Every fall the news media is full of stories about the latest so-called “sexy” Halloween costumes. Once in a while these stories are mildly amusing, such as the recent one on what types of Halloween costumes should NEVER be sexy. Sometimes the articles try to comment on why these costumes are such a phenomenon. We actually talked about this in a social psych class a few years ago. I think Darwin has the funniest explanation though.
Evolutionary Psychology is both enlightening and incredibly limiting in explaining human behavior. Sometimes it’s downright hilarious.
Like in the case of Halloween costumes.
According to evolutionary psychology, why are women really going Moulin Rouge or Slutty Pumpkin every Halloween? Why are men dressing up as pirates, Bob the Builder, and Jim Halpert (because who can resist three-hole-punch Jim)?
To attract potential mates.
Despite the powerful force to reproduce, we must not quite be doing enough. Hence, sexy Halloween costumes, and more potential mates attracted. That’s 12 peak times a year (during ovulation) that potential mates could be attracted, plus 1… making it that much more likely one’s genes will be carried on.
Those poor souls who didn’t find their sexy Chewbacca costume back in the Stone Age ostensibly failed to survive.
Research has also shown that women dress more provocatively during ovulation – and they may not even realize it. Heaven forbid a woman’s cycle and Halloween fall in the same time frame. Watch out! (Or not!)
- What was your best or favorite Halloween costume you ever had?
- What is your favorite (or least favorite) Halloween tradition?
- What are your plans for Halloween this year?
Wheat & Tares 
Uh, that’s “peak” times, unless you’re deliberately talking about the exposure of flesh by H’ween costumes, which admittedly these days, is a lot.
Haha! I changed it, but that was a nice Freudian slip. 🙂
Hmm, I thought it was more appropriate as “peek.” 😉
I gotta say, if there is a Scrooge like character for Halloween, I’m that guy! I just think it’s a stupid holiday, and I’ve always hated it. I hate face painting, I hate costumes, I hate all the candy, I hate trick-or-treating.
Yes, I’m a Halloween Curmudgeon!! I’ll leave now.
I don’t believe that evolutionary psychology is saying what you’re saying it does about Halloween.
Halloween makes it acceptable to dress scantily and do stupid stuff. There’s your explanation for why women dress scantily. They want to mate, but normal social contraints make women less likely to overtly seek male attention in this fashion (probably because it’s evolutionary advantageous to have these rules, which is why most women don’t dress like this all the time). Halloween comes around and the social contraints are gone (and mixed with alcohol) and both women and men take advantage of this.
Your explanation of what evolutionary psychology is saying is just silly.
“Your explanation of what evolutionary psychology is saying is just silly.”
That was my point, made in the first paragraph. 😀
The evolutionarily driven desire to attract mates sounds pretty reasonable to me. Halloween gives people a pass on the normal standards of modesty which in turn allows people to ramp up their efforts toward attracting mates. That all sounds reasonable. I guess what I’m missing in your post is this: Where is the hilarious part in those theories?
You can’t be reasonable and humorous?
I like evolutionary psychology, but find it to be humorous at times, no matter how reasonable. Maybe my humor is a little off. Or way off. 🙂
I think that the point is that you can make anything sound silly if you misinterpret it.
To answer the questions
1. My mom made us crayon costumes and my siblings and I all went as different colored crayons (five of us). It’s clever and cute. I’ve not seen a single other person dressed as a crayon for Halloween.
2. I like carving pumpkins.
3. I don’t have Halloween plans. I grew up, and as far as I’m concerned Halloween is a kid’s holiday.
Dang! I was going to list my favorite costume as a red crayon when I was 5. 🙂
I’ve actually seen a “sexy crayon” costume on a costume website recently. It was weird.
My favorite thing about halloween is watching how excited the kids are about it.
This year, we’re leaving the candy on the porch and taking the kids trick or treating. No one comes trick or treating here- the street is too busy.
I think last year we had 2 or 3 people come by… so we’re probably all going out this year as well…
Sexy Crayon, yeah, that’s a little weird. Right up there with sexy Sponge Bob, and Sexy Chewbacca (seriously). Then again, maybe weird is the point! Maybe weird is the new sexy…
What are your plans for Halloween this year?
I plan on dressing up sexy for my mate! I’ll be a sexy “bob the builder” J/K.
I live in utah county, so we will celebrate halloween on the 30th since halloween is on sunday.
I used to date a lutheran gal, and learned martin luther was born oct 31, so her church offered a marty party. perhaps I should try to find a lutheran church this year. it won’t be sexy, but should be fun for the kids.
I think the “sexy” evolution of Halloween is because we don’t do Carnaval in the US (except Mardi Gras which is mostly in New Orleans). People need a day to let their freak flag fly, so to speak.
Personally, I love Halloween! I love handing out candy to the kids that come by (most of whom seem to go gory, not slutty). I love dressing up sometimes. I love it when we have work events with a Halloween theme, except the year I had to fire someone who was in costume. Awkward. Halloween seems to be all about cutting loose and having fun. Next to Thanksgiving, it’s my favorite holiday! But it is kind of a tranny holiday – ready-made for those who want to have a day of drama and dress up.
As to the slutty trend, I think it is related to singletons going to a party, getting drunk, and trying to hook up. I haven’t been that interested in those costumes, not just because they are not garm-friendly, but also because they look like stripper-wear.
Last year my hubby & I went to the ward trunk or treat as Lois Lane & Clark Kent, which was fun. Friends of ours went as Barbie & Ken (still in the box, no less). And one of the men went as Hannah Montana, which was pretty funny, although I know the church discourages cross-dressing costumes.
From my experience attending YSA halloween parties, I guess a high percentage of LDS young women tend to ovulate on Halloween. Thats one night of the year that the “worldly” fashion trends seem to become totally acceptable. 🙂
Hawk – don’t you know that “couple costumes” are lame? This year my wife and I are Chuck and Sarah (from the TV show “Chuck”) – we went to a party last week and someone from another couple made a crack about how they would “never” do “couple costumes.” Whatev. haha. I like them though. 🙂
I had a super sexy Halloween costume last year. Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice. My Regency period sideburns, brocade vest, jacket and top hat made women sigh and men simmer with envy, at least until they heard my voice…one female Japanese exchange student dressed as a fairy began to giggle uncontrollably and wanted her picture taken with me to send back to her family and tell them she’d found a boyfriend in the USA. I love Halloween, and I agree that it is a tranny holiday (sometimes quite literally) – of all the costumes I’ve ever worn, though, Fitz Darcy had to be one of the most gratifying…and the extreme opposite of ‘slutty,’ I’d say.
I got a white suit at di, frosted my hair and goatee white, and dressed like colonel sanders of kfc fame. it was pretty funny because I am really tall. I even got a kfc nametag. (one person thought I was mark twain, but I did get a lot of giggles.)
It’s The Dreaded Queen of the Underworld for me again this year. Perfect marriage of eros and thanatos, if you ask me. Plus I can smite sexy crayons at will.
AdamF – Chuck & Sarah? Good idea! And couples costumes aren’t lame – wearing the same colored shirts to disneyland is lame.
#19 – (HG) No chance that when the missus and I go to Disneyland in 3 weeks that we’ll wear the same COLOUR shirt…My Giants “NL Champs” shirt is black, hers is orange. We may reverse for the “World Series Champs” shirts…
I do have my Anakin Skywalker outfit, storebought, yes, I know, a REAL LDS SW fan would have it sewn from a McCall pattern 🙂
I can’t wear the Stormtrooper outfit (proud member of the 501st Legion, aka “Vader’s Fist”). For some stupid reason (well, to me it’s asinine), the Church has a policy against wearing a mask with a costume. Some superstition about supposedly the adversary could hide behind a mask (what bunk). Oh well, rulez are rulez….
A good friend of mine has a “Slave Leia” outfit. She knows that she can’t use it at a Church trunk-or-treat, even with a body stocking.
I think the mask prohibition is lame too.
Hawk, I’m with you. Halloween ROCKS! Now that I’m back in the states after three years in Tokyo I can do it right again. That means turning my front porch into a glowing dot room (black plastic from floor to ceiling, black lights, white paper cut into circles, me all dressed in black with a few white cirlces on me just blending in, some halloween music plastic a liminal experience — it’s the best). It never hurts to start the morning off with a good 3rd hour joint priesthood/relief society lesson on depression from a certain Adam F either. 😉
I keep thinking the mask prohibition is linked somehow to paranoia related to the Friday the 13th movies. Either that or avoiding some weird Tom Cruise Eyes Wide Shut orgy at the ward Trunk or Treat.
#24 (HG) – THX. I guess that if your ride (ours is a 2007 Pacifica) is tricked up too ‘freaky’ (bloody, macabre, etc.), you’ll probably be asked to either tone it down or leave. Last Nite I finally stumbled across some weird SW material…the main characters as zombies, ghouls, etc….along with the cover of the novel “Death Troopers”. At least I’ve got a killer theme for next year.
I can’t find an explanation for the mask prohibition at all. Stanley Ipkiss (or at least BigHead, his green alter ego) would be pissed.
Of course, THIS year was on the “Sabbath”. Of course I went to Church and did the whole “Fifth Sunday” thing, gladly. But, come the evening, like Hank in one of the “King of the Hill” episodes, I put away the religious fanaticism and repeated, “Trick or Treat”…and watched the ‘Gints win another.
I’m still atwitter over tonite…that’s all the candy I needed…(53 years of SF futility ENDS).
“Trick or Treat! Trick or Treat! Tric or Treat on Halloween! When ghosts and goblins come to your door, you’d better not be stingy, or, your nightmares will come true!” (Disney, 1952)