Dressing up as someone completely different from ourselves is always fun. Halloween is a great chance take on an alternative personality, but sometimes costumes can cross the line. Every year around Halloween, there are heated discussions about controversial Halloween costumes that may be racist, sexist or prejudice. We've all seen these costumes before, and some may not think of them as controversial, but to many students on campus they may come across as vulgar, insensitive, racist or prejudice. At SCU there are many organizations pushing students to rethink their costumes and consider whether or not they may come across as offensive to others. MCC, ASG, and OML are among the many organizations that want to stop the unknowingly offensive costumes. It is surprising that many costumes seen as controversial are still sold in major costume and Halloween stores. Here are a few costumes that may not seem risky to some, but should be avoided this Halloween weekend.
Mexican Male or Female
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Dressing up in a sombrero and poncho with a fake black mustache is a very common Halloween costume that never fails to make an appearance at every party. This costume is very often seen as a racially offensive costume due to its stereotyping and poor representation of an ethnicity. Anyone planning on wearing any costume like this, even without the bottles of tequila, should really reconsider their costume before going out.
Caitlyn Jenner
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Due to Bruce Jenner's recent sex change, dressing up as Caitlyn Jenner from the cover of Vanity Fair is becoming an increasingly popular idea. This costume may not be seen as offensive, given that Caitlyn Jenner is an inspiration, hero and role model for many transgender people. However, the costume comes across as a way to ridicule the transgender community, and has sparked a large amount of controversy even before Halloween.
Demeaning Gender Costumes
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Dressing up as the opposite gender can be done in good taste, but often costumes are overdone and sexually demeaning. Portraying women as nothing more than sex objects can be offensive to many people. There are also plenty of vulgar costumes involving male and female genitalia or sexual innuendos that can greatly offend both sexes. While it is more common to see men dressed up in costumes degrading women, there are plenty of costumes that degrade men as well, and both should should be avoided this Halloween.
Pimp
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By definition, a pimp is "a man who controls prostitutes and arranges clients for them, taking part of their earnings in return." Pimps are known for heading the prostitute industry as well as human trafficking industry, neither of or which are joking matters. Pimp costumes are often overlooked and seen as a funny costume, but pimps are the heads of some horrific crimes, and pretending to be one for Halloween isn't a joking matter.
Native American
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This costume surprisingly still exists. Native American mascots and costumes have been deemed racially offensive by many Americans. Dressing up as a different culture is offensive to many people who are of that culture. Costumes of different cultures or races are too controversial to be worn at all.
Religious Figures
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Religion is sacred to many people, and dressing up as someone's religious figure or leader is extremely controversial. When costumes appear to make a joke of a religion or misrepresent important leaders, they become even more offensive.
Face or Skin Coloring
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This is maybe one of the most controversial issues that arises during Halloween: costumes that involve coloring one's skin in order to match the character represented. Julianne Hough made this mistake in 2013 when she dressed up as Crazy Eyes from "Orange Is the New Black." Darkening or lightening skin comes across as offensive to either race that was impersonated.
