Costumes for the Pop-Culturally Inclined

Posted by: mthep

We here at Broadcouching are wishing everyone, especially you east-coasters, a safe and happy Halloween. May your pillowcases overflow with full-size candy bars from the rich part of town!

Here’s a spooky scary story from my childhood to fill up space between here and the costume gallery below. Muwahaha!

When I was 8 or 9, I convinced my mom to make me a cat costume for Halloween. I was decked out from head-to-toe in the itchiest white plastic fake “fur” from Jo-Ann Fabrics imaginable, and I loved it. I was a painfully shy kid, and Halloween was the one time I could seek out attention in a way that still made me feel safe. The way I figured it, people wouldn’t actually be looking at me – they’d be looking at the costume instead.

I couldn’t wait to get outside and start showing off my awesome cat costume. One of the first doors I knocked on happened to be, in retrospect, a college house that was having a Halloween party of the drinking kind. The door opened up to a dimly lit, very crowded, and very loud living room scene. The girl who answered the door started drunkenly fawning over me, and somehow pushed me further into the house, for all the other party-goers to see. I was quickly surrounded by “grown-ups” oohing and ahhing at me, and I could even feel some hands petting my costume. The doorway seemed like it was miles away, and I was trapped. I was terrified that I was one step away from being kidnapped, but I also wasn’t about to run out of there without getting some candy.

By the time I was finally ushered back outside, I had started to feel overly warm and woozy from all the non-breathable polyester I was encapsulated in; and maybe a little dizzy from the attention, too. I made it safely back down to the sidewalk where my dad was waiting for me… and fainted at his feet. Thankfully, he was there to catch me, and carry me the half a block back home.

OOOoooOOOhhh! 

Nowadays, I turn to the internets for costume inspiration. I really enjoy seeing so many people putting in the time and effort to make clever, original, non-prepackaged costumes. I accept that there will always be a market for all of those sexy fill-in-the-blank costumes, but this gallery gives me hope that we’re not all doomed to wander the streets as sexy remote controls.

“I am a goddess, a glorious female warrior. Queen of all that I survey. Enemies of fairness and equality, hear my womanly roar. Yeah!”

From Reddit: “He has a masters in chemical engineering, used to teach high school chemistry and three years ago he was diagnosed with terminal cancer which is now in remission. Last night I was able to convince him to go to a Halloween party.”

I know, I know; we’re all tired of this song, but I still think the costume is impressive.

Yep, that looks about right.

A classic, for Alex.

I hope he spent the whole night in an elevator just to stay in character.

I think McKayla Maroney would actually be impressed.

According to Wiki, “Tina Fey submitted this episode for consideration due to her nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series at the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards,” and that makes me happy.

Hometown heroes!

Ruler of the Greendale Human Beings.

At a year old, the Disney Princess meme is vintage by internet standards, but I still love it.

“You merely adopted the flannel. I was born in it.”

Jess from New Girl; just add hipster glasses and an old picture frame.

Bonus points for using the baby as a metaphor for a destructive force of nature…

via The Daily What: ” Halloween Done Right of the Day: Josh Sundquist: Paralympic skier, best-selling author and motivational speaker, and now the leg lamp from A Christmas Story.”

Do you have any fond (or not so fond) memories of your childhood costumes? Let us know in the comments!