Think back to the Halloweens of your childhood, filled with innocent little girls donning their best princess gowns and innocent little boys excitedly running around in their pirate swag. There was nothing better than trick-or-treating. Free candy? Yes, please! And counting all that sugary deliciousness was the perfect way to end a day of spooks and haunts.
Now, fast-forward to college Halloween. The innocence is gone, but college kids are still having fun. Yes, hemlines are much shorter on girls’ dresses and some group costumes might be read as slightly offensive, but it is usually all in good fun. But what happens when a costume goes a little too far?
This year, two highly controversial costumes made waves online and are still receiving incredible backlash. It started with Julianne Hough who for some reason unbeknownst to me thought it would be a good idea to dress up in blackface.
Hough showed up to a Beverly Hills party as the character Crazy Eyes from Netflix’s original show Orange is the New Black. As a whole, America was outraged. Angry tweets were sent Hough’s way, including one from Raising Hope actress Martha Plimpton:
Hough recognized her mistake after the fact, issuing an apology via Twitter. She wrote:
The most recent costume that has come under fire hits close to home for BC students. Alicia Ann Lynch, a Michigan woman, dressed up as a Boston Marathon bombing victim, sporting runner’s clothing, a fake B.A.A. bib, and fake blood. I’m sorry, what? Is this woman really that desperate for attention? I’m not the only one feeling this way. How could anyone be so insensitive as to make a mockery of an event that left Boston in terror and agony?
Lynch justified her costume choice by stating, “Honestly, it’s the Day of the Dead. I wasn’t a dead person and I wasn’t being disrespectful. I was a survivor of a marathon. And it’s not like I was walking around with a fake leg or my arm torn off or something like that.” I mean, an apology might have been the better choice. I don’t know about you, but I have no desire to hear her justification. At least Julianne Hough recognized her mistake and was sorry. Maybe Lynch should take a cue from Ms. Hough and apologize because really, that is all America wants.
Some people are trying to figure out why Lynch thought it was okay to dress up as a Boston Marathon bombing victim. While most people interpreted her costume choice as a desperate plea for attention, others recognized it as a strange way of dealing with grief. Others brought up the question, “How soon is too soon?” If Lynch had dressed up like this in five years, would it have been okay. Personally, I don’t think so, but that’s just me. Remember the UGBC “Dress with Respect” campaign that took place the week of Halloween? I think Ms. Lynch needs to be invited to that Facebook group. She needs to learn what it means to take something too far and how taking something too far can hurt people. She needs to think about the consequences of her actions before she acts. Hopefully next Halloween, Lynch will embrace her inner child and don an innocent, princess dress because she won’t be offending anyone with that costume. Or better yet, maybe she should just opt out of Halloween altogether and save America from more disappointment and disgust.
Sources:
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-20…