Halloween Costumes to Avoid in 2020 (and Why)
By: Mallory Johnson, Reporter
While there are many great costume ideas for Halloween this year, there are also many that are NOT so great. Before I go any further, I want to put in place a trigger warning for the mentions of racism, ableism, anti-Semitism, police brutality, animal cruelty, sexual harassment, body shaming, and eating disorders. I found these costumes through research and my own opinion.
Starting off, please avoid any culturally insensitive costumes, including: First Nations costumes, ANY costume that includes blackface, or in general any costume that mimics another culture that is not your own. This is racist, because at the end of the day you can take off the costume and the makeup, but the people you are dressing up as cannot.
Next, please avoid dressing up as a police officer, a prisoner/criminal, or anything related to the Black Lives Matter movement. This goes along with my previous point, at the end of the day you can take off the costume, but the people impacted by police brutality cannot. Also, the Black Lives Matter movement is not a trend.
Moving on, please do not dress up as a Trump supporter, a terrorist, Harvey Weinstein, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a member of the KKK, any politicians, a Nazi, or Anne Frank. These people need to be taken seriously, as they have greatly impacted people’s lives, and should not be treated as some silly Halloween costume for one night.
Please do not go as a sick person, a mentally ill person, a national tragedy, or the COVID-19 pandemic for Halloween this year. The pandemic has taken a serious toll on everyone, and it has killed hundreds of thousands of people worldwide, meaning that it must be taken very seriously. Also, it is ableist to make a joke of sick/disabled people in general.
Finally, please avoid dressing in body shaming and objectifying costumes, as an eating disorder, animal cruelty, sexual harassment, as a homeless person, as a character from The Handmaid’s Tale, or a recently deceased celebrity.
In general, please try to avoid any insensitive or offensive Halloween costumes this year. Your motivation to dress up as someone or something should not be as a joke or to make fun of that person or thing. Remember that if you are going out to celebrate Halloween, to wear a mask!
Happy early Halloween!