Halloween costumes — how far is too far?


With Halloween fast approaching, costume shopping is on everyone’s mind. Halloween is a holiday known for its outrageous decor, which raises the question — in an age of wild and controversial costumes, what is still considered inappropriate?

One costume in particular recently stirred up a lot of media disapproval, though it’s been on the market since 2007. The name? ‘Anna Rexia.’

Yes, this costume pokes fun at the serious medical condition that, according to the National Eating Disorders Association, currently afflicts 11 million people. ‘Anna Rexia’ features a black mini-dress with a silk-screened skeleton and a measuring tape as a belt. It also includes a heart-shaped nametag, a bone headband and a choker necklace measuring tape. Despite mocking the eating disorder, this costume also reinforces the unattainable ideals of thinness that are constantly being portrayed through the media. Luckily, retailers such as Ricky’s have stopped selling them.

‘Anna Rexia’ is certainly not the first Halloween outfit to gain speculation. An ‘illegal alien’ costume hit stores to much criticism two years ago.  Featuring an orange jumpsuit, an alien mask and a green card with none other than ‘green card’ written on it, it was quickly taken off shelves. Last year, retailers like Kohl’s put an end to selling a curly, blonde hair accessory called the ‘ghetto fab’ wig.

Have Halloween costumes simply gone too far?