# Need Halloween costume ideas; very specific constraints **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 14, 2012, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-halloween-costume-ideas-very-specific-constraints/637707 "2012-10-14T17:33:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Randy\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ee7513/32.png) [@Randy\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randy_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2012, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-halloween-costume-ideas-very-specific-constraints/637707/1 "2012-10-14T17:33:55Z")
1. The party is '80s themed. The costume needs to be '80s-related. (A friend of mine is going as Sherlock Holmes… get it?) 2. I’ll be using this an excuse to shave my head. The costume can require partial shaving and I can do the rest the day after the party. 3. I’ve currently got a full beard, but I need to shave it Nov 1, so I can do whatever facial hair that my costume requires. Some initial ideas: [ul][_] Mr. T – I’d have to shave a mohawk, and it would be pretty funny to have a skinny white guy try to pull off a bulky black guy. [_] Gorbachev – funny, but besides the birthmark, there’s not much to it. Jean-Luc Picard – I’m a little hesitant to go into Trekie territory.[/ul] ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2012, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-halloween-costume-ideas-very-specific-constraints/637707/2 "2012-10-14T17:37:21Z")
> [@Randy\_Seltzer](#): > > 1. The party is '80s themed. The costume needs to be '80s-related. (A friend of mine is going as Sherlock Holmes… get it?) No. I like the Mr. T. idea. How about a Cabbage Patch Kid? ---
**Author:** ![LC\_Strawhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@LC\_Strawhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LC_Strawhouse)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2012, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-halloween-costume-ideas-very-specific-constraints/637707/3 "2012-10-14T17:41:37Z")
Phil Collins? ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2012, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-halloween-costume-ideas-very-specific-constraints/637707/4 "2012-10-14T17:44:45Z")
Bull from Night Court? Uncle Fester? Telly Savalas? ---
**Author:** ![Randy\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ee7513/32.png) [@Randy\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randy_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2012, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-halloween-costume-ideas-very-specific-constraints/637707/5 "2012-10-14T18:21:10Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > No. Sherlock Holmes is from the 1880s. 🙂 > [@Giraffe](#): > > Uncle Fester? Wouldn’t Uncle Fester be from the '60s? > [@](#): > > Telly Savalas? And wouldn’t Kojak be from the '70s? ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2012, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-halloween-costume-ideas-very-specific-constraints/637707/6 "2012-10-14T19:04:43Z")
> [@Randy\_Seltzer](#): > > Wouldn’t Uncle Fester be from the '60s? Movie. ---
**Author:** ![Randy\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ee7513/32.png) [@Randy\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randy_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2012, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-halloween-costume-ideas-very-specific-constraints/637707/7 "2012-10-14T19:17:09Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > > [@Randy\_Seltzer](#): > > > > Wouldn’t Uncle Fester be from the '60s? > > Movie. …so '90s? 😛 ---
**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:** [October 14, 2012, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-halloween-costume-ideas-very-specific-constraints/637707/8 "2012-10-14T19:24:34Z")
Mr. T for sure. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2012, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-halloween-costume-ideas-very-specific-constraints/637707/9 "2012-10-14T19:33:15Z")
Hulk Hogan is a possibility. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2012, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-halloween-costume-ideas-very-specific-constraints/637707/10 "2012-10-14T19:55:18Z")
I vote Mr. T also. Well-recognized (and if not, “I pity the fool who don’t know who I am.”), lot’s of chances for fun with it. That you can do it using your real hair makes it that much more awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Dereknocue67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6de8d8/32.png) [@Dereknocue67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dereknocue67)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2012, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-halloween-costume-ideas-very-specific-constraints/637707/11 "2012-10-15T08:11:58Z")
Shaving your body hair is an excellent first step. Next, strip naked, paint your body bright red and stick a broomstick up your ass. Viola! Your costume is an Apple On A Stick! ---
**Author:** ![magnusblitz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@magnusblitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magnusblitz)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2012, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-halloween-costume-ideas-very-specific-constraints/637707/12 "2012-10-15T18:41:11Z")
Professor X? Not necessarily 80s and, like Gorbachev, not much to it beyond shaving all your head hair off, putting on a suit and maybe grabbing a wheelchair and amplifying your eyebrows. I like the Mr. T idea as well. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2012, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-halloween-costume-ideas-very-specific-constraints/637707/13 "2012-10-15T18:50:18Z")
Put on an earring and a white T-shirt and white pants. You’re **Mr. Clean**. It’s not restricted tyo the 1980s, but they _were_ selling it then. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2012, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-halloween-costume-ideas-very-specific-constraints/637707/14 "2012-10-15T19:06:50Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Hulk Hogan is a possibility. But then he’d have to shave a horseshoe into his head. Then again, after Halloween is over, he could shave the rest. Hmm. So okay, I vote Hulk Hogan! I also thought of Kojak as from the 80s, but yeah, I guess that was the 70s. Huh, shows what I know. Also, if you go with Mr. T, that would be hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![HotDogWater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/35a633/32.png) [@HotDogWater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HotDogWater)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2012, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-halloween-costume-ideas-very-specific-constraints/637707/15 "2012-10-15T19:10:58Z")
Another vote for Mr T! I went to Vegas one year dressed as Mr T. An awesome, easy costume, and cheap too. Goggle image him up from the 80’s (A team and Rocky pics are good) and buy the clothes at Goodwill (I found a pair of denim overalls and a camo t shirt). Shave the mohawk (look for the upside down T at the bottom of the back) into your hair. And the clincher for my look was 3 dozen sets of gold “love beads” (like get thrown off of parade floats) to replicate his bling. I found them on line super cheap. And you can give them away (for free or for show 🙂 ) as the night wears on. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2012, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-halloween-costume-ideas-very-specific-constraints/637707/16 "2012-10-15T19:15:30Z")
Shit, I’m half tempted to go as Mr. T this year. I’d have to buy a shitload of hair gel and do a faux hawk, but I can buy a shitty vest and fake gold chains. I’m a woman, sure, but I’m black so I’m just as close to resembling Mr. T as the OP is. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2012, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-halloween-costume-ideas-very-specific-constraints/637707/17 "2012-10-15T19:59:31Z")
How long is your hair now? Could you do drag, and shave one side of your hair into the Cyndi Lauper [waffle hair](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdQY7BusJNU&t=1m32s) thing? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2012, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-halloween-costume-ideas-very-specific-constraints/637707/18 "2012-10-15T22:56:33Z")
Another vote for Mr. T. With an added vote that you post pix of you in costume. ---
**Author:** ![LC\_Strawhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@LC\_Strawhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LC_Strawhouse)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-halloween-costume-ideas-very-specific-constraints/637707/19 "2012-10-16T01:01:00Z")
Pac-Man? The California Raisins? Manuel Noriega? (now this one could be fun) I’ll be the dissenting voice on Mr. T 'cuz that could easily offend unsuspecting people who aren’t hip to it. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-halloween-costume-ideas-very-specific-constraints/637707/20 "2012-10-16T01:09:57Z")
Sure, Mr. T gets the “Tee hee, scrawny white guy as bulky black guy” points, but those are lame, stupid points. Go with Hulkamania, brother! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-halloween-costume-ideas-very-specific-constraints/637707.md?page=2)