Uproar Over "Illegal Alien" Halloween Costume
Submitted by DeepDiveAdmin on Oct 20, 2009
Immigrant advocates are urging retailers to pull a Halloween costume depicting a space creature in orange prison garb emblazoned with the words "illegal alien." More from the Associated Press:
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very good put up, i actually love this website, keep on it Justin reshape
The costume includes a green card - that's not illegal - it's offensive but not illegal
is that's it's funny. But then my sense of humor tends to be warped, off the wall and often irreverant.
Back when I was a kid, a common catch phrase was, "Censor you if you can't take a joke.".
That sort of evolved into, "Don't take yourself too seriously.".
That's evolved into "politically correct", where humor is on the verge of being outlawed.
Heaven forbid someone might be offended by tasteless jokes. Censor 'em if they can't take a joke! If they don't like our humor, they can bloody well get back on their spaceships and get the hell out of our solar system.
As far as I know, my grandfather was an illegal alien. Sometime around the turn of the last century, he stowed away on a ship from England and entered the US illegally. He became a citizen, practiced medicine for many years and eventually opened a small antique store. I suppose I inherited my sense of humor from him. He thought everything was funny.
I hope none of you will be dressing up in striped pajamas, because that would be tasteless. I hope none of you ladies will be wearing one of those sexy cop outfits, because that's demeaning to female police officers. I hope none of you will be wearing any kind of zombie outfits because it's demeaning to people who believe the dead do indeed rise again.
Or maybe we can just stop whining like a bunch of spoiled children over a stupid ass costume, let people dress however the hell they want for Halloween and stop playing this stupid political correctness game. It's gone way too far. I will be going as the illegal alien. If you don't like it, go to a different party and cry with like minded fools.
I never much liked the idea of political correctness. I have wondered how Lenny Bruce would have dealt with it. Go as the illegal alien and have fun, but leave the green card at home. It's an oxymoron. Illegal aliens don't have green cards.
I love the costume!!! We have got to get a life and stop being so sensitive about every little thing.
Unless you are, yourself, an illegal immigrant, accusing others of being overly sensitive when they are made the butt of jokes and harassment hardly seems reasonable. I wonder if you would be so much less sensitive if the joke was on you? Of course, maybe you're very good at laughing at yourself regarding the things which make you most vulnerable. Since I don't know you, I can't say.
I agree Babaroni, I too belong to a group that has been consistently the butt of many jokes, mostly via costumes. As a French maid I am tired of people thinking of me in such away that makes me feel uncomfortable. It is sad because before I was French maid, I was a nurse and left the career because of the social persecution that occured via hateful costumes directed at my profession.
Seriously, people need to lighten up, stop taking yourselves so seriously. Every immigrant group has had to deal with stereotypes and I'm assuming Barb that your equally upset by Notre Dames Fighting Irish mascot?
Barb, I agree with your statement about jobs and drawing a line in the sand. I too would do anything possible for my family. I think the real criminal in this situation is the US gov't for not enforcing the laws, allowing these people who are in dire situations to be taken advantage of because they are not allowed the protection of many US laws because of their immigration status.
If you want to pick a fight to help change the way things are be sure it's a worthwhile one.
In any case, yes, I agree with your third paragraph, but I also know that many immigrants, both illegal and legal , are victimized by individuals, not just the government , because of the very kind of hatefulness and anti-immigrant sentiment displayed by this costume. Giving countenance to this sort of thing as "humor" is very much like societal acceptance of "black face" as humor, and contributes to the societal victimization of the minority group in the same manner. Making fun of people because they are part of a hated group is not healthy for society as a whole.
Wow victims, victims, victims. I guess I have a question is there anyone people group here in the U.S. that is not a victim?
Yes some people will hate anyone who is not like them but I don't think that has anything to do with this costume. I liked that you tried to quietly change the discussion from illegal immigrant to legal immigrant, but that is not the discussion here.
The costume is of an alien wearing an orange jumpsuit that clearly says illegal on it. Leading one to believe illegal alien, then he is holding what appears to be a fake green card.
You know I wonder if there is a Cajun that is upset about the lousiana Lafeyette's mascot the Rajin' Cajun?