Sexy 'Handmaid's Tale' Halloween costume pulled after public outrage
Yandy, a popular online lingerie and adult Halloween costumes retailer, has gained popularity for taking things too far. Its new costume, this Halloween, was the 'Brave Red Maiden' dress. It is a reference to 'Handmaid's Tale', the popular show on Hulu. The costume, which cost around $65, was received poorly by people, who thought it was inappropriate and distasteful. Here's what happened.
What was this controversial Halloween outfit?
Yandy's idea of sexy entailed a slit red cloak with a hood, paired with a mini-dress and white bonnet. The costume is directly inspired by the 'Handmaid's Tale' and Yandy acknowledged it in its product description. The description read, "An upsetting dystopian future has emerged where women no longer have a say. However, we say be bold and speak your mind in this."
Costumes with contexts should be used carefully
While Yandy thought it was selling just a Halloween costume, it should have paid attention to the context of the costume on the show. In the series inspired by Margaret Atwood's dystopian tale of state-sanctioned misogyny, women's only job is to bear children. The red garb that Yandy's costume, referred to, was worn by women, who were forced into surrogacy in the show.
Backlash follows swiftly from the Twitterati
Unsurprisingly, all the woke Twitterati condemned Yandy's product which appeared to promote oppression. One of them said that since society did not take the rape of real women seriously, it was, unsurprising, they would take the rape of fictional women seriously either. Another user commented that Yandy's product made them sick and someone, at the company, should have pointed out how wrong it was.
Yandy completely misses the point
Containing the fire, Yandy issues an apology
Yandy issued a statement apologizing for the product mishap. It said its belief was that the dress promoted female empowerment and not oppression. It further asserted that it always wanted its customers to feel comfortable in their own skins as the company's motto is 'own your sexy'. In its clarification, Yandy claimed that its corporate ideology is rooted in female and gender empowerment.
Yandy makes peace with the Twitterati
Dear Yandy, oppression was never the new sexy
The signature red capes in 'Handmaid's Tale' have been appropriated into women's resistance. In this light, Yandy's product was poorly thought out. In a show, where the scarlet costume marks the reduction of women into objects, making a sexy Halloween version promotes further objectification and ruins any protest value, it might hold. It absolutely doesn't promote empowerment as the company wants us to believe.
