Bloody, sadistic, nightmare-inducing Halloween costumes
are being made and marketed for kids…and no one
seems to scare.
Whereas precautions exist to protect children from violent
movies, TV shows, music, and video games, top Halloween
costume makers and sellers do the opposite, encouraging
children under 12 -- in some cases under 6 -- to dress up
as sadistic, deranged murderers including:
“Mike Myers” from Halloween 1 and 2
“Leatherface” from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
“Pinhead” from Hellraiser
“Jason” from Friday the 13th
“Freddy Krueger” from A Nightmare on Elm Street
“The Joker” from The Dark Knight
Children can “accessorize” their costumes with bloody
machetes, long knives, axes, chainsaws, and other torture
and murder toys. One “zombie doctor” costume with “PVC
rotting chest, pants with rotted knee, surgical mask and
cap, and latex gloves” comes in size 4-6.
It isn’t all about gore, either. Kids well under 12 are
encouraged to purchase costumes for a wide range of
popular movies the Motion Picture Association has already
deemed inappropriate for their age, including G.I. Joe,
Transformers, Pirates of the Caribbean, Star Trek, Spider-
Man, Iron Man, Star Wars III, and two of the last three
Harry Potter movies.
How are parents supposed to steer their kids away from
inappropriate movies and images when those same
movies and images are being aggressively marketed to
them every Halloween?
Joel Schwartzberg, an award-winning
parenting essayist, author, and father of three
school-age children, has written on this topic
for The New York Daily News, The Huffington
Post, The Star Ledger, and iVillage. It’s also
the focus of a chapter in his new collection of
essays: “The 40-Year Old Version”
A big fan of the horror film genre ever since
his mother took him to see The Shining at the
all-too-young age of 12, Schwartzberg has
also written two horror screenplays, both of
which were finalists at the Los Angeles
Shriekfest Film Festival.
are being made and marketed for kids…and no one
seems to scare.
Whereas precautions exist to protect children from violent
movies, TV shows, music, and video games, top Halloween
costume makers and sellers do the opposite, encouraging
children under 12 -- in some cases under 6 -- to dress up
as sadistic, deranged murderers including:
“Mike Myers” from Halloween 1 and 2
“Leatherface” from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
“Pinhead” from Hellraiser
“Jason” from Friday the 13th
“Freddy Krueger” from A Nightmare on Elm Street
“The Joker” from The Dark Knight
Children can “accessorize” their costumes with bloody
machetes, long knives, axes, chainsaws, and other torture
and murder toys. One “zombie doctor” costume with “PVC
rotting chest, pants with rotted knee, surgical mask and
cap, and latex gloves” comes in size 4-6.
It isn’t all about gore, either. Kids well under 12 are
encouraged to purchase costumes for a wide range of
popular movies the Motion Picture Association has already
deemed inappropriate for their age, including G.I. Joe,
Transformers, Pirates of the Caribbean, Star Trek, Spider-
Man, Iron Man, Star Wars III, and two of the last three
Harry Potter movies.
How are parents supposed to steer their kids away from
inappropriate movies and images when those same
movies and images are being aggressively marketed to
them every Halloween?
Joel Schwartzberg, an award-winning
parenting essayist, author, and father of three
school-age children, has written on this topic
for The New York Daily News, The Huffington
Post, The Star Ledger, and iVillage. It’s also
the focus of a chapter in his new collection of
essays: “The 40-Year Old Version”
A big fan of the horror film genre ever since
his mother took him to see The Shining at the
all-too-young age of 12, Schwartzberg has
also written two horror screenplays, both of
which were finalists at the Los Angeles
Shriekfest Film Festival.
| Contact: Joel Schwartzberg |
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Contact: Joel Schwartzberg
| Campaign conceived by Joel Schwartzberg, author of "The 40-Year-Old Version" |
