Today has been kind of a crazy day—-and I expect it will be that way all the way until the election—-so I thought I’d toss out a more fun post for those two things that go together like peanut butter and chocolate, or lube and condoms: Halloween in election years and political costumes. Putting together a costume that’s basically a political joke is not only a way to relieve some election season tension, it’s also a great way to dodge the “wear your underwear and some cat ears” costume pressure for women. If done properly, a funny political costume can be a subtle, non-annoying, totally fun way to remind people to vote the next week. In 2008, I did what all brunettes with bangs pretty much had to do, and went as Sarah Palin. It was so much fun we ended up doing a comedy short video that exploited my costume and a friend’s GI Joe-inspired costume.
This year, I thought it would be wrong not to do a similar political costume, so after kicking a few half-baked ideas around, I settled on being a “mama grizzly”: 50s era dress, apron, pearl earrings and necklace, and bear ears. (I’ll probably also do a bear nose and mouth with make-up.) I’ll probably write a slogan on the apron. I’m thinking “Ban Schools, Not Guns”.
But if you want to use your costume as a political comment, to make fun of the right, or just to represent some major issue of the election season, there are a lot of options.
*Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell: a military uniform with your mouth taped shut, or at least a big X over it. (I’m not a fan of costumes that interfere with socializing.) Attach a gay pride button to your uniform.
*I’ll bet a tea bag could made out of burlap sack, some string, and a stiff piece of paper for the label. This is something you could affix a sign to very easily.
*Aqua Buddha. This costume would be especially fun if you live in Kentucky.
*Kelly Baden on Twitter mentioned her Christine O’Donnell costume: “Suit, witch hat, sign that reads “I am You” , straight brown hair”
*“Second amendment remedies” begs to be a costume. You can get a fake gun and some doctor/nurse costume, maybe with a clarifying sign.
*You could combine a revolutionary war costume with a clown costume to represent the Tea Party: powdered wig and tricorn hat, clown suit and shoes, red clown nose. Get a horn and honk at people, telling them to get the government out of your Medicare.
Offer your own in comments!
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Just don’t go to Tim Proffit’s house in one of those liberal costumes—he might give you a beatdown instead of candy.
My costume idea: Faux News anchor—blow-dryed blonde wig, conservative suit (ladies, show some cleavage; men, flag pattern tie), ginormous flag pin, lapel mic, and a cardboard “chyron” hanging just below chest level, emblazoned with the Fox-style update of your choice (e.g. “Activist Tim Proffit (D) Begs Forgiveness from Senator Rand Paul”).
Also, Teabagger costumes will always be enhanced by a bunch of wire “puppet strings” leading upward to a cardboard cut-out of the Koch brothers, whose suits should be decorated with dollar signs.