"Offensive Halloween Costumes" in the News today?

[Andybev01]

Given your age I'd say that is a safe bet.

[Pumpkin_Man]

I can understand anyone want to break the tide of racist stereotypes, but 'political correctness' in this country has gotten WAY OUT OF HAND, and it's time to say 'enough is enough.' You can come to my house dressed as a gangster, gaisha, cow boy or what ever, I will give you a something for your ToT bag. I personaly prefer tradtional monster costumes like wearwolf, vampire or witch, but Halloween is a time for fun, not politics. I am getting tired of this 'new fangled' society we live in where even the salutations "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Easter" are "offensive language," and make me a "racist," "Religions bogit," or "insensative."

To those of you 'politicaly correct' "modern people" reading this post, I have a few news flashes for you.

News Flash 1. I am NOT, repeat, NOT goint to stop celebrating Halloween, Thanksgiving or Christmas the way I have TRADITIONALY enjoyed those holidays all of my life, regardless of how 'offended' you get.

Newf Flash 2. 'Political correctness' is THE VERY CONCEPT that put Stalin, Hitler, Mau Tse Tung, Pol Pot and every other petty tyrant into power, and kept him in power. It's a bad concept, there is no room for it in any free socitey.

News Flash 3. Freedom of Expression is a TWO WAY STREET. I don't see anyone objecting to anyone dressing like 'cow boys,' and riding around on stuffed toy horses. A Halloween costume is just that. A Halloween costume, and nothing more. The wearer of that costume HAS A CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT to wear it and to express himself.

Please pardon my rant, but I am FED UP with 'political correctnes,' and all those who subscribe to that JUNK PHILOSOPHY trying to regulate how I live my life, and celebrate my holidays.

Mike

[MacPhantom]

I don't think these kids are saying you shouldn't be allowed to dress in a giant sombrero and mustache, or in black-face with an afro wig. They're just saying that you are an a$$hole if you do. Talk about a nation of whiners! "Waaaahhh!! I wanna dress up like a racial stereotype, but don't you dare call me on it or think I'm an a$$hole for doing it!! You're stepping on my constitutional rights to propagate bigotry for my own amusement!!"

These kids aren't telling anyone what they can or can't do. They are merely setting the boundaries of what they find acceptable in their social circle, and encouraging their peers to give their costumes a second thought. If you don't like those boundaries, don't be friends with them. But there's no need to throw a hissy fit or act like they just wiped their bums with the Bill of Rights.

[Castle]

The only group whining is the one pushing to stop production of stereotypically racial costumes because they find it offensive. I've got Scottish and Native American blood and I've seen both types of costumes, but I could care less one way or another. If I saw a Japanese guy wearing a kilt as his costume and drinking whisky, I'd actually laugh. I can understand why someone would think wearing a sombrero and mustache would be funny. I can also understand why someone would wanna be a geisha, because there's such a massive gap between American and traditional Japanese culture that the image of the geisha is almost scary. Honestly, I think dressing up as something that's not scary, shocking (something that makes others uncomfortable because you look almost non-human/demonic), or funny (I don't mean anything racial/cultural, I mean like wearing a penis costume) defeats the purpose of Halloween, but whatever.

But if I ever get diagnosed with hypertrichosis, I'd hope people would stop wearing werewolf costumes. It would hurt my feelings.

[Spookymufu]

Given your age I'd say that is a safe bet.

this time, I hope you're right

[Murfreesboro]

Newf Flash 2. 'Political correctness' is THE VERY CONCEPT that put Stalin, Hitler, Mau Tse Tung, Pol Pot and every other petty tyrant into power, and kept him in power. It's a bad concept, there is no room for it in any free socitey.

I agree with you, Mike, especially with this statement.

What I have always loved about Halloween is that, to me, it is the great holiday of imagination. I have almost always costumed as a witch myself, but I love seeing what other people come up with. The first time I ever heard of anyone costuming as an Arab terrorist, it was in the late '70s on a college campus where I was a student. I hadn't given any thought to Arab terrorists at the time, but this was a kid who had spent time on a kibbutz in Israel, and they were already part of his imaginative landscape. I thought he was being pretty creative, and I have never forgotten that costume. It doesn't mean I think every Arab I see is a terrorist. I don't think he believed that, either.

About ten years later, my husband and I attended an adult costume party at Halloween. One of the women had pinned condoms all over her blouse and put on some kind of headdress with a tree branch or bush on top. She said she was a "rubber tree." That pushed the bounds of taste for my husband & me, but it was an adult party, it was meant to be funny, and I must say I have never forgotten that costume, either.

I think when you start proscribing what people can pretend to be at Halloween, you are muzzling creativity and humor. Of course some costumes are not wise. When Prince Harry over in England dressed as Hitler (or a Nazi, at any rate), he was excoriated for it. Somebody less prominent could probably have gotten away with that, but not a member of England's royal family. People have to weigh the potential consequences of what they do. Around here, if you dressed in black face, or as a Klan member, you might not live until November 1. I would discourage my kids from wearing any costume that might get them killed. That's just common sense.

BTW, I thought the geisha costume in that photo was quite pretty. I would love to see someone at my door dressed like that.

[Pumpkin56]

Let's move on from this--it's making some of our members a little testy

Let's all be happy and excited that Halloween is just a few sleeps away!!

[Jack Skellington]

Let's all be happy and excited that Halloween is just a few sleeps away!!

Can't wait! Not long to go now!

[Midnite Shadow]

They need to lighten up. It's Halloween, the one night that shouldn't be PC!

I'm with Miss Lillith

[Jack Skellington]

They need to lighten up. It's Halloween, the one night that shouldn't be PC!

I'm with Miss Lillith

Me too.

The world's gone mad with PC over the last few years, it drives me crazy!