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Are gory costumes appropriate in Salem? Readers say it’s ‘Halloween fun.’
After a Reddit post went viral that called out the gore in one Salem busker's Halloween costume, we asked readers if gory costumes were appropriate in the nation's Witch City.
In Salem, a town known for its historical witch trials and location of Halloween movies and TV shows, sightings of people dressed as witches and pumpkins are anything but rare. Especially in October.
It’s a holiday that also invites people to take on scarier alter egos, as monsters, ghosts, or characters of beloved slashers. The more creative and authentic, the better, in most cases.
But how far is too far for a Halloween costume, especially one that is seen by a bustling crowd of locals and visitors alike in one of America’s most famous Halloween attractions?
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One Reddit post from a parent that went locally viral questioned the boundaries of gore in Salem around Halloween season, specifically calling out a busker who dresses up as a terrifying clown and carries a fake bloody torso when children are nearby.
“Art the Clown proudly holding up a bloodied torso by the severed spine with the head attached is way over the line, though,” the original poster said. “This was at noon on a Sunday — I could see a kid winding up in therapy after seeing this.”
While several commenters agreed with this parent’s concerns of the costume being too gory for children, we asked Boston.com readers for their input. Of the 264 readers who responded, the majority said the costume and others just as creepy are appropriate for a town all about Halloween.
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“It’s Halloween and time for spooky stuff,” said Tricia M. of Brockton. “Parents can explain to children that it is not real, and if needed, avoid the area during this time.”
But not all Boston.com readers agree that Halloween time is an excuse for dressing up as a walking nightmare, especially during the light of day. Below we compiled a sampling of responses on whether or not Salem has gotten too gory.
Are "Art the Clown" and similar gory characters appropriate for Salem's Halloween festivities?
No, there are families and young children there
13%
Yes, but only at night
20%
Of course! It's part of the Salem fun
67%
Other
1%
‘There’s no problem with people dressing up as their favorite scary character’
“There are too many taking the fun out of Salem and Halloween. If the buskers follow the rules, then they are welcome. Please don’t water down Halloween fun in Salem.” —Mike L., Bellingham
“They add that spice and flair to this wonderful little town!” —Maria W., Ocean View, Delaware
“I can understand where families are coming from, but it is a town based around Halloween. If anything, maybe there could be sections on Essex Street dedicated to the more ‘extreme’ buskers. That way families could steer clear if they’d like to avoid that. I don’t think it’s fair to necessarily subject those specific buskers to night time only.” —Sarah M., York
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“I love Halloween and all the surprises. There is excitement and energy with the changing season and the dark underbelly of people’s creative minds. I put a lot of effort into making my props and decorating my yard. It’s good, creative energy and gets people talking.” —J.F., Melrose
“I think as a parent that lives in Salem, you have to be prepared to have conversations with your children (at any age) about what they may see. Teach them the difference between real and not real. Avoid certain areas if there is a particularly scary individual. It’s Salem, there are going to be lots of boundaries pushed! I raised my now 8-year-old there, and we used to dress her up and take her downtown from the moment she was born.” —Monique, Salem
“Part of Halloween is scary and gory — you can walk right by anything you don’t like. If you are bringing small children, you need to know Salem is crowded at all times and full of Halloween characters, from Hocus Pocus to Art the Clown. So use your judgment.” —Danielle, Providence, Rhode Island
“Salem is not Disneyland. Halloween includes horror movies, not just a bunch of Hocus Pocus.” —Joann H., North Reading
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“Salem is known for witches, ghosts, ghoulies, and all Halloween. I was fortunate enough to finally visit Salem in August this year, after many years of being on my bucket list. I now want to go back closer to Halloween to experience more of the Halloween vibes. It’s a beautiful town. It has some interesting characters, even outside of the Halloween atmosphere, and also a plethora of kind people that work and visit there as well. I would love to bring my grandkids to this bustling Halloween extravaganza some day in the next few years. Thank you Salem and all the various characters of your town. Keep the spirit of Halloween alive for all!” —Karen B., Wenatchee, Washington
“Halloween is all about spooky, scary, and just fun. My husband dresses up as Michael Myers and has so much fun. My youngest son dresses up as all the horror characters. There’s no problem with people dressing up as their favorite scary character. We love Salem and have been going almost every year for the past six years, and we enjoy ourselves and seeing everyone in their costumes.” Anissa L., Woonsocket, Rhode Island
‘Realistic gore at night only’
“People actually live in this town! Do you want to see a severed body while walking to the pharmacy or post office with your child?” —A reader in Salem
“There is a big difference between daytime all-ages appropriate costuming and night-time adult/older teen costuming. Art the Clown belongs in the night-time category, along with other gory costumes.” —Wayne, Tewksbury
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“I’m a Salem local with a 6-year-old and a 2-year-old. We live downtown. The pedestrian mall with all the buskers is an area we regularly travel, and my kids are very accustomed to the spooky Salem sights. The unspoken rules of the buskers mentioned in the article have always worked for my kids, but Art’s bloody torso is too much and frightens them. While he may not force people to engage with him, the sight is unavoidable and makes my kids really uncomfortable. It may be fine at night, but it’s not OK in the morning or during the day when little Salem kids are just out trying to walk to the playground because the traffic is too bad to try to drive anywhere.” —Jennifer, Salem
“Where’s the line? Realistic gore at night only. Have some sensitivity to the fact that it isn’t a horror festival, but a community where people live. Be reasonable, not purposely causing people coming out for fun to have to deal with realistic gore. Don’t ruin the party for everyone else by pushing the edge just for the attention. You know there are plenty of families and kids that don’t welcome that. So why do it?” —A reader in Salem
‘It takes the joy out of a nice stroll’
“I live in Salem. I’ve seen it one too many times — scary character decides it’ll be fun to scare an 8-year-old child, does, then scoots off leaving mom and dad to clean up the hysteria. Sure, dress scary and have fun. Let kids approach you.” —Erica, Salem
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“I am a new father of two small ones, and I’m also a horror fan. But I don’t agree with kids seeing this type of stuff. It can honestly leave a staining memory and create fears too early on in life. In my mind it would be nice if they were able to walk the streets of Salem without the children having to process what a disembodied torso that is oozy blood might look like, alongside a menacing clown that they might think is going to hurt them. [It] takes the joy out of a nice stroll. I don’t know if that’s something we need a child to have to think about and understand at such a young age. Their minds are filled with wonder. I don’t think it’s great that they have to worry about death and mutilation as well. They have plenty of time left in their lives to face those disgusting aspects.” —Mike, West Newbury
Boston.com occasionally interacts with readers by conducting informal polls and surveys. These results should be read as an unscientific gauge of readers’ opinion.
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