So, ladies, what will you be for Halloween this year? A sexy pirate? A sexy police officer? A sexy bumblebee? Well, what if I told you that you are paying around an average of $35 extra compared to un-sexy male costumes that require more fabric to produce than your fishnet stockings and bralette combo. It's a sickening day in the world when the only thing scarier than the festivities of Halloween is the sexualization and objectification of women. That being said, what was once a lively and festive holiday has transformed into a catwalk for women to outdo one another with how many guys they can get with as a result of their costume's demanding cleavage, for women, are forever forced to be seen as sexual entities within society's standards.
Halloween specialty stores and big-name chain retail stores alike make capital off of sexualizing women's bodies for a single day—yet sexualization of women pervades the minds of men the other 364 days a year, leading to misogynistic actions and harassment that will stick with women for their lifetime. The sexualization and objectification of women can be seen everywhere you turn—from politics to Twitter. And sadly, that isn't the worst of it.
The poor depiction of women by costume manufacturers and store providers is the baseline for the harassment and violence inflicted upon women around the globe when three or more women die each day due to sexual violence. This sexualized stereotype of women strengthens each year as more and more women's Halloween costumes become skimpier and sexualized costumes become supply to women and girls of younger and younger ages at a rapid rate. Instead of seeing little girls scurry around in a decked-out fox costume equipped with a bushy tail and furry stomach, we see them head-to-toe in racy, black pieces of cloth trying to pull off a "cat" costume with disgust and apathy painted onto their youthful faces. Once men see this sexualized costume and contain this idea of apparent sexualization and objectification of women, they think it's then okay to catcall and harass women because, honestly, us women don't have feelings or dignity, right? Something needs to change.
The idea centered around Halloween costumes it that you can be anyone or anything you wish; please don't dress as a product of a corrupt and misogynistic society this Halloween.
