Dumb it down for us. When marketing to men, too many advertisers forego thoughtful or creative marketing ploys, instead opting for prepubescent humor. A symbol of all things masculine, they tack on phalluses to their products, hoping to snag the male market. Do companies really think men are this simple?

Apart from being Breast Cancer Awareness month, October is the season for trick-or-treaters, haunted houses and Halloween parties. It means buying candy in bulk, digging up last year’s spooky decor, and combing through costume racks for something to wear. It’s also the time of year women face an ultimatum from costumer designers: either go sexy, or go home.

Many people do enjoy the playful sexuality that Halloween can bring, and the fact that it’s briefly socially acceptable to bare some more skin. But those seeking a more modest approach will be hard-pressed to find anything worth wearing, unless they’re plus-sized. This gallery shows the limited styles (and limited coverage) of Halloween costumes for women.

His & Hers

Standard for him, sexy for her.

Growing Up & Stripping Down

Taking the innocence out of childhood icons.

Prepping the Next Generation

Sexy costumes for teens.

Not only do these flash a lot of skin for presumably underage girls, but the nature of the costumes is often questionable, as well. The Texas Hold ‘Em outfit, for instance, shows a man’s hands cupping her breasts all night, while the Beer Wench sponsors a drink teens can’t even buy yet. The Playboy costumes mark girls with the symbol of a porn empire, while outfits like the Sexy Asian and the Sexy Mexican are rooted in ethnic stereotype.

These are all sold to adults as well, and often feature adult models, encouraging young girls to project adult sexuality.

There’s nothing wrong with showing some skin on Halloween (though parents of scantily-clad teens might want to reevaluate their parenting skills). When skimpy clothes are the only option offered by costume retailers, however, women are sexualized whether they like it or not. It sends the message that appearance trumps creativity, originality, or personal expression – and girls learn this at a younger and younger age (exhibit A: Miley Cyrus’ 9-year-old sister Noah).

As long as there’s a market for it, the trend will continue. That’s why we suggest not giving them your money this year, and instead creating a unique costume that shows as much or as little skin as you feel comfortable with.

“MILF” is so 1999. Hollywood has been obsessed with “Cougars” for years now, and what once seemed like a fleeting cultural trend instead proved to have staying power.

No one knows exactly who coined the term “Cougar,” though its popularity took off when actress Demi Moore started dating Ashton Kutcher, 15 years her junior. It’s not the first time May-December relationships have been popularized by the media, but never before have they been so commercially exhausted for a profit.

The latest in the lineup is the new comedy series Cougar Town, starring Courtney Cox, which premiered last week on ABC.

In the show, recent divorcée Jules Cobb (Courteney Cox), “discovers that the only way to find yourself, is to let yourself go. After all, you only get one chance to experience your 20s. Even if it’s when you’re 40 something.” [1]

The show does have a point about it being more socially acceptable for older men to date younger women. But their version of turning the tables seems less like a source of empowerment, and more like a desperate anti-aging tactic.

In April of this year, TV Land created a Bachelorette-esque reality show, simply called The Cougar.

Hosted by Vivica Fox, The Cougar claims to be “a game changing, provocative new reality show that redefines the rules of dating.” [2]

In actuality, they’ve created a mundane and formulaic reality show, just like all the others. The only difference is a redundant link forged between age and felinity – a 40-something cougar and her 20-something cubs. The young men are even followed around with a “Cub-Cam,” for web exclusives.

Cougar dating isn’t just for cable, either. TheCougarConnection.com claims to be “the best place to find cougars, cubs and prey.” It also offers “active chat rooms,” like “The Play Room” and “The Wild Room,” to find potential hook-ups.

On UrbanCougar.com, you can not only find a date, but also discuss what Cougar culture means, read steamy success stories from former clients, and rate pictures of women competing for “Cougar of the Month”.

The lesser-known Canadian dating site, CougarDate.com offers a “Cougar Manifesto,” declaring “the most successful cougars are those that married well and got huge divorce settlements. Lesser Cougars were feminists who clawed their way to the top and made their own money.” [3]

2007 also brought us The Cougar Club, a gross-out comedy met with dismal sales.

To top it all off, the first national  Single Cougars Convention took place earlier this month in Palo Alto, California - not to be confused with Las Vegas’ 1st Annual Cougar Convention. Current.com reporter Ben Hoffman went to check it out:

There’s nothing wrong with age disparity in romantic relationships with consenting adults. But the sudden commercialization of this trend is more about exploitation than empowerment, and there’s nothing sexy about that.

Sources:

[1] Cougar Town: About the Show // ABC

[2] The Cougar: About the Show // TV Land

[3] CougarDate.com – Cougar Manifesto