Halloween has come and gone, but it is never forgotten. Halloween gives people a night to be anyone they want. Some may choose to be a doctor, firefighter, a superhero, or to just dress up in a mini-skirt, heels, and a button-up shirt and call yourself a “sexy” lawyer.
It seems as though no one ever forgets who dressed up as what on Halloween because to this day I’m still hearing, “remember when…dressed up as…” I’m not saying all Halloween costumes are bad, some are absolutely hysterical, but there comes a certain point in how some costumes are made compared to others. “Halloween costumes for women, most of which are a twist on a low-cut short dress, is obnoxious,” Sarah Seltzer, journalist who writes about activism and pop culture, said. “Particularly when it strays into racist territory with “sexy geisha” or “sexy Pocahontas.” I’ll have to agree with her on this one, it seems as though all I see anymore in the Halloween Adventure stores are sexy costumes based off of let’s say Disney princesses. Let’s take Belle for example; she wears a bright yellow dress that is floor length, with long sleeves. In reality, a nineteen-year-old girl would not be wearing that to a Halloween party. Instead, costume designers hike the dress up to above the knees, and chop off the sleeves.
It’s not like these costumes are hidden from the world, like I said we are still hearing about who wore what on Halloween to this day. Yes, talking about who wore what will eventually come to a stopping point, but pictures were taken therefore solidifying a memory for the rest of your life. Now, I am by no means pleading not guilty to this, I’ve had my years but for the children growing up it doesn’t send a good message. Especially since a majority of little girls love the Disney princesses, and when they see them in hiked up, low cut dresses it seems as though they should be doing that too.
It’s almost as if Halloween has been dubbed the name slut-o-ween. As women we are kept to a high standard in reality, “we are instructed to be sexually appealing, but not overly sexy,” Seltzer said. Women try hard year-round to keep this appeal, yet if we decide to show too much cleavage or wear too much make-up one day it’s all over and it throws us into a different light. I feel as though Halloween is that one time of year that you can dress as anyone you want, dress as provocative as you want and no one will judge you. Of course there will be that group of people staring you down as you walk into the party but it’s not like this big deal. I find it interesting though, how one day dubbed Halloween can do that to society.
Don’t get me wrong it’s a tough world we live in, and society is constantly pulling us into different directions, but it’s up to the individual to step outside of the social norm and make a statement on their own. Halloween will always be that time of year for people to dress up as someone they’ve always wanted to be. But, there comes a time when a Halloween costume goes too far or ends up mocking someone else.
