Halloween can be a tricky time for feminists, between the hyper-sexualization of the holiday and the discomfiting gender divisions in the costume aisles (princesses for girls, monsters for boys).
While we can't counter all the dark cultural forces at work on Halloween, we can use the holiday to conjure a world where possibilities for women are endless. Here are some ideas (please, for the love of Beyoncé, don't dress as a person of color if you aren't one .
POP CULTURE
Offred from 'The Handmaid's Tale'
She's the central character in Hulu’s adaptation of Margaret Atwood's feminist dystopian novel about a totalitarian theocracy that was formerly the United States. Offred (real name June) is pretty much what feminist Halloween inspiration is made of. In a country re-named Gilead, women are stripped of their rights, and Offred fights against the new order. You can pull off the depressing look with a red maxi dress and a pilgrim bonnet (even out of white posterboard). But if DIY isn't your thing, head-to-toe costumes are out there (handmaids also make an easy group costume).
While we can't counter all the dark cultural forces at work on Halloween, we can use the holiday to conjure a world where possibilities for women are endless. Here are some ideas (please, for the love of Beyoncé, don't dress as a person of color if you aren't one .
POP CULTURE
Offred from 'The Handmaid's Tale'
She's the central character in Hulu’s adaptation of Margaret Atwood's feminist dystopian novel about a totalitarian theocracy that was formerly the United States. Offred (real name June) is pretty much what feminist Halloween inspiration is made of. In a country re-named Gilead, women are stripped of their rights, and Offred fights against the new order. You can pull off the depressing look with a red maxi dress and a pilgrim bonnet (even out of white posterboard). But if DIY isn't your thing, head-to-toe costumes are out there (handmaids also make an easy group costume).
Wonder Woman
As USA TODAY's Kelly Lawler wrote in May, "Diana Prince, we’ve been waiting for you." With Wonder Woman, Marvel didn't just produce a groundbreaking female superhero film, it delivered a powerful feminist statement about who women are by subverting tired cliches about who we expect them to be. And that headpiece, tho. To DIY: Red swimsuit + blue shorts + gold Washi tape. Or just buy it.
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