What will YOU be wearing this Halloween?

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Halloween is upon us once again. Amidst all the talk of a “homegrown” Halloween, what isn’t getting nearly as much attention is the potential threat to women. Every year, our female students report incidents of harassment, verbal abuse, and sexual assault, whether on Franklin Street or at parties. We hear the same thing time after time: women who dress like “sluts” on Halloween should expect to be treated as such. As we put the finishing touches on our costumes, I’d like to take a moment to deconstruct this myth.

To begin with, verbal and physical harassment of any kind, not to mention sexual assault, are never okay. There is never an instance when these acts of violence can be condoned. Wrapping it up in a costume does not excuse such behavior.

What interests me more is the question of why women choose particular costumes, and why men think those costumes thereby justify inappropriate behavior. I would argue that women have very little choice when it comes to costumes. Of course it is always possible to create a costume that is not of the “slutty” variety, but if you’re going to buy a costume, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a costume that hasn’t been sexed up. Want to be a pirate? A superhero? Even a ladybug? Then be prepared to show some legs and cleavage. Many argue that it’s liberating to step out of your usual roles and, for just one night, have a little fun, act a little crazy, and show a little more skin than usual. Let’s face it, such carnival-esque behavior has long been with us. But it’s the underlying subtext of dressing-up that bothers me.

The ubiquity of sexy costumes for women speaks not only to the objectification of women and the commodification of their bodies, but to the devaluation of women and girls. Ever notice how many costumes combine aspects of the little girl (short, girlish skirt, knee-high socks, pigtails) with elements of mature womanhood (cleavage and high heels)? This goes well beyond the “Naughty School Girl” costume.

Women are being sent a set of mixed messages: be innocent, but also sexually experienced. Increasingly, younger women are represented in hyper-sexualized ways, while older women get the message that they are increasingly undesirable and thus irrelevant.

I’m not saying that women should never choose these sorts of costumes. But I am perplexed by the immense pressure to wear a sexy costume. (And it’s spreading to men, too. Yet though there are an increasing number of costumes that allow men to show as much skin as is legally possible, most sexy men’s costumes depend on a play on words/images, such as this snake charmer costume).

I don’t believe for a minute that this pressure comes solely from men, or from the fashion industry. The idea that women are only good for one thing runs much deeper than that.

The fact that these so-called sexy costumes trigger inappropriate behavior in many men and even some women points to the ways in which we’ve all absorbed and internalized attitudes about female sexuality as something dangerous that needs to be controlled and put back in its place. The cat-calling, the grabbing, the crass gestures, and worse, all amount to what second-wavers called “Little Rapes”—fear tactics used to keep women from enjoying too much power in our society. Poor behavior on Franklin Street, then, is less about women’s costumes, and all about power. Halloween merely masks that behavior, and distracts us from what is really happening.

Until we can change larger attitudes about female sexuality, women’s bodies, and the costume/fashion industry, we’ll have to settle for this: no matter what a woman “chooses” to wear on Halloween—or any other day of the year—she is never “asking” to be abused.  Join Project Dinah and the Carolina Women’s Center as we ask everyone to make this Halloween a safe and enjoyable experience for all. Come to our Halloween fashion show, sign a pledge of non-violence, and respect everyone. Remember, Halloween is all about the chocolate anyway!
 

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