Halloween costumes can lead to hilarity or confrontation; it is up to the public to decide.
Costumes make Halloween the special holiday that it is. It is the one day of the year that everyone’s imagination blossoms as they try to find the best ensemble.
The best costumes revolve around hot topics around the world according to •Janet Santone, owner of Uptown costume store •Schoolkids. Music, television and historical figures tend to get a fair representation in costume-wear.
“Last year during Halloween was when the Freak Show season of American Horror Story was airing,” sophomore Hannah Veerkamp said. “A girl dressed up like the character that had two heads, which was a pretty good one.”
Some people take it too far, however, especially when focusing in on negative stereotypes. In 2013, The Huffington Post published a story highlighting a Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman costume in which Zimmerman was pictured holding a finger-gun at Martin, who had painted blood on his sweatshirt.
“I think that (people who dress up in offensive costumes) use it as a way to get attention or to make a name for themselves,” sophomore Riley Cooper said. “It’s pretty unnecessary unless it’s actually a hilarious costume.”
Hilarious. Naturally, everyone will not find the same things funny. The goal is to find the fine line between offensive and hilarious.
“We are a bunch of college students,” Keegan Giordano, a freshman studying journalism, said. “We are going to stretch the limit and have fun.”
2015 has been a ticking time-bomb in the nationwide media. Disturbing videos have circulated involving white cops physically abusing black citizens, Donald Trump has said Donald Trump things and A-list celebrities have been caught in controversial situations.
The media pays more attention to these stories because of their ability to garner attention; they cause debates online and in everyday conversation. Just because these are the most prevalent topics in society does not make it ok to assimilate them into a costume.
“People nowadays will find reasons to get offended by anything and everything,” Veerkamp said.
Santone noted that there is not one big theme in her sales this year. Lady Gaga and Breaking Bad were big time sellers for her in the past; now everyone wants to think of the next great idea to get them famous on social media.
“I think that (social media) has given a platform for people who already think outside of the box to share what they think with others,” Cooper said. “It can be an incentive for someone to try and come up with something good to share.”
There is nothing wrong with trying to create a top-notch costume. The problems arise when that costume pushes boundaries that are not meant to be touched.
