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This year, I think I’ll go as a bigot for Halloween

Jill

Just double-checking that your Obama costume will involve a mask and not shoe polish

This round-up of ridiculous and offensive Halloween costumes is sort of amazing. And then, of course, there are all of these. Consider this post your “what not to wear” guide.

Luckily, the Awl offers some great DIY costume ideas for those of us who hate having to choose between Slutty Nurse, Slutty Cop and Slutty Cat every year. (Not that there’s anything wrong with wearing a revealing costume, but October is a cold month, and it’s irritating that there are limited options for women).

But like every Halloween, this one has the potential for disaster. Of course there will be That Vagina Guy, but I suspect that the potential offensive costume quotient is heightened for Halloween 09. Unlike last year when the election was looming and Sarah Palin was the big story — and the most common Halloween costume I saw — this year I suspect that we’ll see a lot of Kanye West/Taylor Swift pairs. I also suspect we’ll see a lot of Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga and Beyonce (if you need a leotard, I’d suggest going to American Apparel now, since I’m sure they’re going to sell out). There’s nothing wrong with going as Michael, Kanye or Beyonce in theory, but you know some idiot (or idiots, plural) are going to break out the blackface. If anyone reading this is wondering whether blackface may be a good idea, allow me to answer: No. Absolutely not. Under no circumstances is blackface a good idea. Please pass this message on to a fraternity near you.

PSAs aside, I still don’t know what to be for Halloween. I really want someone to dress up as Slutty Balloon Boy (basket as a skirt, mylar tube top), but I’m not sure it’s going to be me. I’m considering Colonel Qaddafi, just because who wouldn’t want those clothes in their closet? (I’m also considering carrying around the text of a 90-minute rambling speech). I have the boots for Zardoz (really), but not the rest of the, uh, package. And I’m hopelessly devoted to Lady Gaga, but without her thighs of steel I’m not sure I can do her justice in all her pant-less glory.

What are you all going as? Any great costume ideas?

UPDATE: Ann at Feministing has some great ideas.

70 thoughts on This year, I think I’ll go as a bigot for Halloween

  2. I’m going as Starbuck. I’m making my own costume from stuff I can get at the athletic goods store because the one you can buy online is Sexxxay Starbuck. Which is such a huge pile of WTF that I had to do a calming lap around the house when I saw it.

    WHY!?! WHY DO YOU (costume ppl) NEED TO SEXIFY EVERY LAST FUCKING THING!?!

  3. I’m going with the classic Medusa…. but now I kinda just want to make a giant vulva costume that actually looks like one, because WTF was that??

  4. I’m still undecided, but whatever I go as I need to be able to pack it into a suitcase since I’ll be heading to NYC for halloween.

    Right now my options are Carmen Sandiego (if I can find a cheap red trenchcoat), a gondelier or pirate (have black pants and a red & white striped shirt so I’d just need to get the appropriate hat/accesories) or DJ Ninja (you’ll never hear the beats coming)

  6. I’m going as an Elizabethan-esque Queen of Hearts (Non-sexay http://www.simplicity.com/p-2009-costumes.aspx though I could have gone with http://www.simplicity.com/p-1753-costumes.aspx. Pardon me while my eyes roll out of my head), with the hubby as the Mad Hatter. Need to get my ass in gear and finish the hoop skirt so I can do all the finishing work on my dress. It always amazes me how much longer it takes to do all that stuff than I expect it will. I am so happy I now have a blind hem foot for my machine because hand hemming 12+ yards sucks.

  9. If I can find a beige coat, I’m dressing up as Inspector Gadget. All the costume ideas I had previously have been sexified to the point where it’s actually impossible to construct a normal-looking outfit without getting confused looks because everyone expects female superheroes/comic book characters/everything to be at least half naked. In October. Gah.

    So it’s ‘dress as a guy character from my childhood’ time this year. Or as a non-slutty pirate. Again.

  10. After o filthy grandeur! posted a lament about sexy halloween costumes I shared the decidedly non-sexy Batman and Robin costumes I made two years ago. She posted them today, and I am still blown away by my husbands fantastic idea to include sound effect signs that made for instant friends – even if it was through the guise of mock fighting.

  12. I feel like a white woman shouldn’t dress up as an Arab man for similar reasons that they shouldn’t be dressing up like Michael Jackson.

    Plus I found the coverage of the “rambling speech” to be more than a little orientalist, as it’s all wacky/incompentant/yet somehow despotic asians! How mystifying and unlike our white people leaders who definitely don’t ramble on or frustrate their staff! Front page!

  13. Awesome, groggette! I am myself going as Carmen Sandiego – I found the perfect red trench at the secondhand store. Now all I need is the hat and I’m set. Hooray for awesome female character costumes. Next year I’m going as Maud Lebowski if one of my guy friends signs on to be my Dude.

  14. Natalie, I think the Qaddafi speech was a story because he was supposed to speak for 15 minutes and instead he spoke for an hour and a half and appeared to tear up the UN Charter at his first-ever UN appearance. Plus, did you watch the speech? It’s not that he’s a “wacky Asian,” it’s that it was literally a very, very long rant. I agree that there was a degree of orientalism in the media coverage, no doubt. But the speech really was out of place.

    And I’m not actually going to dress up like Qaddafi any more than I’m going to dress up like Slutty Balloon Boy. I just like his clothes. Although I don’t agree that it’s inappropriate for a white woman to dress up like Michael Jackson. I think it’s inappropriate if there’s blackface or other racially bigoted make-up or costuming involved, but a sweet red leather bomber jacket, tight pants and one glove? I dunno, I don’t think that’s offensive.

  17. Gembird, beige trenchcoats are a thrift store staple, even at the not very good ones. Seems totally doable and fine and excellent.

  18. I have a good, comfy nun’s costume that is reliable — and freaks people out ’cause I’m atheist. It also fools other drivers into letting me merge when they normally wouldn’t. They think they’re getting points on the God ledger; I almost feel bad for them!

  19. I don’t know what I’m going to be. The past two years, I’ve woken up Halloween morning resolved that “this will not be the first year I don’t have a costume!!” and gone as a random dead Poe lady and as Mrs. Danvers.

  20. I don’t understand why Fred Armisen and SNL don’t get hammered for their Obama impersonations. Obviously he doesn’t go to Obama-level dark-blackface, but he clearly has makeup on darkening his skin, I think nearly as much or equal to what Harry Connick Jr. had on for when he was severely criticized. Am I way off base?

    Also think white woman as arab man is bad idea. Just screams not another f***ing hipster.

  22. “Not that there’s anything wrong with wearing a revealing costume, but October is a cold month, and it’s irritating that there are limited options for women.”

    Really? You don’t think there’s anything wrong with wearing a revealing costume? For me Halloween is still predominantly a holiday for children. If grown ups want to dress up and have fun too I think it’s cool. But using it as an excuse to feel sexy just seems stupid to me. Get over it ladies!

  23. I have some leftover camo uniforms from when a friend of mine cleaned out his closet when the army went to the pixellated camo. I sewed on some Stargate patches and presto! Instant costume. It covers a reasonably wide range of temperatures *and* it has (lots of) pockets!

    I can’t decide whether to get “Carter” nametapes or whether to use my own name and pretend to be a member of SG-2 or 3 or whatever. 🙂

  24. Well, Steph, that’s great for you, but where I live I see may 5 children on Halloween. A lot of adults spend Halloween at adult parties or in bars. I happen to think that “sexy” Halloween costumes are generally uncreative and silly, and I take issue with the fact that stores only seem to carry “sexy” costumes for adult women (and teenage girls), but no, I don’t think there’s something necessarily wrong with wearing a revealing costume. I don’t really care, honestly.

  25. i wonder, when talking about not doing blackface for Obama, does that mean any kind of makeup darkening the skin? Like, if someone was trying to legitimately match the skin tone for verisimilitude, would you consider that offensive, or is it only when someone breaks out the burnt cork? Or does it depend on how well the attempt at verisimilitude is done?

    As for me personally, Obama would be far too dull for a costume. I’ll be doing as a glam go-go boy. I’ve got a silver wig, silver short-shorts, white gloves, and a cape. It’s going to be scandalous!

    1. i wonder, when talking about not doing blackface for Obama, does that mean any kind of makeup darkening the skin?

      Um, yes. Yes it does.

  27. My girlfriend gave me a tambourine for Halloween, so I’m putting ribbons on it, wearing my black suede jacket with silver buttons, black boots, a large fringey shawl, and a blonde wig and going as Stevie Nicks!

  28. My girlfriend gave me a tambourine for my birthday, so I’m putting ribbons on it, wearing my black suede jacket with silver buttons, black boots, a large fringey shawl, and a blonde wig and going as Stevie Nicks!

  29. I was going to be a “sandwich” this year — old fashioned bathing suit (like 1890s) with my big witch’s hat and a sand bucket/shovel — but didn’t get my butt in gear soon enough. Also, the DH is going to be gone Halloween evening, and I don’t feel like giving out candy to the neighborhood kids whom I really don’t know alone.

    Or if our friends were actually going to do their themed Halloween party this year (it was supposed to be “mad scientists”), we were going to go as Dr. Honeydew and Beaker. My husband does a *great* Beaker imitation and he could have scored some lab coats from work.

    Honestly, I prefer the “clever pun” types of costumes, or the really elaborate, over the top ones — the Elizabethan Queen of Hearts sounds *awesome*! Or even the ones where the right people will get it. SG uniforms and Browncoat outfits, or the equivalent — stuff like that. My husband had me piece together blue and red sweatshirts/pants one year so he could be moving relativistically. The Physics department LOVED IT! (He worked next to them.)

  30. I’m going with my standard “Devil with a Blue Dress On” outfit. It’s easy and comes with its own theme song.

  32. Being that I am unemployed this Halloween, I’ve decided to go as a Doll from “Dollhouse”. I have yoga pants, tanks tops & I can do a vacant stare. I think I’ll be K for Kilo or L for Lima

  34. I really want someone to dress up as Slutty Balloon Boy (basket as a skirt, mylar tube top), but I’m not sure it’s going to be me.

    Would you also need a plastic pail with fake vomit?

  35. What is wrong with being a woman and being sexy at Halloween. Yeah slutty is maybe not so good, but then again we are not all evil witches and wizards either. Halloween is an act, and part of this act is dressing up. So, this being said why not put something on that clings to your body and shows your body off a little it can be just a once a year thing, then you can put your full covering (you can’t even see my bare ankles) clothes back on again. Take a chill pill and relax and it may never happen.

  36. What is wrong with being a woman and being sexy at Halloween. Yeah slutty is maybe not so good

    Ok this made me laugh. Is there some sort of manual on the difference between “slutty” and “sexy”?

    Just for the record, I’m using the term “slutty” tongue-in-cheek, mostly because I don’t use the term “slut” ever, really, and I certainly don’t use it as an insult. I just find the sexifying of Halloween costumes particularly humorous. Plus the phrase “slutty balllon boy” makes me laugh.

    Again: Slut it up all you want! There is nothing wrong with sexy Halloween costumes. My objection is to a few things (a) that creative but un-sexy costumes for women and teenage girls are not every available; (b) that wearing something “sexy” on Halloween has turned into a weird expectation for younger women; and (c) that sexy Halloween costumes are boring and uncreative. All of that said, of course I get why women would wear sexy costumes. Go for it. I just think that the commercial and social practices underlying the sexy costume thing kind of sucks.

  37. I continue to be baffled at sexy costumes in freezing October. I live in a college town and get to see frozen little sorority girls wandering down the streets and it’s depressing. Maybe if you lived in Hawaii this would make sense, but…

    As for my outfits:
    (a) I am dressing up as a cow at work, because my coworkers are traditional and dull and don’t ever seem to get what I am every year.
    (b) For the actual Halloween party I am going to, I’m wearing a gold skirt and sweater and going as an element.

  38. Oh, another point I’d like to make: there are sexy costumes out there that might actually cover your flesh as well. I hate to cite Elvira, but not every costume has to be a mandatory miniminidress, you know?

  39. My husband & I are going as goth bride & groom – basically I decided I wanted an excuse to buy an outfit I could use for goth clubbing. Satin & organza ballgown skirt with a bodice top & black veil for me, black utility kilt and pale pink lace-trimmed tuxedo shirt for him.

    A couple of years ago I was Rosie the Riveter, but not SEXY version in retro shorts, I wore dark blue coveralls & a polkadot headband with 1940’s style makeup. Very few people got it, they assumed I was the boring girl in no costume.

    BEST easy unisex costume I’ve seen – wear all black pants & turtleneck, hang a whiteboard “thought bubble” from your neck (about the size of your torso) and have smaller thought bubbles going up one arm. Carry a wipeable marker. People can write their thoughts, you stand beside them in a photo and it comes out looking like a built in thought bubble, with some random person in black standing there. It was a great icebreaker.

  42. Inasmuch as I am out of work at the moment, I will be re-using my fantasy barbarian costume from last year. I’m quite proud of it–I actually found a decent use for those silly Ugg boots.

    I always make my own costumes because pre-fabricated costumes fall short of my requirements in so many ways–too many boring cliches (how many different devils, witches, and vampires do we need?), prices that are far too high for the poor quality of the materials used, and of course the rampant racism, sexism, and sizeism. I haven’t seen that last one addressed yet in this thread (sorry if someone brought it up and I missed it)–we rightly lament the prevalence of “sexy” costumes for women, but it all turns around when it comes to plus-sized women. Our options are limited to some variation on medieval queens, robed sorceresses, and quasi-realistic nuns–baggy, floor-length stuff.

  43. Since the prefab DJ Lance Rock from Yo Gabba Gabba costume was definitely not made in any size for a woman and orange tracksuits are tricky as hell to find (or find cheap, at least), I’m buying a black tracksuit, making a black furry hat, and being DJ Lance Goth.

    For work, I’m being Kurt Cobain. I bought a short blond wig years ago, and it’s been my standby emergency costume ever since. I can pretty much just wear what I usually do and make a fake eyeliner 5’o clock shadow and call it a day.

  46. Two choices either a) Glenn Beck with artificial tears streaming down my face

    or b) an Arab Dictator with puppet strings.

    Most likely (a).

  47. on a related note I’ve been working on an Umbreon costume for a games convention. Umbron being a black cat/rabbit/dog-thing pokemon with bright yellow circles and bands on it. I was going to be completely covered and was going to have pitch black facepaint on with a yellow circle on my forehead… but it kinda makes me nervous, I’m not dressing up as a black person but I’m still a white woman painting my face black.
    what do you guys think?

  49. On Halloween itself, when I’m chaperoning a group of trick-or-treaters, I’ll be dressed as Violet from The Incredibles (my cartoon lookalike). On Friday, however, the social justice groups at my school are having a costume party/trivia contest/fundraiser, and a group of friends and I are going as evil white imperialists…er…Imperial stormtroopers from Star Wars.

  51. So, are there any non-racially-offensive Barack Obama masks out there? Presidential Halloween masks are a staple of Halloween (we still have a Richard Nixon mask). This one doesn’t look too bad to me. (Of course any mask will be a caricature, but this one doesn’t seem to have chosen to over-exaggerate features in a racist way.)

  52. The most amazing costume I’ve ever seen was a woman dressed as a picnic. She’d made herself a ballgown out of astroturf and glued a picnic basket, a red-checked table cloth, some fake food, and a little line of ants to the dress.

    She told us that the previous year, she’d been a golf course.

  53. @ Morningstar: The fact that you specify Arab dictator is a problem. What would you do to get the point across that you’re Arab? And why is being Arab an important part?

  54. i’ll be going as Little My: black boots, black gloves, pink bow, red dress, big nose, suspicious scowl and/or devilish grin.

  55. “For me Halloween is still predominantly a holiday for children.”

    Steph,

    The origins and practices of Halloween are actually quite complex. They also originally had nothing at all to do with little kids getting dressed up in silly costumes and gorging themselves on candy. Our society has co-opted Halloween for capitalist purposes (not to mention the attempt to destroy Paganism…). That doesn’t mean that some of us don’t honor Halloween for other reasons.

    history.com/content/halloween/real-story-of-halloween

  56. Our society has co-opted Halloween for capitalist purposes

    That’s a feature, not a bug. A glorious, glorious feature (see infra: candy, gorging on)

  57. Well I’m from that part of the world, Nora, and I have Arab clothes so I think I’ll pass. And the fact that the dictators there are spineless puppets is extremely scary to me.

  58. What is wrong with being a woman and being sexy at Halloween.

    Nothing. There IS something wrong with the fact that SO MANY costumes for women are SEXEEEE whether you want to be sexy or not. Not just a witch–a SEXY witch. Not just a nurse–a SEXY nurse. Because women MUST be sexy at all costs. (And what about the menz? Why aren’t there sexy vampire, doctor, fireman, etc. costumes for them? Where are the ultra low-riders and the chaps, dammit?)

    I’m kinda tired of being expected to be sexy, for sexy to be the ONLY option open to me. Women who aren’t conventionally sexy are rendered invisible by this shit. If our exasperation with this offends you so, that’s your problem. I suggest YOU take a chill pill (and really, drop the pathetic attempt to drum up business).

  59. @Samantha b – Gembird is British and our charity shops don’t tend to stock trenchcoats very often.

    Classic poison ivy for me this year because i’m cheap and am reusing a costume from a friends 21st party with some changes. I bought £10 worth of fake ivy leaves when they were on sale and still have them coming out of my ears.

  60. I understand the rejection of the constant need for young women to be sexy, the exclusive nature of it, and the need for more variety in women’s clothing; I get it and I agree. But what many of you are also saying is, “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with a sexy halloween costume, I just think that it’s boring/uncreative/stupid.” Pretty much like saying, “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with having multiple sex partners, I just think it’s dangerous/typical/stupid.” A very thinly veiled insult. You have every right to take issue with it, but it’s disingenuous to pretend that you aren’t being judgemental and shaming women who do choose to dress sexily on Halloween.

  61. I understand the rejection of the constant need for young women to be sexy, the exclusive nature of it, and the need for more variety in women’s clothing; I get it and I agree. But what many of you are also saying is, “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with a sexy halloween costume, I just think that it’s boring/uncreative/stupid.” Pretty much like saying, “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with having multiple sex partners, I just think it’s dangerous/typical/stupid.”

    That’s really not what anyone is saying at all. The general idea seems to be that there is nothing wrong with a sexy halloween costume, but when you take a boring, cliche costume and make it “sexy,” it is indeed still “boring/uncreative/stupid;” so it’s a lot more like saying there is nothing wrong with having multiple sex partners, but when you don’t use protection or common sense, it’s “dangerous/stupid.” (I took out the typical because it just doesn’t fit)

  62. I’m still up on the air on my costume- one of the drawbacks of working in a Halloween store is that I see so many costumes and see how they actually look. I may even just see if I can make my own Batgirl costume. Though using the Amy Brown “Brat” fairy costume and red Chucks seems to be my backup plan.

    Honestly? I actually like most of the sexy costumes. Though I shall never like either the sexy cop or the Shoot ‘Em Up Cowgirl, as no one looks comfortable in those. The Leg Avenue stuff is usually pretty well made, even if two of the ones in stock are definitely not to be worn outside the bedroom. And really, if most of them are too short, they can also have leggings or stockings fairly well added. I like the wink-and-nudge jokes in some of the names, and how the people trying them on usually get a laugh out of the whole thing, even if it doesn’t work out for them.

    And just as an odd observation, a lot of the costumes women have been trying on include cop costumes, Robin costumes, or more physical jobs.

    Our Goldilocks costume for girls is really insanely short, as is our ladybug. Moms who see it, when their daughters say that, tend to say “Oh, we’ll just get leggings.” It’s very strange.

    The political masks tend to get abused a lot, though. I think all of them have new hooks, sometimes for than one. And some of the people trying them on- which seems a bit hinky to me, but I have very little power over that, and most people can scare me easily, I’ll admit- can get really annoying.

    Also, Caia, that mask seems to be the one at my job, and it’s not all too bad in person, especially compared to some of the other masks. It’s the Illegal Alien with bug/sci-fi alien eyes that we’re not sure if we should find offensive. It’s either irony or just plain stupidity. *headdesk*

  63. “I understand the rejection of the constant need for young women to be sexy, the exclusive nature of it, and the need for more variety in women’s clothing; I get it and I agree. But what many of you are also saying is, “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with a sexy halloween costume, I just think that it’s boring/uncreative/stupid.””

    If you really understood the first statement, you wouldn’t have tacked on the second statement.

  64. I think the current plan is for me to go as Courtney Love and my good friend from school is going as Kurt Cobain (Her hair is the right length and color). I’m doing a baby doll dress, baby barrettes, tights, mary janes and bright red lipstick, she’s doing ripped up jeans, a flannel shirt and a Nirvana patch. I’m actually pretty excited about the idea.

  65. Wouldn’t most people here agree that the prevalence of these sexy/slutty costumes puts pressure on young girls to be sexy/slutty also? (i know someone mentioned it above). Isn’t it therefore not such a good thing? And isn’t it therefore not such a good thing for women to dress up sexy/slutty and perpetuate this? We’re all against sexy/slutty when the media forces it on young girls, so shouldn’t we take responsibility in this case to not be a part of this culture?

  66. “Wouldn’t most people here agree that the prevalence of these sexy/slutty costumes puts pressure on young girls to be sexy/slutty also?”

    The fact that they are pretty much all that’s available puts pressure on them, yes.

    “Isn’t it therefore not such a good thing?”

    It’s not such a good thing that they are all that’s available. Or available at all for very young girls. Which is exactly what Jill and everyone else has been saying.

    “And isn’t it therefore not such a good thing for women to dress up sexy/slutty and perpetuate this?”

    No. It’s perfectly fine for women to dress that way if that’s their cup of tea. The rest of us would just like an alternative, that’s all. And we are tired of seeing these costumes marketed to young girls who are then overtly-sexualized in a manner which they are unprepared for (usually). I’m not going to get into telling women what they can and can not wear. If you wish to discuss the potential dangers of women dressing in a fashion which conceivably upholds male-dominant standards of women as sexual object, and the pressure to conform to such standards, fine. I’m right there with you. But arguing that women just shouldn’t wear them at all is extremely problematic.

    “We’re all against sexy/slutty when the media forces it on young girls, so shouldn’t we take responsibility in this case to not be a part of this culture?”

    There’s a big difference between the media forcing sexualization on women and young girls and women willingly -choosing- to appear sexy (I refuse to use the word slutty. I do actually believe the word slut/slutty should die a horrible death.). Women are adults. We are free agents. We should be given the right to determine our own appearance. That doesn’t mean that we can’t critique certain fashions that are directed at women. It also doesn’t mean that we have to wear them. If you don’t want to wear a sexy costume, great. I won’t be either. I’m actually planning on going as a dead maid (long ankle length skirt, apron, and long sleeves. the only exposed part of my body will be my face and hands). A costume which is the exact opposite of sexy.

  67. @Faith from F.N.

    Thanks for being less lazy than I am and for posting the same thoughts that I would have.

  68. Thanks, Faith from F.N. That really cleared up the argument for me. I think I was just getting confused on the line of thinking.

    And i like a lot of the creative costume ideas i read. Creative and self made costumes beat store bought ones any day!

  69. The past 2 years I’ve used existing costuming/Renn Faire stuff to make my daughter and I a matched set. Her first Halloween, we went as maiden-and-dragon, and last year, we went as Dorothy and a Tourist In Oz (She was Dorothy).

    But this year we’re breaking from tradition, because I refuse to be Boots for Halloween. So she’ll be Dora (total strangers have said that she looks like Dora… in August…), and I’ll be a Earth Angel (think overalls, spade, flower pot, garden gloves, and wings).

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