Hallo-hate.

Don’t get me wrong, I love me some Halloween. But it’s also a special time that takes what I loathe most about cultural norms and amplifies them.

For instance, it’s one of the few occasions in which it’s not only socially acceptable but socially required for young women to add the word “slutty” to the beginning of any custom idea, such as slutty nurse, slutty police officer, slutty nun…

Being a “sexy” woman for Halloween is really just an extension of being a “cute” girl on Halloween. But pssht. I dunno about you, but I was raised by immigrant parents who understood Halloween as a holiday whose sole purpose was to be scary. In my childhood, there was no room for fairies or princesses or cats.

Halloween  has instead become an excuse to deflect any charge of being offensive, sexist, racist or ignorant. Behind those masks and costumes, people feel comfortable in letting their true selves come out.

For instance, take this “illegal alien” costume which is causing outrage ‘round the Inter-webs.

Some people like to appropriate other cultures on Halloween, whether it’s to showcase your cultural diversity:

Or  showcase your coolness, as with “Infants’ Future Hip-Hopper costume:”

I don’t know what I’m more offended by, the lame attempt to appropriate hip hop culture in the year 2009 or the fact that this costume could be easily achieved with $5 and a trip to the thrift store. At least there’s no blackface involved, am I right?

So I, The Elahater, call upon the masses to take Halloween back. I say nay to the sexy costumes and nay to the racism. We’re supposed not supposed to be angering each other on the 31st, we’re supposed to be terrifying each other.