As we head into the Halloween holiday with all its spooky, dress-up fun for everyone, we thought this PSA (which debuted in 2017) makes for a timely #ThrowbackThursday post.
Boys and girls all over the country will get excited this evening about dressing up as their favorite super-hero, comic book character or cartoon persona for Halloween.
And in this day and age, some of those choices might surprise parents.
This public service announcement serves as a touching blueprint for moms and dads who might feel concern as their kids go house to house on Halloween as, say, “Batman” and “Wonder Woman.”
In the video, two children oversee their parents carving pumpkins with the logos of their favorite superheroes before running up to their rooms to suit up for a night of Halloween fun.
The two-minute video continues as the parents dutifully follow the mighty duo as they make their way from house to house in the neighborhood. We see one neighbor thanking the tiny tots for “keeping our streets safe” as the parents watch from the curb.
At the end of the clip, mom and dad tuck the kids into bed and there’s an important reveal.
One of the co-writers for the spot, Alexander Day, told HuffPost at the time, “Halloween can be a time people can express themselves in a certain way and not be attacked for it.”
For those who get concerned about so-called “gender norms,” just remember – the kids are pretending no matter who or what they choose to dress as.
And that goes for the adults who enjoy the holiday as well.
Watch the spot below, and here’s hoping everyone has a fun and safe Halloween.
Editor’s note:
But is it about make believe? Now that you have watched it, what if it is not about make believe? What if the kids are wondering about their own gender? Is the boy transgender or is the girl? What if they have questions about gender norms and gender roles and gender identity? What if the comment at the end, “my heroes” is the father realizing that these kids are living the way they want to, may it be just make believe, changing outward appearance to be different, or changing outward appearance to be what is inside. Or maybe the dad is thinking back as to how he wanted to dress as She-ra when he was younger, but that freedom wasn’t there.
I feel that this cute video could go so many ways. What are your thoughts Instincters?
