Let people wear sexy costumes

Her body isn’t a threat

Walk into an old strip mall, and there’s guaranteed to be a Spirit Halloween in that spot that used to be a Border’s Bookstore. Walk into that Spirit Halloween, and there’s guaranteed to be a swath of outrageous sexy Halloween costumes. Walk into a public place wearing said sexy costume, or just post a photo wearing it online, and there’s guaranteed to be a public recoil and outrage. How dare she wear what she wants? Does she really expect to wear such an exposing costume, revealing so much of her own body, and not expect a response?!

Actually yes, yes, she does. What she wears is nobody’s business but her own. So step off, douche canoes.  

The current era is more accepting of men, women, and everyone in between for acting and being their true selves. It truly is amazing to see so many people expressing their true selves, and that is worth celebrating. Pause here and reflect how great it is to create a world in which people are able to do what they damn well please.  

Okay, happy pause over. Back to rage.  

Even though the world is more accepting than ever, current society is remarkably more polarized than ever before. There seems to be no more such thing as a gray area. People are either lovers or #haters. When a person wears a sexy costume, the lovers are often drowned out by the incessant haters.

Why? Does her body pose a threat? Does their expression of themselves on a fun day in a dismal year set off enough rage that belittling them becomes a necessity? 

Society at large holds the female body on a pedestal as something to worship. Why is it that when a woman chooses to value and celebrate her body as much as the culture does, she’s smacked down, and walks down the street holding her keys between her fingers? 

Her showing her body is not an open invitation for critiques. It’s not an invitation for anything at all, really. If she mentions her costume, allowing the conversation, then, sure, comment on the costume, not her body. Or if she’s sexy Pennywise and there’s another It character at the party, maybe mention the fact that the costumes correspond. But if those comments turn to the gross sexualization or outright objectification of her for what she’s wearing, know that the commenter will no longer be invited to the host’s parties.  

While on the topic of sexy Pennywise, yes, some sexy Halloween costumes are arguably tacky and a bit strange. Take sexy hand sanitizer or sexy Bob Ross. It’s a little odd. But let her do what she wants. Maybe it just made her laugh, and 2020 hasn’t provided a whole lot to laugh at. No matter the degree of weirdness of the costume, it doesn’t deserve a mountain of manure in the form of rude comments to be thrown. 

When a person chooses to do what they want with their bodies, just let them, okay? It really isn’t that hard.

This is a selection from the Oct. 28 issue. To view the full issue, visit:

https://online.flippingbook.com/view/82792/