When Did Halloween Turn Sexy?

My first grader and I had this conversation this morning.....

Me - "So what have you decided to be for Halloween this year?"

Bigs - "I'm still going to be a cheerleader."

Me - "Great. Remind me to get that from Auntie Roz."

Bigs - "Julie was going to be a cheerleader but she found a HOT bumble bee costume instead."

Me - "WHAT kind of bumble bee?"

Bigs - "Hot. You know, really pretty. Like a sexy bumble bee."

So I am now in the "Are you kidding me?" mode. Her friend is also 6 years old and apparently wants to not only be a bumble bee (which I'm fine with) but a smokin' hot sexified bumble bee. Did I mention she is 6?? So why is it that all of the costumes now are sexy? Doesn't it remind you of the Friends episode where Joey is figuring out a costume for Monica (The One w/the Halloween Party) but in a really yucky way because we are now talking about kids?

So when exactly did Halloween become sexy? Can we reverse the trend? Pleases, please let it be so. Anyone out there with older daughters? What is the forecast like? What else will I be telling my kids they can't do that everyone else can? I'm OK with being the villain....because Googling "bumble bee costume" has ruined me. Look at the progression.


Really? What on earth??

Are You Kidding Me?? - addition on May 15

I am to blame. I willing went to McDonald's. Mark was out of town for a game, we had a crazy day, and I wanted to treat the girls to Happy Meals. No excuses, this all could have been prevented but in a moment of weakness I tried to take the easy way out. I could fill a post with the ridiculousness of the messed up order and the two times we waited in the drive through line to fix it but that is not even the worst of it. Stay with me.


Trying to keep calm after my second time through the line I popped in the Kidz Bop CD that came with the meals. The first song is Photograph, happily sung by little voices. The original is sung by Nickelback which should be the first clue it may not be good for my 6 year old. So without further ado here are the lyrics to songs that they give out to their patrons 4 years of age and over (they do have toys for kids 3 and under if you choose)....


"Photograph"


Look at this photograph
Every time I do it makes me laugh
How did our eyes get so red
And what the hell is on Joey's head (they changed this to heck)


And this is where I grew up
I think the present owner fixed it up
I never knew we'd ever went without
The second floor is hard for sneaking out

And this is where I went to school
Most of the time had better things to do
Criminal record says I broke in twice (they changed criminal to school, not sure how that makes it better)
I must have done it half a dozen times


I wonder if it's too late
Should i go back and try to graduate
Life's better now than it was back then
If I was them I wouldn't let me in


Oh, oh, oh Oh, god, I
Every memory of looking out the back door
I had the photo album spread out on my bedroom floor
It's hard to say it, time to say it
Goodbye, goodbye.
Every memory of walking out the front door
I found the photo of the friend that I was looking for
It's hard to say it, time to say it
Goodbye, goodbye.


Remember the old arcade
Blew every dollar that we ever made
The cops hated us hangin' out
They say somebody went and burned it down


We used to listen to the radio
And sing along with every song we know
We said someday we'd find out how it feels
To sing to more than just the steering wheel


Kim's the first girl I kissed
I was so nervous that I nearly missed
She's had a couple of kids since then
I haven't seen her since god knows when


Chorus and some other stuff...


The next song "Hanging On" starts out like this....


I've had a bad day
And nothing ever seems to go my way
I've got a heartache
Don't wanna think about it
And every time I try to smile, I cry,
so I'll just hide my face
Get out of my way
Don't wanna talk about it

Can we save the teen angst until they are actually teens?


I'm not a letter writing kind of person but I AM going to write a letter to McDonald's. What kind of people do they have choosing Happy Meal toys? Do other parents actually listen to this stuff before giving it to their kids? What is wrong with this picture? Me overreacting? I guess I just stash these CDs with the tattooed Barbies and thong wearing Bratz dolls. Seriously people, this is just wrong.

May 15, 2009 addition:

I guess they got much response about this promotion....
McDonald's Kidz Bop CD Pulled for Kid-Unfriendly Language
by Brett Singer May 15th 2009 6:00AM

My Two Cents - Choices or maybe Barbie Tattoos

I started writing my Two Cents topic on choices then couldn't make a choice on where I wanted to go with it....this is as far as I got...

Over at Tutu's Bliss the Two Cent topic today is choices. I am a pretty indecisive person. I cannot decide where I want to eat when we go out or what movie to see when the choice presents itself. But I CAN readily tell you where I do NOT want to go or do NOT want to see. So where does that leave me? Nowhere.

And that is it. I guess I have no strong opinions on choices :) But I do have strong a opinion on tattoos on Barbie Dolls. Just so you know, I have two tattoos. I have no problem with anyone having tattoos...even covering their bodies. I wouldn't mind a bit if my child's teacher, coach or pastor had one. I have nothing against them and I wouldn't mind my daughters getting them WHEN THEY ARE 18. So why are they selling Barbies to our girls that come with tattoos?

After MUCH reluctance we let our 6 year old (and therefore our 3 year old as well) have Barbies. I grew up playing with them and looking back thought that they put too much emphasis on outward beauty (or, at least, the world standard of beauty). What made me change my mind? When they play with Barbies they are really engaged in fantasy play. They are creative. They are playing with each other. They are making things up. They are making beds, cars, and boats out of tinker toys for their dolls. They are learning to make choices (the pink skirt or the blue one :) All of these are great things for a CHILD to do. So why are we making them grow up so quickly?

Our kids should be allowed to be kids. In my opinion tattoos are not a part of being a kid. Thong panties on a Bratz doll is not allowing kids to be kids (we draw the line at Bratz). Why on earth do we want these things to be the norm for our little girls? Do we really want our precious little princesses to grow up so quickly? It's going to happen eventually. I would like to have to wait until she's 16 (yes,probably 16, because it will still happen before I really would like to) to deal with tattoos. That's my two cents. What do you think??