You may remember that earlier this year, Walter Palmer, a dentist who was trophy hunting in Zimbabwe, tragically killed the famous, beloved lion known as Cecil. This event sparked international outrage and proved to the world, once and for all, that you can never trust a dentist (my apologies to anyone planning a dentistry career, it’s nothing personal). As Halloween approaches, (along with a rather large meteor, Google it) many costume companies are trying to cash in on the past year’s controversies by adding currently relevant costumes to their lineup of options that, I’m sure, barely qualifies as clothes. You can be Caitlyn Jenner, Sexy Donald Trump (of all things, why?), the white and gold/black and blue dress (DEFINITELY BLACK AND BLUE) and of course, Cecil the Lion. The costume is called “Lion Killer Dentist” and is essentially a bloodied dentist holding a lion’s head (seriously, don’t trust them). It is now on sale for the totally not outrageous price of $139.99. Another choice is a sexy Cecil the Lion costume because God forbid there not be a sexy option. It goes for a totally reasonable $118.95. This ensemble, however, is just a lion costume without pants, and given that, it wouldn’t even matter at all if they hadn’t called it Cecil. A portion of each conservatively priced costume goes to charity to support animals and conservation.
So how about that, then? These supposedly offensive joke costumes that have stirred up such debate, actually help fund the types of organizations that people say they are offending. In actuality, these two getups draw attention to a worthwhile cause by acting on people’s natural inclination to be easily offended. Some say that this makes light of the tragedy, encouraging the actions of Palmer and his wannabes by making his actions seem insignificant. I disagree; this is embarrassing for the man. It's as if he’s just shown up to class in his underwear, and now everyone is pointing and laughing, except on a national scale. Would you like to be a joke on a global stage? I’d rather not, thanks.
Furthermore, any one causing an uproar (get it?) over these costumes shouldn’t forget their context. Why is it that a topical costume that gives to charity is an offensive controversy, but sexy everything-under-the-sun gets a pass?
My point is: humor is not a one size fits all affair. One man’s insult is another man’s joke. Some will find this costume hilarious, others repugnant, but I’m guessing most won’t care. There is nothing wrong with choosing a costume that is currently relevant, and even a little funny. Making a lighthearted statement of something is different from endorsing it. I absolutely do not approve of the hunting of Cecil the lion and other trophy game, but that doesn’t mean I am going to go up to the guy dressed as the killer dentist and knock out his teeth (he-he, teeth).
Be what you want to be this Halloween and have fun. If you want to be Cecil the Lion, go ahead. If you want to be your favorite superhero, that’s awesome. If you want to be a sexy fence post, I don’t get it, but sure. And if you want to be Sexy Trump, go build a wall around yourself and stay there, weirdo. And never, ever, ever, trust a dentist.