“Sexing Up Halloween”

Spot on. Every year the sexing of Halloween is more infuriating. Did you know they came out with a sexy Catholic school girl costume? Yeah, not the standard sexy Catholic school girl costume: this one's for your dog. (!)

Halloween isn't just for kids anymore. If adults (male and female) want to dress up sexy to attract the opposite sex, isn't it their right to do so? Doesn't bother me too much, since I'm neither a social conservative nor a prude. Not surprising that some Americans will be in an uproar, the Victorian roots of this nation makes it inevitable. I for one approve of the more sexually openness of Europe.

Give a new meaning to the phrase..."trick" or treat....get it?!?!!? ;)

We are such a sad little country of prudes.

Oh no boooobies!!!!!

Leonidas:
No one is arguing about people's rights. At least I'm not. Of course, people have the freedom to choose to wear whatever they wish.

I just find it interesting how we sexualize so many things and then monetize sexuality.

Our absorption with things sexual seems disproportionately obsessive to me.

Mark wrote:

Our absorption with things sexual seems disproportionately obsessive to me.

Humans are social, sexual creatures. We can survive without society, without sex, but it is not part of our natural makeup. Further, history has shown that if a society tries to impart a stigma of some fashion on that which is human nature, members of society will, in time, overturn that stigma. If some make a buck or two without harming others, then no harm has truly been done.

Now, as far as "hypersexualization" is concerned, I'm of the firm opinion that there's more hyperventilating than anything else. As Leonidas mentioned, we are one of the more prude nations of the world. Other nations have (again, my opinion) rightfully come to the conclusion that more open expressions of sexuality are not only normal, but healthy for their citizenry. Why create a taboo on a subject for which we are supposed to be proud?

I wager that, for every woman that is said to "dress too scantily" for Halloween, even more examples can be made of women who don't believe that they are beautiful. These women (and, correspondingly, men) use the "excuse" of Halloween to boost their confidence. Why dissuade them? Sure, it could be argued that they can gain confidence other ways. But even David through parties in the streets. After all, humans were also given the capacity for fun and laughter.

To be fair, I think that one of the sexiest things a woman can wear is a properly fitted sweater and jeans. But that's my heterosexual male mind just doing what it does best :D.

I mostly agree with you, Mark (though I love Halloween itself!) but I'm not surprised that you aren't getting much agreement around here. I subscribe to your views about sexuality but I do think it's hard to come to that viewpoint without a religious basis.

The general hypersexualization of our culture and objectification of women (actually all persons, but especially women) is most concerning when it comes to adolescents and children. I think on that there is often agreement even from people who are far more secular in their views. This is the part that bothers me the most about the commercial aspect of Halloween too- if you look at costume shops and online peddlers there's a large trend toward sexy teen costumes with little else to choose from for that age bracket.

Here's a video that makes a similar point through humor. Warning: filled with bad language near the end.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4rUiV_Hh74

nice post