A (pr) nightmare before christmas — GVSU PRSSA – Grand Valley State University Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America

Halloween is the one night of the year when people are able to be someone they’re not. People of all ages channel their inner ghost, princess or even ketchup bottle to have some fun. Some Halloween costumes, however, have taken a controversial (and spooky) turn.

Costume manufactures play off of pop culture to sell costumes, but sometimes they take things a little too far. Here are three that should be avoid this year.

“Lady Boy Drag” costume
Over the past week, this received a lot of attention as being an offensive costume. It was especially hurtful to the transgender community. People complained and the retailer immediately removed the costume.

Sexy costumes for children
A Facebook post went viral in late September when a mother tried to purchase a costume for her three-year-old daughter. In her post, the mother argued that the retailer was selling sexualized costumes to young girls. This made parents and community members more aware of what retailers are portraying and selling to children.

Cecil the Lion Costume
Pretty Little Liars star Ashley Benson posted a picture of herself in a lion costume this fall and asked what her fans thought of her going as “Cecil the Lion” for Halloween. This immediately sparked controversy for being “insensitive, clueless, and poor taste.” Benson later removed the post and apologized for the oversight to people’s feelings.

Halloween is a fun time of the year, but remember, it is important to be socially aware when choosing your next costume. Even if you think it is funny, odds are not everyone will.

Wouldn’t you rather stuff your face with pumpkin-shaped Reese’s than spark the next controversy? I know I would.

Topic ideas via http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/offensive-halloween-costumes

Eleanor O’Hara is a senior at GV and is looking forward to her final two semesters. She hopes to learn as much as she can before heading out into the real world. She hopes to end up at a PR firm in Chicago as an Account Executive. In her spare time, she likes to bake goodies, hangout with her friends and binge watch One Tree Hill on Netflix.