It’s that time of year again! Jack’o’lanterns are being carved, pumpkin spice lattes have sprung up in every Starbucks on Earth, puns like ‘Spooktacular’ and ‘Frighteningly good deals’ are emblazoned in every store.
It’s October! It’s Halloween time! Get out the witch hats and plastic cauldrons! Embrace the long nights and the chill in the air… and what’s that I hear? A zombie moan? A werewolf howling at the moon? Nope, it’s only the self-righteous slut-shaming that unfortunately occurs annually on the subject of Halloween costumes.
In our ever obvious rape culture, it’s not only ridiculous but also genuinely saddening that it’s nearly 2015 and yet women are still being judged on how much or little clothing they were. The fact that people are still falling victim to the entirely false notion that you can judge a woman’s personality, promiscuity and level of sexual activity based on a Halloween costume baffles me completely.
Let’s be honest, even if a girl went out on Halloween wearing nothing but a thong, eight-inch heels, nipple tassels and a big neon sign saying “SLUT”, it would still be just a costume. Quite frankly, if we’re going to take Halloween costumes literally than I’d be far more concerned about the serial killers, dead bodies and sex offenders than a young woman who may or may not be having sex later on in the evening.
No, it might not be entirely in the innocently whimsical Disney spirit to be dressed as a ‘slutty’ Cinderella, and it may not be overly tasteful (or original) to go out in a PVC catsuit and cat ears. But it’s MY choice. It’s my best friend’s choice. It’s my female co-workers choice. It’s every woman’s choice – and it’s not even a particularly serious one! It’s not equal pay or right to birth control that I’m asking for here! It’s CAN’T A FEMALE CHOOSE WHAT SHE WANTS TO WEAR ON A DAY THAT (ESSENTIALLY) 95% OF PEOPLE WILL BE WEARING RIDICULOUS COSTUMES ANYWAY?
It saddens me even more when women bash other women for choosing to flash the flesh. If a guy was to venture out topless on Halloween with just a bit of fake blood on his chest and maybe a bit of face paint, he’d be disregarded as another half-assed zombie and nobody would bat an eyelid. But if I was to rock up in red hotpants and devil horns, whispers of ‘slag’ and ‘unoriginal’ and ‘attention-seeking’ would probably follow me all night. Sorry, but isn’t what clothing I choose to wear just a basic right that most of us demonstrate every single day?
If you’re one of those whisperers who likes to judge a woman based on her wardrobe decision, I implore you to take a good look at yourself. You’re yet another one of those with yo-yoing attitudes that one minute will tell women “Embrace your natural beauty! Be proud of your body!” whilst in the next breath gasping “No no! Not that much! People will get the wrong idea!”
Let’s face facts, whether we dress as nuns or Playboy bunnies, our Halloween costumes say far less about our real characters than your petty bitching does about yours. Just something to think about.