Halloween and Female Objectification

Berger, J. (1972). Ways of seeing. New York: Viking Press.
Messick, J. (Producer), Fey, T. (Writer), & Waters, M. (Director). (2004). Mean Girls

[Motion picture]. United States: Paramount Pictures.

October 31, 2007
Female Halloween costumes are prime examples of female objectification. Females are expected to be sexy not scary. Whereas, males have the choice of being macho, funny, or scary.
A clip form the film Mean Girls accurately describes the female Halloween costume situation. Lindsay Lohan’s character comments that Halloween is the night when dressing like a slut is acceptable. Common costumes are characterized by little or not clothes coupled with animal ears and tails or wings (her friends costumes included a mouse, cat, and bunny). Since this was Lohan’s first Halloween she assumed you should dress scary and decided to be bride of Frankenstein. When the males and females at party eventually run into her they think she is crazy and make remarks like you look so scary (as if it were a bad thing.)
Party City’s Halloween circular also supports notion that females are expected to dress sexy/slutty on Halloween. Costumes and their clever names include, Mile High Captain, Teacher’s Pet, Sponge Bath Betty, Serena the Snake Charmer, and Hot Flash. New additions to the circular include Betty Paige and Playboy inspired costumes. I was shocked and appalled by the plus sized and teen costumes respectively. Plus sized costumes were cut very short and cleavage revealing. The teen costumes had plunging neck lines, short skirts, and showed a lot of skin (entire bellies were revealed).
Despite the ridiculousness of Halloween costumes, female conform to the Halloween sexy/slutty norm. If not females did not they would be viewed as if something were wrong with them (example like they were ashamed of their bodies or were out of shape). The Halloween scenario further reinforces the notion that the female image is designed for male enjoyment (Berger, 1972, p. 64).