It was Halloween weekend again in Athens, meaning people were hitting Court Street in their scariest and sexiest costumes. From Michael Myers to Victoria's Secret supermodels, everyone was putting their best, and cutest, foot forward. In contrast to previous years, a controversial conversation is on the rise on social media: purity culture’s impact on Halloween.
As Cady Heron from “Mean Girls” once said, “In girl world, Halloween is the one night a year when a girl can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it.” Despite this notion, people have taken to TikTok to condemn this yearly tradition of risqué Halloween costumes. Some women have even proclaimed to stay in on Halloween to honor their future husbands.
Don't get me wrong, there is absolutely nothing wrong with having personal views and standards, but shaming other women should not be common practice.
Purity culture has an incredibly deep history in North America, but it typically refers to a movement formed in the 90s that created youth ministries for young Christians centered around sexual abstinence before marriage. Purity culture describes sets of rules, practices and beliefs that center on an evangelical outlook on sexual purity.
Oftentimes in practice, women bear the brunt of the purity culture consequences and are frequently encouraged to feel ashamed about their sexuality. Women are often given the responsibility of averting the male gaze, and if they receive unsolicited attention, it’s their fault. In Christianity, sex is looked at as a sin outside of marriage; as a result, any defiance is often seen as a violation of God's word, and this weaponization can leave lasting damage to mental health.
Halloween is generally seen as a party holiday, and when you mix that with your typical risqué costume, you'll get purity culture's worst nightmare. People who enjoy the risqué parts of Halloween are easy targets, and women are predominantly affected. Those who like going out in tiny costumes are being attacked because of this mindset that they must remain “pure” for their future husbands.
Shame is a common symptom felt across the board between men and women. Even though sexual thoughts are an instinct for everyone, to purists, it’s sinful. This continues an endless cycle of sexual shame and guilt.
Following shame comes self-loathing, because sexual thought equals weakness. When someone has been taught to believe that sexual urges are unnatural, it leads to hatred for what many see as a defect.
Generation Z is usually viewed as the progressive generation, and typically, I share the sentiment; however, I think this purity mindset is becoming increasingly popular and most notably observed on social media. Despite “after club girl” aesthetics and “brat summer” galore, it’s surprising to see conservative talking points like purity culture so widespread.
Conservatism in general is on the rise. President Donald Trump's administration has had lasting impacts on conservative thinking, and young people seem to like it. This anti-wokeness is becoming a broader phenomenon. Through a mishmash of economic, cultural and political factors, the global shift towards conservatism is on the rise.
You see this rise in conservatism even in the simplest of things, like the emphasis on modest dressing. Corset costumes are receiving massive amounts of hate on TikTok this Halloween, and I struggle to see why. Women are not poster children for your political ideologies; our bodies are not public property.
Women are so often put under a microscope, every move being watched and criticized. If someone wants to wear a corset for their princess costume, so be it. Let women have fun. Corsets are an easy way to spruce up your look and still be functional for a night on the town.
For next year’s Halloween, I encourage everyone to wear what makes them feel alive. Be scary, be sexy, be weird, be funny. When you see someone wearing something you might not enjoy, resist the urge to judge. The real trick of Halloween is thinking clothing decides your self-worth, and the treat is realizing it never did.
Lily is a sophomore studying integrated language arts at Ohio University. Please note the opinions expressed in this column do not represent those of The Post. Want to talk to Lily about their column? Email them at lm054424@ohio.edu.
