Are we overthinking costumes?
Dressing up for trick-or-treating has become complicated. The list of forbidden characters is growing, with the creepy clown as the latest. Are we over-thinking costumes?
More from this episode:
- Baroness of the House of Dracula Elizabeth Miller on vampires
- 'Emotional correctness' over political correctness: Checkup caller on cultural Halloween costumes
- How a Halloween costume can harm an individual's cultural identity
- Costume controversy: historical oppression vs. individual freedoms
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It's that time of year… All Hallow's Eve, a night for ghosts and goblins, tricks and treats.
But dressing up for Halloween is getting complicated as a growing number of institutions take steps to prohibit racist, sexist or potentially offensive costumes. Brock University student's union, for instance, issued a list of banned costumes before their Halloween bash. Bindis, geishas, and Caitlyn Jenner aren't welcome, neither are native headdress, "Poca-hottie" outfits and fake dreadlocks.
The list of forbidden characters is growing; the latest being creepy clowns.
Reports of funny business involving nefarious clowns turn into hysteria far and wide across North America One school district in the U.S. banned clown costumes, and a clown society in B.C. asked costume stores to not sell clown stuff.
Our question: Are we overthinking Halloween costumes? Have costumes become a political minefield?
Guests
Laura Hughes, Brock University Social Justice Centre Supervisor
Twitter: @lauraliz_
Darren Garnick, a freelance journalist and documentary filmmaker based in New Hampshire. He is also the creator of Tacky Tourist Photos, a travel blog celebrating goofy tourist photo-ops around the world.
Twitter: @darrengarnick
Elizabeth Miller, Professor Emerita at Memorial University, in St. John's; Baroness of the House of Dracula Honorary title bestowed by the Transylvanian Society of Dracula, Romania
Links & Articles
CBC.ca
- Clown costumes banned at Shawinigan high school
- Indigenous groups target Montreal stores selling offensive Halloween costumes
- Sexy pizza? Winnipeg woman shames risque Halloween costumes online
- Why bindis, geishas and Caitlyn Jenner aren't welcome at Brock's Halloween party
- Creepy clown phenomenon stretches from Cape Breton to southern U.S.
- Creepy clown sightings set off hysteria across North America
- Beware the clowns: a lesson in moral panic
Globe and Mail
- Professional clowns speak out against 'creepy' media perception
- Activists call on stores to remove aboriginal Halloween costumes
- Playing 'dress-up' brings people closer together
- Why you'll see the sexy Zentai costumes this Halloween
National Post
- Universities crack down on offensive Halloween costumes at campus parties
- Halloween, the scary festival that's taking over the world
- University bans native headdresses, fake dreadlocks from frosh week because of 'cultural appropriation'
- 'Inappropriate indigenous costumes' worn by teachers at Montreal-area school raise parent's ire
- Tristin Hopper: This is what actual, real-life cultural appropriation looks like
- Jen Gerson: Don't fear the college student