Halloween Costumes: 14 Scary Takes On Old People

Can't figure out how to dress yourself up as a binder full of women for Halloween? Then there's always Big Bird, a hot costume this year thanks to Mitt Romney's presidential promise to fire the Sesame Street character.

But what if the stores are sold out? You could always go as Superman, President Obama or one of the characters from "Jersey Shore." Or you could go with a tried-and-true scary standby: an old person.

Judging by this year's assortment of old man and old woman costumes, stereotypes of the elderly abound -- they're pretty gruesome or pretty pathetic -- or a bit of both. There are masks with warts, white wigs and liver spots. There are inflatable canes, walkers and even Super Drooper boobs.

There also are plenty of websites packed with information on how to dress like an old person without the benefit of a store-bought costume. One example: "Sketch what you think you'd like to look like. Add extra things to give your design real character, such as spots, scars, apple cheeks, jowls, or even nose putty..."

So check out our slideshow of some of this year's most popular old people costumes and tell us what you think in comments. Do these costumes promote an offensive stereotype? Or are they just in keeping with the spirit of the holiday?