Halloween gets me thinking each year. Each year I sit and wonder why it is that this holiday is so popular.
It’s filled with scary things… and purposely scaring people.
It’s filled with spiders (which I hate!) and vampires and blood.
And it’s filled with people pretending and encouraging others to be who they aren’t.
For kids, I believe this is great. They get to expand their imaginations and create new dreams of something they could be one day.
But for adults, it seems this holiday and it’s parties seem to be surrounded by sex. Especially for women.
After all, a couple of the top adult women’s costumes* look like this…
Click on image for source
click on image for source
Why is it that women allow themselves to be a “Red Hot Pirate Wench” or “Snooki”. Why is it that we need to become an object of sexuality to be part of the “top costumes” or to win a contest.
Yes, sex sells. I realize that.
But when did it become such a popular thing to objectify ourselves? To go to these parties, in clothes for the other 364 days a year you wouldn’t be caught dead in, and then post the pictures on facebook, twitter and other social sites to laugh & remember the good times with your friends.
Do you think about the women that have gone before you – working hard for equal rights, working hard to build respect… and make each of us more than just that sex symbol that objectifies all of us.
Yes, I know that “it’s all in fun” for one day a year. But really… do you think that men who see you in your everyday life forget the image of you immediately when you leave that party?
I think not.
This really comes down to a respect issue. Maybe we need to do a better job of respecting ourselves… and teaching the women that come after us to do the same.
After all, while we may not be dressing up like this… those that do are still daughters, nieces, friends, neighbors… women.
