A plague runs rampant through the campus of Appalachian State University every October. I’m not talking about cold weather or Ebola, but something worse. As the days count down before Halloween, more and more girls start to pull out their mascara and dress up as cats.
Cats, cats, cats. You walk into a Halloween party here at Appalachian and that’s all you see. Why? Why does one animal have the right to take control over all our social media feeds as well as a huge holiday for college students?
“It’s so easy to throw whiskers on your face and buy $1 of ears from Wal-Mart,” sophomore elementary education major Emily Mercer said. “Cats are unoriginal. I miss when you could go out when you were little and see a kid dressed as a washing machine.”
I understand that college students are on a budget, but there are so many other costume options for girls that need to be explored instead of the feline variety.
“You could be Beyonce or even Lady Gaga,” Mercer said. “You can honestly throw on something that you find in your kitchen and say ‘I’m Lady Gaga’.”
Halloween has evolved into being a sexy holiday at the college level, which is completely understandable. Put a bunch of emotionally active guys and girls together and that is bound to happen. What’s so sexy about cats though? They cough up hairballs and pee on rocks in a smelly box.
“I don’t think of sexy when I think of cats,” sophomore mathematics major Benjamin Jones said. “I’m always confused because, are they about to scratch me or something?”
So ladies, don’t dress up as cats this Halloween. Your peers and cats alike will thank you. Please, for the love of all that is spooky.
Story: Casey Wiltgen, Contributor
ME • Nov 6, 2014 at 4:21 pm
Why does this matter so much to you? NOBODY cares, and your examples of other costumes were WEAK. If girls want to dress up as cats they can! Sorry that you’re sick of girls dressing up as cats, but girls are also sick of guys telling them what to do. Also, Ebola jokes? NOT OK.
ASU Senior • Nov 6, 2014 at 10:08 am
Lets just go ahead and ban ebola jokes ok? Ebola is ripping apart families and entire communities of people. That is not appropriate to joke about because I don’t think we would make the same jokes if it was ripping apart OUR lives.
Exasperated Guy • Nov 5, 2014 at 11:34 am
They’re just trying to raise a point that people have become very unoriginal in their costume choices. It’s not just cats; it’s ‘sexy anything’ girls, dressing out in lingerie. If you’re trying to be respected you should act like you’re trying to be respected. I saw the smallest handful of handmade original costumes this year. Almost every girl that I saw, save two or three, was dressed provocatively as a sexy ‘something’, and I saw whole lot of sexy cats. Last year there were some, but this year, it was like 65% of costumes and it made me think,’are any of you people fucking trying?’
ME • Nov 6, 2014 at 4:26 pm
A woman should still get respect no matter what she’s wearing. She is a human being who deserves respect 24/7. Also, guys are equally unoriginal in their costumes, so lets not simply focus on one gender.
Jackie • Nov 4, 2014 at 8:43 pm
As a woman, it would be ignorant of us to think that a majority of us who dress up as cats for Halloween ARE trying to be sexual. Stop thinking that every topic that mentions a girl is misogynistic. That’s selfish.
Not the majority • Nov 4, 2014 at 8:19 pm
I thought it was funny, and wasn’t at all meant in a malicious way. Sorry so many people took it that way, but this guy was just pointing out that a lot of people dressed up as cats, and as sexy versions of things. Both of which are true.
Cas • Nov 4, 2014 at 8:29 am
Comforting to see The Appalachian is continuing its crusade for cultural irrelevance.
anon • Nov 3, 2014 at 11:03 pm
So you don’t think that girls should be cats because it’s not sexy to you? News flash: not all women make their Halloween costumes to turn YOU on. Also, this is college, and we don’t all have an extra $50 to spend on original homemade costumes. So what if some girls puts on a $1 pair of cat ears from Walmart? It may not be a unique costume, but at least they are making an effort to participate in the holiday. This “writer” asks why cats think they have the right to take over Halloween and Instagram. I’m asking why he thinks he has the right to tell women what they can and cannot wear. I’m disgusted that The Appalachian would publish an article as misogynistic as this one. I expect more from this school and my fellow students.
App student • Nov 3, 2014 at 5:56 pm
Listen to yourselves please. This article is obviously supposed to be fun and taken light heartedly. It’s about Halloween costumes for gosh sakes. I’m sure he’s not sexist and didn’t mean to offend anyone.
Helen • Nov 3, 2014 at 11:12 pm
If this was good satire or skillfully written humor, no one would be offended. But, it isn’t. It’s lazy. Here’s a headline for you, crack journalist: Gentlemen, Stop Wearing Sperrys with your Grandfather’s Socks. You All Look the Same and Aren’t Sexy, Just like Grandpa.
ASU Student • Nov 3, 2014 at 5:13 pm
What I learned from this article: The point of Halloween is for young women to dress up in “sexy” costumes and parade around solely for pleasuring young men. As if enough criticism didn’t exist about what Halloween has become to the college community, you decide it’s okay to publish an article directly criticizing young girls for not being sexy…? This is appallingly sexist. Way to further promote the myth that women are put on this planet to serve as eye candy for men. Poor taste, and poorer journalism.
ASU Senior • Nov 3, 2014 at 11:50 am
So sorry, Benjamin, that you don’t think “sexy” when you think “cat”. As a lady, my responsibility when choosing a Halloween costume is NOT to consider whether or not a man will find me to be sexy while wearing it. Just because that is common among -certain- social groups in college does not mean it should be expected, or remarked upon when you feel that your expectations have not been reached.
Casey • Nov 3, 2014 at 11:15 am
Whether or not you care for cats, you still can’t tell people how to dress. If I am so broke that all I can get is witch’s hat or cat ears, who are you to judge me. And if I feel good dressed as something that has already been done, so what? There were a ton of guys dressed in unoriginal costumes, why attack women?
Taylor Sherrill • Nov 3, 2014 at 10:52 am
This article is ridiculous. You could have written about so many other things but if this was truly your only topic then perhaps you could have written about being original this Halloween. Surveying App State students for a quantitative reference, had it proven a high percentage of cat costumes, would have sent the same message across. Whether Halloween is a “sexy” holiday for college students or not, it’s not anyone’s right to shame someone’s costume. Not to mention, there are a lot more costumes of things that also cough up things and pee, not just cats. This article sounds sexist and is not a good representation of what Appalachian State University stands for. The editor should transfer to East Carolina University, then they can at least criticize an out of control riot.
ProofICanCountToFour1234 • Nov 3, 2014 at 10:05 am
What is this garbage and why was it published?