“In girl world, Halloween is the one night a year when a girl can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it,” according to Cady Heron in "Mean Girls." Well I hate to burst anyone's bubble, but I’m saying something about it.
When we were younger, Halloween held such pure and innocent fun. As a child, my biggest concern was the amount of houses my parents would let me hit before making me go home. Acquiring a pool of candy that could last for weeks was of course my main priority and my parents’ worst nightmare. Halloween was that one night in our childhoods where anything could happen. You got to dress up like the superhero or movie character that you always wanted to be. Your parents let you stay up just a little bit later to indulge in some sugar and maybe a scary movie with your friends. Basically, you felt like the guy in the Little Caesar’s pizza commercials who runs around screaming, “There’s no rules!”
Then you grow up and things are a little different. It is no longer deemed “cool” to dress up as a Powerpuff Girl or green-faced witch. Instead, ladies choose to present themselves in higher heels and shorter skirts, and most attempt to highlight the new assets that puberty gave them. It’s an alternate universe where schoolgirls become naughty and the attire for female cops involves leather skirts and stilettos (that can’t be comfortable when you’re chasing criminals, right?). The effort towards a Halloween costume becomes less about creative humor and more about looking like the sexiest girl in the room.
What happened to the old Halloween? Why has it become a night where it is considered normal to show as much skin as possible? Should a girl really be considered confident when she chooses a costume specifically geared towards showing off her body? I’ll go ahead and answer that with a hard "no." Speaking from personal experience, Halloween is infinitely more fun when you dress like an absolute goofball. I am now a senior in college and my list of recent costumes includes the Energizer bunny, Russell from the movie "Up," and Buzz Lightyear. I have no issue dressing like a boy or animated character, and the hilarity that results has made my Halloweens some of the best nights of my life.
I’m not saying that every girl needs to dress like a boy or try to look stupid. I’m merely suggesting that we focus less on the sexy stuff and more on the funny and original looks that make for great conversation starters. Most girls might find confidence in showing off their bodies, but I find my confidence by choosing a well-known character and nailing their look. If it’s no longer considered acceptable for us “young adults” to knock on doors and ask for candy, we should at least hang onto the humor and creativity of good costumes.
