a teacher has to do with her decorations. She's not suppose to have anything scary at her private home because she's around kids all day? If she was taking it to school I would understand the reference. But she does have a life outside of the classroom.