Politically Correct Halloween? Get a Grip!

Have you heard about the whole “We’re a Culture, Not a Costume” campaign?  I’m so annoyed that I even have to spend my time addressing this ridiculous topic, but when political correctness starts infringing on my favorite holiday, we have a problem!

They say their mission is:

“to educate and facilitate discussion about racism and to promote racial harmony and to create a safe, non-threatening environment to allow participants to feel comfortable to express their feelings.”

But I contend that their mission is trying to take all fun out of the holiday.  Check out a few of their ridiculous posters here:

You’ve got to be freaking kidding me!!!  If you dress as a geisha girl you’re racist?  C’mon y’all!

Look, I do believe that racism still exists and is something we should all be aware of every day.  Additionally, I do believe that we should be educated about and sensitive to other cultures/customs.  However, Halloween is all about being something else for 1 day.  If I was skinny, I would totally dress as a geisha girl.  Why?  Because the hair/makeup/outfits are beautiful and I’m already so pale I wouldn’t need the white makeup.  Dressing as a geisha girl is not a stereotype.  Why?  Because Geisha girls are real.  The real geisha girls are a legitimate and beautiful part of Asian culture.

Would it be offensive to Spanish women if I dressed as a Flamenco dancer?  It shouldn’t be.  When I was in Spain I saw some truly amazing Flamenco dancers who taught me a lesson about being a strong, confident woman and not being afraid to try new things.  Flamenco dancers are real, not a stereotype.  Idolizing the beauty of a Flamenco dancer or geisha girl and dressing as one for Halloween does not mean you’re stereotyping an entire race.  I don’t assume all Spanish women are Flamenco dancers, and I don’t assume all Asian women are Geisha girls.

I’m white.  Should I be offended if someone dresses as a cowgirl?  How about if someone dresses with a plaid shirt, cowboy boots, daisy dukes, and chews a piece of straw…should I be offended as someone from the Midwest?  No…why?  Because it’s freaking HALLOWEEN!’

Here’s my big question…are you only allowed to dress in a costume that is in line with your own race?  Am I not allowed to portray any character that is not white?  Because if that’s the case, then the world would have missed out on my brother’s all time best costume ever…Mr. T.  He went all out with full body theatrical makeup, shaved his head and added a Mohawk, and even got his ears pierced the day before just so he was authentic.  Was dressing as Mr. T racist or honoring a great character?

If you really want to make an issue of Halloween, how about the over-sexification (yeah, I may have just made that word up) of female costumes?

For example…would you like to go as Nemo…the sweet little Disney fish?  Here you go– Naughty Nemo:

Or would you like to go as a referee?  Sure…but you have to be the Sexy LOVE Referee…

How about a ladybug?  You can’t sexify an insect can you?  Oh yes, there’s a Luscious Ladybug costume for crissakes!  Because when you think ladybug, you certainly assume a corset must be involved, right?

And if you think there’s no way they could make a sexy Rosie the Robot (from the Jetson’s) costume…you’d be wrong:

Here’s a fun game.  Go to any Halloween Costume website and click on Women’s costumes.  What are the sub-sections?  Probably “Sexy, Plus-Sized, and Maternity,” right?  Now click on the Men’s Costume link.  Wait, where’s the “Sexy” men’s costumes section?  Not there?  Shocking!

Let’s go a step further and compare some men’s/women’s costumes side-by-side:

See my point?  But who really cares?  Halloween is about dressing up as someone/something else for a day and having fun.  Here’s the thing…there are TONS of offensive/inappropriate costumes out there, but I truly do not believe that when someone picks up a Geisha girl costume, they are stereotyping the entire Asian female population.

And now I’ll close this rant blog post on a positive note.  Here is my all time favorite Halloween costume.  This is me as Rainbow Brite at age 4.  My mom sewed the amazing costume by hand which would have made me the perfect Rainbow Brite except for the fact that I insisted on putting glittery stickers all over my face, attach the blue sparkly eyelashes to my eyebrows, and spray my hair with silver glitter which actually just made it look gray.  Perfection.  THIS is what Halloween’s about!

What was your all-time favorite Halloween costume?