Halloween Roadtrip, 2004
Nov. 2nd, 2003 03:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
teleidoplexI'm announcing it now so that y'all can plan ahead.
After three years of exceedingly banal Halloweens, I have come to a conclusion:
Halloween in the midwest sucks sweaty donkey balls.
This is a completely subjective opinion and in no way reflects on the good times had by others on Halloweens past, so don't even bother to tell me why I'm wrong because for *myself*, I'm not. As I've expounded upon in LJ posts elsewhere (and pasted and edited here), Halloween is my favorite holiday, and has significant creative and spiritual charge for me. But this charge is not linked to parties or pagan rituals. It's all about the masks and illusions and creative chaos.
I'm a costume whore. And Halloween is a day dedicated to costumy goodness. And there are both celebratory and spiritual aspects to that which for me exceed any celebratory or spiritual aspects found in Halloween parties or Samhain rituals. There is something ecstatic for me in spending *months* planning and executing the most amazing costume I can think of, then going to a place where *tens of thousands* of other people (whose costume skills put mine to shame) have done the same thing, and just walking around in ecstatic communion over the beauty and creativity of the masks that we put on to show our real selves, our imagined selves, the selves we admire and wish to bring into us. If identity is performative, then Halloween is the time when we get to *be*. And the more energy we put into *being*, the more we can embody our deepest dreams and fears.
Really, it's all about the illusions that we work so hard to make into reality that they become more real than the everyday. Hyperreality at its best.
I'm talking Knott's Scary Farm, with cool mazes and monsters who chase you with chainsaws, and the original Freddy vs. Jason vs. everyone in pop culture. I'm talking wandering hoardes of trick-or-treaters all over the place, who run from house to house trailing parents behind. I'm talking about hundreds of people at gothic masquerade balls that would put the scene in Labrynth to shame.
But beyond anything else, I'm talking Santa Monica Blvd. -- the West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval. It's filled with beautiful people in beautiful costumes that you can never approach competing with because the people who made them have spent several months, tons of money, and loads of creative energy and love putting them together. I would work pretty hard every year and wouldn't get a whole lot of attention because there were just so many impressive costumes and costumed groups, which was fine because just looking and applauding others' efforts is the best part. You just walk up and down the Blvd and marvel at the beauty and creative genius that regular, everyday people can put forth for no other reason than to celebrate each other and clothing and the masks we wear that show our true selves.
So, next year I'm going home for Halloween. Anyone who wants to join me is welcome. We'll get crash space somewhere, and have an ecstatic, magikal Halloween, L.A.-style. Screw this midwest bullshit. Lame-ass interior of America.
Kitsune
Angst is for amateurs. Professionals rant.
After three years of exceedingly banal Halloweens, I have come to a conclusion:
Halloween in the midwest sucks sweaty donkey balls.
This is a completely subjective opinion and in no way reflects on the good times had by others on Halloweens past, so don't even bother to tell me why I'm wrong because for *myself*, I'm not. As I've expounded upon in LJ posts elsewhere (and pasted and edited here), Halloween is my favorite holiday, and has significant creative and spiritual charge for me. But this charge is not linked to parties or pagan rituals. It's all about the masks and illusions and creative chaos.
I'm a costume whore. And Halloween is a day dedicated to costumy goodness. And there are both celebratory and spiritual aspects to that which for me exceed any celebratory or spiritual aspects found in Halloween parties or Samhain rituals. There is something ecstatic for me in spending *months* planning and executing the most amazing costume I can think of, then going to a place where *tens of thousands* of other people (whose costume skills put mine to shame) have done the same thing, and just walking around in ecstatic communion over the beauty and creativity of the masks that we put on to show our real selves, our imagined selves, the selves we admire and wish to bring into us. If identity is performative, then Halloween is the time when we get to *be*. And the more energy we put into *being*, the more we can embody our deepest dreams and fears.
Really, it's all about the illusions that we work so hard to make into reality that they become more real than the everyday. Hyperreality at its best.
I'm talking Knott's Scary Farm, with cool mazes and monsters who chase you with chainsaws, and the original Freddy vs. Jason vs. everyone in pop culture. I'm talking wandering hoardes of trick-or-treaters all over the place, who run from house to house trailing parents behind. I'm talking about hundreds of people at gothic masquerade balls that would put the scene in Labrynth to shame.
But beyond anything else, I'm talking Santa Monica Blvd. -- the West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval. It's filled with beautiful people in beautiful costumes that you can never approach competing with because the people who made them have spent several months, tons of money, and loads of creative energy and love putting them together. I would work pretty hard every year and wouldn't get a whole lot of attention because there were just so many impressive costumes and costumed groups, which was fine because just looking and applauding others' efforts is the best part. You just walk up and down the Blvd and marvel at the beauty and creative genius that regular, everyday people can put forth for no other reason than to celebrate each other and clothing and the masks we wear that show our true selves.
So, next year I'm going home for Halloween. Anyone who wants to join me is welcome. We'll get crash space somewhere, and have an ecstatic, magikal Halloween, L.A.-style. Screw this midwest bullshit. Lame-ass interior of America.
Kitsune
Angst is for amateurs. Professionals rant.
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Carnivale
Date: 2003-11-03 03:33 am (UTC)I spent last Carnivale in Venice.
Venice Beach that is.
great and extravagant time.
Halloween
Date: 2003-11-03 03:37 am (UTC)I went to Knott's Scarey Farm with a group of women friends this year. We had an awesome time. I road my first roller coasters since my neck broke. Survived.
Best of all was the assylum maze. One of the nurses scared me and I properly screamed and she and another decided to pick on me. And I had a lovely time squealing and screaming and running around. And they asked my friends my name and they chased me all over calling my name. They could go in and out of the maze, so I would think I lost them and they'd pop back in. We finally ended up with 4 of them chasing me out of the maze. Terrific time was had by all.
ST Monica Blvd. was awash with a rainstorm this year. Should be great next year.
Re: Halloween
Date: 2003-11-03 05:36 pm (UTC)Santa Monica Blvd
Date: 2003-11-03 04:23 pm (UTC)And though we had a good time this year, I can say with certainty that next year will probably be an absolutely perfect halloween because everyone who felt like they were impeded by the rain will come out in full force with costumes and ideas that put all years previous to shame.
Dev
Re: Santa Monica Blvd
Date: 2003-11-03 05:38 pm (UTC)Yeah, it rained a little here on Halloween, but it wasn't anything terrible, and it was like 70 degrees. It's been absolutely gorgeous out here...California-style gorgeous, but with trees changing colors.
Miss you both and can't wait to see you for Turkey.
no subject
Date: 2003-11-03 07:02 pm (UTC)But yeah Devon and I went and got rained on, but we still had fun. I went as Charlie Chaplin, which I may well do again when we go back next year because I really did not get to enjoy my costume with all the rain.
Still it was fun and I am counting the days till we eat Turkey and Yams, there will be Yams right, I mean you wouldn't lure me out to the middle of the country and not provide Yams, your not that cruel, your nice, Yam giving nice, Yams with Marshmallows but not to much Marshmallows.
MMMMM Yams
no subject
Date: 2003-11-03 11:05 pm (UTC)Happy Birthday To You
Date: 2003-11-04 02:47 am (UTC)HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
no subject
Date: 2003-11-07 03:26 pm (UTC)*checks watch*
Fuck, I don't want to go to class.