Unless you're a total ghoul, you probably get at least a little bit excited about Halloween. Dressing up in fun Halloween costumes, eating all the candy you can um "borrow" from the kids, carving a pumpkin and then crossing your fingers the squirrels don't eat it before the trick-or-treaters come — what's not to like?
But as we all start brainstorming our Halloween attire and celebrations for 2023, consider this your annual reminder to make sure the spooktacular outfit you've got in mind won't rain on anyone else's parade. Every year, at least a handful of people (celebrities very much included) manage to come up with some very cringeworthy, harmful and offensive Halloween costumes that ruin the good vibes — and it can happen where you least expect it.
We'll get into the details below but in brief: tragic events like mass shootings, natural disasters and pandemics should never be used as inspiration for Halloween costumes. Making light of tragedies can remind others of trauma they've endured and that's no laughing matter. Neither is cultural appropriation — nationalities and subcultures you don't belong to aren't a costume; they're real ways of life that deserve respect.
Here, some specific examples of tasteless and inappropriate Halloween costumes you should take care to avoid this year (and every year). Instead, we recommend choosing a fun and silly group costume or a scary costume that won't make someone relive a traumatic event.
1. A Holocaust victim
Believe it or not, more than one celebrity has thought that dressing up as a Nazi for Halloween was a good idea — and trick-or-treating as a Holocaust victim is just as bad. Several retailers have previously come under fire for selling an "Anne Frank" costume for little girls. Many places pulled it off the shelves after customers complained, but others still offer similar looks under the names "World War II Evacuee Girl" or "1940s Girl Historical Costume." The Holocaust is a painful historical event, not costume party fodder.
2. Anything involving blackface
Blackface is never OK. Never. Ever. Not under any circumstances. Yes, the offensive practice includes literally painting your face a shade other than your natural skin tone, but it also goes deeper than that. Dressing up in outfits that reinforce racist stereotypes also counts as blackface. For example, if you identify as a white person, take care to avoid stereotyping any other cultures that aren't yours, even if you intend to pay homage to a specific person. That means also avoiding caricatures like Julianne Hough's "Crazy Eyes" costume and Luann de Lesseps's Diana Ross costume.
3. Transphobic costumes
If your outfit makes fun of a marginalized group of people, it's definitely a no-go. Take this "tranny granny" costume, for example. It got pulled from Walmart shelves after consumers pointed out that not only does it make a joke out of transgender women, it also uses a transphobic slur right in the name. Dressing up as a gender presentation other than your own is not funny, especially not when trans rights are being threatened across the country.
4. The COVID-19 pandemic
A pandemic that has killed over a million people (and rising) in the United States alone isn't a costume; it's a horrible tragedy that has significantly impacted many people's lives. Resist the urge to dress up as a medical hazard suit, anything resembling a virus or as a victim of the virus itself. This category is one where specificity really matters. Generic doctor and nurse costumes are fine. Specific get-ups that reference the pandemic in particular, not so much.
5. Body-shaming and objectifying costumes
When it comes to disrespecting women, this costume gets it wrong on several levels. It not only reduces women to sex objects, but turns a woman's weight into a joke. Think about it this way: If you wouldn't say it to a friend's face, don't wear it as a Halloween costume. Outfits that make fun of people's size, objectify human beings or otherwise make light of a person's lived experience are all inappropriate.
6. Cultural stereotypes
When someone mimics a culture that isn't their own, particularly in an exaggerated or "humorous" way, it comes off as cultural appropriation, or an offensive jab at other cultures. If you or your child intend to pay homage to a beloved Disney character (hint: Moana or Pocahontas), take care to dress with sensitivity. Focus on costuming linked to a specific character, not general looks that have particular meaning to often-marginalized groups of people. For example, skip the sombrero-and-poncho combo, Native American headdresses, kimonos and grass skirts with a coconut top.
7. A terrorist
Dressing up as Osama bin Laden, Dylan Roof or even a generic member of ISIS are all in extremely poor taste. This falls under the same heading as making light of tragedies. While we're at it, let's cross off the list people like Hitler, Putin or anything that involves the Confederate flag.
8. Zombie versions of deceased celebrities
We get it, you want to pay homage to one of your dearly departed faves. Go wild with your best Ziggy Stardust, your Purple Rain 'fit or even an Amy Winehouse bouffant. But don't, we repeat, do not add zombie makeup. It's always going to be too soon to wear anything reminiscent of someone's corpse. Period.
9. An eating disorder
A few years ago, an online store took some heat for releasing a costume called "Anna Rexia." The incredibly poor-taste outfit included a skeleton dress with a measuring tape belt to "cinch the waist." Not only is it a truly terrible pun, it also trivializes eating disorders.
10. Animal cruelty
Remember that dentist who slaughtered Cecil the lion and the terrible costume that resulted? Yeah, don't do it. Also off the table: costumes that involve animal shelters and euthanasia, hunting get-ups with graphic accessories or any that you wouldn't want your children to come across while out there collecting candy.
11. A mentally ill person
Sometimes, offensive stereotypes creep into our speech before we even realize it. How often have many of us called a difficult person "crazy" without thinking about how the term might sound to someone living with mental illness? Halloween costumes that make light of mental institutions fall under the same category. Wearing a straitjacket, or any other equipment or attire typically associated with the institutionalization of people with mental illness, trivializes what can be a painful experience.
12. Sexual harassment
The #MeToo movement should be ample reminder that sexual harassment jokes really aren't funny, but it bears repeating. Someone exposing themselves to non-consenting viewers isn't just an unfortunate accident; it's a very real and traumatic form of sexual harassment. These kinds of costumes, like "Frank the Flasher," are not only in poor taste; they may trigger those who have dealt with harassment themselves. Don't risk it.
13. An unhoused person
For decades, dressing up as a "hobo" was considered a harmless outfit. But in the U.S. alone, thousands of people are without safe and accessible shelter every day and the crisis continues to worsen. It's a lived reality for many, not a cute outfit idea.
14. A national tragedy
Remember those two people who dressed up as the Twin Towers after 9/11? Cringe. The same principle also applies to the Boston Marathon bombing, any and all mass shootings, the storming of the capitol building and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. One more time for the people in the back: Making light of tragedy isn't funny.
15. The Black Lives Matter movement (or any other social justice movement)
The racial justice reckoning in our country is powerful, but that doesn't mean you should turn it into a Halloween costume (even in tribute to those doing the work). Wearing a slogan T-shirt to a protest, vigil or just around town is one thing. But don't try and turn the fight for racial equality into an outfit for your Halloween gathering. That's tokenism, not solidarity. The same goes for any other political or social justice movement — save your slogans for the protest rally.
Marci Robin is a freelance writer and editor specializing in beauty and lifestyle content. With over 20 years of experience, Marci has served as a contributing editor for Allure, senior beauty editor at GoodHousekeeping.com, executive editor of xoVain and senior online editor at NewBeauty. Her writing has also appeared in her writing has also appeared in InStyle, MarthaStewart.com and Refinery29.
