CALGARY — It may still be August, but Halloween has already arrived on store shelves.With costumes, decorations and candy appearing in retailers across North America, the annual debate over what is — and isn't — appropriate to wear for Halloween is already getting started.This year, one of the first major controversies involves Target, which pulled a children's clown costume from sale after critics said its design evoked ''racist blackface and minstrel-show imagery.''Images of the costume circulated online, with critics arguing that the combination of its exaggerated facial features, dark gloves and styling resembled caricatures associated with blackface and minstrel shows.Target subsequently removed the costume and apologized, acknowledging that the product was offensive and saying it should never have been part of its assortment. The company also said it would review how the costume made it through its product-approval process.Over the years, major retailers and online costume companies have sold products that prompted complaints over everything from racial and cultural stereotypes to real-world tragedies and serious diseases.Here are ten notable examples..10. Target's ''circus clown'' costume — 2026Target is the latest major retailer to find itself at the centre of a Halloween costume controversy.The retailer recently pulled its “Kids' Glows Under Blacklight Circus Clown Halloween Costume” after images of the outfit circulated online and critics accused the design of resembling racist blackface and minstrel-show imagery.The costume was sold through Target's Hyde and EEK! Boutique Halloween line. It featured an orange-and-black outfit, dark gloves, a face covering and an exaggerated grin. Promotional material showed a young black boy wearing the costume.Critics argued that the combination of the exaggerated facial features, dark gloves and styling evoked caricatures associated with blackface and the Jim Crow era. The marketing image itself also became part of the controversy because of the race of the child modelling the costume.Target did not attempt to defend the design. Instead, the company acknowledged the controversy and said it had made a mistake.“As a company, we know we got this wrong, and we are deeply sorry,” Target said in a statement. The retailer described the costume as offensive, said it should never have been part of its assortment and confirmed it was no longer available for sale. Target also said it would examine how the costume passed through its product-approval process..9. “Anna Rexia” costume — 2011Some controversial costumes have been criticized not because they reference a particular person, but because they turn serious medical conditions into punchlines.In 2011, New York-based costume retailer Ricky's sold an outfit called “Anna Rexia.”The costume played on the word “anorexia” and consisted of a black, skin-and-bones-style dress accompanied by accessories including a measuring tape. The name itself was intended as a pun on the eating disorder.The costume quickly attracted criticism from people who argued that anorexia nervosa is a serious illness and should not be treated as a joke or Halloween character.Ricky's eventually removed the costume from its website following the backlash..8. The Ebola containment suit — 2014In 2014, the Ebola epidemic in West Africa was dominating international headlines when one online retailer decided to turn the disease into a Halloween costume.BrandsOnSale marketed an “Ebola Containment Suit Costume” for $79.99. The outfit included a white protective suit, face shield, breathing mask, goggles and blue gloves.The company openly acknowledged that the costume was designed to capitalize on a current and controversial news story. Company CEO Jonathan Weeks told TIME that he did not want the business to shy away from controversial subjects because they generated attention.The costume was criticized as being in poor taste while Ebola was killing thousands of people and creating fear around the world.The controversy became even more bizarre when a “Sexy Ebola Containment Suit” was also marketed. That version featured a short white dress, face shield, breathing mask, goggles and gloves..7. The Israeli soldier costume — 2015In 2015, Walmart and Amazon faced criticism over a children's Halloween costume portraying an Israeli soldier.The costume included an olive-green military-style jacket and pants, a red beret and Hebrew writing. It was marketed as a children's military costume at a time when violence between Israelis and Palestinians was again making international headlines.Critics argued that turning an active geopolitical conflict into a children's costume was inappropriate. The controversy was particularly intense because the costume was being sold while violence between Israelis and Palestinians was escalating.Walmart ultimately removed the costume from its website after activist groups objected. The controversy also involved another product sold by Walmart described as a “Sheik Fagin Nose,” which drew complaints from Arab-American organizations over its racial stereotyping..6. Walmart's “Little Amigo” costume — 2015In 2015, Walmart found itself once again facing criticism over a children's Halloween costume called “Little Amigo.”The costume featured a sombrero, a colourful striped serape shirt and a fake moustache. The product page showed a young white boy wearing the outfit and described it as a costume for children to wear for Halloween, school plays, parties and other events. The listing quickly attracted criticism from people who argued that the costume relied on stereotypical depictions of Mexican culture.Walmart removed the $12.99 costume from its website following the backlash. A company representative told E! News that the product had violated Walmart's prohibited-products policy and said it had been sold by a third-party marketplace seller.“We never intend to offend anyone,” the representative said.The company's policy prohibited products that portrayed or promoted derogatory stereotypes based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion or nationality..5. Anne Frank costume — 2017Few Halloween costume controversies have generated quite as much discomfort as the sale of a costume depicting Anne Frank.In 2017, HalloweenCostumes.com sold an outfit featuring a blue dress, green beret and brown shoulder bag. The costume was marketed as a “World War II evacuee” outfit and was also described in some listings as an Anne Frank costume.Frank, the Jewish teenager whose diary documented her family's experience hiding from the Nazis, was eventually captured and died at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1945 at age 15.Critics argued that transforming her into a Halloween costume trivialized the Holocaust and reduced the experience of a real child who was murdered during the Nazi genocide to an outfit for children to wear for fun. The Anti-Defamation League was among those objecting.The retailer ultimately removed the costume following the backlash.The company defended the costume by saying it sold historically accurate clothing for purposes beyond Halloween, including school plays and projects. Nevertheless, the company apologized for any offence and said the outfit had been removed from its website..4. Jeffrey Dahmer costumes — 2022The popularity of Netflix's Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story created another Halloween controversy in 2022.Jeffrey Dahmer murdered 17 people between 1978 and 1991. His crimes included dismemberment and cannibalism, making him one of America's most notorious serial killers.Following the release of the Netflix series, Dahmer-related costumes began appearing online, with some sellers offering items intended to recreate his appearance, including glasses, wigs, clothing and other accessories.The costumes drew criticism because they turned a real serial killer into a Halloween character. The controversy was heightened by the fact that the Netflix series had already prompted debate about whether the victims' families had been adequately considered in dramatizing the crimes.Online marketplace eBay subsequently prohibited listings for Jeffrey Dahmer costumes and related merchandise. The policy meant sellers could not simply market Dahmer's distinctive glasses or clothing as part of a Halloween costume.The controversy also raised a broader question about the commercialization of notorious criminals..3. The Kim Kardashian robbery victim costume — 2016One of the most brazen examples of a retailer turning a recent traumatic event into a Halloween costume came shortly after Kim Kardashian was robbed at gunpoint in Paris in 2016.Online retailer Costumeish began selling a “Parisian Heist Robbery Victim Costume Kit.”The costume included a white robe, black wig, sunglasses, fake gag, rope and a large imitation ring — details that closely echoed reports and photographs surrounding Kardashian's robbery.The costume cost nearly $70 and did not explicitly use Kardashian's name in the product title, but the references were difficult to miss.The backlash was immediate.Critics said the company was making money from a traumatic event that had happened only weeks earlier. The controversy was especially striking because the costume did not merely reference a celebrity's appearance; it recreated the circumstances of an actual violent crime.Costumeish founder Johnathon Weeks defended the product as a commentary on pop culture and said the company was interested in costumes that generated reactions..2. The “Sexy Handmaid's Tale” costume — 2018At number two is perhaps one of the clearest examples of a retailer misjudging the cultural moment.In 2018, costume and lingerie retailer Yandy introduced a “Brave Red Maiden Costume” inspired by The Handmaid's Tale.The costume consisted of a short red dress, matching cloak and white bonnet based on the clothing worn by the women in the television series and Margaret Atwood's novel.The problem was that the handmaid's outfit had become much more than a television costume by that point.The red robes and white bonnets had become widely recognizable symbols used by women protesting abortion restrictions and discussing reproductive rights. In The Handmaid's Tale, the clothing represents a dystopian society in which women are stripped of their rights and forced into sexual servitude.Yandy's decision to turn that imagery into a provocative Halloween costume therefore drew immediate criticism.The company initially defended the outfit but ultimately reversed course and pulled it from its website.“It has become obvious that our Yandy Brave Red Maiden Costume is being seen as a symbol of women's oppression, rather than an expression of women's empowerment,” the company said. Yandy added that this was not its intention..1. The Oscar Pistorius “Blade Gunner” costume — 2017Perhaps one of the most disturbing examples of a Halloween costume sold by a major retailer came in 2017, when Amazon faced backlash over a costume based on disgraced Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius.Pistorius, who competed at the highest levels of international athletics using prosthetic legs, was convicted of murdering his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, in 2014. The case attracted worldwide attention and ultimately resulted in Pistorius being sentenced to more than 13 years in prison.Three years after the conviction, an online retailer was selling a costume that turned the athlete's appearance and criminal case into a Halloween joke.The “Blade Gunner” costume included a green athletic-style uniform, coverings designed to resemble Pistorius' prosthetic legs and a toy gun. The name itself combined Pistorius' nickname, “Blade Runner,” with the word “gunner.”The product description reportedly went even further, advertising the costume as a “Paralympic runner costume” and noting that it was “sure to cause some controversy.”Critics argued that the costume was offensive on multiple levels. It appeared to make light of a real murder while also turning a disability and the use of prosthetic limbs into part of a Halloween joke.Amazon subsequently removed the costume from its website after the backlash.
