Point/Counterpoint is a recurring feature on BDCwire which explores the pros and cons of various parts of life in Boston. These arguments may or may not, break any new ground, but they’re meant as a starting point for you too to make an argument. This week’s debate involves whether or not it’s cool when people don the ‘sexy’ Disney-inspired halloween costume. What do you think? Are you pro-sexy Snow White or anti-dirty Disney costumes?
Alex Khatchadourian, arguing in favor of ‘sexy’ Disney-inspired costumes:
It’s that time of year, when the October ritual known as ‘The Shaming of the Sexy Halloween Costume’ rears its smug head, chastising sexy Snow Whites who dare show too much cleavage. For some reason, as soon as Halloween rolls around, even the most liberal and pro-feminist among us seem to lose their progressive ideals and suddenly are quick to label a woman a bimbo when she opts for the naughty Nala costume on Halloween. Why, when throughout the rest of the year we defend a woman’s right to dress any way she wants, are we so quick to apply the “bimbo” label to ladies in risqué Robin Hood get-ups on October 31? “She would never dress so racy normally,” often comes up when chastising these costumes. Forgive me if I have my holidays mixed up, but isn’t that the whole point? How many of us wear an X-rated “Little Mermaid” ensemble to Thanksgiving dinner? Second to pumpkin beer and binging on horror movies, Halloween is about self-expression. I mean, did we learn nothing from “Mean Girls” when Cady Heron explained it all as simply as, “In Girl World, Halloween is the one day a year when a girl can dress up like a total slut and no other girls can say anything else about it.” So please, don’t be a hater.
Christie Leist, arguing against naughty Disney-inspired costumes:
What is it about Halloween that makes college students think it’s OK to twist our tenderest childhood memories into a come-and-get-it ensemble? I’m talking about trashy, Disney-inspired costumes. On some level it might seem fun to embrace the throwback spirit and dress up as your favorite Disney princess; one might even say it’s “cute” that you’re being Ariel from “The Little Mermaid.” I just don’t see how a purple bra and a spandex skirt can be qualified as cute, especially if the young lady on the left is on her way to a party in Allston and passes by the youngster on the right, who could be in the same area trick-or-treating with her parents. Doesn’t it feel wrong to sexualize a costume that dozens of five year olds will also be wearing?
College may be the prime time for showing off our bodies, which are presumably in the best shape they’ll ever be in, but I have to believe there is another way to accomplish this on Halloween without tarnishing the reputation of beloved Disney characters. It’s uncomfortable to see a twenty year old’s take on Snow White when you may have been the same character as a kid-this goes for your peers and your parents. Nothing shoves independence down your parents’ throats quite like an X-rated edition of a costume you wore when you were in diapers.
And may I just point out that “Snow White” was originally released in the 1930’s and came out on VHS in 1994; these costumes are not only insulting, but they aren’t even relevant to our generation anymore. The main concern here, aside from scaring the public with half-naked bodies in the middle of autumn, is that the characters being sexualized by college students were created for the entertainment of children. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it might just be easier on everyone to throw on some lingerie and animal ears and call it a night; at least that way no one’s cherished childhood memories are ripped away from them one dwarf at a time.
