How Young Is Too Young To Be Slutty Whatever for Halloween?

It's common for boring female grownups to dress up as slutty nurses/schoolgirls/nuns or whatever on Halloween, but now pre-teens are mimicking their airhead elders, and there's a whole range of sexually provocative costumes on sale for pre-pubescent girls. The retail chain Party City is well-stocked with everything to make this Halloween a happy one for pedophiles, from a pirate costume for 8-year-olds dubbed the "High Seas Hottie" to a "Devil Grrrl" costume that comes with a red miniskirt, fishnets, a tiny pitchfork, and the sales pitch: "This grrrl devil likes to get things heating up!" It gets creepier.

The store's lace Goldilocks costume has packaging assuring young customers that the attire is "all grown up, and you can have your porridge and more." A Post reporter who started asking questions about the costumes was "booted" from a Party City outlet on East Fourth Street, but one outraged mom tells the tabloid, "If girls get used to dressing like this, they might want to become a whore after Halloween."

Naturally, there are plenty more online, where the website Buy Costumes sells disturbing looks for kids such as Heidi and the Pink Maid, which promises that "cleaning house has never been so fun!" Ugh, it's only a matter of time before we start seeing "Slutty Diaper" costumes out there, isn't it?

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By John Del Signore in Arts & Entertainment on October 12, 2009 2:28 PM

Comments [rss]

Allanah

I don't see the big problem the french maid seems just fine its just the pose. But other girls dress is a little to short you might have to make your kids wear something under it.

AmbitiousDaisy

Unfortunately, the costumes are just an after-thought. Say what you will about the women's Lib movement, but nowadays, it's being broadcast to women around the country that a powerful woman is one who uses her sexuality.

A woman is not powerful unless she's being adored by thousands...Sotomayor is not shown as being a role model...Britney Spears is, Miley Cyrus is, even Erin Andrews is...A woman isn't valuable until she's a sexual object.

If it wasn't in the makes for hundreds of years, I'd be upset. Unfortunately, the only thing to do is fight against the current and be not "hot". So sad...

Anastay

At this point, skip the candy and hand out condoms instead.

pudeljung

"might just make her want to be a whore after halloween"

she might just want to be a whore, and the costume has nothing to do with it

intrusivity

Not to go too wild defending Gothamist here, but internet advertising does not exactly work that way.

Space on the -ist sites are likely bought in bulk by reselling advertising networks who then either sell that space to other networks or to agencies representing a direct client, leaving the actual website (in this case, Gothamist) many steps removed from what advertisers/ads appear on their pages. Advertisers can choose what sites in a network their ads will be placed on (which is generally a bloated rate), but it really only works the other way if the ads contain malware or are basically illegal to run.

Mr. Shankly

That's some pretty fucked up shit right there. What is this, Bangkok?

potsmoker

yearly october rehash of same story every year, every outlet, every newspaper.

gothamist deserves a pulitzer, is there a nobel prize for this kind of reporting?

WorksInDUMBO

Yet another reason to hate Halloween.

ihateregistering

I feel like this isn't news? I remember seeing costumes like this when I was in middle school - sure that's 4, 5 yrs older than the girls these costumes are marketed to, I think, but there were definitely french maid costumes and the ilk when I was in grades 6, 7, 8.

tolu1973

HELLLLO! CATHOLIC CHURCH??!!

If you've never left your house in your lifetime, be advised that the Catholic Church likes to dress young girls in the sexiest outfits known to man and every time any man sees young school girls in knee high socks and short skirts, we have to fight the sexual reference, look away and not comment even though it's the 800 lb gorilla in the room that, let's face it, looks kinky and 100% fuckable.

irritablevowel

If you've never left your house in your lifetime, be advised that the Catholic Church likes to dress young girls in the sexiest outfits known to man

I'm sorry, but that's just not true. Catholic school uniforms are conservative. Male fantasies about Catholic school uniforms are sexy. Girls who understand what the fantasies are, and what it looks like, alter the uniform to conform to the male fantasy.

NannyState

I think I just came.

upperwestsider

A woman goes to the costume shop and tells the clerk she wants to dress like a hooker for Halloween.

"Miss, ALL of our women's costumes will make you look like a hooker, just pick one!"

devilducki

I was a coked-out hooker for Halloween last year just to make the point of this joke. People actually acted shocked and dismayed at my costume- apparently denial is still not just a river in Egypt.

Wza

Hi, my name is Wza and I have plenty of "white" friends.

wink, wink!

Steven

Just have to look at the people in the media. Paris Hilton and the Kardashian are famous for being whores, slutty, and making a sex tape.

Kojak

I'd make another snarky response, but I just ran out of Tissues.

bbl. I'm switching to socks

ckl

Reverse the order, eco-terrorist.

Lord Smedley

I agree with the viewpoint of this story. When will we stop sexually objectifying young girls and..

Oh wait.

--a barely legal American Apparel chick showing off her ass on my computer screen!!

Oh, Gothamist --have ye NO self-perspective..?