Slut-shamingo'ween
You know what I don't like? People who get grumpy or judgy about people wearing sexy Halloween costumes.
I am 100% done with hearing the following comments:
A comment that I will still tolerate is that Halloween costumes should avoid being racist or otherwise broadly offensive. This is why I have never dressed as a "Sexy Eskimo" despite the obvious benefits of being warm at the Evaline and referencing Willow's multicultural dance costume in that one (pretty damn racist) episode of Buffy.
A comment that is being put on notice is the idea that the only legitimate costumes are ones that are creative, clever, and pulled together on your own (preferably hand-made!). While I agree these costumes are something to admire and strive for, I for one am probably always going to default to buying an overpriced, cheaply-made commercial costume. I'm really not clever enough to come up with these ideas, and when I do get inspired (or when inspiration is handed to me by a friend), I'm usually not fast-acting enough (my first two costume plans for this Halloween--which would have involved costume constructing--were both preempted by more-enthusiastic friends having called dibs). If you make your own costume, I think you are awesome, especially if it comes together well. But I don't think I should be derided for just wearing a costume on Halloween instead of putting together an artistic vision.
Two related items:
I am 100% done with hearing the following comments:
- Everything can be turned into a slutty costume! (E.g. slutty pumpkin, slutty environmentalist, slutty dishwasher).
- "Sexy" costumes are not really sexy!
A comment that I will still tolerate is that Halloween costumes should avoid being racist or otherwise broadly offensive. This is why I have never dressed as a "Sexy Eskimo" despite the obvious benefits of being warm at the Evaline and referencing Willow's multicultural dance costume in that one (pretty damn racist) episode of Buffy.
A comment that is being put on notice is the idea that the only legitimate costumes are ones that are creative, clever, and pulled together on your own (preferably hand-made!). While I agree these costumes are something to admire and strive for, I for one am probably always going to default to buying an overpriced, cheaply-made commercial costume. I'm really not clever enough to come up with these ideas, and when I do get inspired (or when inspiration is handed to me by a friend), I'm usually not fast-acting enough (my first two costume plans for this Halloween--which would have involved costume constructing--were both preempted by more-enthusiastic friends having called dibs). If you make your own costume, I think you are awesome, especially if it comes together well. But I don't think I should be derided for just wearing a costume on Halloween instead of putting together an artistic vision.
Two related items:
- This rant was brought to you in part by following the "Worst Sexy Halloween Costumes" series in The Sexist. Amanda Hess has highlighted some truly terrible costumes, most of which involve fake boners and/or racism. But I have been eagerly awaiting the day that a costume I have worn gets singled out for its badness, and that day has come! I dressed as a girl scout back in... 2004ish? Back when my time/money ratio was reversed and I was making my own costumes? I used my actual Brownie sash, which I had to extend with fabric harvested from another sash so it could fit around my grown-up torso. Does my do-it-at-home moxie make up for my subtle endorsement of the sexualization of childhood? I can't tell!
- I considered, briefly, dressing as Lady Gaga for Halloween, figuring this may well be the only Halloween that she is relevant. I didn't follow that avenue mostly because I'd rather sit back and evaluate everyone else's Lady Gaga costumes, which probably would have all been amazingly better than mine. So, this serves as my not very public announcement that I am running a Lady Gaga costume contest, and I will be giving the winner some kind of crappy prize. (Which may well be homemade! Does that win me back my Halloween street cred?)