10. Old Spice Guy: The man your man can smell like is now the man your man can look like. The setup is simple: just wrap a white towel around your waist and shamelessly flaunt your body. If you don’t have much to offer in the appearance department, don’t fear. More crucial to the success of this costume are the suave mannerisms: an eyebrow cocked up the whole night, extensive use of the word “ladies” in a low baritone and the ability to change scenery in seconds. This shirtless costume is sure to win the ladies. Just ask Katy Ferron ’14, who spoke on behalf of the female population. “Every girl wants a man like the Old Spice man,” she said.
9. BP Cleanup Crewman: In arguably the biggest news story of the year, the Deepwater Horizon disaster spilled more than 100 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, igniting enormous public outrage over the damage to the Gulf Coast, tourism industry and wildlife. Take the heat on your Halloween evening as a BP cleanup crewman. Splatter oil on a jumpsuit and add a creative touch by wearing signs around your neck along the lines of, “We’re doing the best we can,” or “Everyone makes mistakes.” To avoid the irony, take special care not to repeatedly spill beer this Halloween.
8. Campaign Advertisement for Proposition 19: The saving grace of stoners and free-rights proponents everywhere, Proposition 19 legalizes more marijuana-related activities and allows local governments to regulate these activities. Wear your opinion on this controversial proposition on Halloween night, only three days before official voting polls open. Take advantage of the ability to be creative in expressing your opinion. Assume a stoner look with a sign around your neck urging, “Yes on 19.” Or, mimic a drug-cartel leader or sketchy drug dealer bearing a sign that begs, “No on 19.”
7. Jan Brewer: Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer propelled herself into the national spotlight with her stamp of approval on the highly controversial Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act. The law makes it a misdemeanor for an alien to be in Arizona without carrying the required documents, which has critics of the legislation outraged over its implications of racial profiling. Her subsequent gaffes during the Arizona gubernatorial debate and her unsubstantiated claims that Arizona’s “law enforcement agencies have found bodies in the desert either buried or just lying out there that have been beheaded” have led to her infamous public exposure. Attain the Brewer look by dressing in business attire and orange-ing your skin into the subtle sheen of a fake tan.
6. Lady Gaga: Taking over the pop genre with a wave of chart-topping singles and headline-grabbing antics, Lady Gaga has rocked the 2010 music industry with her inimitable personality, spirit and fashion. No one expects (and everyone hopes) you choose a Gaga attire aside from her dress made entirely out of meat, and there are plenty of other options. Be creative; consider the use of fishnets, boots, geometric designs, wacky hairdos, aluminum, animal fur, animal skin, animal feces (wait, what?), capes and wild makeup. As Megan McKoy ’14 points out, “The beautiful part about this costume is that you can basically dress up as anything strange and flamboyant and get away with calling yourself Lady Gaga.”
5. Chad Ochocinco’s Twitter Feed: Chad Ochocinco, wide reciever for the Cincinnati Bengals and host of the VH1 dating show “The Ultimate Catch,” seems to stir up controversy every time he opens his mouth or Twitter account. His Twitter page houses his many random thoughts, insults and emboldened accusations as they pop into his head. Think you’re addicted to Twitter? The professional football player can’t seem to get enough social media this year, absorbing a fine of $25,000 for tweeting within 90 minutes of his NFL game. Throw on Ochocinco’s jersey and tape strips of paper quoting his unique Twitter observations all over the uniform. Your creativity is sure to score points in a costume competition.
4. The Cast of “Jersey Shore”: Let’s face it: you won’t be the only Snooki at your Halloween party this year. The laughable caricatures of MTV’s reality show “Jersey Shore” are simply too outrageous with their petty arguments and larger-than-life personalities to be overlooked as this year’s go-to costume. Guys: Throw on an Ed Hardy muscle tee, refuse to remove your aviator glasses and apply gratuitous amounts of hair gel. Ladies: Show off a fake spray tan in your choice of a distastefully low-cut, revealing dress. Besides, even if you don’t enjoy watching “Jersey Shore,” you can still rep it on Hallow’s Eve. Shamika Goddard ‘11, who has never seen an episode of the reality show admits, “I wouldn’t be caught dead watching “Jersey Shore,” but I wouldn’t mind bumpin’ it up [like Snooki’s bob]!”
3. Antoine Dodson: Dodson became one of the biggest Internet sensations of 2010, earning his claim to fame from his use of street vernacular and ardent style of delivery during a local television interview after an alleged attempted rape of his sister. In true entrepreneurial spirit, Dodson responded to his newfound popularity by subsequently retailing T-shirts and apparel and releasing his (surprisingly catchy) single “Bed Intruder Song” in order to raise money to move his family out of the projects. Dodson even set up a foundation for juvenile diabetes, a disease that has afflicted both his sister and his mother. If you don’t want to make donations, you can still pay tribute to one of the most well-known Internet-figures of 2010 by dressing up as him in his trademark black wife beater with a red-bandana combination.
2. Tiger Woods, Post-Scandal: In 2010, it became known that Tiger Woods was as good a player off the golf course as he was on it. Evidence surfaced of the golf player’s numerous affairs; his subsequent divorce from wife Elin Nordegren left Elin with $750 million dollars and Tiger with an ignominious public image. Recall this messy 2010 affair by dressing yourself as the new public image of Tiger Woods, leaving his traditional Nike golf attire wrinkled and unbuttoned with lipstick smears. Robbie Zimbroff ’12 agreed that “this costume should just be used as an excuse to get with as many women as possible.”
1. Willow Smith: Daughter of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett, Willow Smith burst onto the musical scene with the release of her hit single “Whip My Hair” under Jay-Z’s Roc Nation label. Comparisons to Rihanna ensued, and it was only a matter of weeks before the catchy tune of “Whip My Hair” rang throughout Stanford’s dorm halls. Show some love for the 9-year-old’s early musical success by emulating her out-there sense of fashion as your Halloween costume. Careful, though. Willow has quickly gained tremendous popularity, so this costume idea may err on the side of unoriginality. Kevin Roberts ’13 warns, “As far as whipping your hair, I’m all up for that as long as you don’t break your neck. But I personally wouldn’t want to walk around Stanford looking like a hundred other people who dressed as Willow Smith.”