Halloween Costumes And The Specter Of Cultural Appropriation

Anyone who knows me, knows me knows that I love to watch reruns of “What not to wear” on TLC, As it teaches me something I clearly know nothing about, fashion. However anyone who is in my Spanish class known that I not only care about my culture but others as well. This school year has been interesting both fashion-wise and politically, from the Kylie Jenner Lip challenge, to Donald Trump running for president. It has been such a weird school year however, that it has pointed out a sad fact about the current fashion world, that is prevalent through the politics we discuss in our everyday lives, and that is cultural appropriation. As cultural appropriation according to the Oxford Dictionary is “A term used to describe the taking over of creative or artistic forms, themes, or practices by one cultural group from another. It is in general used to describe Western appropriations of non‐Western or non‐white forms, and carries connotations of exploitation and dominance.” And despite how much we would like to believe that this issue doesn’t exist in our present day society, if one looks In clothing stores, fashion magazines, and even Halloween parties, cultural theft is occurring. This can be seen especially with indigenous cultures as: elements of indigenous cultures are morphed into fashion trends and costumes for those who will never understand their significance. “Navajo print” leggings, “tribal” jewelry, and “Indian princess” Halloween costumes are examples of gross

In the article, “I was That Girl On Halloween –Here’s How I Learned My Lesson” by Alden Wicker, discusses how she was influenced to change her perspective when buying or creating a Halloween costume and how it has a hostile response in peoples cultures. Wicker

The fear of Halloween can stem from a dislike or fear of the holiday's history. The root word of samhainophobia is Samhain, which is a Celtic word meaning summer’s end. They celebrated Samhain with huge bonfires where crops and animals were sacrificed. The Celts believed that on Samhain the veil between the land of the living and dead was thin, which allowed for ghost, spirits, and the devil himself to pass through to the land of the living. It was also believed the Druids-the Celts priest-could predict the future on Samhain. The Celts wore costumes both as disguises and for performing the sacrifices at the bonfires. Eventually Rome conquered the

Thesis Statement: How Halloween has evolved from what it once was to what is now.

“Halloween is the one night a year when a girl can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it.” This quote comes to us from one of the main characters in the hit movie Mean Girls (2004). Even though this line is in fact quite satirical, unfortunately in our society today it also could not be more accurate. We are long past the days of Halloween being scary and we are certainly past the days when Halloween was a remembrance for loved ones who have been lost. Looking sexy and feeling sexy is now the common goal for many. By examining Halloween throughout the past decades we can see how this holiday, and the costumes that now accompany it have been morphed into the money making, sexualized and sexist holiday that we know

C. Thesis Statement: Going from what the meaning of Halloween is in America today and looking back at it’s roots, it has evolved dramatically. And just recently we have been seeing a comeback from one of those roots, but do we know it’s real cultural significance?

To begin, the gender lens can expose many different perspectives to Halloween, especially when it comes to the exploitation and sexual stereotypes of women and men, more specifically through the marketing of costumes. For instance, Scott Gilmore states “Jim from accounting with the nervous tic and therapeutic shoes always wanted to be a member of the SWAT team. He leaves the costume shop with a tactical vest, a holster and enough swagger to break down a door. Julia from the Jamba Juice? She gets ‘Sultry SWAT’, which is just knee high boots, fishnet stockings, a micro mini and a halter top that helpfully explains SWAT.” To any feminist, Halloween is always quite aggravating, since women are always over sexualized yet men are deemed as masculine as possible. Why does Halloween continue to define and market women’s costumes as ‘slutty’? The author of the article may be male, but he persists to recognize the fact that women are pressured to exploit themselves on Halloween. Society continues to follow the old stereotype of women, especially young

Cultural Appropriation is the adoption and adaptation of certain elements of a minority culture by a socially dominant group of people. This is becoming a large social issue because, people are refusing to acknowledge the true meanings of these elements. Malversation has occurred steadily throughout American and global history and it has been very prominent for the duration of the 20th and 21st centuries. For example, wearing a traditional Native American headdress for the sake of an international fashion show and not acknowledging that it is a piece of ancient, and even present day sacred and a religious sacrament. The headdresses are worn by highly respected tribal chiefs and symbolizes great strength and “god's messenger” and is reserved for the highest power in the tribe. To use it in a lingerie campaign is disrespectful

Another example of this kind of cultural appropriation is exemplified in a more contemporary example: Lana Del Rey’s music video for her song entitled “Ride.” This music video features Del Rey riding through what is presumable the expansive West while being with men, burning fires in the western desert, and sporting a traditional Native American headdress. While this example also conflates the same issues as the above example, it also brings on a new problem: taking a sacred cultural emblem and using it for stylistic

In recent years, Halloween costumes have created controversy because they touch on the issue of cultural appropriation. Children are simply not aware of how their costumes can unwittingly offend certain cultures or ethnic groups, and parents are also often unsure as to which costume ideas qualify as “culturally respectful”. In the LA Times opinion editorial, “On Halloween, parents have no choice but to wade into fraught cultural politics,” Oppenheimer argues that picking a Halloween costume is a challenging task with many grey areas as to what is considered offensive to various religious or ethnic groups who are often the inspiration behind Halloween costumes. He asserts that all individuals should take care to avoid culturally appropriating, but that there are also grey areas in costume choice where appropriation isn’t as clearly defined. In order to illustrate the nuanced challenge of picking costumes, Oppenheimer utilizes an anecdote to show how societal values have changed within his lifetime. He shares, “When I was 10, I was in love with a musical theater; if you’d forced me to dress up for Halloween, I might have been chosen a character from ‘Dreamgirls,’ a play about African Americans” (Oppenheimer 3). It is evident that he was not aware of what was socially acceptable in society being that he was merely 10 years old. Considering that much time has passed, by reflecting back to his past self, he is able to realize that dressing this way could have touched many sensitive areas of cultural appropriating a race. As there are no specific set of standards established in society, individuals follow and adhere to what is presented in front of them. It is utterly challenging for all individuals to identify what is permitted in society despite the diversity in ethnic groups and age. While the youths are struggling to find the perfect balance to avoid cultural appropriating a group, it is also difficult for adults to distinguish the difference. To advise the individuals in recognizing the difference in regards to the significance of certain Halloween costumes, Oppenheimer utilizes an appeal to authority with an Yale scholar and former preschool teacher, Erika Christakis. It is ideal that, “...when it comes to the

Every year millions of kids get dressed up, knock on doors, and beg for candy. With Halloween just around the corner, you all are probably wondering where this strange tradition came from. Every year I have experienced this holiday and have done research on this topic. According to a 2014 Smithsonian.com article, stated by Natasha Geiling, in just one year Americans spent over six billion dollars on candy, costumes, and ghoulish decor in anticipation for Halloween. Many people think all Halloween is about dressing up and going trick or treating but there's more to it than that. The roots and variations from all around are what makes Halloween what it is today. In order to understand this holiday, we will go into the history of Halloween, how it's celebrated around the world, and superstitions revolving it.

Every fall, Americans are excited by the return of cooler weather, changing leaves, seasonal lattes, and the endless possibilities for Halloween costume choices. Whether it be for attending a party, going trick or treating, or just handing out candy, a majority of Americans choose to dress up and celebrate the holiday. Choosing a Halloween costume used to be an untroubled task, yet it has become an increasingly difficult decision in recent years. In times of an “easily offended society,” choosing an appropriate and non-upsetting costume has now become tedious and wearisome. Much of this is because Halloween costumes contribute to and promote cultural appropriation in our society. The Cambridge English dictionary defines cultural

In countries that celebrate Halloween such as the United States and Canada, it is a tradition to dress up in various types of costume themes. Some people dress up in cultural costumes or religious costumes. Herman Bhupal and Judy Park from Harvard University have addressed that dressing in cultural or religious costumes for Halloween, “can serve as mechanisms for cultural appropriation” (This Halloween, Choose Respect). Cultural appropriation is the adoption of standards and aspects from another culture when the culture is a minority group. Some people may agree that wearing cultural clothing as Halloween costumes may be offensive to those of whose culture is being mocked as

From time immemorial, hell was an inspiration for the costumes used during Halloween. In the contemporary society, turning up for Halloween dressed up as a goblin, zombie or ghost is less likely to make a staunch follower of the event to receive sufficient appreciation. Popular culture has succeeded in replacing the underworld in terms of providing influential costumes for the event. The aspect of individuals from different races increasingly dominating pop culture is causing costume lovers to face a number of issues. The most dominant question has always been whether it is ethical to dress or appear dressed up like someone from a different race during Halloween. This factor largely bases

Furthermore, there are many traditional rituals and superstitions associated with Halloween. Since the ancient Celts thought the nonliving roamed the earth, they created costumes out of animal pelts to ward off evil spirits. Fortunetelling and the utilization of large bonfires for sacrifices and purification were also early customs. After the Christianization of the holiday to commemorate saints and martyrs, the same festivities, bonfires, and guising remained, but October 31st was renamed All-Hallows Eve. This inevitably turned into Halloween. Similar to European traditions, America’s Halloween has also evolved throughout the years. Halloween’s recognition was originally restricted in colonial America due to its non-Christian beliefs and practices, and it was practiced at a more local level. According to an online source, “The first celebrations included ‘play parties,’ public events held to celebrate the harvest, where neighbors would share stories of the dead and tell each other’s fortunes, dance, and sing” (“History of Halloween”). Festivities were akin to European traditions, but also included ghost stories and pranking. Beginning in the twentieth century, Halloween