What is Halloween? Well, Caitlin Doughty from The Order of The Good Death can answer that from her episode of Ask a Mortician:
From this description of Halloween, it can be concluded that Halloween has been constantly morphed into different definitions as time went on. Samhain (allegedly) being the origin of the holiday known as Halloween, went from a practice of honoring the dead to a day where we celebrate the best costumes, candy and parties. However, how did the over-sexualized costumes for women ever become part of Halloween? Why has there not been costumes that are over-sexualized for men?
Over-sexualization of Halloween costumes can be a ploy to capitalize on Halloween, a holiday known for the parties that occur. However through this capitalization, it becomes harder for women to find costumes that do not cause their boobs, ass or other parts of their body parts to be shown. This over-sexualization of women and their bodies can be seen as part of objectifying women. Why is there a need for women to be sexy?
Taken from GeekAlerts.com article of “12 Super Sexy Halloween Costumes”
In the post, Have Women Become the New Trick in ‘Trick or Treat’?, fellow blogger says: “Halloween should be an escape from female, body objectification and yet it has only enforced it by making it into a contemporary tradition.” Which is true! Traditions have changed over time as Samhain traditions varies greatly from the Halloween we celebrate. The Halloween parade held in NYC every year is a good example. The parade is an exhibit of the hard work, time and creativity people have placed in creating their costumes. I remember one year I attended the parade and was astounded by the amazing costumes!
Winner of the NYC’s 2011 Costume Contest at The Village’s Halloween Parade
Over-sexualized Halloween costumes is just an excuse to objectify women while capitalists profit off the holiday. If we are screaming outcry because Jessica Simpson dressed her daughter in a bikini. Then why are we not screaming foul when teen girls and women are dressing up in extremely sexy costumes that accentuates certain parts of their body? Today on Jezebel.com, I came across this appalling piece of “art” also known as the pornkin. It essentially is a carve your own porno! (I am not going to continue…)
As my fellow blogger said, Halloween SHOULD be about an escape from the female objectification. How to do this? Well, pranking someone IS an option, as Halloween IS known for its pranks. Another option is to walk through a Haunted Houses being one… Niagara Falls Haunted House seems like a great way to spend Halloween. Walking around a haunted house while testing your ability to stay calm, may be a good way to celebrate the day of the dead.
So why succumb to the social pressures to dress sexily when you do not have to? Go out there and have fun! Enjoy the costumes at the Halloween Parade (sadly due to Hurricane Sandy it was cancelled this year) or find a Haunted House to walk through! There are plenty of things to do without having to dress up sexily. If you really want a costume, then make it yourself! Over-sexualized costumes are overpriced anyway!
Fun Fact:
Did you know the word “Marauders” were known as ‘resurrectionists’ who were grave robbers? During the time where there was a major need for corpses to be used to study anatomy, marauders would rob graves for bodies. The significance? The Marauders were a group of school-aged kids from Hogwarts who constantly pulled pranks on their peers. However, they mostly pulled the more malicious pranks on (alleged) Death Eater associates. Ah, the brilliance of J.K. Rowling!
The Unstoppable Bra 