Good or bad idea: Beat up on a black cat pinata for Halloween entertainment

Is this a good or bad idea? I thought I’d seen arguments about everything imaginable on Facebook when I came across cat skeleton pinatas for Halloween.

On one side of the idea were people who think nothing is wrong with having a cat skeleton pinata or a black cat pinata at a Halloween party. Some even went so far as to state those who are against these pinatas are complaining about nothing. The cat skeleton theme is done as entertainment.

The other side believes it will give those who commit animal cruelty an outlet, or dare I say it, a practice session. They’re convinced that beating up on a Mexican custom ( which come in all colors) will turn people into animal abusers.

There are at least two versions of the cat pinata for Halloween. One is in the form of a black cat skeleton. The other is a simple black cat. I don’t approve of black cats being used to advertise these as we all know black cats aren’t safe around Halloween.

Although pinatas are commonly associated with Mexico, the Spanish origin of pinatas is largely undisputed among historians, some evidence also points to China as the original root of the pinata custom. And the tradition may have made a stop in Italy on the way from China to Spain.

How would you feel if you attended a Halloween party with one of these being used? Are these simply a fun way to have candy rain down on you or is there a darker meaning since you’ll be beating a cat to get the reward?

Related article posted in 2013 Halloween costumes for pets to top $330 million

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9 thoughts on “Good or bad idea: Beat up on a black cat pinata for Halloween entertainment”

  1. The author of the best comment will receive an Amazon gift of their choice at Christmas! Please comment as they can add to the article and pass on your valuable experience.
  2. I’m not sure. Let me make up a golden retriever pinata and beat the crap out of it with a baseball bat in public. I’ll get back to you once I ditch the angry mob.

    Reply
    • There are so many angry mobs I lose track of them. Michael seems to think it’s hormone related but maybe they’re just eating too much sugar and drinking too much caffeine.

      Reply
      • It might just be that online women feel able to voice their true feelings because it is not face to face. The hormone theory is not that good really. I think it is more about the true feelings of women coming out on social media.

        Reply
  3. I don’t like use of animal image or symbols twinned with encouraged violence from children.

    Is beating up on an image/representation of another species appropriate as entertainment? No.

    Must be other ways of entertaining candy hungry kids. This does feed into the zeitgeist even if commonising the concept of beating up the animal (image/pinata) to get reward.

    Yeah, I’m a curmudgeon on this subject.

    Reply
  4. The concept of pinatas never bothered me because they are rooted in folklore and culture. I do not think I have ever seen a black cat pinata though; they are usually Latin themed. If I really stop to think about it, the idea of a black cat pinata could be misconstrued by someone who is highly suggestive or unaware of tradition. There is a fine line between what can be labeled offensive.

    Personally, I love Halloween. It has always been my favorite holiday. I just accepted the “black cat” Halloween theme as a harmless custom. Now this pinata has me thinking…and I am not sure how I feel.🤔😶🎃

    Reply
    • Actual torture of real animals and species is a substantial part of much tradition and folklore. It reflects the ignorance, practices and beliefs of the past.

      Kittens, other small animals put in pots and hurled to the ground from church towers anyone?

      That is traditional.

      Hunting dogs hanged by their necks with hind toes touching the ground, then abandoned at the end of the hunting season, to a protracted, agonising, terrifying death all in the name of “jesus”?

      That is traditional too.

      The above two atrocities are currently practiced in in some parts of Spain (& other countries) They will happen this year, every year, forever…

      Yeah, we can look away from anything potentially obscene or actually obscene, all in the name of “sacred” or “fun” perpetuating brutality.

      Yeah tradition! Keep homo sapiens in the dark ages for all time

      Reply
  5. It wouldn’t bother me or entice me since I can disinformation between a game and a heinous act.

    I think we really need to dictate on mental health and the way to do that is engage with each other

    Step away from the TV, phone, etc, and have a conversation, and participate in an activity.

    Reply
      • I called a friend a thief thanks to autosuggestion. And when I leave Bi-Lo the message goes through to my daughter that I just left Bill.

        Reply

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