Who doesn’t love Halloween? For one day a year, we get to dress up, get candy, and revert back into our fall weather moods. Small children and grown-ups who are children art heart join all enjoy finding costumes that will excite. However, some people take the quest of finding the perfect Halloween costume past the point of good fun and into the realm of edgy and impertinent.
Earlier this month, a 12-year-old boy sparked outrage by deciding to show to a community Halloween event dressed up as Hitler. The boy’s mother was identified to be a teacher in the local junior high school went to Facebook to show support for her son’s decision. She explained that his costume idea was last minuet and put together that day. In an interview the boy’s father elaborated that his son had been studying World War II at school and that he decided on this own to attend the event dressed as Hitler based on his status as a historical figure. It is evident that the parents whole-heartedly believed that her son’s choice of costume should be admired instead of vilified.
By The Canadian Jewish News
As young progressive adults, we should all see where a lot of people would find a major issue with this costume. Many people use Halloween as a way to showcase some of the more grotesque characters in pop culture such as characters in horror movies and even real people like political figures and celebrities, however there are some lines that you just should not cross. A 12-year-old boy should be able to dress up as a historical figure in the spirit of good fun, but there is nothing amusing about portraying a man who personified hate for so many people.
The guidelines of consideration do not only apply to children who want to flex their historical knowledge. Teens and young adults alike should be mindful of how their Halloween costume decisions well be perceived by others. Not every witty or funny costume idea that you come up with will be seen that way by others. Religious figures, cultural symbols, and ethnic features are not things that should be derided because these things are not costumes. No one wants to leave their house and see some of the most personal and defining characteristics out on display for another person’s amusement. Costumes relating to these categories should be considered untouchable when it comes to Halloween costumes.
As seen in the Lately, a lot of attention has been brought to the practice of white individuals dressing up to personify the stereotypical identity of different people of color. In the 2014, movie Dear White People, the conflict between the black and white students come to a boiling point when a student decides to host a blackface themed party. It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to understand why this would be a huge issue. However, the issue gets more complicated when it comes to the portraying an actual person and not just a stereotype. There are iconic individuals across all races that are worthy of costumes. There are other ways of portraying a person of a different race without coloring your skin.
Being conscious of the way others will react to your Halloween costume does not make you insecure nor does it promote an overtly sensitive society. Dressing up in Halloween is all about being silly and having fun with others. Being insensitive to other’s feelings is not going to be fun for you or the people who are going to be around you. After all, on a day when individuals are given permission to dress up as whoever they want to be why would you consciously choose to be offensive?