Writer's Block: How old is too old?
Oct. 30th, 2010 05:41 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tabular_rasa[Error: unknown template qotd]
Um, I'm sorry, yes, there is a point at which you are a creepy asshole for going around your neighborhood knocking on doors and asking near-strangers for candy. Would you really hand out candy corn to some 30-year-old just because s/he knocked on your door in a costume and held out a pillowcase? (And technically threatened you? Because that's what "trick or treat" means . . . ).
I mean, you're never too old to get in the spirit of Halloween; I love dressing up and going to Halloween parties, and I'll be wearing a costume to hand out candy and take my kids trick-or-treating (without asking for candy for myself-- though I may hit my kids up for an "escort fee" :-P) when I have a home and a family. And there's no reason I won't partake of a candy bowl offered by a party host-- or enjoy candy I've purchased myself! I love Halloween and I love Halloween candy and I'm not about to rain on the Halloween parade.
But I still think 8th grade is about the last year one can get away with going trick-or-treating. If your college dorm does some intra-dorm trick-or-treating event that's obviously completely different, but I don't think I'm being too much of a Halloween Scrooge to think that the average suburban denizen does not owe highschoolers (or adults!) candy. In high school I switched to (dressing up and) handing out candy instead, and I was always quite irritated by the kids I knew from school who showed up asking my family for candy when they were old enough to work a job and drive a car to the store to buy some for themselves.
Edit (5:55 pm): Wow, I cannot believe how many people are responding to this that "You're never too old!" and "Everyone deserves candy!" Well, obviously they're all just out trick-or-treating themselves and have never been on the giving end. Candy costs money, guys. It's not fair for me to have to spend twice as much on my candy bowl just because I decide to be a giver rather than a taker and a lot of people won't grow up.
And if everyone trick-or-treated, then who would stay in to hand out the candy? Either a very small population gets stuck spending hundreds of dollars to outfit a lot of overgrown adults with their sugar fix, or there's no one left to hand out candy at all-- and then where would we be? Please leave it to the kids.
Um, I'm sorry, yes, there is a point at which you are a creepy asshole for going around your neighborhood knocking on doors and asking near-strangers for candy. Would you really hand out candy corn to some 30-year-old just because s/he knocked on your door in a costume and held out a pillowcase? (And technically threatened you? Because that's what "trick or treat" means . . . ).
I mean, you're never too old to get in the spirit of Halloween; I love dressing up and going to Halloween parties, and I'll be wearing a costume to hand out candy and take my kids trick-or-treating (without asking for candy for myself-- though I may hit my kids up for an "escort fee" :-P) when I have a home and a family. And there's no reason I won't partake of a candy bowl offered by a party host-- or enjoy candy I've purchased myself! I love Halloween and I love Halloween candy and I'm not about to rain on the Halloween parade.
But I still think 8th grade is about the last year one can get away with going trick-or-treating. If your college dorm does some intra-dorm trick-or-treating event that's obviously completely different, but I don't think I'm being too much of a Halloween Scrooge to think that the average suburban denizen does not owe highschoolers (or adults!) candy. In high school I switched to (dressing up and) handing out candy instead, and I was always quite irritated by the kids I knew from school who showed up asking my family for candy when they were old enough to work a job and drive a car to the store to buy some for themselves.
Edit (5:55 pm): Wow, I cannot believe how many people are responding to this that "You're never too old!" and "Everyone deserves candy!" Well, obviously they're all just out trick-or-treating themselves and have never been on the giving end. Candy costs money, guys. It's not fair for me to have to spend twice as much on my candy bowl just because I decide to be a giver rather than a taker and a lot of people won't grow up.
And if everyone trick-or-treated, then who would stay in to hand out the candy? Either a very small population gets stuck spending hundreds of dollars to outfit a lot of overgrown adults with their sugar fix, or there's no one left to hand out candy at all-- and then where would we be? Please leave it to the kids.
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Date: 2010-11-02 06:16 am (UTC)However, I don't have a problem with teens who chaperone siblings or other young relatives; I've been there myself and I think it warrants a reward because it prevents alternatives like partying. And obviously just because I have my age limits in place doesn't mean there aren't nicer and richer folks out there who don't mind a costumed and polite teenager. But one nice neighbor is one nice neighbor, not a standard to which all others must conform. Just because your neighbors gave you candy doesn't mean I have to, too.
As far as teen-only groups and individuals go, I think it comes down a case of At Your Own Risk. If you're a teen who wants to give trick-or-treating a shot, be my guest-- just recognize there are those who can't (because they only estimated buying enough candy for the under-teen set) or won't give you candy, accept that with grace, and do not under any circumstances attempt retaliation. You are not entitled to candy. (Of course, neither are the younger kids). It's really just the attitude of entitlement that has me raging at this point. The people who are handing out the candy are doing it out of the goodness of their heart and the contents of their own pockets, so for chrissake let them set the rules.