The Halloween holiday always brings an uproar about costumes that test the boundaries of what’s considered socially acceptable. Is it racist to let a white child dress up as Polynesian Disney princess Moana? or an dress up as a native american? Racial sensitivity is a hot topic this time of year, with schools and universities across the nation recommending that students not wear things like Native American headdresses or blackface as part of their costumes.

An Anne Frank costume for children recently sparked a social media backlash after it surfaced on a Halloween costume website. Complete with a beret and a “WWII-styled” dress, the get-up was not well received.

One trend that always rears its ugly face is black face. From celebrities, to students and even local politicians, it’s a universal lesson not quite learned. The debate also continues as to why one can wear white face and not seem hypocritical. 
One commenter stated “Look up the history of minstrel shows to see why black face is offensive and the opposite isn’t taken that seriously.”

While a

nother continued the debate “I thought this was funny but that’s because I can take a Halloween joke and I don’t let shit get to me bc I could give two shits less about what other people do but let’s just switch up this role lol there wouldn’t be nearly as many people laughing it up.”

Universities across the country are taking steps to prevent controversy from knocking on their door this Halloween. Some are even posting flyers on campus explaining cultural appropriation, among other things.

Celebrities are also taking much criticism this year. Demi Lovato was seen dressing up as Selena. Kim Kardashian dressed up as Aaliyah for Halloween, but people are slamming her costume as ‘offensive’. Then you have your sexually-offensive costumes such as a large inflatable toy walking down the street or a clown dressed up as a character from the “IT” movie but turns out it starts with a “CL.” The night of course would not be complete without a politically-offensive costume.

#TooSoon Costumes
Some costumes will cross the line from offensive to being perceived as threatening. One disturbing costume, which featured a “Welcome to Las Vegas” t-shirt soaked in blood, recently surfaced on Facebook was said to depict a victim from last month’s mass shooting in Las Vegas.

One man was seen wearing what some called a “mass shooter” costume at two malls in Omaha, Neb. The costume, which involved a mask, a duffel bag and a prop gun with no orange tip, drew concern from some patrons at the city’s malls. The block party in the uptown area of Dallas, Texas also saw a handful of “mass shooter” costumes this year.