Problematic Halloween Round-up
I was really pleased this Halloween that I saw so few racist/culturally appropriative costumes at the events I went to, but there were still a couple.
Three white people who had on fake dreads/“rasta” hats and were draped in the Jamaican flag (get it? From the 1993 film “Cool Runnings”! Twenty -four year old movie references still work, right?) despite the fact that only one person in the actual team in the movie had locs.
Random white dude in a faux Native American headdress. Like, that was his entire costume. He was dressed as Random White Dude from the neck down, and Random Offensive White Dude from the neck up.
White guy dressed as a “nebula” which for him meant black face and a kind of white star around one eye. So like a tone deaf, reverse Paul Stanley? Refreshingly, it was the only blackface I saw this year!
Big ole white dude dressed as Eddy Murphy’s character in “Coming to America” (or at least that was his excuse for wearing a dashiki top, matching hat and carrying a horse-hair flogger).
White guy dressed as T-Pain, complete with fake gold chains and huge fake dreads, who insisted his costume couldn’t be racist because he LOVES T-Pain (and I’m sure it’s true, Todd.).
Older white lady dressed as Generic Jamaican Stereotype in a “rasta poncho” and fake dreadlocks (seriously, was there a fire sale on fake locs this year?!).
The bevvy of folks dressed as their dim recollection of Cleopatra from eighth grade.
For the most part, though, costumes were excellent and remarkably inoffensive. I even met a lady who was in sugar skull makeup who turned out to be actually Mexican! Amazing! I was also heartened by the fact that a staff member at one of the events gave me and my friend permission to fuck up the Native American headdress wearer, and that most people looked suitably horrified by the aforementioned Problem Costumes.
I did run into an issue I face every year; what about the black guy dressed as Stereotypical Mexican (sombrero, poncho, big mustache)? Is it different than the outfits listed above? He could be of Mexican descent, I don’t know. It’s definitely not the same as White Guy in Sombrero, but it’s…something. Thoughts?
gummygunk
blakekathryn
theartofmadeline
janainaart
