These are the most offensive Halloween costumes of 2018

17 October 2018, 16:37 | Updated: 15 November 2018, 15:13

Offensive Halloween Costumes 2018
Picture: Fashion Nova/Instagram/Yandy
PopBuzz

By PopBuzz

Looking for a cool topical costume for Halloween? Here's what NOT to dress up as...

Ahhh, Halloween. A time for fun, chaos, house parties, spooky movies, dressing up as your favourite memes and eating your weight in sweets meant for the children trick or treating outside your parents' house. You know what it's not time for? Being a dick.

As we all know, most people at Halloween LOVE to stir up controversy with a provocative, offensive or problematic costume but GUESS WHAT: just because it's Halloween doesn't mean you've got a free pass to be racist, appropriate cultures or trivialise mental health in the name of banter.

So with that being said, here are all the Halloween costumes you should probably avoid this holiday, if you don't wanna be a dick:

1) This Sexy Handmaid's Tale costume

We get it... a popular TV show with an iconic ~squad~ costume that'll be sure to gag the shit out of everyone at that house you're going to. WRONG. In case you aren't familiar with The Handmaid's Tale, it's a TV show about a dystopian society where women are raped and forced to bear the children of the powerful elite.

While some, including the outlet that sold this costume, have called it 'an expression of women's empowerment', others are just calling it out for what it is: trash.

Is this sexy 'Handmaid's Tale' halloween costume problematic? Yes, yes it is
Is this sexy 'Handmaid's Tale' halloween costume problematic? Yes, yes it is... Picture: Yandy.com

2) A 'sexy' child character of any kind.

The internet absolutely lost it over this one last year thanks to the wildly inappropriate 'Sexy Eleven' costume that made the rounds but just in case you forgot: it is not cute and high-key problematic to dress up as a child character and make it slutty. Don't be that person.

Dressing up as 'Sexy Eleven' from Stranger Things is NOT ok...
Dressing up as 'Sexy Eleven' from Stranger Things is NOT ok... Picture: Twitter

3) Harvey Weinstein... or Bill Cosby

The Harvey Weinstein and Bill Cosby accusations are still absolutely horrifying but that doesn't mean it constitutes a "horrifyingly funny and topical" Halloween costume. Last time we checked, sexual assault isn't a laughing matter but you just KNOW some idiot somewhere is gonna do it. 

4) A 'Me Too' Victim

How many times do we have to repeat ourselves: SEXUAL ASSAULT IS NOT A COSTUME AND IT'S VERY FUCKING PROBLEMATIC!!!

5) Sexual Harassment in general (aka 'Flasher' costumes...)

Read the room, please, I beg you.

6) Demi Lovato

Everyone loves a 'topical' or 'timely' costume on Halloween but turning someone's overdose and hospitalisation into a costume is not ok and should NEVER be trivialised into a quirky "costume" either. Not only is it shitty, it's also not even funny.

Demi Lovato on Instagram
Picture: Demi Lovato via Instagram

7) Mac Miller

Same as above. Dressing up as a recently deceased celebrity is never appropriate, and given the circumstances of Mac's tragic passing, anyone who even thinks about dressing as him this Halloween is an asshole.

8) This 'Sexy Geisha' costume

Here's the thing about 'sexy Geisha' costumes... not only is it appropriating Japanese culture, it's also reinforcing negative stereotypes. People often depict geishas a sex-workers but in reality they are assistants to courtesans and also "vital providers of hospitality and entertainment at dinner events for large companies and government officials" in Japan.

History lesson aside, a country's culture is still not a costume. Bye.

9) Nicki Minaj's Chun-Li

Nicki was called out for cultural appropriation in her music video and during her SNL performance, with some writers criticising her for 'fetishising' and creating caricatures of Asian culture. It was problematic when Nicki did it, and it'll still be problematic on October 31st when you attempt to do it.

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10) Anything about walls, immigration or border control.

People's lives are still in jeopardy and are still being ruined thanks to Trump's policies and the repercussions of things he's said about immigration. While they may not be offensive to you if you're a care-free privileged white person, to someone else, they could be incredibly offensive. Don't be that bitch. Don't do it.

11) Killer Cop

THIS AIN'T IT, CHIEF! Police brutality is still an on-going issue and just like the border control costumes above, is still a very real cause of concern for millions of people living in the US.

12) Victims of a tragic event.

Hurricane victims, victims of a school or mass shooting... just fucking don't. It's disgusting, it's disrespectful and it's not funny.

13) Black Panther

Black Panther was a fantastic movie and there'll no doubt be tons of brilliant Wakanda halloween costumes this year. But if you are thinking of going as T'Challa or Shuri or literally almost anyone else from the movie, do NOT darken your skin.

There are ways you can channel your fave character WITHOUT tanning up, wearing braids or appropriating any other African ceremonial outfits. Better yet, just go as Martin Freeman or Andy Serkis to be safe.

via GIPHY

So there you have it - what not to dress as this Halloween. And now, here's a list of fun, kooky and iconic 2018 Halloween costumes that everyone'll love, completely free of charge:

Post Malone, Yodelling Walmart Boy, Janelle Monae's vagina cosplay from the 'Pynk' video, buff Kim Kardashian, the crew of USS Callister, Serpent Cheryl Blossom, gather up your friends and go as the Infinity Stones, this bland and boring 'Influencer' costume..., your favourite Fortnite character...

Now go forth, be creative and remember: don't be an asshole! xoxo