The ongoing criticism regarding the Halloween costumes available for young girls is a persistent issue that shows no signs of fading until meaningful changes occur. The blatant sexism surrounding the costume options for even the youngest girls is unacceptable. One mother took it upon herself to voice her concerns in a message directed at Party City, only to find her comment swiftly deleted and herself banned from their Facebook page.
Seriously, Party City?
In her message, she pointed out, “While Halloween costumes are certainly about ‘make-believe,’ it’s hard to comprehend that toddler boys and girls envision themselves dressed as police officers in the way your company seems to portray them. Toddler girls don’t aspire to be ‘sexy cops,’ which is exactly the implication of your costume; instead, they see their role models in their communities and dream of serving just like them. It’s absolutely disheartening that your business distorts girls’ innocent aspirations into such a costume.” This poignant excerpt from Sarah Thompson’s letter to Party City was promptly removed, and her commenting rights were revoked. Banning someone from a social media platform is typically reserved for trolls, not for concerned parents expressing valid grievances.
Sarah raises an essential point. Boys can dress up as real police officers, while girls are relegated to costumes that resemble frilly skirts. If you think she’s overreacting, consider the stark contrast between the police officer costume for toddler boys and the one designated for toddler girls. It’s baffling.
Sarah highlighted that “30% of the costumes marketed to boys are occupation-based, while a mere 7% for girls reflect the same.” Boys can become firefighters, mail carriers, doctors, construction workers, and more. In contrast, girls are left with limited options. One might argue, “Well, they can just buy the boys’ costume.” Exactly. So, why label it “boys”? What purpose does that serve? Why not offer unisex options?
While Party City eventually reinstated Sarah’s commenting privileges, they have yet to address the matter publicly. In the meantime, their Facebook page has become a platform for criticism, which is certainly justified. Has Party City’s merchandising team been stuck in a time warp since the 1950s? It’s 2015 – it’s time to stop sending our daughters the message that their dreams are limited.
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In summary, a mother’s legitimate concerns about the sexist portrayal of toddler girl costumes led to her banning from Party City’s social media, sparking outrage and highlighting the need for change in how companies market to young children.