Remember when we could be whatever we wanted for Halloween and it wasn’t a big deal? It wasn’t an issue because we weren’t doing anything maliciously. We were using our imaginations and having innocent fun. And then the PC police stepped in and fun was yanked away from kids.

One of my most favorite Halloween costumes was when I dressed as a Geisha. I wasn’t mocking the Japanese. I wasn’t trying to imply that I might be looking for a sexual advance. I was just a girl who’d recently learned about the history behind Geisha girls and was fascinated and wanted to try to re-create the look because I thought the process was intricate and beautiful.

I saved my Geisha costume, but would I be caught wearing it now? Absolutely not. If I did, there’s no doubt that I’d be labeled as a racist. Or insensitive to other cultures. Or (completely unfairly to those who are true Geisha), a whore. And why? Because of people who look to stir up non-existent controversy because they clearly have nothing better to do with their time and those who fuel the absurdity by feeding into it from behind the screen of their computer.

So, what’s this year’s costume controversy? The costume for the Disney Maui character from the movie “Moana,” the first Disney film to feature a non-white princess.

So what in the world is wrong with the Maui costume? The skin color. Several groups started protests over the “racially insensitive” costume because the jumpsuit shows tattooed brown skin.

Disney pulled the costume and issued a statement saying, "The team behind ”Moana” has taken great care to respect the cultures of the Pacific Islands that inspired the film, and we regret that the Maui costume has offended some. We sincerely apologize."

Let me tell you this, kids aren’t even going to entertain the thought of racism unless the idea is seeded in their little minds. So, why place such a thought in their innocent heads, to begin with? Why not use the brown skinned costume as an example of how all skin colors are beautiful and that we’re all the same on the inside? Why not use it as a teaching tool to educate your little one on what the different tattoos on the costume represent to the people of the Pacific Islands? I’m betting if kids were allowed to see the beauty in all people of all shapes, sizes, skin tones and cultures, the world would be filled with much more tolerance.

[via NOLA/KSN]

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