Welcome to Tesco-Town

There is a place by the sea that is like no other; a place that I have called home for almost 15 years now. The quirky town of Margate is almost too original to describe. From its mysterious and beautiful Shell Grotto, the Tudor House that still stands down the road from our bowling alley, to the exciting festivals that build a sense of community, the gorgeous old town filled with its vintage shops, the Turner Centre that brings artistic inspiration to local artists, the different pubs that bring their own character, and who could forget that wonderful, local Tesco that sits on the sea front? Ugh.


To say that I am disappointed is an understatement. Those who have read my previous post on Margate (click here) may already know my opinions on the ever looming threat of an 82,000 sq.ft.Tesco store sat right on the seafront. Yes, Margate has been struggling for a while and more and more businesses are closing down, meaning there are less and less jobs to go around. However, building a Tesco on the seafront is not going to help he situation, it's only going to exacerbate it, and here are my reasons why:

  Goodbye, Local Business

So to begin with,this building is going to take away business from local entrepreneurs in the area. With Tesco's low-priced meal deals and boxes of ice creams, people are going to be detracted away from local businesses who have built their lively hoods on the tourist trade. There is a gorgeous new sweet shop that opened this summer, opposite the beach, by the stone steps. Will people want to buy their delectable treats if Tesco looms over it, offering two-for-ones on chocolate bars? Will parents want to save a few pence on the pick 'n' mix in the larger store, than indulge their children with unique treats from a smaller business? I think, sadly, we all know the answer. So despite Tesco bringing in jobs, where will it leave others? It's not just going to take away employment for others, it's going to bring down people's businesses, places that have been built within families and some of which have been standing there as long as I have lived in the town. What comes to mind at this point is the beach cafe and the soft serve/tourist store by the arcades. Since I was little I have seen these two businesses thrive and bring a fantastic level of service to those who have used it. Somehow, I don't think Tesco will match this, but what I do know is that it WILL thwart it. The thing is, large corporations like this superstore pick up on the sort of thing that sells well in the area, and match their deals to the demand. You can expect to see deals and discounts on the sorts of things that they know will sell well on the sea front.

Unfortunately, that isn't the only thing. Drawing from what I have already said, there has been similar case in North Devon, where Tesco built a pop-up stall in its car park (without planning permission) where they sold beach goods. It took business from other traders and was highly immoral, and the store only applied for planning permission retrospectively...after they had sold their goods. You can read about it here.

Hello, Tesco-Town

For local Thanetians, you may have noticed the sudden abundance of Tesco stores making their appearances in almost every town. There has long been a store in Broadstairs and Manston, with the larger in Westwood Cross, but now there is a another in Ramsgate, Westbrook and there are further plans to build another in Westgate town (a tiny town filled with local business) as well as the seafront store confirmed in Margate. The thing that really worries me about this is that it's all looking a bit...samey. Who wants to come to our lovely Southern corner, if all we have to offer is a Tesco store on every corner? I can't help that feel that Thanet has hedged all its bets on a multitude of Tesco stores to "save" our area, and have been blinded by the damage that it's really going to do. I could go on about how many businesses we're going to lose, but this second point is really all about character. When I heard that a Tesco was going to be built in Westgate and Margate, I grimaced. All I could think of was the white and blue stores overrunning Thanet and stripping us of any personality.

A recent article claimed that Tesco would be sensitive to the appearance of the rest of the town, but that does not count for what is inside. The same, monotonous aisles of store brand items makes my heart sink. There is no style, or interest to these products, or these stores. They simply serve a purpose and nothing more, and to me that doesn't scream "come to Margate!" nor does it say "look at our unique tourist area that stands out!" what it does say is "this is yet another Tesco-Town".  

Portas Pilot Crashes

Margate was named as a Portas Pilot town, where the focus was on rejuvenating the town and kick-starting local businesses. Unfortunately, Thanet did not receive her well and I'm still getting over the shock of how we treated someone who was only there to help in the first place. If Billy of Kiss Me Quick isn't a shining example of how Portas can work her magic on local businesses and turn them into a success, then I don't know what is. She brought Billy's shop a new and cheeky flair, which brings huge grins to customer's faces. If it isn't the slightly naughty treats hidden in the back, or the fantastic range of tourist sweets and gifts, then it is certainly the wonderful and bubbly personality of Billy and his employees, who are dressed in fantastic vintage sweet-vendor outfits. Again, it is all boiling down to charm, character, personality!

I am still confused as to why our council is not listening to the "No To Tesco" pleas, when even the Queen of the High-street agrees that it is an unwise move.  As Portas said herself, it's a very sad day for our seaside town.

Where is the Art in That? 

Margate spent a lot of time, effort and money into making the Turner Centre happen and everybody knows what a wonderful addition to the town it is. It has given local artists a boost, many of whom now use the harbour arm and old town just off of the Centre to display and sell their own work. We are a society of creative people in Margate, and I love that the Turner has given the opportunity to bring that forward. It is not only gallery art that we thrive on; we cannot forget the wonderful theatre, film and literature skills we have who create a fantastic image of life in Margate. We have become an Arts town. Except, now, across the sands will lie a Tesco. It's not going to fit in with a theme that has occurred in Margate for many years now and, quite frankly, it's not going to make Arlington look any less of an eyesore.



So there are some more reasons to say no to Tesco. I find it a great shame that Louise Oldfield lost the case in court, which highlighted a lot more points, involving traffic (which will be horrendous), the loss of car parking spaces for tourists and the impact the store may have on the upcoming plans to rebuild Dreamland. It deeply concerns me to think that if a 21 year old graduate like myself, and a fully committed team of members from the local community can see the damage that this, or any, superstore may do to our beautiful seafront, then why can't our council?  I would love to make this article very well known in Kent, to truly demonstrate the dismay of our locals and hopefully bring forward some key points to help our council understand why we don't want yet another Tesco. Are we doomed to live in the dull and monotonous Tesco-Town?

To read more about this issue, click here.

A perfume is not just for Christmas.

As I lie here in bed, with half a wad of loo roll in my sleeve, a mug of hot lemon, ginger and honey at hand and a nose filled with mucus, I reflect upon one of the most important things to me. In those "If you HAD to..." questions, I imagine the sense of smell is one that would often be given up over the other four primaries, but to me smells are a very important part of my life.

To those who know me personally, they'll most likely agree that I am a very nostalgic person. I enjoy reminiscing over past events and tend to own keepsakes of various things that I've experienced throughout my life (trust me, I have A LOT of theatre tickets around the flat). As a visual/kinetics learner, I tend to remember through visuals or carrying out the same action, but another strong focus for me is scent. If I smell something familiar, it will always bring me back to the moment where it was most prominent and, to me, that's something nice that I would never want to let go of.

Palmer's Cocoa Butter - something that will always
remind me of my Dad

So, think about someone who comes to visit your house, or vice versa. One thing that you might remember is the smell of them or their surroundings. Everyone has their own unique smell - the smell of their skin which is mixed with whatever they use to wash, perfume themselves, things they often eat and even the pet they own. This smell becomes tied to you and can act as a comfort, a nostalgia and an identity. Currently, I have a t-shirt of my boyfriend's, which he had forgotten to pack after visiting me last. When I found it amongst my own washing, I could tell it wasn't mine because it didn't smell of jasmine perfume; I could tell it was his because it smelt like him and it genuinely made me smile. The smell for me is one of comfort; a smell that reminds me of someone I care for very much, and a nice reminder of their visit (our Halloween costumes were nothing short of amazing). The thing is, now that I've washed it, it will smell more like me and my patchouli/oakmoss washing liquid. The t-shirt will be returned with a faint smell of something he might link to me, and possibly bring a similar smile. A prominent smell that I really love is the smell of cocoa butter, as it's something that my Dad uses on his skin to keep it soft. I have grown up my entire life with that scent on his skin, and now there is something homely about it. Cocoa butter has become nostalgic, warm and reminds me of the man who used to fall asleep on the sofa whilst we watched old Westerns on television.

In my 1st and 2nd year of uni, I used to have pink hair and
wear a candyfloss perfume. The sweetness of the perfume
was SO different to the style of clothing I wore that I think
it really reflected my personality behind the fashion choices.

 Another example of this would be from my first year at university. I had left something in my room whilst I was visiting family and desperately needed to know if it was there. I phoned my flatmate and asked him to go in and find it whilst he was on the phone to me. Once he entered my room, he breathed in heavily and said to me "I miss you so much right now!" We hadn't seen each other for a while, but this was rather out of the blue. I responded that I missed him too, and he proceeded to tell me that once he had opened the door to my room, he had been engulfed in the smell of my perfume. To me, this is something beautiful - to know that smell can evoke emotions and memories.

This is why I feel that perfume is so important, and not just a fall-back gift. When I buy a perfume for someone, I try to think of their personality, the smells that they surround themselves with already, and the sort of things they like to do in their day to day lives. For instance, I have a friend who enjoys travel and spent a lot of time in hot countries like Spain. Her personality is vibrant and excitable. For her, I would find a scent that smelt of warm holidays, with oranges that reminded her of the tastes and smells she might've taken in. I think the citrus would also compliment her loud personality, leaving a fantastic and zesty atmosphere wherever she's been.

 Okay, so before you choose to buy the poshest looking perfume, or the one that's endorsed by their favourite celebrity, think about who they are, the foods they enjoy, their favourite holidays or even something wonderful that they might have done with you. Think of those things and then relate it to a smell, and THEN find a perfume that is similar, or even has those things in it.  Don't just give a perfume for Christmas, give a perfume that evokes something every time they wear it, and in turn becomes a reflection of them in a scent. Trust me, it's more personal.

Why is religious studies an important subject?

Over the years, it has become clear that Religious Studies (RS/RE) is becoming less appreciated. Today, the UK seems to be more and more secularised, and I have often seen facebook, twitter, a variety of memes and more mock religion. Unfortunately, with this comes an amount of ignorance and insult to those who do believe in a deity; people are scrutinised for putting their faith in God and, often in the case of Islam, victimised for the extremist minority who belong to their faith. I believe that the lack of attention paid to RS is unhelpful in this.

My school only offered half a GCSE in RS, which was then paired with a half GCSE in Citizenship. However, the focus throughout the years leading up to this point was a healthy mixture of religions - Christianity (and the different denominations), Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and many more. The focus for GCSE was predominantly Christianity and Islam and our exam focused on comparing our own views to the views of a Christian or Muslim when facing issues such as euthanasia and the death penalty. The course was interesting and made way for debate, discussion and exploration. People of different belief systems in the classroom were encouraged to speak and express their views without fear. I remember enjoying the class and leaving with a sense of understanding for those with different customs to my own. I remember  going to a shop in the old part of my town and being given free posters that displayed a variety of gods from Hinduism, which I excitedly brought into school and donated to our RS department.

I then moved to a sixth form and discovered that this was not the standard religious education everyone was receiving in the UK. One girl expressed her excitement that her A Level RS course was going to teach her about "other religions". When I asked her what religions she had learned at secondary level, the response was "oh, just Christianity really". I was surprised.
"Why?" I asked "Didn't you learn about Islam at least?" She shook her head. She had gone to a Catholic School. Another boy chipped in, saying that Islam and Christianity were the only religions he had studied. I was shocked that Sikhism, Buddhism, Hinduism and so many more that I had studied were left from their criteria.

Now, RS is slowly being pushed out of the curriculum. People openly admit that they "Don't see the point" and that saddens me. I see it as one of the more important subjects at primary and secondary level. I believe that a healthy mix of religions, as well as an atheist and agnostic point of view should be taught throughout the education system. The UK is vastly multicultural, but it also struggles with issues to do with racism. The fact is, most people who make racist or anti-religious comments just aren't aware of the culture, customs and faiths of others and that is why RS is so important in our younger years. It teaches the younger generations about people's differences, their standpoints on various issues and leads as an example to accept and respect these views. More so, RS teaches above the media, which is often saturated with terrorism and religious warfare. If RS isn't in place to offer an alternative viewpoint, and to provide an understanding of extremism in religions, then how can the government, and the UK as a whole, expect people to accept religion and the customs of others? RS is so very important, and I can only hope that it remains on the school curriculum for a very long time.

My Ethical Bathroom.

This is my bathroom. To the left, is my toilet, to the right is my shower. Tiny, my own and probably the most ecological and ethical part of my bedsit. Confused? So was a friend of mine, who raised one eyebrow and said "How? Surely it's the least eco-friendly with all the water?" Well, I considered that, and this is how I answered.

My Sikkim Girls Perfume, Sea Spray Hair Mist and Olney.

My Angels on Bare Skin Face Cleanser
(put back in the fridge after my shower),
Fair Trade Honey Shampoo and
Miranda Soap.

My first and most obvious answer to my statement is within the products I use to fill my bathroom. I have been an all-time Lush fan for about four years, and am very, very lucky to have gotten myself a Christmas Temp job there this year. Having been a vegetarian since I was seven years old, and profusely involved in a number of different charities and community events, it was only natural that I was drawn to this wonderful company who put ethics and the environment first. Their range of products are vegetarian and vegan, and strive to be as preservative free as possible. They also trade as fairly as they can and are against animal testing. Oh, and they recycle the plastics they do use and all the glitter in their range is PET free and safe to go back into the earth. No, really, they even invented a glitter made out of agar (that's seaweed!) just so that they could make sure their glitter wasn't going to damage the planet. So, as you can see, aside from my little plastic Octopus (his name is Olney and he glows) my bathroom shelves are filled with Lush products, wonderfully ethical and, once I use these lovely pots up, ecological. You see, another great thing Lush does is ask their customers to bring back their pots so that they can be recycled. In return for five pots, you get a fresh face mask too!

Okay, so we've looked at the ethical side, and some of the ecological side of my bathroom, but what about all that water? Well, this is where it gets pretty good. I'm a very lucky girl to be living on my own because not only do I NOT have to figure out where all the bread is going, but I also have no opportunities to be embarrassed. That's right, ladies and gents, I can use my toilet without thinking about who might use it after me and that makes me immensely happy. Of course, this also means I have control over who flushes it - me. The European Commission recently conducted a study and found that us Brits flush our toilets the most out of any other country in Europe and the average person could use around 150 litres of water a day just from flushing. THAT IS A LOT. So, I combat this by being very selective in my flushing. If it's yellow, yes, I will let it mellow for a bit, except when I have guests. Aside from those very rare moments when people are in my bedsit (really, it's no place to socialise), my toilet will only see one or two flushes a day - if I need to "flush it down", and one after all those yellows have mellowed for a while.


Brushing your teeth with running water is also a huge waste of water. I have never fully understood why people have this compulsion to leave the tap running whilst they're not using it. My tap stays off until I need to rinse my toothpaste from my brush and down the sink. Simple. We don't need the tap running and by leaving it to do so, you could waste up to 6 litres of water. At last, we came to my shower. I don't have a bath, but that's a very good thing. A shower is already has the potential to be more ecologically sound than a bath, all you have to do is limit yourself.

Now, the final thing that I liked to show off about my bathroom was this wonderful tub right here. It may not seem very special, but this piece s actually where I wash my clothes. Hand washing my clothes may seem like a long and difficult chore, but it's not only saved on the amount of water and electricity used in my flat, but also on the amount of pounds I would have to spend in the laundrette. This tub saves at least £6-8 a week in laundry (including drying), excellent savings for a student like myself. The stuff that's in the tub? That's also a Lush creation. FUN is a fantastic soap that you can model, re-use and wash yourself and your clothes in (though don't wash your clothes with the red one - I have pink pants because of this). It also gives a donation to a charity that supports children effected by the Fukushima disaster in Japan each time you buy it. This stuff lasts a long time and leaves your clothes smelling gorgeous and fresh. It's worth mentioning that you can wash your clothes in some of the shower gels that Lush offers also, just ask a Lushie in store!



So, there you have it - my ethical bathroom. Why not try to make a difference in your home, whether it's from swapping to something fair trade to just making sure you switch off a light you don't need, it's all worthwhile and I can tell you now, it feels great knowing what you're doing.

Why Margate SHOULD Be Successful.

 

Margate is a seaside town in Thanet, South-East England. It was once a well-known holidaymaker hotspot, where families would flock to indulge in the seaside culture of fish and chips, candyfloss, icecream, rock and sand.  Mods and Rockers swarmed into the town in the 1960s, causing trouble on holiday weekends. The theme park, Dreamland, was a huge attraction for all ages, and arcades were full of children and teenages, begging their parents for more coppers. Unfortunately this is, for the most part, now just an image of Margate, whilst the high-street stands as a ghost town. The episode A Jolly Outing, in Only Fools and Horses, summed up what Margate was – A Jolly Outing – and it still could be! 

Margate Harbour Arm - with some fantastic bars, cafes and gallery spaces.

THE OLD TOWN AND HOW WE ARE AN ART TOWN

Artwork in the train station - a lovely surprise when I came home!

In more recent years, Margate has found itself struggling to keep tourists attracted, and in the winter season, it collapses altogether. However, there is still success in the area, and it is they who we shall learn from. The Old Town is a shining example of what Margate should be heading for. People look for charm and character, something original, and that is exactly what this quarter delivers. Its vintage style and charm is a reflection of the town’s heyday, but with a retro-futurist edge. The clusters of cafes, vintage clothes shops, quirky bars and art galleries bring an interesting edge into the area, and people LOVE IT. After losing yourself in beautiful clothes (some homemade and 100% original), you could find yourself sitting in Angela’s café, what looks to be a regular greasy spoon, but turns out to be so, so much more. You indulge in something delicious, in a setting that somewhat resembles an old, American diner, the walls donned with images of Margate’s very own Mods and Rockers, before heading to her vintage pinball room to play on some truly nostalgic machines. Afterwards, you could head across to the Lighthouse Bar, a sweet, nautical little bar with a selection of ciders and ales to try, before going to local art galleries and, of course, the Turner Centre. All in all, the old town is beautiful. They indulge the artistic and quirky side of our seaside town, and blow it up for everyone to see. In the summer season, music is often staged outside for various events, and the tiny area around Pete’s Fish Factory, Milos and Kiss Me Quick is soon teeming with people. Why can’t the rest of Margate follow this example?

My personal opinion is that Margate could truly become an art town. The Turner Centre has brought in thousands of visitors each year, and the town is bursting at the seams with local talent from artists, performers, musicians, dancers, filmmakers and writers. Utilising this could be a key factor in the rise of our dying town. 

MORE FESTI-FUN 

It’s no secret to any of us Thanet locals; we do love a good party. Broadstairs Folk Week sees the small town filled with people from all walks of life, coming together to enjoy the atmosphere, stalls, live music, activities and, of course, Morris Dancers. Considering the successes of all of the local festivals and carnivals that brighten up our area in the summer period, why not consider some winter ones? With the large amount of indoor venues and bars, the festival fun could continue through the Christmas period, and hopefully bring more money into the area. 

NO TO TESCO 

The plans for a Tesco superstore on the seafront of Margate is, in my opinion, not a good idea. I understand the idea behind the amount of jobs it will bring to the area, but what we are not looking at is the huge amount of jobs that it will also take away from some of the smaller industries surrounding it. Picture it this way - Tesco’s will be clever and knows the area it’s in. It won’t consider the bucket and spade shop that has been stood by the arcades for years, and it won’t consider the café, or ice cream stores on the sea front, but it WILL consider its own profit. So, of course Tesco is going to target the most likely audience – tourists. Just think of the discounted packs of ice lollies, and low priced meal deals that will take money out of the small businesses, who have built their living on this target market.

All in all, we have been given pretty much one Tesco per town (no, really, and they want to build on in Westgate too – an even smaller town) and I think the locals are getting sick. Where is the creativity, the originality, the character? Nobody wants to visit a town that looks like all the others, so why are we filling a valuable building space, which could be turned into so much more, into yet another superstore?

I agree with the public – No to Tesco.

KISS ME QUICK, PORTAS! 

Mary Portas, the crowned ‘Queen of the High-street’ chose Margate as one of her Portas Pilots, a project in which the intelligent and savvy seller aims to reboot some of the UK’s dying high-street. We were in desperate need of her help, but sadly the attitudes of some members of the residents, and shockingly some of the Margate Town Taskforce, prevented her from truly helping. The one man who did listen was Billy, the owner of the fantastic Kiss Me Quick! which is in the Old Town. Following the visits from Portas, Billy’s shop has become a booming business with a fantastic range of tourist treats, an original design collection from Tracey Emin herself, and a cheeky range of naughty treats for adults, a true reflection of Margate’s mischievous nature. Why was Billy the only one who was successful? Because he put what Portas said into practice. Since her visit, the town has not hosted another ‘in-land pier’ (a fantastic idea, which saw the street teeming with visitors), and are still sat pondering what it is that will make Margate rise once more.

Portas was also hugely disappointed, and strongly disagrees with the bid for a Tescos in Margate. My proposal would be that the town give her a second chance and work with her to ensure that Tescos is not Margate’s future – and for the Taskforce to sit with her, members of the council and our local MPs in an open forum with members of the public to form a thinktank of ideas that will bring Margate back on its feet – and this time for good. 

To me, there are so many brilliant ideas that should be put forward to rejuvenate Margate, and they’re not being heard. Margate – let’s do something about this, let’s get the voices of your public heard over the large corporations and town officials. 

The website for Kiss Me Quick is here .

Read an article about Tesco in Margate here 

Read about the Taskforce here 

Follow Mary Portas on Twitter here

If you are a member of the Taskforce and would like to contact me about anything I've spoken about here, please feel free to message me.

Satori Screen and Derby's QUAD

Friday 18th saw the year anniversary of the QUAD's very own Satori Screen, a monthly event dedicated to Asian Cinema. The film on show was the highly popular Oldboy, South Korea's 2003 Mystery-Thriller, directed by Chan-wook Park. The film follows Oh Dae-Su, a man who is kidnapped and imprisoned for fifteen years, before finally being released without any explanation. Bent on vengeance and a desire to find out why, he follows a series of clues to find his captor. The film is violent, shocking and gorgeous and it was wonderful to watch it on the big screen in a 35mm print. I highly recommend it.

Satori Screen was set up by Quaddie Peter Munford, and began with a fantastic double bill of Godzilla vs King Kong, and the completely bizarre Mantango, a film where people are turned into mushrooms after consuming a highly addictive fungi. Since then, the event has seen a colourful mixture of comic, intriguing, disturbing and inspiring pieces of Asian cinema. One that must be noted is the extremely rare Somi:Tae-Kwon Do Woman, which saw it's fourth (and possibly last) ever screening outside of Asia at the QUAD. It was an extremely special treat. If Asian cinema interests you, it's a definite must in Derby.

This is the beauty of the QUAD; the variety of brilliant cinema, art and activities that are on offer never fail to interest, illuminate and inspire the public. In the centre of the town, QUAD strives to be a creative hub for those with an interest in all things artistic. There are monthly poetry nights, writing groups, drawing groups and much more. One of my favourite monthly events is OST, which is a monthly event held in the cafe area. DJ Flatbush City Limits plays a fantastic arrangement of often quirky soundtrack choices from a variety of different films, often fitting in with a theme. Other fantastic events that occur annually include Dead and Breakfast, a horror marathon that falls close to Halloween (unfortunately I have had to miss it - it's tonight) and the fantastic I.D Fest, which is in the Summer season and boasts a host of interesting films and special guest (and they are real gems) talks around a set theme. Another great feature of QUAD is its selection of short courses in photography, film making and much more, which serve as an excellent platform to expand your knowledge and skill.

All in all, if you're looking for something to get your creative juices flowing, to expand a hobby (or start a new one), or just a nice night out, there is something for everyone.

The next Satori Screen is Ruroni Kenshin, a new release. The film is a cinematic telling of a Japanese Manga that follows an ex-assasin Kenshin in an action adventure "...filled with swordfights and intruige." (taken from QUAD). It looks like a real treat and will be screened on the 15th Novemeber at 8:45pm. For more information, join the Facebook group here.

The next O.S.T is 80s Cinema, Pop and Underground on 9th November at 7pm. For more information, join the Facebook group here.

If I have intruiged you with anything else, find the QUAD website here.....and their Twitter here.

Watch this space next month for a more in depth review of some more events in Derby.

Friday 15 November 2013

Friday 15 November 2013

Friday 15 November 2013

Friday 15 November 2013

ASDA and Tesco "Psycho" costumes - How far can horror go?

Asda's withdrawn costume (Image taken from the BBC News Website)

This afternoon, a BBC story was posted online about the withdrawal of Asda's "Mental Patient Fancy Dress Costume", and Tesco's "Psycho Ward" costume after a number of complaints that they enforced a stigma on those living with mental illness. The companies, in their best efforts to keep the peace, also offered a donation to the charity, Mind, which had criticised the stores for offering these outfits.
 Soon, politicians and the public alike gathered around to share their thoughts and opinions on the topic, with a large amount of people agreeing that it was offensive. Naturally, as an avid fan of all things Halloween and horror, I couldn't help but take to my keyboard to offer my own thoughts - and here it is - are we taking this a little too seriously?

Tesco's withdrawn costume (Image taken from the BBC News Website)

 I'll be honest, I dressed up as a psych ward patient a couple of years ago, and at the time I couldn't say I even considered that it might be offensive. I am a sufferer of depression myself, and have been on a number of different anti-depressants, but when I donned my costume that Halloween, I was not myself, and I did not aim to replicate anybody with this illness - I was a character of my own fiction, one which I had designed to be scary. I do recognise the concern these people are trying to raise. There is a stigma that comes with mental illness (I have seen the brunt of it) and this, like a lot of issues to do with disability, needs to be addressed. There are people living with these sorts of illnesses and others often don't know how to support them. HOWEVER, is there a difference between selling these types of costume and a character like, say, Hannibal Lecter - a psychopath, succumbing to his mental illness, who is deemed terrifying and used as a horror icon? Can we now say that literature, television shows and films that MAY enforce a stigma on those living with mental illness should be removed on the basis they are offensive?  Do we consider that we might be offending nurses, or surgeons, people who may have lost a patient on the table and have felt affected by it, when slipping on our bloodied scrubs and wielding plastic knives as accessories? These costumes are not mocking, or attempting to be cruel, they are a nod to the horror genre.

Norman Bates from Psycho (Image taken from Wikepedia.en)

In my first year of university I wrote a piece on the horror genre, listing a number of features that regularly occur. My argument was that the horror genre often reflects a shared fear of something relevant to the time the film was made. It blows the issue up and makes it plain scary. For instance, Britain's rising concern with teenage crime and violence could arguably be reflected in horrors such as Eden Lake. One thing that has always been relevant and reoccurring is the idea of the human mind, something we still know very little about, and this often veers into the idea of human capabilities. Think films such as Switchblade Romance, Silence of the Lambs, Texas Chainsaw Massacre and, of course, Hitchcock's iconic Psycho. Like horror, Halloween addresses our fears and allows us to express them. I must be clear and stress that I am not saying we are afraid of people with mental illnesses, but afraid of our own capabilities and the power our mind can have over us.

On the subject of costumes, I was surprised to see that this was the only costume choice that was targeted. I understand how people may be offended by the term "mental patient" being used on the costume, but if we are going to go as far as to ban these outfits, then perhaps we should consider a few others to also rid our shelves of. A common fancy dress choice, not only for Halloween, is the "Sexy School Girl" outfit. If we look into this, are we not just objectifying school children? Could we go as far to say that it is encouraging pedophilia? To take it further, if we dress as the dead, might we offend those who are bereaved? There are many costumes that may upset, or even shock people, but the reaction to this particular issue leads me to question whether we are really doing something good, or whether we are encouraging the stigma ourselves. By creating such a reaction against it, are we simply making mental health a taboo subject once again?

 
My final word on this debate is that it's really all a big kerfuffle over bad wording. If it was the same costume with the name "Serial Killer" or if it was an authentic costume of, say "Leatherface" or (again) "Dr.Lecter" then I have no doubt that they would have been fine to sell. In fact, one could argue that the "Psycho Ward" costume from Tesco pretty much IS a knock off of Hannibal's outfit. This is probably because it's trying to be cheap and affordable without breaking copyright laws. I am certain we will still see people in orange jumpsuits, who are playing the Silence of the Lambs villain, and nothing more. At the end of the day, I feel that all we can do is promote awareness of such illnesses, whilst also accepting that costumes like these are really trying to sell cheap-o versions of popular horror icons without treading on copyright toes and were not intended to offend.  

Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs (Image taken from Fanpop.com)

To read the BBC News report online, click here.



I encourage debates and would love to hear your opinion. However, I urge you to be considerate of others, as I have tried to be, when responding to this blog. Thank you.