SPEW debate

[astronomychica.livejournal.com]

Okay guys, sorry for the delay, but from now until November 5th, we are having a debate.
Do you think Halloween night festivities are appropriate.   Things considered are pranks and festivals/faires.
Please reply with your signature and your house so I can award points accordingly-

Name: SPEW debate
Details: Whether or not Halloween festivities are acceptable and whether or not you agree with them.
Points: 59/40/30/10
Deadline: November 5th

10 points for your first entry
and 1 point for every argument.

Jordansan the Hufflepuff
SPEW moderator

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Comments

Agree

[astronomychica.livejournal.com]

if you agree with Halloween festivities, reply here

Re: Agree

[jackie.livejournal.com]

I agree to an extent.

Festivals and faires are a great way to celebrate such a fun holiday. Dressing up, playing games, seeing shows - there is no downside! Halloween is the one chance all year you get to be someone else for a day.

Pranks can be fun to an extent. My former roommate, Helen, decided (with her soccer team in high school) that rather than toilet paper their coaches' house, they were going to steal a ton of lawn ornaments from all over town and put them all in his front yard. While I find this to be hilarious, they weren't just taking flamingoes and garden gnomes, they were hauling off the concrete statues of Mary and other such expensive items. Before they could get them all to their coaches' house though, they got caught and arrested. Every person in that car (6 of them) had to pay over $500 in damages to the owners of the ornaments as well as had 50 hours of community service and a year of probation. So pranks can be fun, but if you take them too far, they really can have a negative effect on both you and those you prank.

Jackie//Ravenclaw

Re: Agree

[tsukinofaerii.livejournal.com]

Halloween faires and festivals are perfectly normal, fun ways of celebrating the fall season. In addition to being fun and harmless, they offer a connection to the past. Various forms of harvest festivals and religious days happen on or around Halloween and have for thousands of years. It helps keep old traditions alive without interfering with modern forward movement.

Pranks can be harmless and fun as well, and also have a pretty interesting historical background. HOWEVER, there is always a thing called "going too far". Dropping a fake spider in the shower is harmless, but when a joke escalates to vandalism it's time to seriously start considering the morality of the joke at hand.

Moon Faery//Slytherin

Disagree

[astronomychica.livejournal.com]

If you disagree reply here

Re: Disagree

[wee-little-me.livejournal.com]

NO!!!!

Playing pranks, belittling others, and isolate people, is NEVER appropriate. Giving it the title of 'festive' and shoving it under a holiday is avoiding the reason behind not allowing it in the first place. Any arguments for teasing/pranking is flimsy at best.

The point of a prank is to HURT someone, is to EMBARRASS someone, is to BELITTLE someone. Humans are built to feel pain, that doesnt mean causing pain is appropriate - especially when it is for no reason.

Someone has to feel superior to the victim or they wouldnt be able to pull a prank thus causing them pain. This shows a sever lack of respect for others and is a clue to a larger problem. Pranks are just another form of bullying, which is a serious problem. Not only is it terrible for the victim, but the assailant also needs help -- and clearly isnt getting it. Problems will persist if the situation isnt rectified. "Festive Attitude" or not, it needs to be looked into. Its not appropriate at school, or any other place.

[note: im not referring to pranks between close friends.]

Re: Disagree

[pilotgirl2012.livejournal.com]

I also disagree.
playing pranks on others is meant to belittle and embarrass them.
I hate having pranks pulled on me, and therefore, I do not do them to others.
I agree with wee_little_me, it's meant to hurt, and nothing else.
If it's harmless TP-ing, do it to someone you know, not as revenge.
Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones.

Jordan/Gryffindor!

Discussion

[astronomychica.livejournal.com]

If you want to post a rebuttle to a comment, reply here.
Please reply with name of the person who you want to disagree/agree with

Re: Discussion

[wee-little-me.livejournal.com]

[question] - are we refering to pranks and 'negative' games, or a less cinical outlook on the holliday?
question for astronomychica I guess.

Re: Discussion

[astronomychica.livejournal.com]

either! Whether it be the cynical outlook or the negative games and pranks played on such day.
lol

Re: Discussion

[tsukinofaerii.livejournal.com]

Playing pranks, belittling others, and isolate people, is NEVER appropriate. Giving it the title of 'festive' and shoving it under a holiday is avoiding the reason behind not allowing it in the first place. Any arguments for teasing/pranking is flimsy at best.

It depends on how the prank is recieved. If the "victim" doesn't feel betlittled and actually laughs along, then there's no harm done. A lot of the potential for damage is in misjudging the power of the joke and how the other person will recieve it. Even for jokes between virtual strangers, it's not hard to keep it "all in good fun". Like my earlier comment about the fake spider in the shower, it didn't hurt me in any way and once I stopped shrieking it was funny. No harm, no foul.

Moon Faery//Slytherin

Re: Discussion

[wee-little-me.livejournal.com]

Its one thing to scare someone as a prank, its quite another to do something to the person. Toiletpapering, punpkinsmashing, getting someone wet, these are all inapropriate and are brushed off as 'seasonal mischief'.

And I stick by what I said about lack of respect. I dont see how anyone can pull a medium-sever prank and respect the person. Humans have compassion, and when you watch a prank that makes you think 'aww that sucks' or makes you cringe than the prank has gone too far. Fake spiders are one thing; replacing someones water with vodka is another.