It's Late. Go To Bed.

why does his head look like a green boobie?

Today during my errands, I investigated the gender binaries in a Halloween store that were very clearly represented in the differences in costume options for males and females. That first picture pretty much summarizes how we socialize children to act/aspire to be based on their gender. The second one is a typical option for any girl who is not a toddler; there is always an element of “I’M SEXY” in any prepackaged costumes at these chain stores. It’s ridiculous. Why does it have to be “sultry”? What if I want to look like an authentic scarecrow? Do the manufacturers and retailers know how cold it is towards the end of October in the evening? Why are all these ladies costumes made by companies like “Leg Avenue”? The last picture is a side by side comparison of the same costume concept but how it differs when made for male and females. I’m not saying that ladies can’t or shouldn’t wear these types of costumes sold in stores or that they render their wearers lesser or complicit in this sexism. You should be able to wear whatever you want! But that’s just the problem- these limited costume options hinders me and others I’m sure from wearing what we want. I just wish these weren’t the only choices for us in these stores and that they weren’t so blatantly advertised to be meant for being “sultry” or many of the other flashy adjectives I saw in there. Halloween is supposed to be a time for dressing up as something you’re not, but still these companies try to trap females in the projected role of sex object. If you think I’m being dramatic, go and look for yourself. The messages for what girls can be versus what guys can be are incredibly different. And I don’t like it; because it doesn’t just happen at this time of the year. It’s indicative of a culturally promoted prejudice that has inequality and power dynamics at its roots. It’s uglier than any monster mask you could imagine. And it’s gotta stop. I want more options and less forced sexualization!

MANET, Edouard In the Winter Garden 1879 Oil on canvas, 115 x 150 cm Staatliche Museen, Berlin

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