Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Costumes? We don't need no stinking costumes

When we think about our childhood, especially at this time of year, we find ourselves remembering school-sponsored celebrations of the various holidays. We recall students being encouraged to bring each other gifts for Christmas or cards for Valentine's Day. We look back with some admitted confusion as to the children that brought neckties to Election Day (especially since, at that age, we really had no idea why the blue necktie kids didn't like the red necktie kids). And, of course, we have fond memories of Halloween, which has long been our favorite holiday, and the tradition of children dressing in costume for their day of classes.

Sadly, it appears that a high school in Long Island, NY, is the latest to join the ranks of schools banning costumes, due to the wardrobe choices of three senior girls during last year's festivities. And what did the young women dress as? Captain Underpants.

Now, for those of you in our audience who aren't familiar with the good Captain (or are just a little more familiar with Captain Morgan, instead), Captain Underpants is a comic book character aimed at children. Naturally, his costuming consists of a pair of underpants, and a red cape. Wanting to remain true to the nature of the character, the girls dressed in beige leotards, nude stockings, and wore white briefs and red capes to bring C.U. to life. Admittedly, a much more female version of life, but life nonetheless.

And this is where the principal felt that his personal principles were violated. A comic book character parading around in his underwear? Sure, it's a little risque, but that he could handle. Three women in their final year of schooling? Wearing the bare minimum before running around in their bare minimums? That's where the principal drew the line, and that's why he's made the decision that allowing costumes is too big of a distraction.

Of course, we here at the CSM don't completely agree. The biggest reason why? The women were wearing full body coverings (albeit ones that made them appear to be wearing little more than underwear and a cape). This automatically puts them into a category separating them from so many other women their age. After all, as we went over yesterday, the costume options for women (and, apparently, young girls) are severely limited into the realm of "What can look as slutty as possible, exposing cleavage, midriffs, and copious amounts of leg and ass?". Given that these girls created costumes that, admittedly, may have been tight, but still kept things covered, we actually think that some credit should be given.

After all, how much more difficult would it have been for them to have paraded around the school as Captain Thong and the Bustier Twins?

No comments: