In the 2004 comedy "Mean Girls," main character Cady put into words what everyone had been thinking for years: "Halloween is the one night a year when girls can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it."
A few weeks ago, there was a rather unfortunate insert in the newspaper from a local Halloween costume store. There were at least 50 different costumes pictured for women, each one masterfully designed to emphasize cleavage and expose the midriff while showing as much leg as legally permissible.
The costumes were all fairly unoriginal. The company merely took something like a nun or referee and added the word "sexy" or "naughty" to the title. Then they charged $50 for about $5 worth of material.
Honestly, when did this happen? How did dressing up turn into a contest of who can wear the least without getting arrested? How did Halloween become one of the most degrading holidays for women?
I am pretty sure an "I Hate Susan B. Anthony" day would be less damaging to the feminist movement than Oct. 31.
Women's costumes aren't the only ones pushing the wrong message. Many children's costumes are overly violent, particularly boys' costumes.
Costumes targeted at children as young as 5 sport bloody masks, axes or various other weapons. The higher-quality ones do neat things like bleed or scream.
Just as sexualized women's costumes send a negative message about the perception of women, violent costumes glorify the wrong things for younger children.
Obviously, many people will disagree that allowing a child to be a bloody demon or a woman choosing to be a cleavage-tacular cop doesn't have any lasting effects and is a matter of personal choice. It's just like television: If you don't like it, don't watch.
Unlike TV, Halloween doesn't just go away when you push the power button - it's an established holiday in the United States. Stores gear up weeks in advance, and inappropriate costumes are everywhere.
If you want to take your child costume shopping at Wal-Mart, they have children's costumes right next to the "Sexy Nurse" and others. If you're a woman trying to find a non-revealing costume because you have some self-respect, good luck.
The problem is deeply ingrained, but people should be encouraged to make better choices.
Parents should talk to children about how they should dress and set standards. If you want your child to be a gory zombie, fine, but if you don't, there's nothing saying you have to endorse that.
The same goes for women. Let costume companies know you're disappointed with the sexual images they advertise. If you want to dress up as a vampire, you don't have to be a sexy vampire falling out of your cloak. Just because it's Halloween doesn't mean you have to stop respecting yourself.
Besides, it'll be cold. Covering up would be the smart move.
Danny Wenger is a student at Southern Illinois University.
