Low-cut and thigh-high...it just doesn't say 'Trick or Treat'
We spent some time recently looking through Halloween costumes. There was a little something for everyone, of every age and in every size.
But we noticed something that has us a little concerned. When did it become mandatory for women's Halloween costumes to be slutty? Oh, we've noticed the trend before. It's been building for years. But this year, it just seems to have reached a fevered pitch.
Now, don't get us wrong. We are not prudes. But we must ruminate on this puzzling turn that Halloween has taken. It is an accepted fact that today's woman is more in touch with her inner sex kitten, and most women feel free to express themselves however they choose.
But when did it become acceptable to tart up so many characters that have no association with sexuality?
Take for example, the Tin Man. Yep. Dorothy's favorite metallic dude. We all can picture the iconic costume. But a tarty one? And this one wasn't even for men. This outfit was a tiny tin tube, allowing for maximum exposure of feminine flesh. Too weird for us.
We also saw bumblebee costumes, cowgirls, fairies, witches, nurses, maids…you name it. And they were all quite revealing. We even saw a Raggedy Ann costume that would make Raggedy Andy feel quite uncomfortable.
We suppose it's good that women are so in touch with their sexuality that they feel comfortable parading around in next to nothing on Halloween night. But are we seriously supposed to believe that this show of flesh is a sign that we are free? Nope. We believe it's proof that we remain trapped in limited definitions of what it means to be a woman. What if we weren't attracting attention from the male of the species? What if we expressed ourselves in non-sexual ways? What if?
We'll tell you what if. We'd be having an amazing time. How do we know this? Because that is exactly what we have been doing for years. No revealing costumes. We have been working to please ourselves with our Halloween costume choices, and not catch the wandering eye of the nearest man. And the results are just simply marvelous.
You see, it was quite freeing to not worry about that. The victory was internal. We didn't have to make anyone think we were hot in order to feel valuable or special or deserving.
And before you think this is simply something adult women have to deal with, please take a gander at the costumes for the kiddie set. The sexualization of Halloween costumes has extended itself down into the girl category, with elementary-age girls feeling pressured to be sexy on Halloween. There are plenty of costumes for young girls featuring miniskirts, leather high heel boots, low cut corsets and belly-baring shirts.
When we look back on the Halloweens of our childhood, we remember dressing up in costumes for fun. Our imaginations were allowed to run wild for that one night. We could be anything we could dream up. And we were.
What we weren't was slutty.
How nice it is to come full circle and get to approach this whole issue again with the freedom of a child, handing this sexist culture back its idea of costuming with a firm, "No way."
Now hand us the wart glue and stand back…