Olivia Joyce believes that woman should have the choice of whether to show off their body or not. What do you think?
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When I was twenty two, I dressed as a scantily clad version of Hermione Granger for Halloween. In the years since, I’ve felt the need to defend that choice, especially as a feminist. And I’m done. No one gets to revoke my feminist card because of my costume.
The costume was a small gray dress with a deep V and a hem length in the negative digits. It came with a small black cape and a tie in—what else?—Gryffindor colors. I added thigh-high stockings, but there was still about two inches of real estate from the end of the skirt to the top of the stockings.
When I was wearing my costume, I didn’t feel like a slut, and I didn’t feel like I was being demeaned or demeaning women. I felt hot. I was twenty-two, an adult and fully capable of making my own decisions. Unfortunately, when friends and family have come across that photo in my prominently displayed photo albums, I’ve had to defend my costume choice.
This strikes me as a bizarre double-standard. On one hand, there seems to be a sexy costume arms race in which almost every type of costume—I’m looking at you, Sexy Donald Trump— now has a scandalous version. (It’s only a matter of time before a Sexy Pizza Slice getup hits the market.) On the other hand, if a woman does decide to flaunt her goods, even modestly, she can find herself a subject of controversy and even deeply personal attacks. At this point, “Teacher fired for sexy Halloween pictures” is basically an Internet cautionary tale.
Clearly, that’s not fair. This much should be clear: if you tell a woman how to dress—or not to dress— that’s anti-feminist. Catcalls aren’t the only way that sexism manifests itself; the inverse— telling a woman to cover up—is demeaning too.
Now, do I think these costumes should be marketed to young girls? Of course not. My daughter is going as Rosie the Riveter for her first Halloween. But when she’s an adult and she’s comfortable enough in her own skin to want to show it off, I hope she does.
The same goes for anyone else. If it’s Halloween and a woman is comfortable showing off her body—whatever its shape—it’s no one else’s damned business if she does.
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Photo: Kay Pike / flickr
Source: 30dB.com – Halloween Costumes and Sexy
I am so tired of hearing people’s negative opinions about my costume choices. Look up Exotic Eva. It’s a g-string in the back and “leaves” covering the essentials in the front. That’s it. I loved that costume and spent 3 years looking for an online retailerthat had it in stock. Another year I went as a sexy flapper that I got from the sex store. I loved it, too! As a woman who goes out with her husband who is proud to “show off my sexy,” we don’t want, not need, to hear your negative opinion of our choices, because… Read more »
You’re allowed to agree with me, but you’re not allowed to disagree? And this is your idea of freedom?
I believe that you have the right to wear whatever you like – but I have the right to draw conclusions and make judgements for myself. We don’t live alone. We live together in society with others. And we’re fools if we ignore the fact that others may take offence or judge us or react to our choices.
There is another double standard. You say you want the right to wear what ever you want but don’t want to be judged. So if you have the right to wear what ever you want, and someone thinks it’s wrong or demeaning to women, then you have to afford them the right to think what and say what they want. I constantly hear this idea of “i get to do what ever I want” but you can’t judge me. You want your freedom but will label someone else “wrong” for judging you. You are in effect saying “I have the… Read more »
Wear what you like, I enjoy those costumes. But if you are one of the types of person to wear one and then shame me for looking, I’ll flip it around on you in a way you might not enjoy.