Halloween makes me cry. Not because I'm scared of the spooky ghosts and monsters- it's because it has become an occasion for the sluttification of little girls.
I don't give two farts if a grown woman wants to buy and wear the "Naughty Fairy", "Sexy Witch" or "Bad-Ass Nun" costumes we have at the store. Actually, it's hard to find a pre-made costume for women that isn't all about the sex- to paraphrase "Mean Girls", Halloween is an excuse to dress like a slut without being called a slut. Have fun, kids.
But this year we have a line geared toward teens, which means it's "tweens" buying the stuff, and it's S-L-U-T-T-Y. And there's no "in a good way" about it. Crotch-high skirts, down-to-there cleavage (not that they generally have any), fishnet tights... bear in mind, guys, that 11-year olds are buying this shite.
Oops- scratch that. THEIR PARENTS are buying it for them, and not raising any objections to their kids (and yes, "tweens" are still kids) dressing like skinny, underdeveloped whores.
The boys' costumes, incedentally, do not include "sexy" cops, "hot" firemen, or anything of the sort. Just cops, just firemen, just ninjas, just cowboys.
Little girls can be cowgirls too, of course. Yeah, there's a lovely pink number for 4-5 year olds with a hat, and a vest... and a thigh-high skirt with ruffles... it looks like something they wear in the creepiest of beauty pageants, and the kid on the packaging is all tarted up in thicker make-up than what I've ever worn at Halloween. VEEERY practical for rustling cattle, to say the least!
And the Barbie costumes... PUKE! Skin-tight, every one. Bare midriffs are the norm.
Can I scream in frustration now? CARE TO JOIN ME??? How the HELL are these kids supposed to grow up seeing themselves as anything but sex objects, or believing that there's value in their hearts and minds if this is what we're buying them to dress up in? And don't even get me started on the everyday clothing available for elementary-school aged girls...
I'm not proud to admit this, but I sighed with relief when I found out we were having another boy. It's one thing we won't have to deal with. Of course, we have the crushing responsibility of teaching our boys to respect girls and women in a culture that doesn't teach them to respect themselves, don't we? To all you moms of girls out there... actually, all of you who I know personally are going to deal with this very well, I think. I can't see one of you going, "Honey, let me help you hike up your skirt a little..."
And to any men who might think that it's OK for a 6-year old girl to dress all sexy... if you're enjoying it, please get help. Seriously. You have a problem.
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