The poisoned candy scare has been going on at least since I was a kid in the 80s. Honestly just take 2 seconds to check that the wrapper hasn't been tampered with, which is a good idea with any packaged food you're about to eat.
One year an elderly man in my neighborhood was passing out KKK pamphlets along with full size candy bars. Nobody ever warned us about that.
In my day it wasnt drugs but poison; like there were creepy serial killers everywhere trying to poison little kids via Halloween candy. They had cops come to our school and everything. It legit freaked us out.
I spent 23 years in TV broadcasting and the news thrived on scaring the viewers. What scares me is walking or bicycling down a residential street at night (sidewalks empty because people are afraid to simply go out and walk at night) and seeing a big flat screen illuminating every living room. My wife and I are the only people we know of that don't have a flat screen because to us it is a noisy, intrusive presence, an electronic salesman and a money sink (cable subscription) that isn't welcome in our home.
Frantic and as you would expect, all about image. At the time (the internet just getting started) drenched with money. What impressed me most of all was the adulation the public gave to on-air personalities who were simply good looking people who knew how to read what was put before them with just the right mannerisms and vocal inflections. It was an industry built on illusion. There were some dedicated, tireless reporters who doggedly tramped from one "news" location to another and the personalities of the on-air and behind the scenes people were in variety what you would expect of any group of people, but the product was as superficial and forgettable as could be. I would ask myself - am I doing the public any good with my career, even though I am pulling in good money? The answer could only be no, so I quit and in doing so I think I saved my life, that is, I made a decision I've never regretted.
I enjoyed the TV world. I remember every Friday night, my family would crowd around the TV (everyone) and watch the line-up called TGIF. It was a group of family-friendly shows. I think Full House, the Cosby show, and others. Sonic Drive-in had 3 for 1 mini burgers every Friday and that was a treat for the week. Also, everyone at school all watched the same shows and listened to the top 40, so everyone was always talking about the same thing. And, you could break out in song and have everyone in the school singing along. Saturday mornings, parents slept in and the kids were all watching Saturday morning cartoons. (Saturday was the ONLY day for cartoons) I miss it a bit, and though I'm old, I'm not ancient. This was in the 80's and 90's.
During Covid—so much money that could’ve been spent on swimming lessons for young children (drowning is a major cause of death)or making our roads safer (some of the safety rails that collapse safely are expensive), and more children would be alive then the money spent on masking!
Yeah, I can remember my parents inspecting our candy back in the 70s, so this is an urban legend that’s been around for awhile. It picked up a lot in the early 80s after the Tylenol poisonings. It seems less about the “national security state” than it is about human nature. When the world is unsettled, we see risks everywhere. Here’s an interesting bit: https://www.history.com/news/how-americans-became-convinced-their-halloween-candy-was-poisoned
That's part of my point though! The national security state, unlike the hollywood depictions, is often just responding to the same cultural currents the rest of us are.
Bravo Ken! I’ve seen these “intelligence reports” before that literally quote other of the same nonsense and produce it as an original document. Best is correct as they are simply relying on media hokum and fear mongering
The poisoned candy scare has been going on at least since I was a kid in the 80s. Honestly just take 2 seconds to check that the wrapper hasn't been tampered with, which is a good idea with any packaged food you're about to eat.
One year an elderly man in my neighborhood was passing out KKK pamphlets along with full size candy bars. Nobody ever warned us about that.
I remember as a little kid who knew nothing about anything thinking: but why would people give away valuable drugs for free?
In my day it wasnt drugs but poison; like there were creepy serial killers everywhere trying to poison little kids via Halloween candy. They had cops come to our school and everything. It legit freaked us out.
I spent 23 years in TV broadcasting and the news thrived on scaring the viewers. What scares me is walking or bicycling down a residential street at night (sidewalks empty because people are afraid to simply go out and walk at night) and seeing a big flat screen illuminating every living room. My wife and I are the only people we know of that don't have a flat screen because to us it is a noisy, intrusive presence, an electronic salesman and a money sink (cable subscription) that isn't welcome in our home.
What was the TV world like? Always been curious about that.
Frantic and as you would expect, all about image. At the time (the internet just getting started) drenched with money. What impressed me most of all was the adulation the public gave to on-air personalities who were simply good looking people who knew how to read what was put before them with just the right mannerisms and vocal inflections. It was an industry built on illusion. There were some dedicated, tireless reporters who doggedly tramped from one "news" location to another and the personalities of the on-air and behind the scenes people were in variety what you would expect of any group of people, but the product was as superficial and forgettable as could be. I would ask myself - am I doing the public any good with my career, even though I am pulling in good money? The answer could only be no, so I quit and in doing so I think I saved my life, that is, I made a decision I've never regretted.
I enjoyed the TV world. I remember every Friday night, my family would crowd around the TV (everyone) and watch the line-up called TGIF. It was a group of family-friendly shows. I think Full House, the Cosby show, and others. Sonic Drive-in had 3 for 1 mini burgers every Friday and that was a treat for the week. Also, everyone at school all watched the same shows and listened to the top 40, so everyone was always talking about the same thing. And, you could break out in song and have everyone in the school singing along. Saturday mornings, parents slept in and the kids were all watching Saturday morning cartoons. (Saturday was the ONLY day for cartoons) I miss it a bit, and though I'm old, I'm not ancient. This was in the 80's and 90's.
During Covid—so much money that could’ve been spent on swimming lessons for young children (drowning is a major cause of death)or making our roads safer (some of the safety rails that collapse safely are expensive), and more children would be alive then the money spent on masking!
Yeah, I can remember my parents inspecting our candy back in the 70s, so this is an urban legend that’s been around for awhile. It picked up a lot in the early 80s after the Tylenol poisonings. It seems less about the “national security state” than it is about human nature. When the world is unsettled, we see risks everywhere. Here’s an interesting bit: https://www.history.com/news/how-americans-became-convinced-their-halloween-candy-was-poisoned
Booo!
That's part of my point though! The national security state, unlike the hollywood depictions, is often just responding to the same cultural currents the rest of us are.
Yeah, makes sense it’s just a bunch of flawed humans, subject to the same mistakes and limitations as everyone else.
Bravo Ken! I’ve seen these “intelligence reports” before that literally quote other of the same nonsense and produce it as an original document. Best is correct as they are simply relying on media hokum and fear mongering
Great example. I've published many such reports!
I remember talking about this with a friend when we were in college in the 1980’s.
My friend said, “Why would anyone waste their drugs on giving them to kids?”
To be fair wrt the thumbnail, my optometrist aunt has told me about how cheap color contacts can be really bad for your eyes
Yes but why is Homeland Security Investigations notifying people of that? In my view they're trying to get involved in too much.
Yeah its bizarre of HSI of all things to be tweeting about that and not like, consumer reports lmfao
that DHS nonsense is legit depressing .. makes me glad I grew up in the 80s.