Vermont’s Middlebury College was concerned that its students might celebrate Halloween in “unsafe” costumes. So it released a video and checklist containing guidance on how to avoid “cultural appropriation” and other sins. The video features the college’s Chief Diversity Officer and Dean of Students:
A Message on Costumes and Cultural Appropriation from Middlebury College Media Service on Vimeo.
This is Middlebury’s checklist. Click to enlarge:
Well, who wouldn’t be in favor of “safe” Halloween costumes? One question, though: is a zombie costume “ableist”? How about Captain Hook?
Now for a homework assignment. This is the Facebook page of a costume shop in Middlebury called The Good Witch. These come, I think, from a Disney movie. Members of which ethnic groups can wear them without being guilty of “cultural appropriation”? Does it matter whether it is the male or female costume?
If a non-white person wears this witch costume, is it cultural appropriation?
And here we have…lederhosen. Members of which ethnic groups can wear this costume without committing cultural appropriation? If any?
Discuss.
Notice: All comments are subject to moderation. Our comments are intended to be a forum for civil discourse bearing on the subject under discussion. Commenters who stray beyond the bounds of civility or employ what we deem gratuitous vulgarity in a comment — including, but not limited to, “s***,” “f***,” “a*******,” or one of their many variants — will be banned without further notice in the sole discretion of the site moderator.