It is no surprise that I am not a fan of the "what totally random person/place/thing can we make slutty/racist and manufacture cheaply to sell to shit-loads of people" trend that has become the theme of Halloween. Luckily, there is a group that supports our attempts to take Halloween back from the brink:
Take Back Halloween! is sponsored by the Real History Project, which doesn’t have a snappy motto but is considering “No, Men Did Not Invent Everything.”Like I said: awesome.
The site gives you lots of examples of historical women rather than tired ethnic and gendered stereotypes.
Want to wear a beautiful kimono, but not be a geisha? How about the first person to write a novel, ever: Murasaki Shikib.
Want to be gorey? How about Lizzie Borden?
Want to be gorgeous and sexy without being infantilized? How about Rita Hayworth? Or Josephine Baker?
Oh, and eff this princess crap. Go straight to queen.
Though, due to my undergrad obsession with medieval women's writing, I am very tempted to go as Christine de Pizan, the first medieval woman to support herself through her writing. Oh, and she wrote The City of Ladies in the 14th century. That, my dears, takes some gusto.
Who is missing from their list?
Feels like the 1950's only now they are all designed by Hefner...sigh...c'mon graphic artists lets develop some female heroes who only show muscle, screenwriters give us women who are not desperate, bad or "real". Please
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