These Halloween costumes simply don't work and are real no-gos
In addition to carnival/carnival/carnival, carnival is also becoming more and more establishedas one event per year that you can take part in by means ofcostumeslips into a different role. In autumn, of course, there is a lot of spooky factor. But as with the fifth season, a problem sometimes emerges in October: insensitively chosen costumes that have racist traits, ridicule other cultures, promote stereotypes or trivialize or glorify violence.
And no, the arguments “Everyone can wear what they want”, “You will probably still be allowed to wear that – it’s just a disguise” or “That wasn’t a problem before” simply don’t work at this point . Of course, everyone should wear what they want - but not if other people feel offended or hurt by it. And just because problematic costumes weren't talked about "back in the day" doesn't mean they were okay back then. Also: There are SO many great, funny, beautiful onesHalloween costumes.Does it really have to be one of the following?
These 5 Halloween costumes are real fails
1. Real serial killers or other costumes that trivialize violence
are straighttheHit: We're currently thinking about that, or that,about the serial killer of the same name. Why is it still not okay to dress up as the protagonists of these series? Quite simply: real circumstances also mean real sacrifices. And that's exactly why neither isas a solo, or the serial killer plus one of his victims as a couple costume, or the brothers from "Monster" or or or ... an acceptable disguise for Halloween 2024. Just imagine, one of your own family members was killed in the most brutal way murdered or abused and then on Halloween, images of people dressing up as his murderers flood the internet? At this point no further convincing should probably be necessary.
This also applies to other costumes that trivialize trauma. In some online shops for disguises, there are exhibitionist costumes, consisting of an open coat and a biologically male nude suit, or the “grandma version” (that ticks the ageism box too!). Unfortunately, we should also not forget Prince Harry, who appeared at a party in 2005 wearing a Nazi disguise, which was of course an absolute no-go, because right-wing ideas should never be trivialized as a disguise. This applies to Nazis, but also to white Ku Klux Klan hoods (please be careful with the ghost outfit using a bed sheet and two peepholes). And the other side, that of the victims, is also not an option: a few years ago, for example, an online shop had an Anne Frank children's costume on offer. Just tasteless.
2. Blackfacing
Blackfacing, brownfacing and yellowfacing are not okay under any circumstances. This means ifwhitePeople paint their faces (and bodies) with black, brown, or yellow paint to disguise themselves as a Black person or person of color because they think it suits their costume.
Two simple examples. Anyone who identifies aswhitePerson wants to dress up as “Kill Bill’s” iconic Gogo Yubari: You can definitely recognize her just by the schoolgirl uniform, the open hair plus bangs and the swinging morning star; Nobody has to add characteristics that are “typically Asian” aka yellowfacing for the “authentic” look. The same applies to, for example, which can be depicted with her characteristic identifying marks, colorful dress, flowers in her hair, monobrow,withoutChanging your own complexion (and yes, a foundation that is “only two shades darker” than your actual one also counts). However, care should always be taken to represent a single person and not a general population group: Frida Kahlo is okay if the above guideline is followed, but “Mexican” is not. More on that in the next paragraph, but you'll notice: Ethnicity is not a costume template and blackfacing is thoroughly racist, so just let it go.
3. Cultural and religious appropriation
In short: You shouldn't wear anything that uses symbolism, ritual or traditional borrowings from a culture and ridicules it. Or an ethnic group is reduced to a stereotype through the costume. These include: “Indians” (a racist term for the indigenous peoples of North America), geishas, sheiks, hula dancers… But also Afro wigs and the “Día de los Muertos” skull make-up, which is so popular and magnificent on Halloween -up are also questionable. This is based on a traditional Mexican holiday where families remember their ancestors and celebrate their spirits. A colorful skull make-up based on this day, as a single statement or in combination with the traditional Mexican mariachi outfit, should definitely not be a costume for a Halloween party.
