Halloween

Halloween is fast approaching (which, oddly, I've always found to be my most stressful holiday, with New Year's a close second). There's too much involved in finding a costume, or making one, being creative, original, and finding something fun to do. And whenever I have gone out in past years, I find myself inevitably rapidly fluctuating between sadness, disgust, and frustration with what I see around me.

Halloween has become a holiday where it seems its sole purpose once you reach the age of, now 13ish, the goal for women is to wear the minimal amount of clothing. It's an excuse to apparently degrade ourselves, objectify ourselves with seemingly no consequences. It is widely accepted that wearing masks, being online, or even hiding behind the steel cage of a vehicle allows people a certain sense of anonymity, and thus enables them to let go of their usual inhibitions. We can suddenly forget about the consequences of our actions, almost like being drunk. But costumes for females rarely utilize a mask. We wear our own faces, and yet our self respect still manages to go out the window.

Why do we need to walk around in (especially in New York) almost freezing weather with a skirt that barely covers the ass, and a shirt that can barely be considered a bra. My freshman year of college 3 girls on my hall dressed up as "cats." apparently such a costume consists of fishnets, a black bathing suit and cat ears. there may have been a tail involved. Why? Do we feel the need to fit in with other girls? Do we believe that if we don't dress in sexy playboy costumes that men won't give us the time of day? Do we base our self worth, happiness, and our ability to have a good time out with friends on whether or not members of the opposite (or same) sex approach us and are attracted to us?

Admittedly I myself bought into the fad my freshman year, although not nearly to the extent of my hallmates. and I did it for all those reasons. To fit in, to be attractive, to be liked. And I realized it did none of the above. I'd rather be comfortable, and approached for creativity and originality. I'd rather be warm. I'd rather men and women alike not stand for the objectification of either gender.

Keep it classy ladies. And keep it original. What are we saying to the world if the only thing we can dress up as is a sexy nurse or french maid? A school teacher, or an angel? Do we even stop the consider that these costumes perpetuate stereotypes of females, and do nothing to further our status in the eyes of men and women alike? Stand up to the stereotypes, to the objectification, to society's desire to degrade and demean us. Keep your head up, and fight for change.

Women are not sex objects. We have minds, and thoughts, dreams, and hopes, and halloween every year is a step back in our fight to prove that to a disbelieving society.

There is more to us than boobs and legs. Everyone knows we all have those, men and women alike. It's time to start showing the world what we really have to offer.