HS Editorial
From sculpting pumpkins to going trick-or-treating to peeing your pants in a haunted house, Halloween is a fun time of the year for anyone to enjoy. Seabury specifically has a rich Halloween culture. What makes this underrated holiday so special? It is simple: costumes. What is better than proudly walking around in public dressed up as something you are not without having shame? I think the number of answers is pretty low.
Every year, however, I end up reading articles about people dressing up in costumes that are offensive to a certain group of individuals. This term, used to describe the adoption of components of a minority culture by a more dominant one or the demonstration of oppression of a group, is called cultural appropriation. This subject is not new at all. Discussions pertaining to this controversial topic have been going on for years, and Halloween seems to be the epitome for this dilemma. Some examples include dressing up as terrorists, murderous dictators, members of a hate group, oppressed individuals and other costumes similar to this idea. Overall, discrimination against race, sex, religion and many other affiliations are rooted in this problem.
There is one question that all people cannot come to a consensus: When does someone cross the line? I personally believe it will easy to tell if a certain costume is appropriate for one to wear. If you put on the costume, look in the mirror and have a spontaneous notion that you will irritate several people when you walk out the door, then chances are you are probably crossing the line. In cases like this, it can be looked as inappropriate and offensive if it pertains to a certain demographic.
Don’t get me wrong. There are some gray areas and potholes about this topic. For example, there have been multiple cases of white children dressing up as Black Panther, a superhero. On one hand, some argue that Black Panther is a character crafted from distinct African culture, and it seems like people are trying to be a part of a group that they are not a part of, indirectly mocking people of African descent. On the other hand, some argue that these kids are just trying to be superheroes, a common, go-to costume for any young child. Is this crossing the line? Yes. There are so many other costumes that you could wear without picking out a costume that is popularly associated with a specific race of people.
As cliche as it might sound, putting yourself in another’s shoes is the best way to avoid backlash and unnecessary tension. It is as simple as that. Besides, who wants negative energy on a day like this?
