Fancy dress. It’s something us Brits love to do and it’s a great custom that has no age limit. The fact that you can now buy Snow White costumes in all sizes shows that both adults and children alike enjoy dress up. But there’s a catch.
Throughout the year, we often hear of people donning offensive costumes but the number increases drastically at the end of October. For some reason, people think it’s funny to dress up as atrocious things or people, all in the name of Halloween. A few examples include Jimmy Saville, Oscar Pistorius, the Twin Towers, Ebola nurses and Gaddafi but the list is endless and people are very creative when it comes to turning a tragic news story into an outfit. People have dressed as victims from terrorist attacks, sufferers from abuse (Chris Brown and Rhianna), dead celebrities and suicide bombers.
What most strikes me is the fact that the people who choose to dress up like this actually spend time planning and making their outfits. The hours that people must spend buying the clothes and then attaching props with a sewing machine, masking tape or other is dedication. And for what? The Facebook likes or the regrams? Or do they want to cause a stir and appear in an article, shaming them for their bad taste? Maybe it’s all a bit of fun for them but the issue is a serious one.
One Nottingham venue turned away two guys as they were dressed in Ebola suits and it was a decision that I admired. Nightclubs and bars have the responsibility and the power to refuse entry to people who are dressed inappropriately. If more venues were to do this, it would minimise the upset caused by such offensive costumes.
Personally, I don’t get offended by these costumes, but they are things that I don’t want or expect to see and be reminded of when I’m on a night out. The costumes and outfits often depict people who are murderers, sex offenders, ill or victims. When out wearing an outfit representing a victim, I wonder if they ever stop for a minute to think about what this person went through and suffered. Similarly, those dressed as attackers, do they think what may have drove that person to hunt, abuse and cause harm to another person? Do they consider the victims that may still be enduring emotional pain from what they experienced? You might find it funny to dress up as an assassin but really, these types of costumes are better suited to house or private parties. In that way, all of us dressed as standard vampires, zombies and witches can carry on trying to remember the moves to Thriller.
Yes, we live in a society with free expression, yet one where we’re becoming more and more aware of being PC (politically correct) at all times. The number of expressions we cannot say as they could cause offense increases by the year and the UK seems to be quick to judge and label those who say something un-PC as racists or misogynists for example. Wearing a costume like those mentioned isn’t about being politically correct or incorrect. It’s about the message you’re sending to others and the impression you’re giving. Don’t let your costume choice turn into a real life horror story when a potential employer/ nosy relative finds the pictures on your timeline.
Image sourceshttp://giphy.com/gifs/michael-jackson-thriller-Lidw0vhYjGFlC
Edited by Caroline Chan