# Least appropriate Halloween costume (Kids' Division) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 1, 2010, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-appropriate-halloween-costume-kids-division/559108 "2010-11-01T18:17:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2010, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-appropriate-halloween-costume-kids-division/559108/1 "2010-11-01T18:17:20Z")
We get a lot of kids coming by trick-or-treating. Most are adorable. The cutest may have been a couple of kids about the same age, maybe cousins, dressed as Woody and Buzz from Toy Story. The only one I threatened not to give candy to were two kids dressed as NY Yankees (but I relented). We got a couple of girls showing major cleavage, although I wasn’t really clear how old they were - maybe teens, maybe young adults, that were with younger kids. But the worst taste outfit had to be the otherwise very cute, maybe 11 year old girl, dressed as a Hooters waitress, complete with bright orange shorts, order pad tucked in the waistband. Who is your nominee? ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2010, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-appropriate-halloween-costume-kids-division/559108/2 "2010-11-01T18:20:56Z")
I thought it was cute, but my 4 year old son was positively scandalized by a boy dressed as Santa Claus. ---
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2010, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-appropriate-halloween-costume-kids-division/559108/3 "2010-11-01T22:19:12Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > I thought it was cute, but my 4 year old son was positively scandalized by a boy dressed as Santa Claus. I’ve considered answering the door as a Santa Claus, or maybe an elf. I often will open the door (especially if I can see a group of older kids) and yell “Merry Christmas” as the kids are yelling “Trick or Treat” Hey, I can play tricks too, can’t I? ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2010, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-appropriate-halloween-costume-kids-division/559108/4 "2010-11-01T22:24:13Z")
> [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](#): > > I’ve considered answering the door as a Santa Claus, or maybe an elf. > I often will open the door (especially if I can see a group of older kids) and yell “Merry Christmas” as the kids are yelling “Trick or Treat” > > Hey, I can play tricks too, can’t I? Yeah, the older kids would get a laugh. At 4, my son is still very much of the view that things ought to be where they belong. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![DivineComedienne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c67d28/32.png) [@DivineComedienne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DivineComedienne)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2010, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-appropriate-halloween-costume-kids-division/559108/5 "2010-11-01T22:42:59Z")
We had a couple hundred Trick or Treaters come by, but one kid (about 14) was wearing an orange prison jumpsuit and blackface (the kid was white). I was shocked and offended, but caught so off-guard (he was one kid among a swarm of two dozen kids who were holding out bags for treats) I didn’t know what to do. I can’t believe his parents let him out of the house that way. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2010, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-appropriate-halloween-costume-kids-division/559108/6 "2010-11-01T22:53:09Z")
I didn’t see these, but FailBlog posted a photo of “naughty” (and I mean in the adult fashion) [costumes for little girls](http://failblog.org/2010/10/31/epic-fail-photos-kids-costumes-fail/). We’re talking above-the-knee skirts and titles like “Wicked School Girl.” :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Elysium](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3be4f8/32.png) [@Elysium](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elysium)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2010, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-appropriate-halloween-costume-kids-division/559108/7 "2010-11-01T23:49:18Z")
We had a seven year old come to the door wearing a rastafarian hat and in full blackface. My husband was a bit shocked. I guess no one wanted to tell him that it was offensive. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-appropriate-halloween-costume-kids-division/559108/8 "2010-11-02T12:51:38Z")
> [@DivineComedienne](#): > > We had a couple hundred Trick or Treaters come by, but one kid (about 14) was wearing an orange prison jumpsuit and blackface (the kid was white). I was shocked and offended, but caught so off-guard (he was one kid among a swarm of two dozen kids who were holding out bags for treats) I didn’t know what to do. I can’t believe his parents let him out of the house that way. Obviously I didn’t see it, but it sounds like he was going as a Chilean miner. And, you know, grimy from being in a mine for a couple months. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-appropriate-halloween-costume-kids-division/559108/9 "2010-11-02T19:05:56Z")
I didn’t see anything too horrifying. One little girl in the grocery store had a kind of Spanish dancer dress on, with one shoulder bared, and she was younger than ten. That was the worst one. One costume I saw wasn’t inappropriate, but I was still amazed by it: one of my fourteen year old son’s friends dressed like Fozzie Bear! And all the other fourteen year olds seemed to know who Fozzie was. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-appropriate-halloween-costume-kids-division/559108/10 "2010-11-02T19:51:50Z")
I had a kid - from outside the neighborhood who came in to score candy (happens every year; fine by me when its legit trick-or-treating not teens with no costumes) - who spent the entire time picking out candy at my doorstep on his cellphone. He was probably 12 - 13 and part of a much larger group of kids…who came back for seconds 10 minutes later. I said No ;). ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-appropriate-halloween-costume-kids-division/559108/11 "2010-11-02T19:59:21Z")
> [@Elysium](#): > > We had a seven year old come to the door wearing a rastafarian hat and in full blackface. My husband was a bit shocked. I guess no one wanted to tell him that it was offensive. That’s offensive? How? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-appropriate-halloween-costume-kids-division/559108/12 "2010-11-02T20:12:03Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > That’s offensive? How? I agree that it’s not offensive. It’s part of the dress and not a disparaging image. However, I’m hard pressed to come up with other non-offensive costumes using blackface that aren’t imitating a specific person, so I can sort of understand the snap judgement in automatically taking offense because most of the other costumes would be offensive. Sort of. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-appropriate-halloween-costume-kids-division/559108/13 "2010-11-03T05:47:08Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > That’s offensive? How? You’re kidding, right? You seriously don’t understand how someone wearing [blackface](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackface) is offensive? ---
**Author:** ![Hedda\_Rosa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hedda_rosa/32/1204_2.png) [@Hedda\_Rosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hedda_Rosa)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-appropriate-halloween-costume-kids-division/559108/14 "2010-11-03T09:22:10Z")
Though rastafarian blackface isn’t quite minstrel show blackface, it hits near enough that it should just never be done. You can be a rasta without painting your face, we all get it well enough with the stupid hat-and-dreds and tiedye Tshirt. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-appropriate-halloween-costume-kids-division/559108/15 "2010-11-03T09:38:30Z")
> [@Elysium](#): > > We had a seven year old come to the door wearing a rastafarian hat and in full blackface. My husband was a bit shocked. I guess no one wanted to tell him that it was offensive. Maybe he was disguised as [Lionel Joseph.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCERfa8LcS4&feature=related) ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-appropriate-halloween-costume-kids-division/559108/16 "2010-11-03T12:47:18Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > You’re kidding, right? You seriously don’t understand how someone wearing [blackface](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackface) is offensive? Well, not if you’re dressed as a Rastafarian! I absolutely see nothing offensive in that. A friend of mine dressed like this for a Halloween party some 10 or 15 years ago. No one thought it was offensive. ---
**Author:** ![kushiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@kushiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kushiel)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-appropriate-halloween-costume-kids-division/559108/17 "2010-11-03T20:37:03Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Well, not if you’re dressed as a Rastafarian! I absolutely see nothing offensive in that. A friend of mine dressed like this for a Halloween party some 10 or 15 years ago. No one thought it was offensive. Meh, we’re Canadian. It isn’t offensive to us because we didn’t have the big civil rights fight. Now, if I darkened my skin a bit and threw on a chief’s headdress I’d be called out. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-appropriate-halloween-costume-kids-division/559108/18 "2010-11-03T20:47:33Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Maybe he was disguised as [Lionel Joseph.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCERfa8LcS4&feature=related) Ha! This is exactly what I thought of Babooya babooya babooya ha! ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-appropriate-halloween-costume-kids-division/559108/19 "2010-11-03T22:24:09Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > I didn’t see these, but FailBlog posted a photo of “naughty” (and I mean in the adult fashion) [costumes for little girls](http://failblog.org/2010/10/31/epic-fail-photos-kids-costumes-fail/). We’re talking above-the-knee skirts and titles like “Wicked School Girl.” :eek: Maybe I’m looking at it wrong because I don’t have any children, but these don’t seem inappropriate to me in actuality. Oh the titles and poses are a bit much, but the costume (a short skirt with knee socks) comes across as just plain old “little girl.” And I had no problems at all this year, seeing as how we got no Trick or Treaters at all. ---
**Author:** ![curious11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ac91a4/32.png) [@curious11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curious11)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2010, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-appropriate-halloween-costume-kids-division/559108/20 "2010-11-04T02:04:09Z")
The was a picture floating around of a 4-5 year old boy dressed up in an explosive vest, one a suicide bomber would wear. I was not amused. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-appropriate-halloween-costume-kids-division/559108.md?page=2)