Something Wicked This Way Comes

So I'm in the costume store tonight. You know, the one that sets up shop for about 6 weeks in some empty storefront and then clears out of Dodge the day after whatever major holiday it was making a mint off of. (In this case, Halloween.)

So perusing the aisles of clown and fairy finery, the traditional witch, goblin and/or ghost gowns, the obligatory gross-out getups of bloodied body parts, the cowboy-or-Indian conundrum, the Mafia mobsters and such, it was apparent the Pirate and/or Pirates' Wench outfit is this year's Must-Have costume. Yes, Disney, we hear y'all toasting your "Pirates of the Carribbean" franchise with a hearty "har-har," and a bottle of rum. Put a cork in it, ok?

But I wander over to the kids section and oh my word! There is a "Bubble-Gum Singer" outfit that clearly channels Britney Spears, bare midriff and all, and a good 5-7 other similar getups where the little girls modeling the outfit are heavily made-up, miniature versions of Christina Aguilara (ripped black tights, plaid skirt, the midriff AGAIN), take-your-pick American Idol with signature sequined microphone, even a Country Pop Princess (yet again baring an awful lot for a pre-pubescent.) I was, in a word, appalled. The little models can't be older than six or seven. What is the world coming to, when costumers would even consider giving little kids the option of poodle skirt vs. micro-mini? (Or parents, for that matter.)

Seriously, it is just one small step from the Bubble-gum gang to the "Legs'Tra" (or whatever its sexualized title is) collection of "Hot Cop," "Lady in Leather," "French Maid" and other not-so-innocent outfits. Let me say it again: one small step!!! Take a look around people! The clown, fairy and Dorothy-of-Oz costumes are exactly the same, even if in different aisles. Just sized up for adults, sized down for kids. Even Simon Colwell would agree that kids need to "dress like kids" and not 29-year-olds, when they are not even nine yet.

Dressing your daughter like Britney Spears for Halloween is not cute. It is not harmless fun. I ask you, dads, if you're not about to let your precious baby out of the house at 14 dressed like that, why on EARTH would you let her out of the house dressed like that at 4? Her grandparents may think she looks like a "doll" but so might the pedophile who very well could be out on his front porch, passing out candy, just praying for more kids to stop by dressed up in next to nothing.

Scary thought?
It should be.