As this year’s Halloween celebrations are in the midst of occurring, costumes have been crazier than ever. The controversy and ridicule surrounding this year’s presidential election is exemplified in the political costumes that have become ubiquitous in this year’s selection.
Whether someone supports Hillary, Trump, or is undecided, Halloween will inevitably be filled with ironic political costumes. The great part about this holiday is that party-goers may not agree with your legitimate political stance, but a thoughtful costume is always appreciated.
For instance, after the Democratic National Convention, there was an extraordinary amount of coverage on not just the speeches and the convention themselves, but also Bill Clinton and his balloons. There was no GIF more popular after the DNC than his peculiar attraction to the balloons that dropped from the ceiling. Caught on video was Bill, and rather than assuming the typical and ever so glamorous smile-and-wave as his wife and peers were doing on stage, he was caught up in the colorful inflated plastic floating around him. As a costume, some people have opted to recreate this cherub moment by wearing a suit, white hair wig, and holding balloons.
Inevitably, the two costumes that would more likely pop up would be the presidential candidates themselves. Stores carrying Halloween paraphernalia have stocked up on masks that emulate the ridiculous facial expressions that Clinton and Trump often have. For instance, a full head mask that resembles Clinton emphasizes a plastered smile and the facial expression. It bleeds over-zealousness, a trait that many media outlets have noted, including Saturday Night Live, when describing the candidate. On the other hand, Trump’s corresponding head mask includes his notoriously tanned skin, not to mention, the ring of white surrounding both his eyes and his puckered lips. His expression exudes his unique demeanor and attitude that has been prevalent in this campaign.
Clad in a red quarter zip sweater and his hard-to-miss mustache, Ken Bone received not even ten minutes of airtime during the second debate but nonetheless became an overnight sensation. His innocent debut led to an increase in his twitter followers from 7 to roughly 300k in less than 24 hours. He has even appeared on an Izod-ad to get people voting, and the Halloween costumes that emulate Bone have already sold out for both men and women. What contributed to his fame was the juxtaposition of the painful and highly divisive election cycle and the amusing visual distraction that Bone provided. In the way that Forbes had quintessentially said, “[Bone’s] grandfatherly sense of fashion, round face adorned with a mustache, and name ripe for sexual metaphor” was a perfect combination for a sensation.
These politicized costumes are not necessarily sympathizing with the actual legitimacy of this political process, but rather poking fun at what has become a long and arduous strive towards presidency. Halloween is a breath of fresh air. It’s a time when such costumes are appreciated for their effort and thought, not spurring those constant debates.