# Is this the worst costume ever? Dressing as 9/11 **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 6, 2013, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-worst-costume-ever-dressing-as-9-11/673239 "2013-11-06T13:55:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-worst-costume-ever-dressing-as-9-11/673239/1 "2013-11-06T13:55:03Z")
Warning; the stupidity on display [here](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/10429642/Anger-after-women-in-911-Twin-Towers-fancy-dress-win-Halloween-costume-contest.html) will make your head hurt. Two students in the UK dressed up for a Halloween fancy dress as the North and South Towers being struck by the planes on 9/11. They won £150 (about $240) after being voted the best costume. > [@](#): > > Ms Langford and Ms Collinge have reportedly apologised for their offensive costumes. > > The friends said: "We never meant to be offensive, but we apologise if any offence was caused. > > “The idea was to depict a modern-day horror that happened in our lifetime and was not intended as a joke.” Other party-goers made their feelings clear to the establishment, but were told: > [@](#): > > "After waiting two and a half hours to see the person who decided this dreadful winner all we got was ‘sorry but it was a good costume’. > > “He then had the audacity to say there were people in other disgusting costumes such as Jimmy Savile, as if to justify that it was alright to dress like that.” Jimmy Savile is a well-known now dead child abuser, for those unaware. Is there a stupider fathomable costume idea than this? Have you seen anything worse? Let us know. ---
**Author:** ![MegaBee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f0a364/32.png) [@MegaBee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MegaBee)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-worst-costume-ever-dressing-as-9-11/673239/2 "2013-11-06T14:29:34Z")
Trayvon Martin (via blackface) and Robert Zimmerman. ---
**Author:** ![Longshanks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Longshanks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Longshanks)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-worst-costume-ever-dressing-as-9-11/673239/3 "2013-11-06T14:45:58Z")
They dressed up as some buildings. What’s the big deal? ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-worst-costume-ever-dressing-as-9-11/673239/4 "2013-11-06T14:49:47Z")
> [@Longshanks](#): > > They dressed up as some buildings. What’s the big deal? Well, no. They dressed up as a couple buildings being hit and exploding in direct reference to a tragic event. They didn’t dress as a couple nondescript skyscrapers. From the article: > [@](#): > > Their outfits - marked North Tower and South Tower - included models of the two hijacked planes crashing into the New York skyscrapers. > > The costumes also had tiny models of people falling to their deaths and were topped off with the women wearing smouldering Stars and Stripes flags on their heads. I’m not particularly outraged (though I think it’s tacky and stupid and wouldn’t want to be friends with them) but saying they just dressed as “some buildings” is disingenuous. ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-worst-costume-ever-dressing-as-9-11/673239/5 "2013-11-06T14:50:35Z")
too soon? ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-worst-costume-ever-dressing-as-9-11/673239/6 "2013-11-06T15:14:48Z")
I had a co-worker dress up as one of the towers being hit by a plane for Halloween…2001! Yes, he took a shitload of heat from the people at the party he attended. But I don’t think he gave a shit. I think the biggest problem with the girls’ costumes is that they appear to have attempted a bit of sexiness with it-- a little too leggy for an act of terrorism. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-worst-costume-ever-dressing-as-9-11/673239/7 "2013-11-06T15:29:36Z")
It’s a nightclub costume contest. Which makes me think “provocative” and “mature audiences only”. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-worst-costume-ever-dressing-as-9-11/673239/8 "2013-11-06T15:31:39Z")
I had some friends do it in 2001 too. And then they ditched the costume and came back with doll parts in jars and declared themselves “abortion doctors.” It was a party for a group of friends who are in to dark humor. No one was offended. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-worst-costume-ever-dressing-as-9-11/673239/9 "2013-11-06T16:07:07Z")
Here’s [a great costume idea](http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304391204579178110358822626). Those wacky Iranians! ---
**Author:** ![gwendee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-worst-costume-ever-dressing-as-9-11/673239/10 "2013-11-06T16:08:36Z")
My vote goes to [this chick](http://www.mlive.com/news/saginaw/index.ssf/2013/11/boston_marathon_bombing_victim.html) who dressed as a runner injured by the bombing at the Boston Marathon. With 9/11 you could argue that there’s at least some distance. To the people who know folks who did it in 2001, were any of them in New York? I was going to add that I don’t think those young ladies would have won any contests there. ---
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-worst-costume-ever-dressing-as-9-11/673239/11 "2013-11-06T16:29:16Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > a little too leggy Nothing is _ever_ too leggy 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-worst-costume-ever-dressing-as-9-11/673239/12 "2013-11-06T16:43:40Z")
> [@Deeg](#): > > Nothing is _ever_ too leggy 😛 [Too leggy](https://www.google.com/search?q=house+millipedes&safe=off&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=QXF6UqX3EsnayAGbjIHABA&ved=0CDoQsAQ&biw=1525&bih=722#q=house+centipedes&safe=off&tbm=isch) ---
**Author:** ![llcoolbj77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/eb9ed0/32.png) [@llcoolbj77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/llcoolbj77)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-worst-costume-ever-dressing-as-9-11/673239/13 "2013-11-06T18:07:23Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > [Too leggy](https://www.google.com/search?q=house+millipedes&safe=off&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=QXF6UqX3EsnayAGbjIHABA&ved=0CDoQsAQ&biw=1525&bih=722#q=house+centipedes&safe=off&tbm=isch) arghhh! my eyes!!! nightmares!!! :mad: ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-worst-costume-ever-dressing-as-9-11/673239/14 "2013-11-06T18:30:27Z")
> [@llcoolbj77](#): > > arghhh! my eyes!!! nightmares!!! :mad: If you think that’s bad, I regularly get these things in my apartment and they can scurry very quickly. I recently was cleaning, moved a rug and one of them darted out from under it and under my couch. Never found him. He’s still out there … somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![AdmiralQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@AdmiralQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AdmiralQ)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-worst-costume-ever-dressing-as-9-11/673239/15 "2013-11-06T19:45:31Z")
Back in 2002 or 2003 or thereabouts, I had a group of 3 friends dress up in similar costumes. One of them dressed up as a plane, and the other 2 as skyscrapers. The one dressed up as a plane would run head first into the others and the 2 skyscrapers would fall down. Tasteless? Yes. Probably not the best idea? Yes. Pretty offensive? Yes. Funny as hell? You bet. Sometimes people just need to stop trying to make certain subjects taboo and lighten up. There’s much more important things to worry about in the world than someones Halloween costume. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-worst-costume-ever-dressing-as-9-11/673239/16 "2013-11-06T20:01:33Z")
> [@AdmiralQ](#): > > There’s much more important things to worry about in the world than someones Halloween costume. There’s “more important things to worry about” than most things. But tacky, pathetic people are still tacky and pathetic no matter how they compare again global hunger or nuclear war. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-worst-costume-ever-dressing-as-9-11/673239/17 "2013-11-06T20:40:10Z")
^ : puts his 1972-era Uganduayan rugby player costume back on the shelf : > [@shijinn](#): > > too soon? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-worst-costume-ever-dressing-as-9-11/673239/18 "2013-11-06T20:56:47Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > [Too leggy](https://www.google.com/search?q=house+millipedes&safe=off&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=QXF6UqX3EsnayAGbjIHABA&ved=0CDoQsAQ&biw=1525&bih=722#q=house+centipedes&safe=off&tbm=isch) But they need to be standing straight up, with some of their legs in flames, and burning flied embedded in them. Then add some ants leaping to their death. ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-worst-costume-ever-dressing-as-9-11/673239/19 "2013-11-06T21:06:44Z")
Aside from whatever else is wrong about this, those are _terrible costumes_, in the sense that they don’t look like what they’re supposed to represent. If they weren’t helpfully labeled “north tower” and “south tower” I’d think those two girls were doing a weird take-off of Oscar the Grouch, because it looks like they’re wrapped in a garbage can. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-worst-costume-ever-dressing-as-9-11/673239/20 "2013-11-06T21:08:03Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > But they need to be standing straight up, with some of their legs in flames, and burning flied embedded in them. Then add some ants leaping to their death. Now _that’s_ a Halloween costume. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-worst-costume-ever-dressing-as-9-11/673239.md?page=2)