Slog
News & ArtsTuesday, October 27, 2009
Chow / ??!! Trick-or-Treat FAIL
Posted by Bethany Jean Clement on Tue, Oct 27, 2009 at 9:40 AM
- rochelle, et. al. / flickr
It's "Reverse Trick-or-Treat": In which lucky, lucky kids get to "turn the usual Halloween tradition of receiving candy on its head when they distribute Fair Trade-certified chocolate to adults. Attached to the chocolate will be a card explaining the labor and environmental problems in the cocoa industry globally and how Fair Trade provides a solution."
In Tacoma, fair-trade store Global Creations is hosting “'store-to-store' instead of 'door-to-door' reverse trick-or-treating on October 31st"—meaning not only are you going to stores instead of houses, YOU'RE giving THEM candy.
So you're all "Trick or treat—wait, no, dear store proprietor! I jest! Here is some Fair Trade chocolate that I am giving to YOU so we can save the planet and end child labor TOGETHER!" And maybe you're dressed as an ANGEL!
But instead of the card explaining the labor and environmental etc., you give them a card that says, "I AM THE UNWILLING CAPTIVE OF POLITICALLY CORRECT MONSTERS! CHILD LABOR: YOU'RE LOOKING AT IT! HELP ME!"
4
I get that if you're passionate about something, you probably want to instill your ideals in your children, but how about letting them go to a friend's house for the evening while you "reverse trick-or-treat" without them? Let them be kids instead of your own personal political puppets. It'll be 100% more fulfilling (for everyone) if they choose to be activists than if you force it on them.
7
Sounds like a great way to make your kids despise you.
Shit like this is basically the same as religious nut parents turning their kids into little proselytizers.
If the parents want to protest/be activists, fine, but let the kid figure out his/her own life and beliefs on their own.
Shit like this is basically the same as religious nut parents turning their kids into little proselytizers.
If the parents want to protest/be activists, fine, but let the kid figure out his/her own life and beliefs on their own.
10
Cheap crappy candy bars are so gross. They're mostly corn syrup and cow secretions, not chocolate. Kids will eat anything with a brand name, but shame on adults who eat that crap. Spend $0.50 more and get one of those endangered species bars or a dagoba or something.
12
When I was 8 my mom asked me if I wanted to trick-or-treat for UNICEF. "So, wait," I said slowly, "I go to people's doors and ask for money instead of candy, and then I give that money to UNICEF?"
"Uhhh, no thanks, Mom."
"Uhhh, no thanks, Mom."
13
Child labor in the cocoa industry is a real problem.
I kind of don't approve of SLOG mocking people who are spreading the word about a solution.
I kind of don't approve of SLOG mocking people who are spreading the word about a solution.
15
Last year for Halloween my wife and I sat on our front porch wearing masks. We stared straight ahead and didn’t move. (You’ve never seen a fiercer pregnant goblin than Annie, trust me.) Anyhow, we had a big ol’ dish of candy between us and we were enjoying the holiday, discussing how next year we’d have a little demon to dress up. More than one kid hesitated before approaching us. Some, in fact, skipped our house altogether, leaving more candy for us. Still, most came and took a couple of handfuls.
The evening was a success.
A couple of days later while making my internet rounds, I learned about reverse trick-or-treating.
It sounds like a good idea, but then I got to thinking about Annie and I sitting on our porch, enjoying the holiday. What if a little Yoda came up to us, told us our Kit Kats were supporting slave-like conditions in the cocoa industry, did not accept our candy, and handed us a piece of free trade chocolate?
I suppose we’d be more open than most people to this, but I’m not sure we wouldn’t have been a little put off by the lecture. Such movements need to be a little more socially practical and a little less holier than thou.
The evening was a success.
A couple of days later while making my internet rounds, I learned about reverse trick-or-treating.
It sounds like a good idea, but then I got to thinking about Annie and I sitting on our porch, enjoying the holiday. What if a little Yoda came up to us, told us our Kit Kats were supporting slave-like conditions in the cocoa industry, did not accept our candy, and handed us a piece of free trade chocolate?
I suppose we’d be more open than most people to this, but I’m not sure we wouldn’t have been a little put off by the lecture. Such movements need to be a little more socially practical and a little less holier than thou.
16
have any of you thought of a good way to end some of these horrific practices? Would you let your child work in a factory for no wages? No, you care too much for your children. Maybe if we started caring a little bit more about how we are 'investing' our money everytime you open your wallets the world would be a safer, more tolerant place where people are more of a priority over corporation profits. Know where your money is going!!!!
17
Actually, the store was giving out candy, not expecting to get it from others. Kids could take it for themselves or give it to someone else to educate them about fair trade. Since child labor makes up a large part of the work force in the cocoa fields, it makes sense for kids and their parents to raise awareness on this issue, along with fair trade groups. Groups from around the U.S. and Canada participated and you can find more information at www.reversetrickortreating.org.
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