COLUMN: The evolution of Halloween costumes
Do you remember your first Halloween?
I was a "Jackson-in-the-box." Get it? It's a pun. My parents are hilarious.
Reflecting on Halloween growing up, I remember always going trick or treating with one of my neighbors at the time.
I still remember a picture of us dressed as Darth Vader and Princess Leia when we were 7 years old. I haven't spoken to her since 10th grade, but I'm still friends with her on Facebook and from time to time her posts will pop up on my news feed.
Friday she posted a picture of her costume for this weekend: a 'slutty' cowgirl.
Booty shorts that barely covered her butt, low cut and cut up flannel to fully expose her cleavage and mid-section and a cowboy hat to complete the look.
As I saw that picture, I couldn't help but think, "Really? This is the same girl that I used to play house with, who used to dress up as an innocent princess?"
But it's not just her. It's girls everywhere. This weekend, I don't remember seeing too many modest costumes.
When and why did the paradigm of Halloween costumes shift from film characters and athletes to anything with the word "slutty" thrown in front of it?
The only answer I can think of is that girls think that they need to dress like that just to get a guy to notice them at a party. However, this explanation couldn't be further from the truth.
For me, seeing girls degrade themselves by dressing the way they do on Halloween is one of the biggest turn-offs. Before disagreeing with me, I want to ask the guys out there a question: Is that really what you want your girlfriend or future wife to look like?
Do you truly want a girl whose cleavage and rear end is free and on display for every guy at the party? Do you really want to date the girl parading around the party like a Las Vegas stripper? That's not romance, it's just pathetic.
Girls, if you feel the only way to get a guy to notice you is to dress slutty and show your boobs to everyone, please stay away from me, because you must have a painfully dull personality.
Guys, think about your attitudes toward girls, especially on Halloween. When you see a girl in a suggestive costume, just think, is this the kind of girl that you want standing across the aisle from you one day?
Think about how you see yourself; you don't need to dress like a slut to be beautiful. You don't gain popularity by choosing to dress like a slut, you lose dignity and self-respect. Have respect for yourself, because if you don't respect yourself, no one else will.
