Is Your Halloween Costume Racist?

[Treko]

Also, seriously Dia De Los Muertos. I know it's supposed to pay respect to the dead, but why complain about it when we already have costumes that look like skeletons. Should I be "Oh, sorry son you can't wear that because it's a skeleton," I don't think Mexicans care to much of you paint yourself up as a skeleton with flowers. What happened to the greatness of a pagan religion!

[Sebastia-Zachistan]

I believe that the OP missed the fact that Halloween costumes aren't meant to be representative of other cultures. They're meant to be silly and stupid.

Besides, I get the feeling this is one of those things where the OP wouldn't care if someone dressed up as the most stereotypically redneck, ultra-conservative racist southerner, but as soon as someone puts on a feather headdress there's a problem.

[Ralkovia]

As a vampire, I find it offensive and racist that anyone would dare dress as me. I don't even wear a cape or say "I vant to suck your blood.' Where do people get these misconceptions. I'm a culture.

[Torcularis Septentrionalis]

I'm not ashamed of being white. If I were black or asian or middle eastern, I wouldn't be ashamed either. I was born to this race.
I just don't have a culture, but I still think every culture deserves respect.

Bullshit you don't. You share a basic linguistic culture at the very least, There's also the local religion that would no doubt influence you (even if it's influence turned you off religion) the mass media, your system of law

I don't have traditions or systems in place to hold ties to heritage. I just kind of do whatever I want. I really don't see how speaking English is necessarily a "culture."

[Coherent Imbeciles]

As a vampire, I find it offensive and racist that anyone would dare dress as me. I don't even wear a cape or say "I vant to suck your blood.' Where do people get these misconceptions. I'm a culture.

If you aren't counting all day, you're a disgrace to the noble vampire race.

[Stedicules]

i really don't care who i offend. i'll wear whatever i like and if people don't like it then its on them. werd.

[Dyakovo]

Oh, so that's why it looked weird. I dunno, that still doesn't come across as offensive to me, but I suspect the American context is a different one.


Right, so, what would you suggest going as? Does everyone have to be an inanimate object? You can't go as a geisha, because wearing traditional Japanese costume is racist; you can't go as a witch, because you're demeaning wiccans as quaint amusements; can you go as a princess, or would that be invoking the historical function of women as window dressing?

Uhhh, witches as classic horror/fantasy witches don't represent wiccans/pagans. I used to be pagan, it really didn't have anything to do with us.
Princess doesn't "invoke the historical function of women as window dressing." You're kind of grasping at straws.

Like you're not?

[Saruhan]

Bullshit you don't. You share a basic linguistic culture at the very least, There's also the local religion that would no doubt influence you (even if it's influence turned you off religion) the mass media, your system of law

I don't have traditions or systems in place to hold ties to heritage. I just kind of do whatever I want. I really don't see how speaking English is necessarily a "culture."

All-Hallows-Eve is a culture tradition, so's Christmas. The legal system of your nation. All of it is part of your culture

[Torcularis Septentrionalis]

I believe that the OP missed the fact that Halloween costumes aren't meant to be representative of other cultures. They're meant to be silly and stupid.

Besides, I get the feeling this is one of those things where the OP wouldn't care if someone dressed up as the most stereotypically redneck, ultra-conservative racist southerner, but as soon as someone puts on a feather headdress there's a problem.

Actually, yeah, I do have a problem with people dressing as rednecks.

Also, seriously Dia De Los Muertos. I know it's supposed to pay respect to the dead, but why complain about it when we already have costumes that look like skeletons. Should I be "Oh, sorry son you can't wear that because it's a skeleton," I don't think Mexicans care to much of you paint yourself up as a skeleton with flowers. What happened to the greatness of a pagan religion!

A lot of them take offense to it. It's taking their 2,500 year old traditional day of celebration and turning it into a halloween costume...

[Lackadaisical2]

The Black woman is a white woman who has painted herself to have brown skin, chains, a "grill", and the classic gang-related bandanna on her wrist.

Oh, so that's why it looked weird. I dunno, that still doesn't come across as offensive to me, but I suspect the American context is a different one.

Also, Victorian dresses are neither related to traditional culture, nor are they related to a specific race.

Right, so, what would you suggest going as? Does everyone have to be an inanimate object? You can't go as a geisha, because wearing traditional Japanese costume is racist; you can't go as a witch, because you're demeaning wiccans as quaint amusements; can you go as a princess, or would that be invoking the historical function of women as window dressing?

Ever notice how pale vampires are?

Clearly saying all white people are bloodsuckers.

[Saruhan]

I believe that the OP missed the fact that Halloween costumes aren't meant to be representative of other cultures. They're meant to be silly and stupid.

Besides, I get the feeling this is one of those things where the OP wouldn't care if someone dressed up as the most stereotypically redneck, ultra-conservative racist southerner, but as soon as someone puts on a feather headdress there's a problem.

Actually, yeah, I do have a problem with people dressing as rednecks.

Are we supposed to dress up as fruit then?

[Torcularis Septentrionalis]

Uhhh, witches as classic horror/fantasy witches don't represent wiccans/pagans. I used to be pagan, it really didn't have anything to do with us.
Princess doesn't "invoke the historical function of women as window dressing." You're kind of grasping at straws.

Like you're not?

No, I'm not. I'm just saying. It's not appropriate to demean people's heritage and culture to stereotyped costumes.

[Qazox]

It is just a costume, let people dress up as they want. I think it is safe to say that what you have is White guilt and a belief in political correctness.

I second that.

it's Halloween, if I want to dress up as a Samurai Terrorist Indian Chief Pimp, then that's my right to do so. It would also be the right of anyone offended by it to respond in kind.

[Torcularis Septentrionalis]

Actually, yeah, I do have a problem with people dressing as rednecks.

Are we supposed to dress up as fruit then?

There are seriously thousands+ things you can be for halloween. If you can't come up with costumes that aren't making fun of groups of people or making light of important cultural artifacts and traditions, then I kind of feel bad for you.

[Xekliv]

I'm going as Slendamann the Jewish Businessman.

It'll probably be racist to someone who's Jewish due to the awful accent ill be talking in.

If you get the reference you win the Internet.

[Treko]

I believe that the OP missed the fact that Halloween costumes aren't meant to be representative of other cultures. They're meant to be silly and stupid.

Besides, I get the feeling this is one of those things where the OP wouldn't care if someone dressed up as the most stereotypically redneck, ultra-conservative racist southerner, but as soon as someone puts on a feather headdress there's a problem.

Actually, yeah, I do have a problem with people dressing as rednecks.

Also, seriously Dia De Los Muertos. I know it's supposed to pay respect to the dead, but why complain about it when we already have costumes that look like skeletons. Should I be "Oh, sorry son you can't wear that because it's a skeleton," I don't think Mexicans care to much of you paint yourself up as a skeleton with flowers. What happened to the greatness of a pagan religion!

A lot of them take offense to it. It's taking their 2,500 year old traditional day of celebration and turning it into a halloween costume...

Well let me tell all those kids who wasted money on a skeleton costume to return them because it's offensive. Yeah right, at least the kid isn't dressing up as a border jumper.

[Torcularis Septentrionalis]

It is just a costume, let people dress up as they want. I think it is safe to say that what you have is White guilt and a belief in political correctness.

I second that.

it's Halloween, if I want to dress up as a Samurai Terrorist Indian Chief Pimp, then that's my right to do so. It would also be the right of anyone offended by it to respond in kind.

Oh, sure, it's your right to do so. But it's pretty assholish.

[Saruhan]

Like you're not?

No, I'm not. I'm just saying. It's not appropriate to demean people's heritage and culture to stereotyped costumes.

So we should ban things like Cinco de Mayo, all former colonies independence days, WW2 history, etc? Cause they all involve painting a certain group or another as bad or something

[Dyakovo]

Like you're not?

No, I'm not. I'm just saying. It's not appropriate to demean people's heritage and culture to stereotyped costumes.

Yeah you really are.

[Coherent Imbeciles]

Actually, yeah, I do have a problem with people dressing as rednecks.

So, we all should go as flowers and Transformers and shit? Because that's a goddamn stupid idea.

A lot of them take offense to it. It's taking their 2,500 year old traditional day of celebration and turning it into a halloween costume...

I saw multiple people go as Santa. Nobody cried about their two+ millennia tradition being violated.

[Meryuma]

Like you're not?

No, I'm not. I'm just saying. It's not appropriate to demean people's heritage and culture to stereotyped costumes.

I don't see how dressing as a geisha or samurai is doing that though. Those aren't cultural stereotypes, they're historical professions. In fact, there were samurai who weren't ethnically Japanese, though it was rare.

[Saruhan]

A lot of them take offense to it. It's taking their 2,500 year old traditional day of celebration and turning it into a halloween costume...

I saw multiple people go as Santa. Nobody cried about their two+ millennia tradition being violated.

FATHER CHRISTMAS NO!!!!11!

[North California]

I have a Barack Obama mask. People say I'm racist for it, but I don't see how it's racist. I bought it because it looked funny and because I could have a lot of fun with it just trolling people. I never intended anything racial.


All they had was an Obama and Hilary Clinton mask. I didn't get the Clinton mask because I wanted to troll people, not scare them.

[Torcularis Septentrionalis]

Actually, yeah, I do have a problem with people dressing as rednecks.


A lot of them take offense to it. It's taking their 2,500 year old traditional day of celebration and turning it into a halloween costume...

Well let me tell all those kids who wasted money on a skeleton costume to return them because it's offensive. Yeah right, at least the kid isn't dressing up as a border jumper.

Skeleton costume =/= Dia De Los Muertos facial painting

[Dyakovo]

Are we supposed to dress up as fruit then?

There are seriously thousands+ things you can be for halloween. If you can't come up with costumes that aren't making fun of groups of people or making light of important cultural artifacts and traditions, then I kind of feel bad for you.

See this right here highlights the fact that you're grasping for something to be offended about...