Halloween is a special time of the year where you can express yourself and your creativity without fear of being judged. Not surprisingly, many people go all out with their decorations and transformations. However, not all costumes are created equal. This is a non-exhaustive list of costumes that are better left at the store.
- Cultural Costumes
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Cultural appropriation is a constant issue every Halloween. Costumes labeled as “Gypsy” and “Mexican” are racist to wear on Halloween because it is dehumanizing to the oppressed group. It treats a minority group as a joke by reinforcing racist stereotypes. Costumes labeled as “Geisha,” “Native American” and “Day of the Dead” are also racist and ignorant because oftentimes, the people wearing the costume have no understanding of the historical importance behind the costume. These costumes tend to be ‘sexy,’ which is highly problematic because it perpetuates the fetishization of a minority.
- Mental Illness Costumes
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People who suffer from mental illnesses do not choose to do. There is so much shame surrounding this topic, which causes many people to suffer in silence. Wearing costumes such as straight jackets or dressing up as “psychos” only adds to the stigma surrounding mental health by making light of a life-or-death issue.
- National Tragedy Costumes
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With this, I am specifically referencing the COVID-19 Halloween mask I keep seeing. According to the CDC, approximately 219,000 people in the United States have lost their lives to this virus. For those who contracted the virus and lived, they are faced with massive hospital debt. Furthermore, the pandemic has disrupted the economy and raised unemployment. Dressing up as the virus is offensive because it discounts and trivializes the impact the virus had and continues to have on millions of people.
- Transgender Costumes
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In 2015, Caitlyn Jenner had come out as transgender. That Halloween, I remember seeing a number of transphobic male costumes of her Vanity Fair outfit. While it is fun to pretend to be someone else for a night, one should not forget the struggle that trans men and women go through. When you dress up as a trans person, you have the option of taking off the clothes at the end of the night and moving on with your life. For trans people all over the world, they are social pariahs. Historically, trans bodies have been assaulted, murdered and violated beyond what the media shows us. Trans bodies should never be considered a joke.
- Blackface
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Blackface was used in the 1800s by white comedians to create a caricature of black Americans and promote racist stereotypes. These shows were highly popular amongst white Americans who saw black people as a joke. Blackface has a racist history that involves dehumanizing and satirizing black Americans. While some people might see racism as a thing of the past, it is still very real today, as seen in the Black Lives Matter movement. Blackface is never okay for any occasion.
- Fat Shaming Costumes
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Costumes such as fat suits imply that being fat is somehow funny and should be laughed at. It treats plus-sized people as a joke, which is dehumanizing and promotes eating disorders. It is especially cruel because someone could be overweight or obese for reasons beyond their control. There are medications and health conditions that cause weight gain. Fat people have been made the target of comedy for far too long, and fat suits only perpetuate this offensive behavior.
Keep this list in mind when you go shopping for your Halloween costume!