I Am Not a Costume!

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by thetaj

I'm SO sick of the "sexy" costumes! I'm being Paula Deen this year and I've never been more excited.

There's a secret on PostSecret.com today that reads: "I miss the days when Halloween was about showing off your costume rather than your cleavage."

I couldn't agree more! I didn't do anything for Halloween this year (which could possibly be my first time ever), but it's definitely one of my favorite holidays.. But it's almost been ruined for me because of all these girls who dress like sluts. It's just not cute.

My boss' daughter and her friend (both in college) went to parties this weekend dressed as the two Austin Powers characters Fook Yu and Fook Mi. I've never even seen those movies, so I didn't know what my boss was talking about when she told me this, but I could only imagine. We were traveling on business last week, and she was on the phone with her daughter after dinner one night and said, "oh good, so you're going to be a slut," and her daughter started whining and said, "mom, that's not true.. Don't call me that." My boss said, "Uh, honey.. When a guy asks you who you are, you're going to answer 'Fook Mi'.. What do you suppose he'll think you are?" .. I couldn't help but laugh at the entire exchange.

Originally Posted by amIblue?

Am I offended by a nonCaucasian dressing up as any Caucasian person? No. Am I offended by white face? No. Have at it. Unless you're dressing up as me or my family and showing up looking like a jacked-up mess, you're probably not going to hurt my feelings.

Haha this is pretty much how I look at it.

Originally Posted by DrPhil

You caught me in mid-edit when I added "no disrespect to amIblue...?" If I was lumping you with those idiots I would not care about disrespecting you.

And regardless of whether you "understand," what you said about not being offended by whiteface is an extremely common and cliche` response from white people. It is not only embedded in personal opinion but also embedded in white privilege. It is an overall pattern beyond a personal preference.

So.. I can't say that I am offended by it, because I'm not.. But I also can't say that I'm not offended by it, because that's a cliche answer?

Maybe I'm reading this wrong, so please correct me if necessary. However, I don't find a problem with it, and I'm not going to be joining in on the fight to end it, but I can see how other people could find it offensive. I just play it safe and don't dress up as anything that could fall into that gray area.

Just be smart, people!

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by ASTalumna06

But I also can't say that I'm not offended by it, because that's a cliche answer?

Why can't you?

ETA: White people, in general, also have a tendency to attempt to reduce and simplify discussions to "are you telling me I can't..." when this is not about what white people can and cannot do.

ETA2: The fact that you're not offended by it is not the cliche` part. The "unless it has to do with my family or me" is the cliche` part because it does not address the root of this, racial dynamics and power dynamics. That does not mean you cannot say "unless it has to do with my family and me" but it is still a common response.

The blackface costumers are no more dressing up as my family or me than a whiteface costumer is dressing up as your family or you. Yet, I don't want the blackface costumers to have at it because this is about much more than "my family and me" and individual opinions.

[*winter*]

Originally Posted by ASTalumna06

There's a secret on PostSecret.com today that reads: "I miss the days when Halloween was about showing off your costume rather than your cleavage."

I couldn't agree more! I didn't do anything for Halloween this year (which could possibly be my first time ever), but it's definitely one of my favorite holidays.. But it's almost been ruined for me because of all these girls who dress like sluts. It's just not cute!

A- freaking- MEN! I'm so sick of women who are obsessed with looking like, being like, or living "life" of strippers...hookers...porn stars...etc. WTH??? Go to ametuer night at the strip club!