I think it’s safe to say that no one is particularly surprised that the uniform used to censor women and signify their oppression in the dystopian novel-turned-award-winning-series, Handmaid’s Tale, has been transformed into a sexy Halloween costume.
Online lingerie and costume store Yandy has you sorted with a white bonnet, red sleeveless cape and a sultry red body-con minidress that you can call your own for just AU$90. Fishnets and heels not included!
Yes, I can see that this is very messed up. In the dystopian world of the drama series the Handmaids are treated as property, banned from any expression of sexuality but sexualised by high-powered men and forced to have sex with them. It’s whack to turn it into a cute, sexy costume.
But society has us dealing with so much whack sh*t at once that I do not have the energy to be mad about this.
I can honestly only laugh at this, and it’s so fine if not everyone is with me because picking our battles and sharing the labour around is the only way to avoid burning out.
The only way I can cope with this sexy Handmaid costume is to treat it as black comedy. So I’m just going to pretend that this is a self-aware parody of the censorship and sexualisation of women’s bodies for my own sanity.
Sometimes after a long week you’ve just gotta lean into the nihilism and laugh at the bleak dystopian world that is, in fact, our reality. Trick or treat!