Students Should Be Free to Unleash Their Inner Playboy Bunny
Emma Tanner
There are reasons Halloween is, for some people, the highlight of the year. It’s one of the few days of the year when we can eat loads of candy, no matter our age, and feel minimal guilt. It’s the perfect opportunity to get in touch with our dark side by watching horror movie after horror movie, visiting the most extreme haunted houses and attempting to summon spirits without other reasonably-minded people pinning you with sadistic personality disorders. Lastly, it gives ordinary people the chance to dress in fun, dark and even inappropriate ways that may not otherwise be socially acceptable. For many women, this may include an ensemble with minimal clothing — the infamous “slutty” Halloween costume.
Halloween is the perfect chance to show off a personal side you may not otherwise tap into, which is part of why it’s such a fun holiday. Dressing in costumes on Halloween is similar to women getting ready for dances and formal events in the sense that most wouldn’t wear a dress on a school- or work-day, and they likely wouldn’t want to do that every day. But when a woman has the rare opportunity to go all-out, it can be exciting. So if your average lady is feeling good about herself and wants to show off her sexy side publicly without ridicule, doing so on Halloween with cute and skimpy outfits could be her perfect opportunity.
Maybe the lens through which a woman views her slutty costume is that Halloween is about self-expression in ways that aren’t always generally appreciated by society. Some people will argue that the fun that comes with wearing a sexy Halloween costume doesn’t make it appropriate — that in doing so a woman is asking for men to come on to her sexually and treat her badly. But I’m generally all about personal decision-making, and, quite honestly, I’m sure a lot of women are actually looking for people to react to their costumes. They like to chuckle over the dagger stares from more modest women, and they like the attention from men. Maybe Halloween is that one time of the year when, with the help of their trusty sex-infused costume, they can abandon their professionalism and modesty to act more confident than their average self would. So hey, more power to them. Get it, girl.
I’ll agree, though, with the notion that there are instances where slutty costumes probably aren’t appropriate. If you’re a young single mom who decides to go all “Playboy Bunny” every Halloween, odds are you’re probably not setting the best example for your kids and their friends. Depending on your upbringing and relatives, family gatherings might not be a great time to “bust” out your bootylicious she-devil costume either. But if you can get away with it — and there are plenty of places where almost anything will be permissible — I’d say go all-out and be whoever you want to be, especially while you’re young and most people you associate with will be smashed anyway. You won’t have your college body forever!
Students Should Be Practical, Not Provocative
Elyse Jost
Halloween: a time for candy, trick-or-treating, pumpkin carving and, of course, the ever-present ideal of our society that women should walk around half-naked.
The holiday has not always been a time for debate — “to wear clothes, or not to wear clothes” — but actually stems from a place of culture and community. Halloween in America truly began trending in the late 1800s when Irish immigrants were fleeing the potato famine and, upon their arrival in the United States, helped spread the tradition nationally. From the 1920s to the ‘50s, the holiday revolved around costumes, decorations and more costumes, especially with the decline of vandalism as a result of families handing out candy and treats.
The modern embodiment of this holiday has, however, devolved into something resembling a gluttonous, sugar- and alcohol-induced sexcapade. Kids drive to neighboring towns merely for the king-sized candy bars, which are certainly not curbing America’s childhood obesity issue. Both men and women stumble around on the brink of hypothermia, to head to a party where the alcohol is abundant and the worries are scarce.
In my humble opinion, “slutty” (a word I regret using, as I believe Americans have placed a lot of judgments and implications on the word in order to shame people who have taken advantage of their sexual freedoms) Halloween costumes should not be the centerpiece around which this holiday revolves.
First of all, no matter how hard we hope and wish that maybe it’ll be “warmer than we anticipated” on the night of Halloween, there’s no getting around it: It’s going to be FREEZING. If you’re going to wear a bikini, a toga or a shirtless fireman’s costume, at least layer on a few sweaters before stepping out to that hoppin’ Halloween party six blocks away. You can show your costume off in the comfort of a friend’s home — no need to display to the world that you’re now shivering at a dangerous rate.
“I’m a mouse, duh.” Movies such as “Mean Girls” have epitomized the idea of sexy, revealing costumes running rampant on Halloween. The idea of the Playboy bunny (fishnets, a strapless leotard and bunny ears), mouse (a short, tight-fitting dress) and bumblebee (a yellow tutu, yellow bikini top, and wings) are only some of the cliché outfits that have been trending the past few years. My issue with these costumes is not only the scarcity of the costume itself, but the lack of creativity involved in such guises.
If you have desired, in your heart of hearts, since you were a small child, to specifically dress up as a scantily-clad nurse for Halloween, then by all means, be my guest. But if you’re making your decision based off of what you “think” you should go as this Halloween, might I suggest taking the road less traveled? Halloween could be a really cool and interesting time to “show what you know” — be creative! Get punny! Use your intellect! Go for that obscure, well-thought-out costume that you’ll most definitely have to explain to a good portion of the people at whatever party you attend! I can assure you, if it’s funny and/or smart, you’re gonna be a hit.
Everyone has the right to choose what they wear this Halloween, but if you’re looking for a cool new way to stand out, wear your topic of conversation this year, rather than shouting it over a thumping bass. Wear it fully (might I suggest full-length pants, rather than booty shorts?). Keep warm, inspire others and be comfortable with yourself and your wit this Hallow’s Eve!