Project Mayhem

It’s 11:30 p.m. and something’s bothering me again: Halloween. I hate it.  But those of you who have been following my blog brilliance the last few years know that by now.  It’s a different riff this time, though.

If women feel an overwhelming urge to dress “as sluts” during Halloween (I hear it every year), then what’s the male equivalent go-to Halloween costume? Pimp? Misogynist? Stud? Pornstar? Joe the Plumber?

This actually raises a more intriguing question for a man who has nothing better to do than type on his blog while eating dry Cheerios: What is a slut? Rather than base this solely on my own, perhaps eschewed or warped, view, I turned to a higher authority … Him … Webster.

According to Webby, a slut is defined as 1) “A slovenly woman.  This drove me to the definition of “slovenly,” which was conveniently located on the opposite page. (Hey, Eph you!)  Slovenly is defined as “untidy or habitually negligent of neatness.”  This led me to believe that Webster didn’t get out much.  It took until the third reference for Webby to define slut as a “prostitute.” TaaDaa!  (FYI: second reference was “a lewd woman.”  Yeah, “I’m getting freaky this Halloween and going as a lewd woman.”)

So, what is it that makes a girl want to dress up like a prostitute?  Risking a sexual harassment lawsuit, I asked a few of the girls at work. The answers ranged in nature from, “I don’t know, you just want to, you know, get wild on Halloween,” to “I know what guys say, ‘it’s because it’s the woman’s alter ego.’ But I don’t do it because of that, I just think it’s fun to do something you wouldn’t ordinarily do.  Isn’t that what Halloween’s all about?” to “What’s wrong with dressing slutty, look at what you’re wearing.”  (I was informed that I was wearing a shirt tighter than the home loan requirements.  Hey, Donny Deutsch does it!)

Anyway, ladies, I’m begging you (again).  This is your chance to weigh-in without actually stepping on a scale.  Will you, did you, or have you ever dressed as a slut on Halloween?  If so, why?

In case you’re wondering what this has to do with PR, creativity or anything remotely related to communications … absolutely nothing.  I just think it’s an intriguing anthropological question based on the cultural nuances that help shape some of our country’s long-held social traditions. And feel free to send photos if you want. It’s research, damn it!