Blake: Need a Halloween idea? Dress like a feminist
By MELISSA BLAKE
I’m a unique person. I march to the beat of my own drum. Even though I no longer dress up in an awesome costume for Halloween, it didn’t stop me from thinking about some out-of-the-box ideas. And, as in my unique nature, all these lovely ladies are fictional – and amazing feminists.
These Top 5 fictional femmes not only changed our view of women and society, but they also had three things in common: Spunk, sass and the ability to throw a mean punch when necessary. My Halloween-costume ideas just for you:
Mary Tyler Moore: Whether sparring with her boss or giggling with her gal pal, Rhoda, Mary helped usher in a new generation of career-minded women (For her, that meant breaking the glass ceiling of the male-dominated broadcast industry; could you imagine a world today without Diane Sawyer?) determined to show men what they already knew: Women could make it after all.
Costume essentials: The classic hair, a microphone and someone cool to play Rhoda to your Mary.
Miss Piggy: Perhaps the only animal feminist, Miss P. loved her life her way, by her own set of rules. She was a pig’s pig, strong-willed and determined, and got what she wanted: movie roles, the release of her book, "The Diva Code," and of course, the object of her affection, Kermit. She’s got that little frog tied around her pinky.
Costume essentials: Big, blonde wig, a stylish purse and a loud, booming voice.
Scarlett O’Hara: Perhaps one of the first great motivational speakers, she taught women the art of de-stressing, even in stressful times of war, with just five words: "I’ll think about it tomorrow." That’s some pretty good advice, and of course, she never took any grief from a certain Rhett Butler.
Costume essentials: A Civil-War era gown, a fan and a curly-haired wig.
Buffy Summers: Just when teen girls of the late '90s needed a girl-power pep-talk, they didn’t have to look further than the girl who saved the world (a lot). She taught us that smart girls are sexy as she and her friends (including fellow feminist, Willow) rid the world of vampires and other evil demons while still having time to go to college. Besides, any girl who can die and come back to life multiple times has more strength than Hercules could ever hope to have.
Costume essentials: A stake, a fierce look in your eyes and a flashlight for spotting those evil vamps in the dark!
Ariel: The little mermaid with the big voice (and even bigger dreams) quickly became that beacon of hope for little girls everywhere. She showed us the beauty of hope, adventure and wanting the most out of life. Her rule: Never settle if you want to become part of something bigger. In her case, that something just happened to involve life above sea level and the love of a handsome prince.
Costume essentials: A red wig, mermaid legs and a loud voice for singing “Part of Your World.”
• Melissa Blake, a lifelong resident of DeKalb, is a freelance journalist and writer. She is the adviser to the Kishwaukee College newspaper, the Kaleidoscope. She can be contacted at mellow1422@aol.com.
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