BY VEDA RATLIFF PHOTO COURTESY OF VEDA RATLIFF
Year after year, Halloween in Athens invites students and locals, no matter how introverted, to gather and celebrate. Between the annual Halloween Block Party, Mill Street festivities, and Court Street crowds, thousands of community members and guests show up for Athens’ Halloween, and this year proved to be no different.
More people means more costumes. Some stand out for the right reasons, and some stand out for other reasons. The criteria for judging these costumes were based on their creativity, intricacy, comedic value, and how flattering they were. Some other factors may interfere, however, such as offensiveness, originality, etc.
Some of the most flattering and intricate costumes this year were worn by women in Greek life. Scrolling through the OU Panhellenic chapters’ HallOUween Instagram posts, some of my favorite costumes were the “Strawberry Shortcake” characters, black and white swans, and flapper girls. Although they were not the most unique, these costumes were cute, understated, and perfect for girl duos and groups.
Another popular category of costumes this year was DIY costumes. Some of the most creative and colorful DIY costumes were the birds from “Rio,” mermaids, and genies. Most of these outfits required work and materials such as charms, feathers, and rhinestones that literally and figuratively made them shine.
On the other hand, some of this year’s more prevalent DIY costumes, like celebrity look-alikes, professional athletes, and animals, could have been seen as lazy or overdone. While one can appreciate the lack of financial commitment that’s required for these costumes, they can tend to be more of a last-minute outfit than a real costume, especially if it simply consists of everyday clothing with some ears or a jersey.
Opposite of the typical college student’s costume that is focused on flattery and intricacy, there is the funny costume. Popular costumes that relied on laughs can usually be found on Instagram accounts such as @barstooloh and @redcupohio. The most creative of these costumes played on internet memes, like the “gargoyle pledge,” while the others represented popular comedic media, like the brothers from the movie “Step Brothers.”
In ranking comedic costumes, there was a wide range in each category for creativity, originality, and intricacy. Some of my favorites this year based on these factors were the “SpongeBob” characters, creepy “Cat in the Hat,” and “South Park” characters. Some of my least favorite, typically due to a lack of effort or originality, were “The Smurfs” and “Minions.”
On the other hand, some costumes that can be considered funny rely on shock value alone and could even be seen as offensive. Ohio University is a diverse campus and values inclusivity, so it’s important to consider the negative impact that your “shocking” costume may have on other people. Costumes that include shock value, when done distastefully, were the worst costumes.
Whether you spent hours on your costume this year, working on DIY pieces and complicated makeup looks, or just picked a plain shirt, some ears, and called it a day, the costumes aren’t what make HallOUween special. By leaving your dorm, apartment, or house on Saturday night and stepping out on the bricks, you contributed to a community of people who just want to have fun. Don’t take your costume too seriously; HallOUween will come again.
