Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Trending
    • Interview with the Vice-Chancellor
    • Country Highlight: The Netherlands
    • If You’re Moving Back Home After Uni …
    • Jane Austen in Lockdown: How her six novels are more relevant than ever
    • All About … Period Poverty
    • My Veggie Journey: How not being strictly Vegetarian is OK
    • Watch with Pride: Your Top TV Picks this Pride Month
    • Globe Trotting on Screen: Your Guide to Summer 2021
    Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Flickr
    Seren
    • News & Politics
      1. Local News
      2. UK News
      3. Uni News
      4. World News
      5. Politics
      6. Comment
      7. Business
      Featured

      SABB Election: The Full Result Breakdown

      By Emily ReadMarch 20, 20210
      Recent

      Interview with the Vice-Chancellor

      May 23, 2022

      Retro? Chip shortage may bring vintage tech to your car.

      May 6, 2021

      Manizha – the artist causing a stir as the Russian representative for Eurovision 2021:

      May 6, 2021
    • Arts & Culture
      1. Books
      2. Games
      3. Film
      4. Music
      5. TV
      6. Creative Corner
      Featured

      Bangor alumni podcast earns Hollywood cameo & BBC features

      By Amelia SmithMarch 7, 20210
      Recent

      Jane Austen in Lockdown: How her six novels are more relevant than ever

      July 7, 2021

      Watch with Pride: Your Top TV Picks this Pride Month

      May 17, 2021

      Globe Trotting on Screen: Your Guide to Summer 2021

      May 16, 2021
    • Lifestyle
      1. Fashion
      2. Food and Drink
      3. Social
      4. Health and Beauty
      5. Travel
      Featured

      Country Highlight: The Netherlands

      By Emily ShoultsMay 6, 20220
      Recent

      Country Highlight: The Netherlands

      May 6, 2022

      If You’re Moving Back Home After Uni …

      August 3, 2021

      All About … Period Poverty

      May 17, 2021
    • Discovery
      1. Science
      2. Environment
      3. History
      4. International
      Featured

      Brewing up a Storm: The History of Guinness

      By Emily ReadMarch 20, 20210
      Recent

      Manizha – the artist causing a stir as the Russian representative for Eurovision 2021:

      May 6, 2021

      Japan plan to release radioactive water into the ocean

      May 6, 2021

      The link between the AstraZeneca vaccine and blood clots

      April 29, 2021
    • Sport
      1. Varsity 2019
      2. Varsity 2018
      3. Varsity 2017
      4. Varsity 2016
      5. Varsity 2015
      6. Varsity 2014
      7. Varsity 2013
        • Varsity 2013 Results
        • Varsity 2013 – In tweets
      Featured

      Bangor Muddogs’ American Football: a young woman finding her place

      By Jade HillMarch 23, 20210
      Recent

      The 48-hour rise and fall of the European Super League

      April 27, 2021

      The European Super League is announced

      April 19, 2021

      Formula 1’s ‘Drive to Survive S3’ is released

      April 7, 2021
    • Students’ Union
      1. Union News
      2. Societies
      3. Volunteering
      4. Clubs
      Featured

      INTERVIEW: Be Period Positive

      By Caroline CartmillMarch 17, 20210
      Recent

      Bangor University Feminist Society

      March 30, 2021

      INTERVIEW: Be Period Positive

      March 17, 2021

      LGBT History Month in Bangor

      March 4, 2021
    • Issues
      • Current Issue
      • This year’s issues
      • Last year’s issues
      • Seren Archive
      • Seren Teams
    Seren
    Home»News & Politics»Comment»Borderline controversial?
    Comment

    Borderline controversial?

    Simran PrasadBy Simran PrasadOctober 31, 2017Updated:October 31, 2017No Comments5 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Traditionelle Fastnachtsfiguren in Gengenbach im Kinzigtal.
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    We’ve approached an exciting time of the year, one that presents the idea of dressing up in extravagant costumes, spooking your flatmates with gruesome decor, and trying to convince yourself you’ll make it past seven days after watching The Ring. Amidst the spooky thrill Halloween brings, one thing usually dampens that spirit; Controversial Halloween Costumes! There’s nothing worse than heading out to Academi on Halloween night and seeing someone dressed up as Cecil the Lion busting a couple moves on the dance floor. When I see things like this, two particular thoughts usually run in my mind: 1) Out of all the things you could creatively dress up as, why would you choose something that sparks that much controversy? 2) That costume is bold enough to catch anyone’s attention, and by thinking those thoughts, we are presented with two sides of debate regarding the topic.

    In a way, I understand the reasoning behind dressing up as a controversial entity. You have the power to ignite many emotions in people around you. There’s outrage, anger, humour and appreciation to name a few. To be able to have the capacity to do that presents a validation that people really appreciate sometimes. However, there’s no saying how offensive you might come across to someone else. There are many times I’ve heard someone say they are going to dress up as an Arab because they think it’s funny and comical. Growing up in an Arab country and being so influenced and impacted by the Arab culture, to hear someone say that the traditional garments of an Arab is a “costume”, usually offends me and frankly, is a cause of outrage. How can I not take it offensively when you wish to degrade a culture publicly, one I’m so respectful and appreciative of, and call it a funny and comical costume? There are many examples of people saying similar things, and usually I always come to one conclusion; these people are ignorant. They do not understand the depth or seriousness of what they say, and think that because they cover it up with the pretext of “Halloween”, it gives them the right to say and act however they like. Unfortunately, these people do not seem to realise the seriousness of their actions. By saying things like this, or dressing up in a controversial costume, you feed the ignorance in a vicious cycle. You make other people believe that the limited knowledge they know about a culture, or person, or even a tragic occurrence that involved an animal, is everything there is to the topic. There is no further information, no need to seek out more information and become better informed. By doing this, people start to believe an ignorant mind-set. They start to eventually adopt this ignorant mind-set. People don’t really see the problem in dressing up in controversial costumes, because at the end of the day, they’re ready to take the heat and move on, because the comments they get about how bold they’ve been to pull it off are far more outweighed than that couple comments they hear that involve people being offended.

    However, in a way I do understand why people commit to the brave move of dressing up in a controversial costume. It does catch your attention, and it does make you think about why they’ve decided to dress as that particular entity. I do admire the bravery people have when it comes to taking a risk, and I do think that as long it doesn’t cross a boundary and become racially or politically offensive, then it’s a win-win situation. People don’t get offended and you succeed in coming up with a brilliant costume idea! Frankly, I think this is the best way to make a positive impression, and encourage nothing but appreciation when it comes to your costume.

    One Halloween, I came across a group of girls that all dressed up as different successful women from history. Some of the costumes depicted amazing influential women, such as Rosie the Riveter, the iconic depiction of strength in a female worker. She was the face of the “We Can Do It” poster, which served to empower women in the 1980s. One of the girls in the group had dressed as Oprah, because she wanted to promote ideologies that Oprah stands for, such as liberation for certain communities, self-love and acceptance and empowering women and men alike. Seeing a girl gang represent such empowering women and explain that they went with this idea because they wanted to spread an empowering message, really touched my heart, and made me appreciate the thought behind this. There is so much turmoil and conflict in our world already, and by encouraging positive depictions of people, or by spreading the message influential people before us have spread, will help inform you, and people around you that as a team called humanity, we have a job that requires promoting the good and trying our best to not let the ignorance and negativity cloud the good that is present around us.

    At the end of the day, I think putting across your thoughts when you don’t understand the bigger picture can come across as bold, but be classed as insensitive. Let’s start putting across our thoughts once we have sufficient knowledge regarding it, and let’s make it a point to impact those around us positively, whilst still pulling off a Halloween look that creates a cause for applause!

     

    dress influential issue264 One Halloween women
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Simran Prasad

    Secretary 2018-19 Comment Editor 2017-19

    Related Posts

    Interview with the Vice-Chancellor

    May 23, 2022

    Retro? Chip shortage may bring vintage tech to your car.

    May 6, 2021

    Manizha – the artist causing a stir as the Russian representative for Eurovision 2021:

    May 6, 2021

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    MORE INFORMATION
    • ABOUT
    • ADVERTISE
    • CONTACT US
    • GET INVOLVED
    • MEMBERS
    Links
    • Bangor University Bangor University
    • Google+ Google+
    • Undeb Bangor Undeb Bangor
    About

    Seren is Bangor University Students’ Union’s English Language Newspaper

    We have editorial independence from both Bangor University and Bangor Students’ Union. Seren is written by students for students and we’d love you to get involved!

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.