Double Standards During Halloween

Girls can be ghosts, goblins, and ghouls. They can be zombies, skeletons, and soldiers. They can be unidentifiable “things” with masks that have eyeballs hanging out and faces falling off. Boys? They can be these things, too. Sure. But they can’t be princesses. They can’t be a Snow White, Strawberry Shortcake, or Barbie. Not that they’d necessarily want to but, hey, you never know--they sell a girl’s costume for Sully from Monster’s Inc. who was a giant BOY monster.

Yes, girls can wear any costume they want. And the stores now offer girl versions of “boy” costumes like cute cowboys and pink pirates. Girls can also get away with being a cuddly panda, puppy dog, or bumble bee a lot longer than boys can.

Pink pajama zombie? How cute!

Boys’ costumes are all guns and guts. There really is no alternative. If you have a lot of time or are super creative, you can make (or find) something that is not disgusting, I’m sure. But, when searching for little boys’ costumes this time of year, you are limited in your choices. And so are your little boys. They also see the “Boy” section and the “Girl” section and they learn what is socially acceptable which is vastly different from what is parent acceptable.

Here is where I am gonna get all immature again and say that it is totally unfair.

Blood-splattered child with a gun AND an ax, a clip of bullets and a bloody head? No, thank you.

I’m not trying to keep my boys babies. I’m not crying and wishing I could dress them up like a little lamb. I’m just saying…where are the cool, classic costumes that don’t involve intestines hanging out or axes dripping with blood? They’re harder and harder to find, if they’re out there at all. As I recall, my brother dressed up in non-violent costumes our entire childhood. Still…they were “boy” costumes. So, except for the amount of gore, things haven’t changed since the 70s?