I don’t find Germany incredibly capitalist. I suppose it’s because at its core and surface level socialist policies are so strongly interwoven. Capitalism brings so much frustration and the feeling of constantly wanting and spending more.
While I have grown accustomed to it, in all honesty, there are times I miss indulging in the treat-yourself mood, especially when extremely commercialized holidays and events are around the corner, like Halloween. While I have never celebrated Halloween, I think over the years it has grown into something more. It is almost like a mega fancy dress party. It is the one night most people feel comfortable about getting creative, while simultaneously striking a balance with the social and political climate.
These are my top picks for Halloween creative costumes:
The Overly Done Body Job
I think plastic surgery has become so popular that getting work done (once finances are sorted, of course) has become such a relatively easy decision to make. I think now more than ever we live in a society where image has become such a primary thing to focus on. We are inundated with images daily on social media sites and are also exposed to very aggressive advertising on a large scale. This costume can easily be a DIY effort once your makeup skills are ace and you have a few toilet rolls to spare.
Climate Change
This might take a little more effort dependent on what aspect of climate change you are looking to portray but there is no denying this is a highly relevant costume given the amount of global protests we have seen for the year. My pick for this one would be something targeting the rising sea levels or the heatwaves.
Something Political
The least we can do with all the dreadful political news we receive on a daily basis is process it with a bit of humour. But I find just dressing like a politician to be a bit overplayed. I think narrowing it down to specific issues makes it cheekier and more thought provoking. I think a whistle blower costume might be ideal if you’re going for American politics, a briefcase model with words ‘NO DEAL’ if you’re aiming at British politics (as per Brexit) or you can go as a certificate to take a shot at Guyanese politics.
While these holidays and events have gotten incredibly capitalistic, they can still be fun and interesting, if anything we need them to lighten the tension that comes from surviving in this mad world.
