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Ah, fall. It’s a splendid four months spent cuddling in obscenely overpriced Urban Outfitters scarves and sipping $6 PSLs. Of course, as the season’s most highly-anticipated holiday approaches, we can unfortunately also expect to be exposed to distasteful, awkward and offensive costumes from vendors that continue to sell culturally insensitive apparel.
Unless your goal is to make everyone around you really uncomfortable, here is a list of costumes you should avoid not only this year, but forever.
1. “Adult Mexican Man”
Spirit Halloween*Sigh.* I’m not sure why it still needs to be reiterated that a Mexican person is not a costume, but here we go: A Mexican person is not a costume. This particular website encourages you to “start your own fiesta” with a colorful poncho and a “hysterical black mustache.” The cultures, traditions and the ethnic features of a group do not exist for our pleasure and humor. Please just refrain from wearing any cultural garment as a “costume.”
2. “Adult Blind Referee”
Halloween CostumesYeah, let’s go ahead and mock disabled people and continue to ostracize another marginalized group by poking fun at their disabilities! That’s not problematic at all!
3. “Men’s Fireman Costume”
Halloween ExpressWear this costume if your goal is to traumatize and disgust people and avoid all possible human interaction that night.
4. “Adult Clown Costume”
Halloween ExpressAre clowns racist? Does a bear defecate in the woods? Why don’t we just go ahead and include all costumes that require blackface in this category? If you have to alter your skin color in order to truly embody a celebrity or character, then maybe that’s a sign that this costume is not for you.
5. “Men’s Arab Sheik Costume”
Halloween ExpressOnce again, just as we learned that a Mexican person is not a costume, neither is an Arab Sheik.
There are, of course, countless other costumes that exist solely to offend and trigger unsuspecting civilians. From terrorists to mass murderers, it’s still quite early in September, and sadly we haven’t seen the worst that is yet to come. In an effort to mitigate the racial tensions and the already apocalyptic political climate in the country, try to refrain from wearing any of the aforementioned costumes, please and thank you.
