Halloween costume stores are officially popping all over the country as October inches closer. As is always the case, Halloween brings an array of new costumes that people are clamoring for or think will be interesting thanks to the headlines. This year has plenty to choose from but one particular costume is troubling for a number of reasons.
If you haven’t heard by now, an ongoing fad in Halloween costumes is applying the word ‘sexy’ in front of any outfit or character you might see. We’ve seen “Sexy Cop” and “Sexy Teacher” come to mind alongside a dozen other options that line the racks, from cartoon characters to food items. Pretty much anything you can imagine has gotten the “sexy” treatment.
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But did “Sexy Mister Rogers” ever cross your mind?
Apparently it did for one company and it will be one of the latest to hit the shelves for Halloween 2019. And to little surprise, it’s drawn quite the mixed reaction from the internet.
I asked my friend if she’d seen the sexy Mr. Rodgers costume yet. She hadn’t, but she looked intrigued, so I showed it to her. Her face immediately fell.
— Jessica Tandi (@catsploitation) September 19, 2019
“I thought it was going to be for a man.” https://t.co/Jl6FxdHjtJ
Whoever came up with the idea for a “Sexy Mr. Rodgers” Halloween costume should be put in creative time out
— Chris (@thecherrieberry) September 19, 2019
Can’t say I’ve ever heard a guy say to his girl “you know what would be hot? Dress like Mr Rodgers…but sexy” 😂
— Matthew Strange (@matthew_strange) September 19, 2019
bold of them to assume mr rodgers is not inherently sexy
— Heruseus (@Heruseus) September 19, 2019
Fred Rogers rose to fame in the 1960s and continued to be a staple on American television well into 2001 as the creator and star of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.
Tom Hanks is set to take on the role of Fred Rogers on November 22 when A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood hits the big screen, following on the heels of the emotional documentary, Won’t You Be My Neighbor.
In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, director Marielle Heller shared the impact Mister Rogers had on society and how fans will see that in the film.
“I think what Mister Rogers did was subtle, and it’s easy to overlook. I think for a long time people thought of him as hokey, or something to be made fun of,” Heller says to the outlet. “And he did get made fun of a lot in his day, but [what he was doing] was really profound. And the impact that he had was very deep. It wasn’t flashy. It was very real.”
So while his legacy is intact and grabbing attention a lot thanks to films telling his story, that doesn’t mean he’s safe from the unsavory portions of pop culture fandom.
