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I couldn't find a Halloween costume for my daughter that wasn't labeled 'sexy' I couldn't find a Halloween costume for my daughter that wasn't labeled 'sexy'
(35 minutes later)
My 12-year-old daughter, Margaret, said she wanted to be the Cheshire Cat this year for Halloween. The grinning, shape-shifting Cheshire Cat, who made his literary debut in Lewis Carroll’s enduring classic Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.My 12-year-old daughter, Margaret, said she wanted to be the Cheshire Cat this year for Halloween. The grinning, shape-shifting Cheshire Cat, who made his literary debut in Lewis Carroll’s enduring classic Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
Alice has been continuously read and vibrantly influential since 1865, with the Cat dipping in and out of the spotlight. He’s been having another revival as of late. The Cheshire Cat is currently the inspiration for much cosplay, fan art, complicated makeup schemes and a million tattoos, in both his cute Disney and more sinister Burton forms. He nestles comfortably on the shelves of Hot Topic.Alice has been continuously read and vibrantly influential since 1865, with the Cat dipping in and out of the spotlight. He’s been having another revival as of late. The Cheshire Cat is currently the inspiration for much cosplay, fan art, complicated makeup schemes and a million tattoos, in both his cute Disney and more sinister Burton forms. He nestles comfortably on the shelves of Hot Topic.
The adjectives that come to my mind when thinking of a 12-year-old girl dressed up as the Cheshire Cat are clever, cute, witty, menacing. The Cat, like all tricksters, is not entirely trustworthy, and might be a bit evil at times. Nonetheless, he’s the one character in Wonderland who gives it to Alice straight.The adjectives that come to my mind when thinking of a 12-year-old girl dressed up as the Cheshire Cat are clever, cute, witty, menacing. The Cat, like all tricksters, is not entirely trustworthy, and might be a bit evil at times. Nonetheless, he’s the one character in Wonderland who gives it to Alice straight.
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“We’re all mad here,” he says, and so too do millions of phone cases and T-shirts. The Cheshire Cat’s dry philosophical musings resonate deeply with young people who are waking up to the fact that they’ve been lied to repeatedly. His chaotic neutralism is a tart rejoinder to America’s childish good v evil mindset. He contains, as do we all, multitudes.“We’re all mad here,” he says, and so too do millions of phone cases and T-shirts. The Cheshire Cat’s dry philosophical musings resonate deeply with young people who are waking up to the fact that they’ve been lied to repeatedly. His chaotic neutralism is a tart rejoinder to America’s childish good v evil mindset. He contains, as do we all, multitudes.
On previous expeditions to Party City, I hadn’t really taken a good look at the aisle of prepackaged costumes. We’ve stayed blissfully clueless, always making or assembling our own costumes with a sewing assist from Grandma. In search of actual Cheshire Cat costumes, I looked more closely. Party City seems to think that the right adjective for a 12-year-old trickster cat is sexy.On previous expeditions to Party City, I hadn’t really taken a good look at the aisle of prepackaged costumes. We’ve stayed blissfully clueless, always making or assembling our own costumes with a sewing assist from Grandma. In search of actual Cheshire Cat costumes, I looked more closely. Party City seems to think that the right adjective for a 12-year-old trickster cat is sexy.
How very curious, I thought. Men and boys get to be people, while girls and women must be things. The girls, tweens and women’s costumes formed a perfect spectrum of “training sexy”, “unofficially sexy” and “aww yeah sexy”. I shouldn’t have been surprised, I suppose. The sexification of Halloween has been in full swing for a while; why on earth should small, aspiring Cheshire Cats be left out?How very curious, I thought. Men and boys get to be people, while girls and women must be things. The girls, tweens and women’s costumes formed a perfect spectrum of “training sexy”, “unofficially sexy” and “aww yeah sexy”. I shouldn’t have been surprised, I suppose. The sexification of Halloween has been in full swing for a while; why on earth should small, aspiring Cheshire Cats be left out?
Smearing half of Halloween celebrators with the cheap slick of sexiness means a holiday that was originally meant as a frolic, and a rare obligation-free one at that, becomes yet another occasion when girls and women will find their fun curtailed by regarding themselves as things rather than people. Unless, of course, they are dressed as a block of tofu, but then again: it might be sexy tofu.Smearing half of Halloween celebrators with the cheap slick of sexiness means a holiday that was originally meant as a frolic, and a rare obligation-free one at that, becomes yet another occasion when girls and women will find their fun curtailed by regarding themselves as things rather than people. Unless, of course, they are dressed as a block of tofu, but then again: it might be sexy tofu.
If your costume is sexy, the most important question for you is “do I look sexy in it?”, followed by “Am I too fat? Is my hair just right? Am I pretty? Yet approachable? Am I too sexy or not sexy enough?” If it hasn’t already happened, there will surely be a new pre-Halloween dieting season to fill the gap between summer and holiday dieting. Whatever a female human wants to be for Halloween – cop, demon, Chucky – her costume will likely resemble the traditional garb of a Las Vegas cocktail waitress, for lack of other options.If your costume is sexy, the most important question for you is “do I look sexy in it?”, followed by “Am I too fat? Is my hair just right? Am I pretty? Yet approachable? Am I too sexy or not sexy enough?” If it hasn’t already happened, there will surely be a new pre-Halloween dieting season to fill the gap between summer and holiday dieting. Whatever a female human wants to be for Halloween – cop, demon, Chucky – her costume will likely resemble the traditional garb of a Las Vegas cocktail waitress, for lack of other options.
I have nothing against Las Vegas cocktail waitresses, or Party City either. Aside from tawdry and racist costumes, and the inevitable thoughts I get of factories in China and overflowing November landfills, it’s a fun browse. It’s just kind of a bummer for me that a 12-year-old can’t get a costume of a fictional, striped, magical male cat that doesn’t make me feel like an accessory to deep darkness merely by looking at the package.I have nothing against Las Vegas cocktail waitresses, or Party City either. Aside from tawdry and racist costumes, and the inevitable thoughts I get of factories in China and overflowing November landfills, it’s a fun browse. It’s just kind of a bummer for me that a 12-year-old can’t get a costume of a fictional, striped, magical male cat that doesn’t make me feel like an accessory to deep darkness merely by looking at the package.
Bugs Bunny, another trickster, regularly beguiled men with the help of lipstick, mascara and falsies. “Sexy” really is that simple. One doesn’t need to train for sexiness. There’s no need to play in the Sexiness Minor Leagues. After all, no one ever expected Bugs to spend his life rolling the boulder of his own self up the mountain of sexiness, knowing he would never get to the top. He, like everyone on earth, has better things to do. The props are there any time he needs them.Bugs Bunny, another trickster, regularly beguiled men with the help of lipstick, mascara and falsies. “Sexy” really is that simple. One doesn’t need to train for sexiness. There’s no need to play in the Sexiness Minor Leagues. After all, no one ever expected Bugs to spend his life rolling the boulder of his own self up the mountain of sexiness, knowing he would never get to the top. He, like everyone on earth, has better things to do. The props are there any time he needs them.
As far as the Cheshire Cat goes, he would certainly not approve of using his name to reduce adventurous, resourceful girls to flimsy, zero-dimensional weaklings in horrifying “sex kitten” ensembles. His greatest claim to fame is playing a supporting role in the story of a girl named Alice. And the name of that book is not Alice’s Adventures of Psychological and Mental Discomfort from Wearing Cheap, Uncomfortable and Humiliating Age-Inappropriate Garb.As far as the Cheshire Cat goes, he would certainly not approve of using his name to reduce adventurous, resourceful girls to flimsy, zero-dimensional weaklings in horrifying “sex kitten” ensembles. His greatest claim to fame is playing a supporting role in the story of a girl named Alice. And the name of that book is not Alice’s Adventures of Psychological and Mental Discomfort from Wearing Cheap, Uncomfortable and Humiliating Age-Inappropriate Garb.
As far as Margaret’s costume goes, we got a few accessories at Party City, will have Grandma sew part of it and will augment the rest with regular clothes as usual. In case you were wondering, I think Steve Jobs will be my costume jam, even though I am not allowed to say “jam”.As far as Margaret’s costume goes, we got a few accessories at Party City, will have Grandma sew part of it and will augment the rest with regular clothes as usual. In case you were wondering, I think Steve Jobs will be my costume jam, even though I am not allowed to say “jam”.