To think parents shouldn't be upsetting their kids dressing up as The Grinch?

[BluebirdRobin]

I've seen several videos on social media where parents film their small children's reactions of "The Grinch" coming in the room with a bag to take their presents from under the tree. The children in the videos are screaming and crying their eyes out and in one the kid is really screaming and trying to hit the grinch and telling him to get out.

It's not staged, these kids are really frightened and crying! Even when they tell the kids after it's a "joke," why would parents want to upset their kids at Christmas like this for a joke? Then to put it out there on social media where it'll no doubt be shared year after year on TikTok and the like!

It's just horrible!

European traditions, one around Christmas time, one for children who suck their thumbs. Been around a lot longer than social media trends.

Weren’t they more of a threat to scare kids into good behaviour, rather than scaring children for laughs?

Neither tradition originated for giggles and like on social media.

OP YANBU. However if these are influencers, the last laugh will be on them. Dr Seuss Enterprises are meaner than the Grinch when it comes to unothorised use of their intellectual properties. They’ve issued multiple lawsuits and cease & desist letters.

petapixel.com/2019/10/02/dr-seuss-goes-after-photographer-over-grinch-themed-photo-shoot/

I realise it's not on the same scale in terms of trauma and distress, but I hated that craze a few years ago for frightening cats while they were eating by putting cucumbers behind them on the floor to look like snakes, then filming the terrified cat's reaction.

I've just seen the one where they tell a family member a celebrity has died to film their reaction. Why??

YABU, it’s a prank, it’s funny, the kids won’t end up in therapy.

You are being incredibly sensitive

Have you seen how distressed some of those children are? It’s not a little shock like a balloon being popped.

It’s prolonged distress in what is supposed to be their safe space (their home), and the people who they are supposed to trust more than anyone else in the world are filming and laughing and providing no comfort or protection. Trust broken.

But yeah, just a joke. So fucking funny.

Oh Christ, another sensitive sally out today.

You need to get a grip and hope your children don’t grow up to be as wet as you are

Bloody hell.

Yes, gosh I am such a drip. My poor children, heaven forbid, eh.

Well yes, you are a drip..

Its a practical joke, the only children who’d be impacted by this long term are most likely the ones with parents who think this is awful, so it’s self policing.

Question for you
Why does it give you please to know you've done something that's made your child feel sad and scared in the moment?

Forget the "he'll be fine once he's over it".

In the instance he's crying, scared, upset, what is it about that situation that makes you feel good?

You don’t understand the concept of a joke do you.

Its funny, it makes people laugh, why do you think people watch you’ve been framed?

Someone showed me one of these grinch videos the other day and it was horrific! The vile, idiot so called parents should be arrested for causing trauma to a small child! Absolute dirtbags!

It's nothing like you've been framed.

These children are screaming, crying in distress and getting aggressive from anger in these videos, it's horrible to watch. Then for parents to post it online to go viral. Disgusting!

It’s not making everyone laugh though is it?

Those videos make me laugh, and millions of others too

Well if watching children be frightened, distressed, crying their eyes out, becoming aggressive or cowering under furniture, scared whilst their parents film it makes you laugh then you are clearly the problem here.

It’s somebody in a mask breaking into their house and stealing their presents. They’re totally helpless, and screaming for their parents to help, and they’re ignored. It’s grim.

I’ve not seen it and no wish too I don’t believe in pranks that are cruel either to children which worse or to adults. Grew up in a family in which bitchy comments were seen as funny, NC 16 years ago.

I also hate this one. Goading your kid is absolutely shitty parenting.

It’s grim. Some of the kids in those videos look very distressed.

I’m sick of people saying “oh it’s a joke, you have no sense of humour” etc.

Pranks and jokes are only funny if both parties find them funny. If the kids were laughing along then yeah I might laugh too but watching kids be traumatised just isn’t funny to me. 🤷‍♀️

Yeah, or if the grinch came to the door with a bag and stood there and the kids all told him to go away and he did etc. That might be funny.

But the "grinch" comes barging in and shoves their presents in a bag whilst throwing some of the kids off of him who are distressed and trying to stop him then leaves and they are all crying there eyes out. In one the grinch grabbed the tree and just threw it across the room!

It's not done in a pantomime villain "he's behind you" humoured way, it's done in an aggressive way in these children's home with their presents.

There is something deeply disturbing about people who think crying, distressed children are funny.

Well I don't understand the concept of this joke, so I'm asking you to explain why it's funny.

What is it about seeing young children scared and upset that you find funny? In what way do you get pleasured from seeing emotionally vulnerable people being made to feel this way? Does it also work if it's vulnerable adults say those with significant learning difficulties? Does making them scared and upset also make you feel good?

Totally with you op, am glad that I’m not the only one to find this totally disgraceful.
Saw one the other day where the youngest kids were screaming and crying and the older ones weren’t sure how to react so trying to hit/stop the grinch. Parents and other adults finding it hilarious and laughing whilst totally ignoring the children’s distress and doing nothing to comfort them.

This is not just a joke/bit of fun…it’s cruel.