What exactly is cultural appropriation? Gordon offers two big questions to ask yourself when costume shopping.
It’s getting close to Halloween and I’m panicking a bit. I don’t know if I should dig my dig pilot costume out of the closet for the third year in a row (I don’t mind the comparisons to Tom Cruise and it gives me an excuse to wear aviators inside) or go grab something cheap from Value Village. The other day, I accompanied my buddy while he costume shopped, and I wasn’t thrilled by what I saw. Not only is there a severe lack of badass costumes for women (they are mostly pink and frilly versions of the male equivalent), but there are a still a ton of racist costumes in 2015.
The reason I’m writing this article is because I didn’t know until a disturbingly old age (twenty or so) that some costumes are disrespectful at best and grossly racist at worst. Just because you don’t think you’re racist, doesn’t mean you aren’t. I myself have dressed as an “Indian chief” without batting an eye. A few years back, a friend of mine partied on Halloween dressed as Fifty Cent: you know what the worst part was? He painted his entire body black. None of us found this demeaning. His employer did, though. When he saw how my friend had dressed on Halloween, he fired him. I’m not kidding. At the time, I thought this particular employer was unreasonable and dramatic. Let me explain why he was right to fire my impertinent friend.
“This Halloween, do everyone a favour and ask yourself the following questions: is my costume mocking or making light of a sacred object, symbol, or ritual?”
Here’s a quick definition of cultural appropriation: “cultural appropriation is when somebody adopts aspects of a culture that’s not their own; a power dynamic in which members of a dominant culture take elements from a culture of people who have been systematically oppressed by that dominant group.”
So yeah, my friend was rightly fired. He trivialized the suffering of black people by temporarily “borrowing” their skin for a cheap laugh. Because of his privilege, he was able to wear the identity of a historically oppressed group and then take it off the next morning and resume his position of power. A pretty cheap trick if you ask me.
Want an easy check to see if your costume is racist or offensive? Two major things to consider:
1. Does your costume revolve around a stereotype?
Examples: an Indian girl; a Geisha; an Arabian Sheik man with a giant fake nose (this really exists!); an anorexia costume (who does this appeal to?); a bizarre Bruce Jenner/Caitlyn Jenner costume; and other similarly racist or demeaning stereotypes of mental disorders, minority groups, and stereotypes. Halloween has become a socially acceptable platform for public bullying.
2. Does your costume involve you jumping into another groups’ shoes?
Look, there are implications to your costume, whether you like it or not. If you’re white and live in Canada, you have more privileges than most everyone on this entire earth. Check your privilege. Don’t use another person’s heritage or race as a joke or an easy costume.
This Halloween, do everyone a favor and ask yourself the following questions: is my costume mocking or making light of a sacred object, symbol, or ritual? Am I personally profiting from this costume while simultaneously perpetuating a harmful stereotype? Is my costume from a historically marginalized or discriminated group? If all else fails, remember this: someone’s ethnicity or heritage is not a costume. Long story short, I stuck with my pilot costume. Hey, I wanted to be one when I was a kid anyways.
Be honest with yourself. Be creative. Be courteous.
Happy Halloween’ing.