Boo! I'm Anna Rexia!

Every Halloween, women across the country get dressed up, using the holiday as an excuse to flaunt their bodies. It's a fact, not an opinion. Sexy nurses, sexy cops, sexy pirates, mermaids, hula dancers with coconut bras and genies-in-a-bottle. I've even seen an ad for a Sexy Ghostbuster. Really. And yes, I must admit, I've jumped on the "Look at me!" bandwagon, wearing a makeshift Britney Spears costume (Superbowl era), complete with a midriff-baring top, microphone, tight silver leggings striped to look like football pants and an athletic sock on my hand. I was 24, I did it, I'm over it.

But I was recently made aware of a costume being sold that is so offensive, so ridiculous and plain non-sensical that I didn't even believe it was true:

Anna Rexia. It's a "sexy" version of an anorexic, complete with a short, black minidress decorated with a skeleton, a choker-style necklace made to look like a tape measure (with a matching tape measure belt), a red heart badge that reads "Anna Rexia" and a headband that I believe is supposed to look like a bone. All for just $42.95.

This is just so, so sad.

As someone who suffered from anorexia in college, I know the terrible hurt and anguish this disease causes. And it is a disease -- in fact, eating disorders kill more people than any other psychiatric disorder. But can you imagine a Halloween costume making fun of, say, cancer? Or Lupus? Sexy meth addict? Then again, the company that makes Anna Rexia also sells a "Sexy Wet Nurse" costume (ew) and a "Sexy Ms. Mental Patient" outfit, including a long-sleeved shirt with vinyl restraints and Velcro tabs "to allow the arms to be crossed in front," white skirt and BELLEVUE cap. So really, nothing is off-limits. And at least they're equal-opportunists -- Anna Rexia comes in a plus size, too.

Of course, I understand that it's Halloween and lots of us like to play make believe, revealing our secret occupational fantasies (doctor, astronaut) or our wit (man dressed as a present, gift tag says "To: Women...From: God"). And yeah, it's fun to be outrageous and even risqué. But I just think making fun of anorexia has become so common, with bloggers creating nicknames for skinny celebs or the phrase "She's totally anorexic!" being tossed around like some sort of catty insult...and now this. Not to mention the horribly destructive Pro-Ana sites lurking in the Web. This costume glamorizes eating disorders, too: Note the woman wearing the dress is extremely curvy and attractive -- two things anorexics are most certainly not.

So do you agree with me? Is the costume insulting? Or could it be construed as "cute" or "clever"? And if it's the latter, then is the "Boo"limia girl-and-toilet combo for couples far behind?

Thanks to feministing.com for the tip!

Comments

[baltreporter]

Hi Leslie,

I'm Tanika White, a reporter on the Baltimore Sun's Features department.
I'm interested in this posting on the Halloween costume "Anna Rexia," because that is exactly the topic I'm writing about today.
Is there any way I can chat with you on the phone today? Or by e-mail? I'd just need to speak with you for a few minutes to talk a little more about your feelings about the costume.

Thanks so much for your consideration,

Tanika White
410-468-2638- office

[KristinB]

Anna Rexia isn’t the only scary costume for women. I think all of the aforementioned costumes with sexy in the description (i.e. sexy nurse, sexy ghost-buster, etc.) are equally terrifying.

Lincoln once said, “Whatever you are, be a good one.” For women today, the message is: “Whatever you are, be sexy.”

Halloween is a time for women to mindlessly flaunt the pathetic role we have in society. It doesn’t matter if you’re a doctor, politician, nurse, cop, or scientist— you will never be more than a sex object.

We are hiding behind the masks that society has created for us, putting on the identities pre-chosen for us without really thinking about the message.

It’s not wrong for women to be sexual but are we really in control of our sexuality or are we just being tricked into thinking we are in control by dressing up as sex objects ready to be judged and critiqued like show dogs?

[Lyle]

Transgressing taboos is precisely what Halloween is about. Traditionally the biggest taboos have been anything to do with death or the occult, so this is certainly in the same vein. Now, costumes in poor taste are de rigeur. Personally, I am more offended by political costumes, people who dress up as celebrities, and princesses. Unfortunately, if we purged Halloween of all the costumes that offend anyone, there wouldn't be much left.

[JohnnyBoysRiot]

This outrages me. As someone who has almost lost their life to acute anorexia and bulimia nervosa (I have orthorexia as well), I can not believe people would be ignorant enough to make this item, let alone purchase it.

I feel we should form a petition against this costume being sold on this website and any others. Would anyone be interested in helping me do so?

[Shazzizle]

I am going as a sexy down syndrome girl... is that wrong? what?

[kellygrrrl]

Sexy Anorexia?

isn't that an Oxymoron?

[SevereTireDamage]

I'm sorry, I read about this on Salon as well, and I just can't get bent out of shape over it.

One costume from one costume company may be in poor taste, but it's hardly worth losing sleep over.

I bet almost no one buys it.

[CynAnne]

... Excellent article, Leslie. I know "Anna Rexia" is definitely ghoulish, and FAR tackier than the "Sexy Wet Nurse" (a non-hazardous fetish, the last I heard - anyone seen "Shoot 'Em Up"? I think that's the basis for the "SWN" costume, more likely than not), and the "Sexy Ms. Mental Patient" actually sounds more amusing than insulting (after all, don't "..we all go a little mad, sometimes?")..! ;) ...

[holliwoodinc]

"Anna Rexia"? Could be a good pen name for Ann Coulter.