What a viral Halloween costume tells us about phony Gen Z feminism – The Times

Analysis of Halloween Costume Trends and Their Impact on Sustainable Development Goals

A recent analysis of cultural trends, specifically related to Halloween costumes, reveals significant challenges to the advancement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 5 (Gender Equality). A viral social media post featuring a couple dressed as a “hunter” and “prey” (a deer) serves as a case study for examining how popular culture can reinforce harmful stereotypes that undermine global equality targets.

Case Study: The “Hunter and Prey” Costume Trend

A TikTok video by influencer Sierra Petrossi, which garnered over four million views, popularized a couple’s costume theme where the male partner dressed as a hunter and the female partner as a deer. This trend, while widely celebrated online, presents a narrative that directly conflicts with the principles of gender equality.

• The theme portrays the woman as passive, vulnerable prey to be hunted by the male predator.
• This dynamic normalizes the objectification of women, framing them as objects to be pursued and captured.
• The popularity of the trend indicates a widespread acceptance of gender dynamics that are antithetical to the empowerment of women and girls.

Implications for Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender Equality

The themes prevalent in modern Halloween costumes for women present a direct contradiction to the aims of SDG 5, which seeks to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. The analysis identifies several key areas of concern.

Target 5.1: End All Forms of Discrimination

The costume industry often promotes discriminatory gender stereotypes. An examination of popular costume retailers reveals a stark contrast in offerings for men and women.

1. Costumes for Men: Typically represent power, agency, and professionalism (e.g., superheroes, historical figures, non-sexualized characters). These costumes are often designed for modesty and comfort.
2. Costumes for Women: Frequently sexualize and diminish female roles. Common themes include vulnerable animals (bunnies, deer), infantilized characters (Dorothy), or sexualized versions of “caring” professions (nurses, maids). These designs emphasize physical objectification through high hemlines and low bustlines.

This disparity perpetuates discriminatory stereotypes about the roles and value of men and women in society, hindering progress towards ending all forms of discrimination.

Target 5.2: Eliminate All Forms of Violence Against All Women and Girls

While costumes are not a direct form of violence, they contribute to a culture that normalizes the vulnerability and objectification of women. The “hunter and prey” dynamic is particularly concerning as it romanticizes a predator-prey relationship, which can desensitize society to the underlying ideologies that contribute to gender-based violence. The feminist theory articulated in Carol J. Adams’s The Sexual Politics of Meat, which links the objectification of animals and women, finds a modern expression in this trend. By cosplaying as victims, women are rehearsing a power dynamic that SDG 5 aims to dismantle.

Relevance to Other Sustainable Development Goals

The issue extends beyond SDG 5, touching upon other interconnected global goals.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

The power fantasies rehearsed through Halloween costumes reflect and reinforce broader societal inequalities. Men are encouraged to embody strength and dominance, while women are channeled into roles of submission, helplessness, or decorative value. This cultural practice contributes to the perpetuation of the power imbalances that SDG 10 seeks to reduce.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

A culture that celebrates the symbolic “hunting” of women is inconsistent with the principles of a just and peaceful society. Normalizing such themes undermines the social fabric required to build institutions that protect all individuals equally. The idea that such choices are “empowering” reflects a misunderstanding of feminist principles and highlights a need for greater education on what constitutes genuine empowerment versus the performance of misogynistic rites.

Conclusion

The analysis of contemporary Halloween costume trends indicates that popular cultural practices can act as significant barriers to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The widespread acceptance of costumes that objectify women and reinforce harmful gender stereotypes, particularly the “hunter and prey” theme, directly undermines progress on SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). Addressing these cultural norms is essential for fostering a society that supports the empowerment, safety, and equality of all individuals.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The primary Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) connected to the issues in the article is:

• SDG 5: Gender Equality

  The article directly addresses the core principles of SDG 5 by examining and critiquing the social norms, stereotypes, and cultural practices that perpetuate the objectification and disempowerment of women. It discusses how Halloween costumes reinforce harmful gender roles, where women are often portrayed as “prey,” “vulnerable,” or “a winking piece of meat,” while men are depicted in roles of power like hunters or superheroes. This analysis of misogyny as “the issue that woke forgot” and the critique of a “victimhood fetish” are central to the goal of achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the article’s focus on cultural norms and stereotypes, the following specific targets under SDG 5 can be identified:

• Target 5.1: End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere.

  The article highlights a form of cultural discrimination by describing the stark difference between costumes marketed to men and women. It notes that for women, there is an “array of caring roles” like a “sexy nurse” or “sexy maid,” with “high hemlines” and “low bustlines.” In contrast, men’s costumes are “positively church-ready,” depicting powerful figures. This perpetuates discriminatory stereotypes that limit women to objectified or subservient roles, which is a form of discrimination that Target 5.1 aims to end.

• Target 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation.

  While the article does not discuss physical violence directly, it addresses the cultural underpinnings that can normalize it. The viral “hunter and prey” costume trend, where a woman dresses as a deer and her boyfriend as a hunter, is presented as a dangerous fantasy that glamorizes violence against women. The author argues, “There is precisely nothing radical about rehearsing your own victimhood.” This normalization of women as objects to be “hunted” relates to the cultural attitudes that can foster sexual exploitation and violence, which Target 5.2 seeks to eliminate.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article does not mention official SDG indicators, but it implies several qualitative and quantitative indicators that could be used to measure progress towards the identified targets:

• Implied Indicator for Target 5.1: Prevalence of gender-stereotyped roles and objectification in commercial products and media.

  The article provides a clear way to measure this by referencing the inventory of costume retailers like “Spirit Halloween (America’s top costume retailer).” An analysis of the types of costumes available for men versus women—comparing themes of power, modesty, and sexualization—could serve as an indicator of prevailing discriminatory norms. The article’s observation that women’s costumes are overwhelmingly “sexy” while men’s are not suggests a tangible metric for tracking stereotypes in the marketplace.

• Implied Indicator for Target 5.2: Prevalence of cultural narratives that normalize or glamorize the victimhood or objectification of women.

  The article points to the viral TikTok post of the “hunter and prey” costume, which received “Four million views,” as a specific example of a cultural product that normalizes harmful dynamics. Tracking the popularity (views, likes, comments) and content of social media trends that portray women in vulnerable or objectified situations can serve as an indicator. The author’s concern over the “victimhood fetish” on display at Halloween suggests that monitoring these cultural expressions is a way to measure the persistence of attitudes that underpin exploitation.

4. SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Table

Source: thetimes.com