Halloween costume PC rules: Good idea or[expletive removed]?

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Is this some sort of dominance thing for you? You're being really hostile for basically no reason. I mean, all I said is that racist Halloween costumes are racist. If you're not a racist, then none of what I said even applies to you.

The question is whether the custome itself is inherently offensive, not how the person in the custome acts.

For example, some think:
A 'cowboy' outfit represents the genocide of the the American Indians.
A 'hobo' outfit represents disdain for the poor.
A 'belly dancer' outfit represents appropriation of the middle eastern culture.
A 'rap artist' outfit represents appropriation of black culture.
A 'sombreo & poncho' outfit represents appropriation of Mexican culture.
A 'Catilyn Jenner' outfit represents disdain for trans people.

Well it's not that insane where I live, thank goodness. I'm planning to go to a dance where I'm dressing as a female version of a famous video game mascot who is a slightly overweight, pasta-loving Italian stereotype. The religious fanatics/moral guardians who think Halloween is "evil" can go choke on a Poison Mushroom.

Just to point out, there is a significant difference between appropriation and absorption. In the latter, the group whose traits are absorbed typically gains in privilege and positive visibility as the larger culture is changed to reflect that which it absorbed. With appropriation, the smaller group and their culture are made more invisible.

Both my daughter and I are transgender; the genetic variations run on one side of my family. I have known two trans people who committed suicide after being beaten and raped for being trans. Every year transgender people get together in November across the nation & around the world to hold memorials for those who were murdered in the last year specifically for being transgender people. There are as of yet no group memorials for the LGBT children thrown out of their parents homes for being "sinners" just because of their neurology.

And once again, I feel I must point out the sad irony of attacking those who are neural atypical (yet harm no one) or those who stick up for them, on Wrong Planet...

Last edited by Edenthiel on 23 Oct 2015, 7:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Our equivalent of Halloween in UK is Guy Fawkes Night/Bonfire Night.

We basically set an an effigy of this famous traitor ablaze on a giant bonfire, and set off loads of fireworks, which simulates blowing up Parliament or mocks the failure to do it... Beforehand children raise money to build this effigy "Penny for the Guy", though not so much nowadays. If there is a Guy it is of some politician of celebrity or even a concept, but mostly it is just fireworks maybe a bonfire if you are lucky.

As someone form a Catholic family I take this irony in good homour. You could say Guy Fawkes is one of the only people who entered Parliament with good intentions and a plan to carry it out. Remember, remember the 5th of November!

There is a little bit of cultural appropriation of Halloween, though personally I'll stick to burning people at the stake.

Most Cowboys were not killing Indians, rap has not been exclusively a black thing since the Beastie Boys 30 years ago, A Catilyn Jenner represents a poor attempt a current events humor.

This is fair enough, but sometimes theoretical concept of oppression and attitudes based on them can inadvertently cause oppressive attitudes. These are blunt instruments. It is also important to separate perception form reality and this is not always easy.

Intent is the most important thing.

I don't think that people want to minimise a culture will want to show it off. If they do they are idiots, as this is counter to their aims. This may be a semantic argument but that it not what I understand by appropriation at least in the original meaning.

I try to give people the benefit of the doubt, I'm social libertarian. Trans folk are fine by me, I no interest in discriminating against anyone, who don't cause harm.

In all seriousness such public holiday like New Year and Bonfire Night are not my cup of tea. It is good chance to let everyone piss off into town, whilst I chill at home. These people always end up standing out in the cold for waiting for some firework to eventually go off.

I think LoveNotHate is in agreement with you.

0_equals_true, that actually sounds like a really fun event!


Edenthiel, I was pretty much just mentioning that it is on there. Not that I agree with it or support it. Hell, there's costumes that regard sexual humor and other stupid stuff. But at the end of the day, people are gonna do what they do, and I am gonna do what I do. I can't stop them from doing something just because I don't like it. Besides, It's halloween. People are going to poke fun, especially at public figures or stereotypes.

I agree with you. Bullying is wrong. From 6th-8th grade (It was my first time in public school, so I was pretty much fresh meat and was "asking" to be picked on), I was bullied because everybody thought I was gay. Some people thought so because my right leg is longer than my left leg, and others was because I didn't have a girlfriend (who the hell is supposed to be in a relationship at 11 years old?). For those 3 long years I just shrugged it off because I just didn't care what other people thought of me.

Anyways, what I meant by PC is, the people that are way too overacting and too offended over every single thing. Like those people who were extremely offended because some Rodeo Clowns wore a Barack Obama mask for bull riding, even though they do that for a lot of presidents.

And no, I'm not supporting bullying at all and I'm sorry you see it that way. It's just not in my nature to get offended by some things or make a big deal about much.

I must admit, If a lot of people had my personality ( not caring about how others view them and just keep being themselves and shrugging it off) I'm sure your statistics may go down a bit. Which, quite frankly, I'd like to see, because all suicide is terrible no matter the reason.

Catilyn Jenner custome is googling the most in Texas ...

I'm a very outspoken supporter of lgtb rights and also not at all racist. My point is that a Halloween costume has nothing at all to do with discrimination or bullying or any of the a**hole activities that racist and homophobic douchebags engage in. I'll be the first to stand up and get in somebody's face if I see or hear of them doing something like that and I won't put up with it on my watch and don't think anyone should. What pisses me off is that some groups are now labeling everything as some sort of ist, ism, phobia, bullying, hate, etc.

People have lost touch with reality. If somebody dresses as Caitlin or Bruce Jenner, or both at once, its because she is a public figure and theedia coverage, not to bully or hurt someone. If somebody goes as an Indian that's because the image of the Indian in the headdress is a nostalgic figure from old Westerns and other media. Its part of American culture not a desire to recreate the trail of tears. If my daughter goes as Cinderella it's not to reinforce gender stereotypes and if my son dresses as a soldier its not to encourage people to be violent. Its Halloween and its fun. You get to dress up as something or someone else. It has nothing to do with any real issues.

I'm so tired of people looking for offense everywhere. There is a difference between stopping discrimination and mistreatment and analyzing the minutes of every little thing and making a federal case out of something because somebody somewhere might take it the wrong way and that's exactly what this is.

I'm Southern and I will not be harmed if you dress up like Scarlett O'Hara. I'm Italian and won't be harmed if you dress like Tony Soprano. I'm Pagan and won't be harmed if you dress like a witch. I'm also Catholic and won't be harmed if you dress like the Pope. I'm an aspie and won't be harmed if you dress like the aspie kid from Parenthood. I would also not be harmed if you went as any negative stereotype of any of those groups. Because it's Halloween and you're dressing like that for fun. And if you were doing it with malicious intent then I would still not be harmed because how anybody dresses for Halloween does not effect me. Or you. Or anyone else. How would it harm you or your daughter if someone went as Jenner?

I'm for stopping actual discrimination and bullying but I'm also for recognizing what it is and ignoring things that don't harm anyone. How exactly does a Halloween costume harm anyone in your opinion?

This kind of s**t goes so far over the line its not funny. This kind of excessive sensitivity and paranoia only encourages the rest of us to ignore complaints because we have heard so much BS that we don't believe anything anymore. Offense mongering is not only crying wolf, its crying rabid wolf pack attack when you have simply seen a photo of a stuffed animal toy cat in a magazine.

I don't need to type on the internet to be dominant, so no. I just have zero tolerance now for overly PC BS. I don't know of any recist costumes unless somebody is going out in blackface. Dressing as a popular character type from another race isn't racist. You see these character types in movies and books all the time. Its not about discrimination nor ridicule.

And all this happens because of what some kid wears for two hours to go get candy from his neighbors huh?

You don't see how this could be maybe stretching it huh?

Every instance influences people. You can throw out the argument, "But what harm does one little incident do". Alone, not much. In aggregate, plenty. See the stats I posted earlier in the thread.

So because no one intended any harm from their actions...none occurs. Do you realize that is the basis of your argument? And not only is it false, but by the very act of choosing that costume the person *is* intending harm; the image that they wish to promote with said costume. It wouldn't be "amusing" to them if it weren't making fun of someone or in some way promoting a certain image.

Insofar as "This kind of s**t goes so far over the line its not funny"...tell that to trans kids who are affected by people like you and end up feeling terrible about themselves. Tell it to the ones who are treated with hatred and cruelty by people with your attitude and certain social privileges that they do not have.

Should we as a culture take that same attitude with say, autism, then? Or just the people who are different from you?

'Cause I remember those days and they were truly awful.