Trend watch: popular Hallowe’en costumes for 2010

By Carlie Auclair [Health Bureau Chief]

Year after year it proves a real challenge trying to find a new and an exciting costume for the Halloween season.

Through my Halloween experiences, I have come to the realization that there are three groups of people who enjoy Halloween. The first group consists of persons who dress up as a witch every year because naturally, they already have the costume–why not, right? The second group consists of persons who put even less effort or thought into their costumes, by choosing to wear cat ears with their regular jeans or a hoodie.

Finally the third is the group that I fall under: the Halloween die-hards. So for all you keeners looking for spooky ideas to sink your vampire teeth into, pay close attention.
It is probably not too difficult to guess which costumes will be the popular ones this year.

So far, a lot has happened in 2010. Whether it is the rise of the Apple’s most recent spawn, the IPAD, BP’s oily environmental oversight or the slew of American banks foreclosing homes at a back breaking speed, it is common knowledge that the most entertaining costume ideas are the ones extracted from the kooky world of politics and media.

Last year my personal favorite was the notoriously deceptive “balloon boy”: a six year old Colorado boy that attracted worldwide attention from his father’s obvious “son trapped in a balloon, media please look at me” hoax. The costume consisted of a simple aluminum balloon and cardboard box: the perfect low-effort, high-reaction costume combination.

This year we can expect to see a plethora of vampire-themed costumes. With the sudden mania-like popularity of the Twilight series, the CW’s hit show Vampire Diaries, and HBO’s True Blood, these blood suckers are going to be a huge Halloween favorite. I also couldn’t imagine this Halloween without the tangerine-tinted Italian-American bozos that make up MTV’S hit show Jersey Shore. These costumes are very low effort, considering all you need is a bottle of cheap self tanner and a gift card to Sirens. You might need to put in extra effort to achieve the aero-dynamic wonder known as Snooki’s pouf.

More dignified costumes expected to be seen lurking around this year will most likely be movie themed. Tim Burton’s remake of Alice in Wonderland will definitely play some role in Halloween 2010.

The Stanley Park Halloween train has also used the popular story as its backdrop for this year’s attraction. Considering the movie’s dark, psychedelic themes, it will be a worthy Halloween contender.

And ladies, if you are in the mood for a sexy costume without the obvious cleavage and cliché knee-socks, then an Avatar themed costume might be something to consider. The blue “Neytiri costume” found on HalloweenandCostumes.com has a skin tight polyester bodysuit that makes Mystique from X-Men look like a pile of mutant crap, which is the perfect choice for the gal looking to turn a guy’s head from the usual hoes dressed as sexy cats and bunnies. One should also expect to see a”Lindsay Lohan in prison stripes” as well. According to the New York Times, the costume inspiring guffaws and flying off the shelves consists of a green jumpsuit covered in oil with BP in a sunburst logo over the left breast. Despite its hilarity, could it be too soon to make fun of one of the worst environmental disasters ever? The answer is probably not.
Halloween is usually fair game, even when it comes to some of the most socially taboo topics.

Finally, a consensus has been reached and it’s unanimous. The single most popular costume sold for adults, in almost 60 years, is the melodramatic, sibylline wonder that is Lady Gaga. Besides the obvious reason of its popularity, it is easy to see why women and men gravitate to this costume idea; it is the most DIY friendly costumes since the classic orange garbage bag Jack-O-Lantern. The only question left is which of Lady Gaga’s alter egos will encapsulate your soul and transform you into Halloween perfection? Will it be  Wayfarers and Hair bow Gaga, Geisha-lipped tea cup toting Gaga, The PETA disapproved, Beef Carpaccio dress wearing Gaga, or my personal favorite, the pop cans used as hair curlers, jail bait Gaga.

But remember, if the idea of someone else showing up in the same costume as you makes you squeamish, I would advise to avoid the Lady Gaga theme while frequenting any gay-themed bar or nightclub. It’s just too risky. Besides, there can only be one queen of the Halloween castle.