It seems like the issue of how little girls are represented in Halloween costumes has been around forever, yet it remains a pressing concern that won’t go away until real changes are made. One mom, Sarah Johnson, decided to voice her frustration to Party City regarding their blatantly sexist toddler girl costumes. Instead of engaging in a conversation, the company reportedly deleted her comment and even banned her from their Facebook page.
Seriously, Party City?
In her message, Sarah pointed out, “While Halloween costumes are about imagination, it’s shocking that you think toddler girls aspire to be portrayed as ‘sexy cops’ when they could just as easily be inspired by the real-life heroes in their communities. Young girls, like boys, dream of serving their neighborhoods, not of dressing up in a provocative way.” Unfortunately, Sarah’s thoughtful critique was dismissed, and her ability to comment on Party City’s page was revoked. That’s usually something reserved for trolls and not concerned parents.
She raises a valid point. While boys can dress up as genuine police officers, girls are offered frilly alternatives. If you think she’s overreacting, take a look at the police officer costume for toddler boys compared to the one for girls. The disparity is glaring. A toddler boy gets an authentic cop outfit while a toddler girl has to settle for something that’s frankly ridiculous.
Sarah highlighted the statistics in her letter, noting that around 30% of boys’ costumes are based on actual professions, while less than 7% of girls’ costumes reflect the same. Boys can choose to be firefighters, doctors, or even construction workers, but girls are left with limited options. And yes, you might say girls can just buy the boys’ costumes, but then why label them specifically for boys? It would make more sense to have unisex options available.
Although Party City eventually restored Sarah’s commenting privileges, they have yet to address the situation. Meanwhile, they’re facing a wave of criticism on their Facebook page. Has their merchandising team been living under a rock since the 1950s? It’s 2015—let’s stop sending the message to our little girls that their dreams are any less valid than boys’.
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To sum it up, the issue of gendered costumes for kids is a significant one that needs to be addressed. We should encourage creativity and ambition in all children, regardless of gender, and companies like Party City need to step up and reflect those values in their products.