So here is the deal, this Halloween has been horrible. I am about to describe the horrifying incidents I have had the displeasure to be apart of this holiday season. And I don't mean horrible and horrifying in the spooky fun Halloween I mean horrible & horrifying in the very bad situation way.
This past Saturday I was subbing as a House Manager for the night. We had a great night and closed up shop. I then had to wait on Hollywood Blvd. for my husband to come pick me up (he was in a show and I needed to wait 45 minutes for him). It was Halloween party weekend. Loads of very scantily clad girls (i.e. girls in literally [and I am using this word very correctly] underwear and fish nets with either a bra or a corset or pasties) and drunk guys in either creepy masks, no costumes, or a something not remotely creative "costume". Whilst waiting I saw a drunk man grabbing at a gal in underwear, fish nets, and a corset. Grabbing her butt, her breasts, kissing on her face & neck. She kept pushing him away playfully. He did the same to a friend in her group who shoved him quite hard and told him to get the fuck off of her. He then went back to the original girl, picked her up & wrapped her legs around his waist, rubbed and pinched her butt, then ripped open her fish nets and shoved is hands into the the leg area of her underwear, he then began to shove his hands into her butthole and [I believe] vagina. She began flailing and yelling at the man. He kept putting his fingers in and out of her butt until she wriggled off of him, pushed him, shouted, and walked briskly into a restaurant. He began to say to his friends how he wanted to "get some more of that sweetness" and "wanted a taste". This man assaulted this girl. I have no idea if she knew him or not. Her playful shoving seemed to indicate so but I have no idea of knowing. I just know I witnessed an assault and I was NOT OKAY with it. I yelled. I wanted to kick the crap out of him. I feel traumatized by it, I hope she was okay and reported it. I want that man to be punished. SEVERELY. And I am angry that I didn't do something more. That I felt scared and didn't do something. That NO ONE did something. It was not okay.
Then I was working a House Manager again last night at Second City. We were seating for our 10PM show. We heard *POP POP POP* at about 10ish. Then there was a massive panic on Hollywood Blvd. People ran up our stairs hysterically screaming and crying. Our Stage Manager yelled everyone on the floor and away from the windows, someone is shooting! We (the staff & interns) got everyone into the hallways & back rooms, turned off the lights, and began to try to quiet the hysterical teenagers from the street down. We also tried to clear the stairwell where people were like fish in a barrel if the shooter came by. We called 911, we quieted those who were panicking and screaming, we held the doors closed against a possible shooter heading our way, we held our breaths and hoped we wouldn't have to be brave. We had people choose to leave the theatre out towards the chaos after we warned not to. We saw a young boy sitting across the street with his foot shot writhing about. The news said he was 14. We also saw a young man put into an ambulance (17 shot in the chest in critical condition). We found out a 25 year old was shot in the butt. I was in the store it happened in/in front of just an hour or so prior. I sincerely hope everyone involved ends up okay and I hope that the man shot wasn't one of the store clerks that I talk to all the time. We had one of interns need to lock herself in the bathroom downstairs in the box office until the chaos calmed down. We also locked down the theatre when we were able. We turned away some shady people who tried to get in at the tail end of the big panic. We then let people leave through our back door only in groups. The shooter/s was/were not apprehended. Needless to say the street was closed down, things were crazy, we all felt lucky as hell to get out of there okay, and when I got home at 12:15ish AM I was so glad to get into a hot shower, my pjs, and my bed with my pups and husband. I was scared and angry and shocked and proud I did do something. That I kept cool on the outside despite my internal panic button screaming in my ears. That I stood up and was brave and helped keep people safe. It was not okay though.
This holiday & these two incidents has made me dislike Halloween quite a bit. A holiday I used to love [since I got to play dress-up and watch spooky movies and hang up fun decorations for] has become a day/night/weekend where people hide behind masks and alcohol and do TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, AWFUL things to other people. No one wanted these things to happen. No one asked for or deserved these things to happen. And whilst Hollywood Blvd. has its everyday "characters" to be aware of, none of this is normal or okay. None of this will ever be okay. I am angry and scared and quite a bit scarred. I am glad it is all over and I walked away mostly okay. But I have to say I am exceedingly sad that my childhood is completely stripped from this holiday. It has become too much about horrific events like this. I am now spending my Halloweens at home safe with my family watching scary movies. I want the scary things I see to be on my television in a made up film NOT on the street in front of me.
