I got into an argument with Leann about the topic of her most recent podcast: “slutty” Halloween costumes. I have quite a few thoughts on this matter, and I figured instead of co-opting her comment section to promote my slutty agenda, I should just write a post of my own.
First of all, the thing that grated on my nerves the most about this podcast was the frequency of the words “slut” and “whore.” Tag In The Seam is supposed to be a podcast for women… but, I guess, only certain women? Which, I mean, that’s fine; but if that’s the case, then define your audience. However, I don’t think that was Leann’s intent (as she clarified later in a comment) - but it sure came off that way. And as I said in her thread, some of us are a little tired of hearing those names thrown around - especially by other women.
So what do I think about “sexy” Halloween costumes? Well, WRT the costumes themselves, I really don’t care all that much. It’s a costume for one day of the year; if you’re an adult and it’s what you want to wear, then wear it. Now, as for why there are so few options available in stores for women, other than the “sexy” stuff - okay, that’s a topic worth discussing. (In the comments Leann says this was her original concern. Great, but let’s discuss it without demonizing women who choose to wear such costumes.) I think there are a few things at work here: first of all, supply and demand. Probably the manufacturers have found that sexy (I’m sick of putting it in snark quotes) costumes sell the best, so that’s where they put their focus.
Okay, you say, but why is there such demand for those costumes in the first place? I think it has to do, in part at least, with the largely sex-negative nature of our society. I think some women look at Halloween as a safe opportunity to play the role of the “slut.” They wouldn’t dare dress so scantily in their everyday life, for fear of being called a slut. It’s extremely unfortunate that this fear of shaming keeps some women from exploring things with which they might otherwise be comfortable. If our society were more open and accepting of sexuality, and women’s bodies, and didn’t like to throw labels around based on what a woman is wearing, would there even be a need for a special, set-aside day of experimentation?
Another issue is where costumes are located in stores. There are a lot of non-gender-specific costumes, and often those are placed in the men’s section. This, of course, is stupid; the notion of “male” as the unmarked case is something that should be called out for the bullshit it is. But without taking this into account, it’s kind of disingenuous to say that women only have sexy costume options. The problem in these cases lies with the positioning and marketing of costumes, not with a lack of available choices.
Plus, let’s face it, a lot of people who buy Halloween costumes at a store are lazy - like me. Actually, I’m so lazy that I can’t even remember the last time I had a costume at all. Usually I would wake up on Halloween and think, “Oh shit, it’s Halloween. Well, I guess I’ll wear black.” So having the forethought to order a pre-made costume a few weeks ahead of time was a major step for me! But, you know, my costume certainly isn’t the most creative or original thing out there. The really unique, creative costumes are always going to be homemade.
Frankly, much of Leann’s podcast and the ensuing comments just sounded curmudgeonly. “In my day, we went trick-or-treating barefoot - and we liked it!” And that’s okay; I mean hell, more and more I surprise myself with how often I scoff at the darn kids these days. But the thing is, I don’t think sexy adult costumes are anything new. I remember going to Halloween stores in Augusta as a kid and seeing plenty of sexy nurses, sexy devils, sexy this, sexy that. So they’ve been around for at least 20 years. Prior to that, I don’t know how much of a market there was for prefabricated Halloween costumes at all, so I’ll just stick with what I know.
So those are my thoughts on the matter. And Leann, this wasn’t a personal attack on you or anything; but I think this is a conversation worth having, and looking at from various angles. (There’s a joke in there somewhere, about looking at a sexy costume from a certain angle.) And stay tuned, readers; there will be Halloween photos after this weekend.
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