By Kermit the Frog in a tight skirt, Spongebob in fishnets, Harambe with a bullet wound in his glistening, six-pack abs, Sexy Flayed body. Halloween is here and it’s going to get weird, and that’s a beautiful thing.
Part of Halloween’s significance is how it allows for radical self-expression. It is socially acceptable and even encouraged, to dress as a bloodstained nurse in a miniskirt on Oct. 31.
In March it could get you arrested.
So much of the puritanical guilt that defines America’s complicated relationship with sexuality is gone for one night. “No, Rachel, I’m not going to apologize for my rockin’ bod. Not today.”
We need time to cut loose. The cathartic rush of doing stupid things at a wild party is a great stress reliever. With everyday life grinding us down, drunkenly bobbing for apples while dressed as a Tyrannosaurus Rex is sometimes exactly what we need.
It’s empowering to be able to dress however you want, without the worry of what other people think. We can all use a little cathartic, judgment-free fun.
The range of what we consider to be “acceptable fashion” is too narrow. Maybe I want to dress as a sexy gladiator when I go into work. And on Halloween, I can.
Critics say that sexy Halloween costumes inject inappropriate sexuality into what is, at its core, a holiday for children.
While it is true that we shouldn’t expose children to too much sexuality, Halloween’s more salacious elements are tame compared to what kids see in music videos, movies and advertisements every day.
Everyone has seen twerking. Everyone has listened to music about getting laid. This is nothing kids haven’t seen a thousand times before.
If sexy cats are corrupting our children, Taylor Swift in “Cats” is going to do a hell of a lot more damage than a 20-something in a short skirt or gym rat in a neon tank top.
The average costume isn’t even that skimpy. I’ve seen more skin from people walking around campus during the recent heatwave than I ever have on Halloween.
People wearing pants that practically disappear into their asses are everywhere. Why does adding devil horns suddenly make it scandalous?
Also, the “sexy” and “safe” halves are kept largely separate. Your average trick-or-treater is unlikely to stumble into a bacchanalia while looking for candy.
At its worst “sexy Halloween” is a little annoying. It’s totally understandable to feel uncomfortable amid the cavalcade of sexy ghosties, ghoulies and long-legged beasties.
Just understand that these people aren’t hurting anyone, and a lot of them really need this.
