After waiting all year, Halloween has finally arrived! As Mean Girls famously said, Halloween is the one night where you can dress however you like without anyone saying anything about it. However, there is a very fine line between fun and off-putting and offensive. In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy for a costume to go from amusing to problematic in a flash. So, here are some costumes you should absolutely avoid this year.
1. Hawk Tuah
When I first saw this costume, I honestly thought it was a joke. But, during a recent trip to Spirit Halloween, I quickly realized it’s anything but. To my surprise, I saw not one, but two people pick up something from the Hawk Tuah collection within the 45 minutes I was in the store! I don’t know what’s more alarming, the fact that adults are actually buying it or the fact that kids are recognizing it.
2. Cultural Appropriation
Please, for the sake of respect, do not dress up as a Native American, or an exaggerated Mexican character with a poncho and oversized mustache. It’s not only offensive, but incredibly disrespectful. These are real cultures, not costumes. And let’s not forget—blackface is never acceptable.
3. True Crime Subjects
The world has enough real-life horrors without us turning them into Halloween costumes. There’s no reason to glamorize figures like Jeffrey Dahmer. While Evan Peters’ portrayal in the Netflix series “Dahmer”may have been captivating, dressing up as a serial killer is unsettling and definitely not attractive.
4. Politicians
With it being an election year, it’s wise to steer clear of political figures like Donald Trump, Joe Biden, or Kamala Harris. A costume like that is sure to start arguments before your Halloween night even begins, and nobody wants that!
5. Sexy Priest/Nun
This costume is unnecessarily disrespectful. Every year, people seem to find it funny to mock religious figures, but for many, it’s a practice they take seriously. It’s not edgy; it’s just rude.
6. Fortnite Adults
Let me start off by saying that there’s nothing wrong with playing Fortnite, to each their own. But if you’re an adult, you might want to reconsider wearing a full-on Fortnite costume, especially the banana guy. Leave that to the younger crowd and save yourself the embarrassment.
7. Johnny Depp and Amber Heard
The feud between Depp and Heard was highly publicized, with court battles and serious allegations of domestic abuse on both sides. Regardless of whose side you were on during the trial, it’s important to remember that these were real people involved in a traumatic and painful situation. Much like true crime subjects, dressing up as Johnny Depp and Amber Heard is problematic. We shouldn’t be making light of serious issues like domestic violence.
8. Bedsheet Ghost
With so many creative costume possibilities, opting for the basic sheet ghost just feels lazy. It’s the Halloween equivalent of wearing a shirt that says, “This is my costume”—uninspired and boring.
9. Unhoused Person
This is an incredibly insensitive choice. Homelessness is a widespread issue, affecting individuals of all ages, and is often the result of circumstances like job loss, mental health struggles, or lack of affordable housing. By turning this into a Halloween costume, it reduces a painful reality to something trivial, treating people’s suffering as a joke or spectacle.
10. Person with Mental Illness
There’s no excuse for this. Mental health is a serious issue, and making a costume out of it is tasteless. Dressing as someone with mental illness, including real individuals like Daniel Larson, is inappropriate.
Halloween should be fun, but it’s important to be mindful of how our costume choices affect others. Let’s keep it respectful and enjoy the holiday!