With Halloween just a few days away, The Xavierite Editorial Board, like many others across America has been contemplating their Halloween costumes. It has been reported in the news recently that this year a few controversial Halloween costumes have surfaced. CNN.com displays a photo a young boy dressed a Ray Rice, the Ravens football player who was recently involved in a domestic violence scandal. Other stories report a couple in “blackface”, dressed as Ray Rice and his wife. Others have been seen wearing HAZMAT suits to impersonate Ebola doctors and nurses.
Halloween costumes based on the latest national scandals are nothing new, but The Xavierite Editorial Board asks the question, how far is too far when it comes to costumes? Are there some things we just should not make fun of?
Answering these questions is not necessarily black and white and as The Xavierite Editorial Board went through exmples of costumes, some were offended, others were not and still there were those that none of us were personally offended by but could definitely see why some people would be offended.
Many people like to choose topical costumes and even be a little edgy when putting together their costume, but it is important to not cross the line of what is offensive and what is just a costume.
We here at The Xavierite Editorial Board agree that dressing up, and bringing more attention to a man that beat his significant other is tasteless and offensive. By dressing up as Ray Rice or any other person that is convicted of domestic abuse only makes light of a very serious situation. According to the National Coalition of Domestic Violence, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have experienced some sort of domestic abuse at the hands of an intimate partner during their lifetime (http://www.ncadv.org).
As for the Ebola costume, some of us were a little put off by it, while others found it kind of funny. Those who thought it was not offensive saw it as just a topical costume that alludes to those handling Ebola and not the victims itself.
That is where the real line existed: when does a costume transcend being a reference to something in the public consciousness and become a vicious attack on a particular group of people or person.
But there are a multitude of other costumes that may shock and offend people and there really are no guidelines as to how one should dress for Halloween. Going out for Halloween is not like attending a formal event.
Humor is completely subjective. What one group may find totally appropriate another may find the concept offensive, lurid, ribald or otherwise irreverent.
There is something to be said for a creative and unique costume so we certainly do not wish to extinguish creativity. After all, Halloween is a great opportunity to show case ideas and make a statement.
In the end, a costume, just like anything you wear on daily basis, can be a promotional tool and we should consider what exactly we are promoting. While our intentions may be good, in this instance, the way others perceive you is almost more important. If you have even the slightest hunch that someone might be offended by your costume, there is a good chance you are right.
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Here at The Xavierite we try to represent the thoughts and opinions of the study body and Saint Xavier community within our Viewpoints section.
If you feel that ther is a story that should have been covered and was not of if you have criticisms or concerns about our coverage, the best way to voice your opinion directly is through a Letter to the Editor.
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The Xavierite Staff
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