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Choosing the right Halloween costume can be a lengthy and difficult process. There are so many ideas you can choose from including funny costumes, racy costumes, pun costumes, fancy costumes, or those amazing show-stopper costumes that would make any professional Cosplayer drop to their knees with praise.
There is, however, one fact that seems to remain a constant over the years. Celebrities are bad at choosing their Halloween costumes. This was a difficult lesson that Riverdale actress Lili Reinhart had to learn the hard way after posting a costume idea that she had on Twitter, which received a great deal of backlash from internet users everywhere. Why?
The costume Reinhart chose was of a white model dressed almost entirely in black makeup, reminiscent of blackface, a very outdating racist trend that white people used to dress up and look like people of different races or colours for comedic purposes. These minstrel shows were popular in the 1930s, not in 2017.
Although her costume idea isn’t as extreme as this, many Twitter users responded with criticism, saying that although it wasn’t intentional, Lili Reinhart’s idea could be taken negatively. Some responded with remarks that people shouldn’t be so quick to assume something is racist.
Lili Reinhart quickly removed the photo from her Twitter account and released a message of apology that fans seemed to find very understanding, even unnecessary.
Most agreed that she hadn’t intended the costume idea to be offensive, and instead was trying to make a joke about the condition of her jaded personality. In today’s society, recent events have caused people to look at things with a more critical eye, which in turn has created a culture of opening up discussion about important topics like racism and discrimination.
Reinhart, who is set to return to Riverdale as ‘Betty Cooper in Season 2 will likely think twice about her costume ideas next year.
CW | Archie Comics
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