For generations, Halloween has been about more than passing out candy to the trick-or-treaters. From teenagers to adults, most people see Halloween as a time to be anything other than themselves. But does that mean we should really dress like anything?
The influence of the Internet seems to become ever more prevalent in the lives of Halloween party-goers. The competition to have the best-looking costume has reached a boiling point and seems to be showing no signs of cooling down anytime soon, leading others to take more controversial approaches when deciding what will drop the most jaws and get the most likes.
A recent onslaught of inappropriate and offensive costumes has sparked a heated debate over whether a line is being crossed, or if there even is a line. Last year brought the Boston Marathon victim and the British college students who dressed as the burning Twin Towers. This year ISIS and Ray Rice. And we’ve all heard about the Sexy Nurse costume, but have you heard of the Sexy Ebola Nurse?
There’s always that added pressure for girls and women to dress provocatively. There’s a sexy costume for everything imaginable: from a Girl Scout to a “Lady PhD,” if you Google it, chances are, you’ll find it (and probably on Amazon, too).
The main problem with these costumes is the offensiveness. For example, there was an overwhelming response from female PhD holders to the “Lady PhD” costume. The women found the objectification of their profession and hard work demeaning. And, on top of that, the colors of the cap and gown weren’t even correct.
We’re taught from a very young age that the decisions we make have the ability to effect other people and we here at The Mycenaean would advise other to stick to this principle. So, when you dress your children in outfits obviously make fun of domestic abuse, you ruin the fun, light-hearted nature of Halloween for those of us in normal costumes.
All we’re saying is think before you dress like a Muslim, but tell everyone you’re a terrorist, because that’s a real culture, with real people, who have real feelings. I bet we’d all be upset if a European dressed like an American for Halloween and made themselves look like overweight, nationalists carrying hamburgers and hunting rifles, wouldn’t we?
And, as for the “sexy” costumes, Loni Love, comedienne and talk show host, said it best: “If you have to do homework in the morning, you should not be dressing sexy on Halloween.”
