Headless

Patrick didn't need to post about fancy Halloween treat bags, nor did my husband have to call from Target to tell me about the large bin of severed Muppet heads, for me to get the phrase "bring me the head of Elmo The Monster" stuck in my own head. It was already there, fomenting a post. What the hell are these people thinking?

Whoever got the idea that a child dressed as Elmo would want to carry the severed head of Elmo along with him on the job? Does "Kelsey" feel bad about what happened to the kitty cat? Who thought that a little boy who reveres Spiderman would want to carry the evidence of Spidey's apparent bloody demise around with him and stuff it full of Snickers? Don't these heads bother anyone but me?

Almost any costume you can buy can be accessorized this way, although for some reason (and I am sad about this) Disney Princesses get their images screened onto the bucket but don't get their hollowed-out heads reproduced entire, complete with handle and reflective safety sticker. Dora, either. Not that girly characters are safe from the carnage overall:

Semiotically, these

at least make more sense. They are supposed to be evil. You might want to cut their heads off. All poor Elmo ever did wrong was be too squeaky.

I am thinking, though, that with the wealth of severed heads available this time of year a grown-up could put together a fine "fictional or historical figure and associated severed head" costume. Judith with sword and head, featuring Elmo as Holofernes. Elizabeth R with Abby Cadabby as Mary Stuart. Perseus with that witch plus some gummy snakes standing in for Medusa. Salome with a guest appearance by Chewbacca as John the Baptist. The possibilities are endless.

The comments to this entry are closed.