Boo! I'm Anna Rexia

Every Halloween, women across the country get dressed up, using the holiday as an excuse to flaunt their bodies. It's a fact, not an opinion. Sexy nurses, sexy cops, sexy pirates, mermaids, hula dancers with coconut bras and genies-in-a-bottle. I've even seen an ad for a Sexy Ghostbuster. Really. And yes, I admit, I've jumped on the "Look at me!" bandwagon, wearing a makeshift Britney Spears costume (Superbowl era), complete with a midriff-baring top, microphone, tight silver leggings striped to look like football pants and an athletic sock on my hand. I was 24, I did it, I'm over it.

But I was recently made aware of a costume being sold that is so offensive, so ridiculous and plain non-sensical that I didn't even believe it was true:

Anna Rexia. It's a "sexy" version of an anorexic, complete with a short, black minidress decorated with a skeleton, a choker-style necklace made to look like a tape measure (with a matching tape measure belt), a red heart badge that reads "Anna Rexia" and a headband that I believe is supposed to look like a bone. All for just $42.95.

This is just so, so sad.

As someone who suffered from anorexia in college, I know the terrible hurt and anguish this disease causes. And it is a disease -- in fact, eating disorders kill more people than any other psychiatric disorder. But can you imagine a Halloween costume making fun of, say, cancer? Or Lupus? Sexy meth addict? Then again, the company that makes Anna Rexia also sells a "Sexy Wet Nurse" costume (ew) and a "Sexy Ms. Mental Patient" outfit, including a long-sleeved shirt with vinyl restraints and Velcro tabs "to allow the arms to be crossed in front," white skirt and BELLEVUE cap. So really, nothing is off-limits. And at least they're equal-opportunists -- Anna Rexia comes in a plus size, too.

Of course, I understand that it's Halloween and lots of us like to play make believe, revealing our secret occupational fantasies (doctor, astronaut) or our wit (my man once dressed as a present, gift tag said "To: Women...From: God"). And yeah, it's fun to be outrageous and even risqué. But I just think making fun of anorexia has become so common, with bloggers creating nicknames for skinny celebs or the phrase "She's totally anorexic!" being tossed around like some sort of catty insult...and now this. Not to mention the horribly destructive Pro-Ana sites lurking in the Web. This costume glamorizes eating disorders, too: Note the woman wearing the dress is extremely curvy and attractive -- two things anorexics are most certainly not.

So do you agree with me? Is the costume insulting? Or could it be construed as "cute" or "clever"? And if it's the latter, then is the "Boo"limia girl-and-toilet combo for couples far behind?

PS This article originally appeared on the Huffington Post.

Comments

Yeah I saw this costume for sale and just kinda sighed to myself. I didn't see any girls dressed up in this at any of the Halloween parties thankfully.

I saw this costume for sale and just kinda sighed to myself. Fortunately I didn't see any girls dressed up in this at any of the Halloween parties over the weekend but was prepared to punch someone in the face if they were in fact wearing it =D

oops didn't mean to put two comments...now this is my third...arg I suck!

It should be called Wanna Rexia which is slang for the girls who want to be anorexic so they can be skinny which is even more insulting in my opinion.

Halloween costumes are insane nowadays. Once I got to high school/college you couldn't be anything without it being "sexy." Even scarier is that this mindset is being marketed to girls as young as 8 with "Sexy Chamber Maid, Witches and Pirate" costumes! Whatever happened to dressing up as a ghost or peanut m&m??

If Halloween costumes are supposed to be scary, I guess the makers of this one have hit their mark. But I don't think that was really their intention. It's just sick and sad.

Rose, I was in a store a few weeks ago looking for costumes for my 6 yr. old son and 4 yr.old daughter, and almost ALL of the girls' costumes were just as you described. And these were for toddlers!

We ended up getting her a cute, sweet fairy princess costume. (my son, btw, is a Starfleet captain. My daughter will be able to wear it in a couple of years!)

Um, did anyone notice when clicking the link that there is also a PLUS SIZE version of this costume? Irony much? Good grief.

Hi Leslie, I think it makes light of a serious disease...and aren't there more (and starting out younger) anorexic girls today than ever? Yeah, how about a costume of a body with lung disease, or cancer... imagine the outcry if those costumes showed up on the shelves! But for some reason, it's glamorize a disease that can stop your heart, literally.

Completely insulting! When I saw this, I wanted to scream. For someone who has been suffering with an ED, this is really disturbing. To market an ED is not ok.

Yes, I heard about this. It's unfortunate and tasteless, but the company has the freedom to make it, still. The tragedy will be if it sells.

i remember when halloween costumes were supposed to be SCARY, or maybe FUNNY. I went clubbing on saturday and was APPALLED at the costumes i saw (sexy chef...REALLY? panties bra an apron and chef hat??) the worst was a girl wearing just panties and a clear raincoat. i dont even know what that was supposed to be. and then all the girls just took pictures of each other all night. I'm 25 and I can't believe how self absorbed and superficial my generation can be. I miss the days where Halloween was just an excuse to dress like a prostitute.

Alyssa and Rose - you are so right about these kids' costumes. Check out
http://www.costumesupercenter.com/category/girls+costumes/occupational.do
It gets worse as you scroll down. So, so ridiculous. Major Flirt?? FRENCH MAID?? These girls are, like, five years old. Crap like this makes me just weep for the future.

Re Sasa's comment "I miss the days where Halloween was just an excuse to dress like a prostitute" - I couldn't have said it better myself.

Don't you mean "I miss the days when halloween WASN'T just an excuse to dress like a prostitute?"

the costumes are too sexy now, i cant believe what some parents allow their eteeenage girls to leave the house waering. I think its so funny that their is a plus size ana rexia costume.

You know, I'm sorry, but I have to say... Some of these "costumes" are better left in the bedroom than out on the streets. Hey, don't get me wrong, if you and your S.O. have a fantasy about a nurse who runs around in a bikini with red cross' over the nips and on the bikini, than by all means, go for it. But do you have to inform everyone of this?

And I hate to say it, I really do, but why is it that the same people who wear these costumes are the same ones who wonder why rape is so prevalent?

BTW... on the October page of my Wild and Wacky Women (or something to that effect) calendar is the following quotes:

Hilarious: "When I was twelve I went as my mother for Halloween. I put on a pair of heels, went door to door, and criticized what everyone else was wearing." -- Robin Bach

Food for thought: "Halloween is a fine American tradition of teaching our children to beg door-to-door dressed as mass murderers and codependent women." -- Cathy Crimmins

I don't care about the "begging", it's her thought about codependent women that gave me pause.

Leslie, those costumes are just hideous! And I couldn't help but notice that all the boys' costumes were things like pilots, fire fighters, astronauts. Nothing short or midriff-baring or flirty. Which leads me to

Monique: when we start objectifying and sexualizing girls at such a young age, it objectifies women even more. Then those girls grow up and objectify themselves, because (I think) they believe that their most important, valuable trait is attractiveness/sexiness. When we are nothing more than sexual objects, rape becomes more prevalent. What do you think? Does that make sense?

BTW, I was at a playground with my kids, and there was a little girl (5 or 6) in a "sexy" Princess Jasmine costume. She was running around, jumping, swinging, just playing, and all I could think about was what if there was some perv lurking about, watching her? And what the HELL were her parents thinking?!?!

Pam, yes! What I meant I miss the days where Halloween was NOT just an excuse to dress like a prostitute. Yikes. I think that's what sasa meant, too. good catch :-)

Yes...that's what I meant to Pam + Leslie... as I've said many times before, I never proofread my work! but i think you got the idea ;)