I noticed that everything fun is banned long before. Starting with music--back then, you had a book of 225 songs (now, it's 135). Anything else had a problem, often hidden, preventing enjoying it. You had to worry yourself sick about what hidden message there might be in the song--and if one is found, the song goes in the garbage. Pretty much the same for movies and TV: if it isn't swearing, it's magic, a touch of violence, sexual innuendo, or promoting something that is against the religion.
Holidays and birthdays are all banned. Worldly people get to enjoy the fall colors, along with the pumpkins and ghosts. True, it may glorify demons--but children know it's all a show. They get to go from door to door for candy that once a year--in costumes. And, Christmas brings presents, pretty lights, and some nice music once a year (along with the fun of going shopping for gifts). The witlesses deride it as a one-day blowoff that costs huge amounts of money and hassle, but I used to find it enjoyable from when I got the Wish Book well into February. Easter is also banned--the colored eggs and rabbits, the fun of finding the candy, and whatever toys you get are all banned.
Witlesses can't even get a decent education. That means getting crap jobs that are dreary, plus that don't pay very much. In turn, this further blah-ifies life for the witlesses. The children are not allowed to do well in school (after all, they have those boasting sessions every Thursday evening that run past their bedtimes, on a popular unit test night at that (and they cannot study, between that and field circus).
And, I have noticed this trend with get-togethers between 1980 and the time I quit. They started with the roller-skating parties. Then, the congregation picnics went. Finally, just about all gatherings of significant size went. The excuse was that there were isolated reports of fornication resulting when these gatherings let out. I have noticed that all the fun has dried out after around 1993. And, every year it seems that the Filthful and Disgraceful Slavebugger comes out with new rules proscribing something else that is fun. Most recently, the Goodie Night after the book study was done away with, replaced with that dreary 4-hour Family Waste the Evening Night.
Now, all their time is wasted in field circus. People are not allowed to have even the slightest amount of fun there or at the Kingdumb Hell. Running is not allowed--you walk as robots. You wear a suit that is usually uncomfortable, and is out of fashion. The men have suits that are most comfortable at around 55 o F, while the "sisters" wear an outfit that is best at around 75 or 80 F. Any accessory that is fashionable is banned. You are allowed no toys, even the children (many of them are hounded for having drawing paper and a pencil during the boasting sessions).
Of course, anything else they find that might be fun will soon be banned by the Filthful and Disgraceful Slavebugger, if it hasn't already.
