11 Problematic Halloween Costume Ideas You Should NEVER Attempt

We will not tolerate offensive costumes!

It's officially Halloween season (or as we like to call it, Gay Christmas)! While it's definitely going to be different this year because of the ongoing, global pandemic, even if you're planning on just staying safe at home in front of TV to watch some scary movies, there's no reason why you still can't get dressed up and serve up a look or two in a costume!

Still, while we absolutely live for any chance to dress up in big, over-the-top, fabulous costumes, there's one thing you always have to remember when picking out what to wear: DON'T BE OFFENSIVE. It's really not that hard. Unless you want to look like a complete jerk, these 11 problematic costume ideas should be avoided at all costs.

Jeffrey Dahmer

Please, for the love of all things good, DO NOT EVER dress up as Jeffrey Dahmer! If you're a fan of the Dahmer series with Evan Peters and that's your inspiration, just choose to go as either Evan Peters himself or another character. At least eBay is smart enough to ban this from happening, but just... don't. While we're at it, avoid dressing up like any other serial killer, either.

The COVID Vaccine

I mean, but seriously, just don't. No one wants COVID to be a main topic anymore. It still exists, we've sort of gone back to normal, but we don't need the constant reminders, and we certainly don't need to the tacky costumes to boot. Please, just don't.

A mentally ill person

Mental health is really not something to poke fun of or make light of. Suicide is a real issue, and dressing up as any type of mentally ill person may be triggering to someone who is dealing with some serious internal problems.

Blackface

It's 2023 Mary, do we really have to say this? You should already know by now that blackface (the act of a non-Black person putting on dark face makeup to caricaturize a Black person) is an extremely offensive and racist act that harkens back to 19th-century minstrel shows that used awful racial stereotypes when portraying Black people.

Anything that's fat shaming/body shaming

Making light of and poking fun at someone's body size is not just inconsiderate, it's also really lazy and unfunny. Bodies come in all different shapes and sizes, so why are the bigger ones the ones that mostly get made fun of?

Anything that's sexist

It's amazing how gendered and sexist seemingly innocent Halloween costumes can be. Take this hospital-themed couple's costume set from Party City, for example. Why is the male doctor not sexualized and objectified like the female nurse is? And since when do nurses wear short dresses, fishnet stockings, and high heels? 

Anything that uses stereotypes

Don't use dumb stereotypes to make a costume. More often than not, those stereotypes have real life consequences. There's nothing cute or quirky about a white girl dressing up in clothing she thinks is "gangster" or "urban" or "thuggish," especially when you consider how different Black men are viewed and treated for wearing the same things. 

Cultural appropriation

Don't wear something that has special (and sometimes sacred) meaning to a culture that isn't your own. See! So simple to remember! 

Anything that's sexualizing/fetishizing

One of the few things worse than cultural appropriation is sexualized cultural appropriation. Reducing a culture and their unique traditions/garments to a singular, fetishized image? That's just plain gross. 

Anything trivializing

Yes, someone actually thought an Anne Frank Halloween costume was a good idea. Millions of Jewish people were killed during the Holocaust, including Anne Frank herself. To trivialize and make light of the pain and suffering of so many for the sake of a costume is probably one of the stupidest things you could do on Halloween.

Anything that mocks someone's gender identity

A trans person's gender identity and their appearance (no matter where they are in their transition) should never be the subject of a Halloween costume.