Writing the story first
My wife and I have a costume shop.
The Halloween after 9/11 (well, actually a few days before) a TV station sent a reporter and camera to do a story on patriotic costumes.
Reporter interviewed us, asked if there had been a surge in demand for patriotic theme costumes. Nope. A few extra fire fighters, but nothing else. Uncle Sam and Lady Liberty hadn’t even gone out, and other years we’d had one or two of each go out. Asked about any 9/11 theme costumes. A couple of calls asking about (but not requesting) Bin Laden masks, which we refuse to carry. At the reporter’s suggestion, we called some of our mask suppliers - they weren’t making any, so we couldn’t sell them if we wanted to.
Reporter interviewed three couples who came in. All the interviews went pretty much the same. Looking for patriotic costume? No. Is that because you thought they’d be sold out? No. Is that because you are afraid it would be laughed at? No, just didn’t think of it. Are you going to now? No.
So, of course, the story was all about how patriotic costumes were the in thing this year and lots of people were renting and buying them. It was obvious the story had already been mostly written and the point of the exercise was to get some video and sound, not to find out what was happening.
We didn’t complain. Free advertising, and they used the bit where my wife said we refused to deal with Bin Laden masks or terrorist costumes because we are about fun, not hate. Which was important to us.
