Halloween costumes -- where is the taste line drawn?

[Bullgrit]

This being the season for costume parties, I'm seeing some news items lately that show various people in what the media (or someone) label as "offensive" or "insensitive".

One article showed a white celebrity costumed and apparently made up to look like a black character on a TV show. Her make up was labeled "black face", but her face wasn't black, it was more like a light tan. As I don't know the celebrity, (nor the character she was portraying), before reading the article, I didn't know the color wasn't normal for her, or how accurate it was to the character. Should people stick to their own race for a character costume?

A couple years ago, one of the British princes dressed in a Nazi uniform for a costume party. There was a lot of uproar about it. The problem struck me as odd. He could have dressed as the devil, an axe murderer, a zombie, a medieval executioner, and no one would have had a problem. But somehow Nazi is over the line?

Where do you drawn the line for good taste in a Halloween costume? What if you went to a Halloween costume party. What would you consider a bad taste costume?

Bullgrit

 

[Kramodlog]

People need to understand that there is no right to not be offended.

 

[Zombie_Babies]

People need to understand that there is no right to not be offended.

Yup. There is no line.

 

[sabrinathecat]

In England, "Black face" seems to be anything to do with darkening one's complexion.
I have no interest in seeing anyone dressed up as a giant reproductive organ, but that's about it.

 

[Hand of Evil]

Blackface is just in bad taste, just get a rubber mask of the person and it is then okay...as long as you are not doing something offensive.

Anything Nazi is in bad taste, just don't risk it.

Body parts, no problem...people seem to like big body parts.

Guys in drag, classic funny and girls are not offended by it for some reason and even will be feeling the guy up when they do.

 

[gamerprinter]

Halloween costumes... while I'm not a fan of every costume idea, I don't consider any line not to cross as even existing. Halloween is all about pretending to be someone else. If you're doing that, why would there be some political line somewhere. The point of Halloween originally is almost to defy politics. Why change that to be "PC", screw "PC", I say.

 

[Kramodlog]

Anything Nazi is in bad taste, just don't risk it.

Wut!? They had great taste in costumes and symbols. And they make awesome vilains!

 

[Zombie_Babies]

Wut!? They had great taste in costumes and symbols. And they make awesome vilains!

Yeah, they were a really stylish little troupe.

 

[Morrus]

The point of Halloween originally is almost to defy politics.

Do what, now? The point of Halloween originally is a religious day to remember the dead, and to remember saints (All Hallow's Day is also known as All Saints Day in some religious circles). It has nothing to do with defying politics.

 

[Morrus]

Wut!? They had great taste in costumes and symbols. And they make awesome vilains!

[video=youtube;ToKcmnrE5oY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToKcmnrE5oY[/video]