Does it matter?

Bryan notes that it has become an annual feature at this ranter's stump to lament the decay in Halloween costumes. Last year, it was the pimp--as in vintage Huggy Bear/I'm Gonna Get You, Sucka!--costumes which drew my ire.

Is it an overreaction? Perhaps--I've been known to do that, and will do so in the future--count on it.

But, quelle suprise, I don't think so. Say what you will about PimpHorama '04--at least it was full length (well, for the lads) and didn't have the cachet of a $2.5 billion multimedia conglomerate saturating so-called "kids" networks with its endless, relentless ad blitz. This is worse, and a bigger step down the road.

And, as I said last time, consider the change from even just 15 years ago--it would have been unthinkable. This is how the cultural frog gets boiled--slowly, inexorably and by the slow drift of years. What's it going to be like 15 years from now? Will Bratz be considered quaint, even prudish?

Likely so. Believe me, I'd love to see the evidence that I'm overreacting, that things are actually getting better for kids.

It's simply not there.