Sunday, October 26, 2008

Risqué Kid’s Halloween Costumes: Demagoguery over Reality?

The issue is probably as old as the Bush Administration’s Neo-Conservatives’ tenure in power, but is this the issue of risqué Halloween kid’s costumes grounded in reality?


By: Vanessa Uy


This particular issue might move to the proverbial backseat this time due to the hotly contested 2008 US Presidential Election – especially with the sale of presidential candidate Halloween masks predicting the winners with bizarre accuracy. But together with the stories of folks who are now fast approaching 60 telling stories about how the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 27, 1962 had them making their own family's ad hoc fallout shelter back in the day. The issue of Halloween costumes that are too sexy seems to manage to stay forever relevant.

Probably it was the FOX News broadcast from last year that shone a light on this thorny subject. Especially that guest who looks like Eddie Munster who testified on how the Genie played by Barbara Eden on the 1967 TV series I Dream of Genie had made him “sexually traumatized”. Given that this particular costume derived from Scheherazade – i.e. the wife of the sultan of India and narrator of the tales in the Arabian Nights’ Entertainments - is one of the most aspirational Halloween costumes for girls aged 10 or below. Probably up there with Wonder Woman or the leotards worn by Degas’ “Tiny Dancer” sculpture. That guy would probably be appearing next on Chris Hansen’s “To Catch a Predator” on Dateline NBC.

Recently, the “arbiters of taste” on CBS Early Edition on their October 22, 2008 broadcast has presented new sets of girl’s Halloween costumes which they deemed “too risqué”. The black suede leather “streetwalker” costume definitely passes muster – to me at least – as too risqué for young girls. But when they brought out a bumblebee ballerina costume similar to that worn by that little girl in a Blind Melon music video titled No Rain back in 1994 as too risqué, I said to myself oh boy here we go again… But seriously though, are these people who point out age-inappropriate Halloween Costumes doing their part in halting the global scourge of child pornography, or are they just desperate for attention? Maybe Penn and Teller can do an exposé on this on their show.

The problem with labeling Halloween Costumes, as too risqué is that 100% of the cases presented on the media only applied to girl’s costumes. What about boy’s costumes? Should we be – together with the Federal Government - start banning little boys from wearing Robin Costumes (Batman’s young sidekick)? Especially in Boston because of the inappropriate effects it might incur on their local parish priests?

Maybe this is just a ploy by TV networks to prop-up their sagging fall season ratings. But the risqué Halloween costumes issue will probably be here to stay. Especially if that Larry Flynt “movie” about Gov. Sarah Palin’s “Drill Here, Drill Now” energy independence program becomes famous and every girl in America aged 10 and below starts to dress like Gov. Sarah Palin – the way Hustler Magazine CEO Larry “Barely Legal” Flynt sees her.

6 comments:

Virginia Janet said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

Making stricter legislations on what constitutes as risqué when it comes to children's Halloween costumes are doomed to failure. Parents should do their part in guiding their children when it comes to morality. Remember that landmark US Supreme Court case about People v. Larry Flynt proving the impossibility of criminalizing "Bad Taste"? Or that waste of US taxpayers' money Pres. Ronald Reagan Pornography Commission lead by then US Attorney General Edwin Meese? Too bad we can never recover those wasted millions in order to help those American's whose homes will inevitably repossessed because they can no longer afford their mortgage obligations.
The Cuban Missile Crisis of October 27, 1962 may be a distant memory / Halloween tale for us born after the end of the Cold War but it does serve as a model on what to expect if Gov. Sarah Palin becomes president of the United States. Sadly, millions would be dying when a MIRV hits America due to her "Warmongering" or will continue to die being exposed from strontium 90 in the radioactive fallout. A bleak future of the Palin Administration.

April Rain said...

The objectification of women for financial gain sure has no age limitations. But we women - no matter what age - can still fight back. We control the supply, and the perverts crave what we possess. Let's say we're just be comfortable with our bodies like the progressive feminists had been doing for the last 30 years. It's a hell a lot better than former Pres. Ronald Reagan's multi-million dollar done nothing Pornography Commission of july 1986. Just don't heed Gov. Palin's advise, she just makes things worse.

She Ra said...

Isn't censorship just another way of pretending the problem doesn't exists? Has anyone learned the futility of US Attorney General Meese's final report on pornography back in july 1986 as just a waste of US taxpayer's millions? I just hope that the upcoming Obama administration can set things straight by enforcing existing rules.

Guapita said...

2008 is probably the lonest Halloween in history. It started when the scary former mayor of "Rape Town" was picked by Sen. John McCain as his VP pick. and it would probably last forever. Unlike back in 1962 when it started in October 27 and end with the world / Western Civilization surviving.

Sherry said...

2008 has probably the longest Halloween since height of the Cuban Missile Crisis back in October 27, 1962. This year it's the scary former mayor of "Rape Town" / Wasilla, Alaska. I just wondered why Sen. McCain haven't picked Sen. Elizabeth Dole as his VP pick?
Has Reagan style "Censorship" ever solved anything like hunger, civil strife etc.?
I just hope that Gov. Palin won't discover that another woman of power is way cuter than her, like Ukrane's Yulia Tymoshenko. Palin would nuke the hell out of that country if she knew or become the US president. Think Prison Break season one.