Parents used to be afraid of their children eating too much candy on Halloween. Now, they’re afraid that their children will look like sluts.
As Halloween approaches, many teens find themselves reminiscing about their past costumes. Some remember wearing tiny Winnie the Pooh shirts while others remember playing with Ninja Turtle swords at recess.
However, when teens reach high school, many find that the whole basis of Halloween has changed.
“There’s more excitement on Halloween as a kid; you can go trick-or-treating and eat lots of candy. However, as you grow up, it becomes less socially acceptable to trick-or-treat and eating candy isn’t a big deal,” said senior Lexi Posey.
Instead of trick-or-treating around the neighborhood in their Ninja Turtle costumes, many teens are persuaded to go to a party at a friend’s house. These parties often have a suggestive atmosphere in which teens feel it necessary to wear shorter costumes and show off their bodies.
Many costume companies have thrived off of this need for sexuality on Halloween by advertising costumes like “Sexy Winnie the Pooh” and “Sexy Cinderella” to the teen and young adult markets.
Some believe that the cause for seductive halloween costumes starts from the roots of American culture. Those who support this idea believe that the Disney characters, Barbie and Ken dolls, and constant media beauty standards that surround children can affect their perceptions of gender roles and appropriate clothing later in life.
According to The New York Times, Dr. Adie Nelson, a professor of sociology at the University of Waterloo in Ontario said, “Heroic figures for women or considered icons of femininity are very much anchored in the femme fatale imagery.” She also said that those figures include Disney heroines, witches, cocktail waitresses, and french maids.
Many students agree with Nelson and can see this impact from American culture as it affects their peers.
“The way halloween costumes and traditions change from childhood to the teenage years has a lot to do with the way society has shaped younger generations. High school students have been influenced by pop culture since they were children. That’s why so many people want to dress as the celebrities that they look up to, but these costumes aren’t always age appropriate,” said junior Josh Camerino.
Other students, however, believe that this change in Halloween costumes is more due to peer pressure than pop culture.
Many teens struggle to fit in with their peers. On Halloween, this struggle leads those teens to select more scandalous costumes instead of dressing as they truly want to.
Freshman Mackenzie Wyman said, “When you’re younger, costumes are more childish and represent something that you enjoy, but in high school, it’s more common to choose a costume that will make you fit in with and be liked by others. Most people want to be with their friends and have fun at parties, but it seems like shorter costumes are needed to do so.”
The many different costumes as well as the parties pose as a great fear for some parents.
“It’s definitely scary as a parent to let your child go out with friends on Halloween,” said history teacher and parent Greg Schoenstein. “For starters, it’s dark out and people are in costumes, easily hiding their identities. The types of costumes and activities that are more common for teenagers only promote the actions that parents are really afraid of.”
The decision made by some teens to ignore their true desires for Halloween costumes often has large effects on their perceptions of the holiday as well as their self-image.
Camerino said, “Halloween is about dressing up and taking a break from your normal life, which can be a relaxing experience. When people choose costumes just to please others, they are taking that break away from themselves. The shorter costumes just take even more away from the meaning of Halloween and lead people to unnecesarily sexualize a day that should be fun.”
As teens take the relaxing break of Halloween day away from themselves by choosing costumes that others want them to wear, they make the statement that their ideas are not good enough.
Despite the growing number of influences on decisions regarding Halloween plans, some students still try to be true to themselves while choosing costumes.
Posey said, “People may be more judgemental about costumes when you’re older, but it’s still important to dress the way you truly want to. Dress for yourself instead of dressing to impress.”
The Highlander, October 2016
As Halloween approaches, many teens find themselves reminiscing about their past costumes. Some remember wearing tiny Winnie the Pooh shirts while others remember playing with Ninja Turtle swords at recess.
However, when teens reach high school, many find that the whole basis of Halloween has changed.
“There’s more excitement on Halloween as a kid; you can go trick-or-treating and eat lots of candy. However, as you grow up, it becomes less socially acceptable to trick-or-treat and eating candy isn’t a big deal,” said senior Lexi Posey.
Instead of trick-or-treating around the neighborhood in their Ninja Turtle costumes, many teens are persuaded to go to a party at a friend’s house. These parties often have a suggestive atmosphere in which teens feel it necessary to wear shorter costumes and show off their bodies.
Many costume companies have thrived off of this need for sexuality on Halloween by advertising costumes like “Sexy Winnie the Pooh” and “Sexy Cinderella” to the teen and young adult markets.
Some believe that the cause for seductive halloween costumes starts from the roots of American culture. Those who support this idea believe that the Disney characters, Barbie and Ken dolls, and constant media beauty standards that surround children can affect their perceptions of gender roles and appropriate clothing later in life.
According to The New York Times, Dr. Adie Nelson, a professor of sociology at the University of Waterloo in Ontario said, “Heroic figures for women or considered icons of femininity are very much anchored in the femme fatale imagery.” She also said that those figures include Disney heroines, witches, cocktail waitresses, and french maids.
Many students agree with Nelson and can see this impact from American culture as it affects their peers.
“The way halloween costumes and traditions change from childhood to the teenage years has a lot to do with the way society has shaped younger generations. High school students have been influenced by pop culture since they were children. That’s why so many people want to dress as the celebrities that they look up to, but these costumes aren’t always age appropriate,” said junior Josh Camerino.
Other students, however, believe that this change in Halloween costumes is more due to peer pressure than pop culture.
Many teens struggle to fit in with their peers. On Halloween, this struggle leads those teens to select more scandalous costumes instead of dressing as they truly want to.
Freshman Mackenzie Wyman said, “When you’re younger, costumes are more childish and represent something that you enjoy, but in high school, it’s more common to choose a costume that will make you fit in with and be liked by others. Most people want to be with their friends and have fun at parties, but it seems like shorter costumes are needed to do so.”
The many different costumes as well as the parties pose as a great fear for some parents.
“It’s definitely scary as a parent to let your child go out with friends on Halloween,” said history teacher and parent Greg Schoenstein. “For starters, it’s dark out and people are in costumes, easily hiding their identities. The types of costumes and activities that are more common for teenagers only promote the actions that parents are really afraid of.”
The decision made by some teens to ignore their true desires for Halloween costumes often has large effects on their perceptions of the holiday as well as their self-image.
Camerino said, “Halloween is about dressing up and taking a break from your normal life, which can be a relaxing experience. When people choose costumes just to please others, they are taking that break away from themselves. The shorter costumes just take even more away from the meaning of Halloween and lead people to unnecesarily sexualize a day that should be fun.”
As teens take the relaxing break of Halloween day away from themselves by choosing costumes that others want them to wear, they make the statement that their ideas are not good enough.
Despite the growing number of influences on decisions regarding Halloween plans, some students still try to be true to themselves while choosing costumes.
Posey said, “People may be more judgemental about costumes when you’re older, but it’s still important to dress the way you truly want to. Dress for yourself instead of dressing to impress.”
The Highlander, October 2016