If you went out this “Halloweekend,” you probably noticed two major costume trends dominating the parties you attended. First: pop culture. The media and current events influence costume decisions, especially celebrities that are known for dressing outrageously in their daily lives. So, if you happened to observe several Lady Gagas, commemorative Michael Jacksons, and Ed Hardy-clad Jon Gosselins, I wouldn’t be surprised in the least. Recognizable, memorable moments in pop culture resonate with people, and imitation is the best form of flattery… or mockery.

The other trend I noticed this weekend — which has pretty much left trend territory and become a permanent concept — is the lack of a costume for girls. It has become not only accepted, but also expected, for girls to show as much leg, cleavage, or stomach as possible — sometimes showing all three in just one costume. Gone are the days of our childhood when we dressed as adorable pumpkins, princesses, and kittens. Gone are the days of creativity and the element of disguise that Halloween formerly entailed. Nowadays, if a girl dresses as a pumpkin for Halloween, it means she’s wearing a skin-tight orange leotard and black fishnet stockings. If she’s dressed as a kitten, the lengthiest article of clothing she’s wearing is the tail. Girls still occasionally show some creativity with their hair and make-up, but Halloween has become a time for college girls to replace taste with trash. False eyelashes, glitter, hair up to there, shirts that could probably double as lingerie… and it seems as though everyone is trying to one-up each other, get the most attention, and be even sluttier than the half-naked girl next to them.

Maybe I’m old-fashioned. After all, I’m someone who prefers to stay in on the weekends watching Flight of the Conchords and drinking Coke Zero. I always wear a helmet when I ride my bike. And I’d much rather listen to The Beatles than Beyonce. The party scene has just never been my thing. Moreover, it disappoints and discourages me to see my peers — intelligent, interesting girls my age — completely demean themselves, stumbling through Powelton Village in the highest heels and the shortest skirts. Why do women forget to respect themselves on October 31^st? Sure, most girls go to parties on other weekends, too, but from what I’ve observed, they dress much more modestly when there’s no special occasion… or excuse.

Perhaps I’m judging too harshly. After all, Halloween is an opportunity to break out of one’s comfort zone, becoming someone who drastically differs from your regular identity. Which brings me to another point: it seems that most costumes that girls wear fall into two categories: professions or re-imagined childhood looks. In regards to the former, it’s common to see girls dressed as policewomen, firewomen, athletes, referees, maids; anything you can think of, there’s a shorter, tighter version of it available on Halloween. For the latter, you might see girls dressed as princesses, animals, fairies, Barbies, and all things seemingly innocent, like Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz or Little Bo Peep. I find it disturbing to see the concept of childhood so brazenly sexualized, and the distortion of professional uniforms into something that barely resembles their inspiration is simply degrading to women. Why do women dress as slutty doctors, when we are all capable of going to medical school? Why do we dress as cops as we ironically partake in illegal activities? Why does society sexualize everything, right down to the most innocent fairytale characters? The concept of women as sex objects is not a new one — through societal influences, women are taught that the less clothing they wear, the more attention they’ll receive — but in the past few years, it seems that this long-lasting trend has reached a new extreme. Costumes have come to resemble nothing at all; it appears to me that most girls leave their houses dressed in black underwear, plop a pair of cat ears on their head, and call it a kitten costume. Replace the cat ears with devil’s horns, and boom, you’re sexy Satan. Girls seem to be clones of one another, each one wearing less clothing than the last. What’s going to happen next year? Body paint, and no clothing whatsoever?

Meanwhile, men, unaware and unaffected by the societal pull toward all things inappropriately sexual, still have the right idea, for the most part. When I see frat boys dressed as Michael Jackson, Jon Gosselin, heck, even Lady Gaga, it gives me hope. It makes me believe that maybe one day, women will set the stilettos aside and pick up some fabric and make a hilarious, creative, and appropriate costume, just like many of us did when we were younger. The influence of pop culture on Halloween can be positive, or it can lead to something distasteful. Humorous costumes inspired by celebrities are one thing, but taking the lead from Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, and Lindsay Lohan does not reflect the strong, smart women we are. We’ve come so, so far. Why revert back to outdated concepts of women as over-sexualized, submissive beings? We’re college students. Let’s show the world we’ve learned something, something that doesn’t have to do with sex.

Julia Perch is a junior at Drexel University studying English. She is currently the editorial co-op student for the Drexel Publishing Group and the managing editor of DPG Online. She can be reached at pg@drexel.edu