Confectionary rick-or-Treating. ve been told that most of us want to go Trick-or- Treating but for one reason or another we feel we cannot. Why can’t we go Trick-or-Treating? We’re too old (like some edict was passed” limiting the age of Trick-or-Treaters); we’re too busy (we must work and never enjoy ourselves); we have other plans (mainly parties or dates or work); we’re too lazy (who wants to make a costume and go tromping around from door to door begging for candy); we’re too health conscious (and all that.candy isn’t good for us); we’re too afraid to do something different (no one else is doing it); and we’re too lonely (we couldn’t bear to do something alone). We seem to be making a lot of excuses to not go Trick-or-Treating but people assure me that they in fact do want to go. So why do we want to Trick-or-Treat? Do we want the candy? Sweet, seductive, candy in sexy little wrappers that waft of sugar or chocolate when broken open. Chocolate that melts on our tongues, sweet fruit that tingles and tangles our tastebuds. Addictive sugar highs. Commercialized candy treats. Naughty delectables, calling out to our unconscious like a tell-tale heart. Rebellious food of sugar and fat. O candy. Sensuous spoiler of meals. Candy. Fabulous catalyst of senses. Candy - we can buy candy at the store or from a vending machine, it’s already there, we can have as much or as little as we would like, we do not have fi : to ask for it. Candy is everywhere. No need to hoard or beg Hy) “f i f for it, candy is easily obtainable. I So why else do we want to Trick-or-Treat, if not for the candy? Maybe we want to do something social. When I asked people about Trick-or-Treating most of them said they would not go alone, but if a group of people were willing to go, Trick-or-Treating suddenly became an acceptable thing to do. We have Halloween parties and Pub Nights in groups. We all have kinds of parties in groups. We enjoy eating and drinking socially. There seems to be a corollary between North American holidays and food. We have turned every holiday we have into an excuse to get together in a group and eat, drink, and have fun. From the minute we are born, sustenance is a group function. First, our mothers feed us and then we are taught how to eat. We then go to school where lunches are served in a huge group setting - the cafeteria. As adults, there are business lunches. When we invite someone into our home, we usually offer them something to eat or drink. We don’t have a birthday, get married, celebrate a holiday, or mark any other important accomplishments without food and friends. Perhaps we want to Trick-or-Treat (or even go to parties) to be in social groups and to eat food and candy. Maybe we want to go Trick-or- Treating because we are lonely. Or maybe we want to go Trick-or-Treating so that we can dress up. We want to be someone or something else for awhile. Maybe a princess, or a goblin, or a toaster, or anything besides our regular selves. We want to hide behind masks and be as mysterious, or as beautiful, or as ugly as we choose to be and not be limited by our physical appearances. We want to be different. We want to escape. As adults we look for reasons and occasions to dress up, or at least dress differently. Black tie affairs, costume or themed parties, concerts, drag shows, sporting events (and again these are all social food functions). Look in a fashion magazine, there seem to be a lot of costumes there, too. As artists in an art school, we have the benefit of being able to wear a costume whenever we please; we don’t have a dress code or uniforms. Most of the student body seems to be dabbling everyday in low-key costumes like fashion, accessories, jewelry, make-up, hair styles and hair colours. We enjoy costumes. And as I recall from Pub Nights past, ECIAD had a large costume-wearing population at Halloween. Costumes, I think, are part of our psychosis. What we choose to dress up as says something about who we are and who we want to be. A Princess, a Vampire, the Pink Panther, or a Toaster, they all have different repercussions and say something about. the person inside. For Halloween I want to be a , when I grow up I want to be a » if I could be anything I would be a This is what fantasies are made of and in case you did not know, the average person spends 90 percent of their day fantasizing; but what are we fantasizing about? Being somewhere, something, someone else; doing something, someone, somewhere else... escaping mentally, all the while putting on a physical facade. Our innermost secrets and personality traits are woven into the costumes we wear. Even our everyday costumes. Recently, I overheard a conversation in a fitting room (where ironically enough I was trying on evening dresses for an adult, dress up social gathering); “Mommy, why aren’t we cartoons?” (Long, over-drawn silence). “Because we’re not.” (Brilliant answer, real quality information there, Mom). “Mommy, why aren’t we cartoons?” (Always remember, if you don’t get the answer you want, keep asking). (Another long silence. The child is probably being given a don’t-go-there look). “Because Sweetie, they’re not real.” I was hoping the child would press further and really put Mom on the spot and ask “What’s real?” because that is a very difficult question. But “Because Sweetie, they’re not real” seemed to suffice. As for the question “What is real?” I’ve found one of the best answers comes from a children’s book and animated cartoon, The Velveteen Rabbit: Ch ts % (continued on next page) Customs by Tara DeLong drawing by Tara DeLong So why do we = want to Trick- or-Treat? Do we want the candy? Sweet, seductive candy in sexy little wrappers that waft of sugar or chocolate... December 19.98 A. influx 26053 ietbetceie: Confectionary Fick-or Treating. Tve been told that most of us want to g0 ‘Trick Treating but for one reason of another we fel we cannot Why can't wwe go Trick-or Treating? We're too old ike some edict was passed limiting the age of Trik-or“Teaters); we're too busy (we must work and never enjoy ourselves); we have other plans (minly partes or dates oF work); were too lazy (who wants to make a costume and go tomping tsround from door to door begging fr candy); we're too health conscious (and all that candy isn't good for us); we'e too aad o do something diferent (90 one ese 's doing i and we'¥e too lonely (we coulda bear to do something lone). We feem t0 be making alot of excuses to not go Thik-or-Treating but people sure me thatthe in fact do want to go So why do we want o Trick-or-Treat? Do we want the candy? Sweet, seductive, candy in sexy Hite wrappers that waft of sugar oF chocolate when broken open. Chocolate that melis on our tongues, Sweet fut that tngles and tangles our tastebuds. Addictive sua highs. Commercaized candy teat. Naughty delecables, calling ‘out to our uneonciou ikea tela heart. Rebellious food of, Sugar and fat. O candy. Sensuous spoiler of meals Candy. Fabulous catalyst of senses. Candy - we can buy candy atthe store or fom a vending machine, is already there, we ean have as mich ora ite ae we would ike, we do not have to ak ori. Candy is everywhere, No need to hoard or beg for its candy is easily obtainable ‘So why else do we want to Trick-or-Treat, if not forthe candy? Maybe we want odo something socal. When Tasked people about Triceoe-Trating mot of them said they would nor go alone, but fa group of people were willing 1 80, “Trickor-Teeting suddenly became an acceptable thing to do, We have Halloween parties and Pulb Nights in groups. We ll have kinds ‘of parties in groups We enjoy eating and drinking social There seems to be a corollary bereen North American holilays and food. We have turned every holiday we have into an excuse to get together a group and at, drink and have fun. From the minute we ae born, surtenance is & fr0up function, Fist our mothers feed ur and then we are taught how to et ie then goto school where lunches are served in huge group setting ~ the cafeteria. As adults, there are business lunches, When we invite someone ato our Thome, we usally ofer them something to eat or drink We dont havea birdy, set married, celebrate a holiday, of mark any other important accomplishments ‘without food and fends. Perhaps we want o Tek to bein social groups and to cat food and candy. Maybe we want to go"Tick-or “Treating because we ae lonely ‘Or maybe we want to go Tick-or-Teating 4 that we can dressup, We want tobe someone or someting ee for awhile. Maybe a princess, or a goblin, fra toaster, or anything besides our regular selves. We want to bide behind masks and be as mysterious, or as beautiful, o as ugly as we choose to be and not be limited by ou physical appearances. We want tobe diferent We want to escape. [As adults oe look for resons and occasions to dress up, of at least dre dierent. Blacktie afar costume or themed parties, Concert, drag shows, sporting events (and again these areal social fod function), Look in a fishion magaine, there seem tobe lot of costumes there, to. As artists in an at schoo}, we have the bent of being able to weara costume whenever e please; we don't have a dress code or uniforms, Most ofthe student body seems tobe dabbling everyday in low-key costumes ike fashion, accessories, ewely, make-up, hai styles and hai colours. We enjoy costumes. And as T real from Pub Nights past, ECIAD had large costume-wearing population at Halloween, Costumes, T think, are part of our paychoss, What we choore to dress up as says Something about who we are and who we want to be. A Princes, a Vampire the Pink Panther, or a Taster, they all have diferent repercussions and say Something about the person inside. For Halloween T want to bea when I grow up T want cobea iff could be ‘anything 1 would be ‘This ie what fantasies are made of and in case you did not know, the average person spends 90 percent of their day fantasiing; but what are we fantasizing about? Being somewhere, something, someone lsc; doing. something, someone, somewhere ‘he. esaping mental, all the while puting on a physical facade. Our innermost Secrets and personaly tats are woven into the costumes we wear. Even our ‘very costumes. Recently overheard a conversation in a iting room (wher ironically ‘enough I was tying on evening dresses for an adult, dressup socal ‘thering)s Mommy, why aren't we cartoons?” Long, overdrawn silence) “Because were not” Briliant answer, eal quality information there, Mom. “Mommy, why aren't we cartoons? (Always remember, ifyou don't get ‘the answer you wat, keep ashing). (Another long slnce."The child is probably being given a don't go-there ook) “Because Sweetie, theyre not real” I was hoping the child would press further and really put Mom on the spt and ask“What’ real” because thai very Aiicale question. But “Because Sweetie, they'e not eal” seemed 1 sulice, ‘As forthe question “What is reaP” I've found one of the bet answers ‘comes from a childrens book and animated cartoon, The Velveteen Rabbit (ontnued om nex pase) ait Customs by Tara DeLong So why do we want to Trick- or-Treat? Do we want the candy? Sweet, seductive candy in sexy little wrappers that waft of sugar or chocolate. December 1998 © influx 26053 [substrates