It guarantees us a night of frights, but how far is too far with Halloween costumes?
The spooky spectacle wouldn’t be the same without forced-fun fancy dress (feel free to disagree), and revellers celebrating all things macabre and ghoulish. However, even in a festival of sheer horror, there are still lines that shouldn’t be crossed.
With great tradition, comes great stupidity though. We have scoured the web for 10 of the worst ideas for Halloween costumes ever.
The most offensive Halloween costumes:
1. Anna Rexia (Anorexia)
Halloween is a favourite celebration of teens and young adults alike. So taking the piss out of a serious body image issue is beyond crass. The costume is designed to show ribs, hip bones and the appearance of a malnourished patient. Just. Why?
2. Anne Frank
Yeah this seems super uncool. You seen this @carlosgeADL ? pic.twitter.com/uhKS3g9b2J
— Jerod MacDonald-Evoy (@JerodMacEvoy) October 15, 2017
You can probably gauge just how low the lowest can go by now. Although it’s since been remarketed as ‘WW2 evacuee girl’ – still very odd, when you think about it – this costume has also been sold as an ‘Anne Frank’ outfit. What the actual hell is wrong with people?
3. Mental Patients
Two British supermarket chains found themselves in hot water four years ago, when they marketed costumes that trivialised mental health issues. Asda dropped its “mental patient fancy dress costume”, and Tesco later withdrew its “psycho ward” outfit. Both stores apologised for any offence caused and agreed to make donations to the mental health charity, Mind.
4. Nazis, sexualised or otherwise
First of all, there are far too many Nazis marching up and down the streets outside of Halloween. Yet the Nazi costume remains a ‘shock-horror’ favourite for people with absolutely no decency. People have even ‘sexed-up’ their Nazi outfits over the years. We’re genuinely lost for words.
5. Flight Attendants from crashed Asiana Airlines flight
Three guys decided to dress up as bloody flight attendants from Asiana Airlines Flight 214, which crash-landed at San Francisco International Airport. The crash killed three people and left dozens of people with life-altering injuries. This was fair game for these three, though. They even put racist names on their ID badges. Classy.
6. Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman
This really does tick all the boxes for fans of abject racism. Back in 2012, African-American teenager Trayvon Martin was shot dead by George Zimmerman; a white police officer who opened fire on the unarmed boy. One of the most shambolic Halloween costumes poked fun at America’s racial tensions and the death of a 17-year-old boy. Genuinely terrible stuff.
7. Walter Palmer (Cecil the Lion’s killer)
If there’s anything more pathetic than paying to a kill a lion to make you feel manly, it is probably this. This is a big hit with anyone who wants to hide the fact they have no personality. Dressing up as a morally-bankrupt dentist is painfully humourless.
8. The Twin Towers
So wrong & inappropriate! More than just a cosplay fail, it’s foul. Cosplaying as the Twin Towers 9/11 = Disgusting pic.twitter.com/1dIphxArkX
— Alex Matsuo (@alexmatsuo) September 5, 2016
What’s going through their head, here? Personifying the worst terrorist attack in history isn’t ‘banter’. It is a desperate, sad plea for attention that spits in the face of tragedy. It’s overtly provocative and begs for trouble.
9. Terrorist
A lot of people thinking donning traditional Gulf-state gear and stitching a few fake explosive devices to their costume is a witty way to announce themselves at a fancy dress party. Hate to break it to you lot, but you all look like dicks when you do this.
10. Boston Marathon Bomb Victim
Apparently, wherever there is tragedy, there is piss-poor taste. Three died and dozens suffered horrific injuries when bombs were detonated at the finish line. Dressing as someone caught up in the carnage is a middle-finger to the brave people who have had to deal with the suffering.
TOP IMAGE: Capri23auto, via Pixabay
