Slut shaming is never okay. It’s wrong in March, it’s wrong on the Fourth of July, it’s wrong on Christmas, it’s wrong during Lent, it’s wrong year-round. And since it’s almost that time to get spooky, I’ve decided to give everyone a little reminder about why slut shaming is especially wrong on Halloween.
Slut shaming: essentially making a person feel guilty or inferior over his or her sexual promiscuity or desire. While men can be slut-shamed as well, women in particular experience especially unfair scrutiny when it comes to sexual behavior, a subject of criticism that their male counterparts do not often face.
Let’s be real, Halloween is the perfect time to dress up as anything other than you. For one night, you can look and act like something you aren’t, totally guilt-free. There is nothing wrong with wearing whatever you want on Halloween, as long as it’s appropriate for the setting of your night. And when you’re in college, pretty much anything goes.
To quote Mean Girls: “In girl world, Halloween is the one night a year where girls can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it.” Unfortunately, this is proven untrue every year. Yes, it’s true. Halloween is the perfect excuse to unleash your sexy side. However, it’s rare that someone can do that without the accompanying criticism. Why do we, as a society, look down upon “slutty” dressing on Halloween? If it’s only one night out of 365, why should we even care?
The most common message I see sent to women come Halloween time is the phrase “Respect yourself.” What does this even mean? As a woman, in what way do my fashion choices reflect on my own personal respect? Quite frankly, I could walk around totally naked on Halloween and still have the upmost respect for myself. The way you dress and the way you “respect yourself” are two mutually exclusive events. One does not reflect upon the other.
We as women need to feel comfortable in our own skin, and if someone wants to show more of that beautiful skin, who are we to judge? Yes, like in everything, there are exceptions. In many school, professional or public environments, it is more appropriate to dress conservatively. But Halloween is not one of those exceptions.
So do not judge anyone for his or her choice of costume on Halloween. Don’t judge anyone for what they choose to wear on the ONE night anyone can wear literally anything they want. Be safe spooky Terps, and have fun!