-
Ever wanted an RSS feed of all your favorite gaming news sites? Go check out our new Gaming Headlines feed! Read more about it here.
Sexy ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ Costumes Just Hit The Internet (READ OP)
- Thread starter Taki
- Start date
Wouldn't it just be a little red dress?, it's already a pretty tame outfit if you don't know what it's meant to be.
User Banned (2 Days): Personal attacks against another member
This must be the most ridiculous post I have ever read on ERA. I am imagining you being married....and telling your wife you never ever want to have sex again because you watched a fictional TV show. I'm sure she'll be grateful.
Not that I actually think you are married...or in a relationship...because if you were you would have never written that dumb shit.
You would think that at the very least the show would make people want to pick the book up and give it a shot. So odd to me.
Dude, you are taking what I said way too seriously. The point is, I have never once conflated sexiness with the fucking handmaid's tale. I've never sat and watched it and been like "Oh man, if only Elizabeth Moss and all the other girls had a tight miniskirt on, that'd be so hot." Rather, I'm usually too revulsed and horrified by what's happening to be in that mindset, even after the show is over. The type of sexuality in that show is meant to be disgusting 90% of the time, so yeah, I'm sure a lot of people aren't exactly running out to bone right after watching it.
But you're right. I will literally never have sex again just because of the handmaid's tale. I am now effectively celibate. Yeesh.
The first season is amazing television, the second season never quite reaches those heights but is still really watchable. It strays from the source quite a bit in season 2.
I also never conflated sexiness with the Handmaid's tale, but I also never needed pathetic hyperboles to get that point across. so next time you want to make that clear. you might actually start out with what you just wrote instead of 'I never want to have sex again'. It's like you are trying to win the ERA award for most upset member. Yeesh.
i haven't watched it but i heard there's only 1 book right? all of season 2 is original script i thought.
also do you guys think a sexy walter white costume is bad taste?
Yikes. I'm just going to assume you're having a rotten day and leave it at that.
It's not that bad is it, I thought most said it was wrong, a few like me don't really know much about the story didn't really have a gut reaction to it, and a couple of pervs who only care if it's sexy or not.
Because it's a famous, Booker Prize-winning novel, often considered a pillar of dystopian fiction alongside Nineteen-Eighty-Four and Brave New World, that has been adapted multiple times to a variety of media.
Of course there is but we dislike that any opinion we have is swept under the rug much like on GAF to follow whatever suits the world view of the male poster. I mean we clearly understand and experience these issues daily so taking offence at a vile costume shouldn't be something major but case in point:
Here with have a man saying something on the surface seems rather pro women and not wholly negative. However it completely misses the point of many key issues that women face in society. For example being told how and how not to dress, his viewpoint that upping the sex appeal makes it empowering is completely out of touch. I would never consider wearing anything like this whilst yes I don't seek male approval for what I wear saying a sex slave outfit is empowering is disgusting.
Here we have Morrigan stating quite rightly why this is an issue which shouldn't need explaining but apparently as in the case of this thread that is yet again proven wrong.
Yet again we have a man explain it's only just a costume with the hand waving a women explaining clearly the issue by basically using a not all women argument. The point isn't it being too sexy we can wear what we want where we want the issue is what it stands for.
So that's why there's very little female presence in the thread as we tell our viewpoint only to be shouted down by men with basic arguments that go nowhere. It was the exact same on GAF as well, because heaven forbid we have an opinion on why xyz is bad, and doesn't coddle you to your world view. If you think making a costume that represents institutionalised rape and extreme violence against women "sexy" it's not empowering it just suits your male gaze nothing more nothing less. Sure you could argue differently but who am I but a woman who apparently can't express a basic common sense viewpoint without men telling me I'm wrong.
User banned (permanently) for downplaying sexism and inflammatory false equivalences + account in junior phase
People have different views about this, and you're free to express your view, and there are many others that agree with you.
But you complain about being shouted down, and yet you deem that not only is your view the only one that should be expressed, but that you claim a person cannot take a position because they are a man.
Not only that but you also attack the posters by saying 'here we have a man' or 'yet again we have a man'.
Aren't you are doing a similar thing that you claim is being done against women posting in the thread.
No it is not the same thing that is simply stating basic facts. They are male are they not? It is not stating they can't take that position because they are male but stating that they shouldn't belittle us when we explain why it is actually bad. Is explaining why something viewed from the male gaze is not a viable option when it comes to an issue that profoundly affects women? Or would you prefer something else?
Seem like the people in this thread who object that it's utterly outrageous that anyone would police what women might wear on Halloween... are all men. Huh.
Maybe that's because women know they could toss on a red dress and a pilgrim's hat all on their own if they were dead set on cosplaying oppression for the lols without a half-assed smarmy company needing to profit off their lack of taste too.
Maybe that's because women know they could toss on a red dress and a pilgrim's hat all on their own if they were dead set on cosplaying oppression for the lols without a half-assed smarmy company needing to profit off their lack of taste too.
This is a thread about a costume that sexually objectifies women from a show about brutal female oppression. Admitting that you do not know or understand the themes of the show while at the same time praising the costume adds nothing to the discussion and ignores the topic at hand. Further posts like this will be moderated as drivebys.
If it exist there will be a sexy version of it, or that appears to be the case. Most people who see this will probably think it's Amish.
i'm right here... you know you can refer to me directly.
ok, i understand and respect that you feel that way.
since i'm not a guy, i can't really disagree with you because i've no idea what it's actually like to be a woman.
however, your view seems to be just one of many (nuanced) views on what seems to be a controversial topic. as a guy, it's not my place to tell women, or really anyone, what to wear and how to feel about things. i can, however, try and understand the reasons why people would feel the various ways they'd feel about this subject and not immediately vilify halloween costume wearers.
out of curiosity, i queried twitter to see how people feel about this issue... and it really hasn't been hard to find people with varying feelings. even beyond my original guess that maybe the costume was justifiable as the concrete image of a "revolt against oppression."
https://twitter.com/search?q=handmaids+tale+costume&ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^search
turns out "women" does not represent a monolith. also turns out that, while there are pro- and anti- sides, people seem to have different reasons for being on each side.
morrigan and you have a very strong view on the subject that clearly doesn't represent the way 100% of humanity feels. it's a completely valid view, but as i keep saying, others definitely have their own reasons for wearing this costume.
if someone wears this costume on halloween with the intent of trying to make institutionalized rape "sexy," then obviously that's fucked up. and there are totally some fucked up people in this world. but i would guess that most women who would've wanted to wear this costume have other reasons to wear this costume that are not to normalize and promote institutionalized rape. i think we're better off understanding their good intentions rather than trying to paint all supporters of this costume as supporters or facilitators of institutionalized rape.
this isn't a nazi costume. this is an image that has a lot of literature behind it. a lot of people who derive their own meanings out of the books or show based on their worldview and past experiences. literature's interpreted and extended many ways.
well, literally, not all women seem to have the same viewpoint on this issue.
you place great weight on what you believe the costume stands for. others place great weight on other things about the costume, and many likely don't believe the costume stands for what you're saying it stands for.
well, sorry if you think i'm shouting all women down. i just think it's dumb to completely throw out everyones' arguments and pretend like yours is the only correct one that everyone else should agree with or be a terrible person.
and literally nobody in this thread is disagreeing with anyone or anything on the basis that someone is a woman.
There is. We're disgusted by this conduct in this thread and I personally reported posts in this thread.
I think that the costume is just tone-deaf and gross, personally. Like, no one is going to wear that costume without knowing the context behind it, unless it's purchased for them by someone else, which itself is a whole other can of worms. It's all super creepy to me.
The dress in the show (using the show here, because a) visual representation, and b) not read the book yet) is a symbol of the Patriarchy. So, yes, the dress represents all those things that Gakidou said. That said, I think the next question is: does buying the dress reinforce the Patriarchy? And, follow-up questions: Do consenting adults who roleplay scenarios involving the dress reinforce the Patriarchy, or does having fun supersede any societal implications? Does being ignorant of what the dress represents - partially or wholly - excuse people from using it? Are men who request their partners use it secretly wishing for rape-fantasy scenarios, or do they just like the idea of a woman consenting to being entirely compliant whilst showing some skin, and the red is a nice colour?
Edit: Re-reading, that comes across very "Just asking questions". I didn't posit answers, because I'm not really certain in some cases, and in others it varies. So...
1) Does buying the dress reinforce the Patriarchy? This is like one of those things where it could go either way - it can either become parody, defanging the dress in all its uses, or normalise it... Which would be very bad and very gross.
2) Does being ignorant of what the dress represents - partially or wholly - excuse people from using it? I would say if they want to use it in the bedroom, then knowing what it represents doesn't matter. But as a Halloween costume, it feeds into my answer for 1).
3) Are men who request their partners use it secretly wishing for rape-fantasy scenarios, or do they just like the idea of a woman consenting to being entirely compliant whilst showing some skin, and the red is a nice colour? Not all men (*sigh* #ICan'tBelieveISaidThat) want rape fantasy, and I know some women who totally go-in on the sub/dom compliant slave RP that this dress brings, but there's no doubt that some men do know what the dress represents and would want rape fantasy.
Last edited:
Yeah... Definitely in poor taste. Of course as are many Halloween costumes these days. I wouldn't be caught near it but if somebody does get it, that's definitely up to their discretion.
Do we really need to explain to women who find this objectional that they don't represent all women?
Thank God, I really didnt want to have to return this dress.
That is the whole crux of your response though that because other women disagree we are wrong. Of course we aren't a monolith that is common sense but to say that our viewpoint has no merit from a couple of tweets. You have said you are a man and can't possibly understand yet it is perfectly fine for you to disregard something when you can pluck viewpoints to suit your narrative. You could have basically gone "I don't understand but let me tell you how you we're wrong when talking about objectification".
If a women wanted to dress up as a sexualised handmaiden she could have easily done so this is not some advanced level of costumery or haberdashery. To say that when a corporation feels it is fine to export the suppression of women under the guise of "it's a laugh everything is sexy at Halloween, some women will wear it regardless of the message or meaning". Defending that is quite frankly abhorrent, nobody who wears this is going to not understand the implications behind it.
If it was sexy rape victim (which quite frankly it is) then it would be horrifying and there would be quite rightly uproar. However it's not labelled as such this thread is full of "It's just a sexy costume etc" statements with no understanding of the source material or what it represents severe violence and objectification towards women.
Last edited:
YES BABY, DIRECTLY BY THE DRESS
JUST LIKE HOW GUNS FLOAT AROUND AND KILL PEOPLE ALL ON THEIR OWN WITHOUT A MAN OR A CONFLICT
I WAS DEFINITELY REFERRING TO PILES OF FABRIC THAT EXIST IN A VACUUM WITHOUT ANY INDICATION OF MARKETING CONTEXT AND CREATIVE INTENT
WHAT EVEN IS A DRESS? WHAT ARE WOMEN? WHAT IS A CULTURE? IF ONLY ANYONE KNEW
cmon bro try to have a think, trust me its fun. You might say, its......... empowering? 8>
There are dozens of us! Dozens!
On a more serious note, I don't watch the show because the very idea horrifies me. I don't even want to read the book. I thought it was meant to be a cautionary tale of what women could lose if we don't keep fighting and the subsequent rise of women against a society designed to enslave them, but the impressions I've heard of the show tell me it's actually really just torture porn that revels in hurting women for entertainment. I've even heard people say that this show isn't for you if you expect to see the women rebel against their slavers because they won't. I don't know how you could even watch a show like that.
This costume is just more proof that most people don't even get the book's message at all and just watch the show because it's violent or messed up.
Yes, nothing says sexy and female empowerment like enslaved rape victim :I
Sometimes ideas should be left as intangible thoughts.
Sometimes ideas should be left as intangible thoughts.
Uhhh...this is creepy and gross. I read they took it down tho so that's good. I wouldn't feel comfortable seeing this worn anywhere.