ANNA REXIA
It’s the end of the year, Halloween has just passed, and all kinds of bizarre costumes had showed up on the streets one by one as controversial costumes never ceases to shock the public. Recently there’s a hot costume, pun intended, the sexy Cookie Monster which a person literally dresses up as a cookie monster… with a short skirt and stockings. Just when we think the crazy costumes can’t get more inappropriate, another costume had come along to bring the absurdness to a whole new level, Anna Rexia. This costume features a black bodysuit style dress with glittery and fancy accessories including measuring tape belts and chokers. According to the National Eating Disorders Association, anorexia has the highest mortality rate of any mental illness, and due to this clarification some stores took the costumes off their hangers. This costume induced opposing theories such as it makes a joke out of a deadly eating disorder.
It’s the end of the year, Halloween has just passed, and all kinds of bizarre costumes had showed up on the streets one by one as controversial costumes never ceases to shock the public. Recently there’s a hot costume, pun intended, the sexy Cookie Monster which a person literally dresses up as a cookie monster… with a short skirt and stockings. Just when we think the crazy costumes can’t get more inappropriate, another costume had come along to bring the absurdness to a whole new level, Anna Rexia. This costume features a black bodysuit style dress with glittery and fancy accessories including measuring tape belts and chokers. According to the National Eating Disorders Association, anorexia has the highest mortality rate of any mental illness, and due to this clarification some stores took the costumes off their hangers. This costume induced opposing theories such as it makes a joke out of a deadly eating disorder.
According to psychiatrist Dr. Karen Ruskin, one way we can view it is that this costume showed how we’re insensitive to those who struggled through mental illness of any kind, or insensitive towards those who suffer anorexia or those who have someone they care about that have anorexia, and this boils down to that our understanding and sympathy towards mental illness haven’t gone that far. The other side would argue that the costume is simply addressing a sense of humor. We joke about everything and the word “anorexia” flows into our daily conversation quite easily and it hasn’t been taken seriously. Just like the word “depression,” how often times we say “I’m so depressed” but no one really jumps and accuse you of the insensitivity you have towards those who truly have depression. Anorexia is not a choice, but a serious mental illness that ultimately leads to physical incapability. This issue can be simplified as the debate between the morals in broadcasting other people’s misfortune and treat it as a joke, is it humorous or is it downright offensive?
Mental illness often times don’t appear to be obvious on a patient, we aren’t able to know right away if one suffers from anorexia, depression, bipolar disorder, and so on. We can easily offend someone by making fun of the disorders with an ignorant attitude. Also, this issue isn’t comparable to minorities in the world such as neither homosexuals nor those whose race has been discriminated, so it won’t be as easy for the people suffering from these mental disorders to simply embrace the rude comments and laugh at it. However, our opinion on whether something or some comment is offensive or not is a subjective matter. What are morals exactly? And, often times, when offensive comments come up, some people may argue that “this is a free country and I have the right to say whatever I want.” Is it really ok to say anything just because you can? There is no standardized scale out there for what is right or wrong if no one is physically hurt, there’s no legalized penalty for verbal abuse, and everyone’s opinion towards what’s offensive and what’s not is different. The way to judge these comments, or the product sold like Anna Rexia here will have to be depended on the people involved themselves, which in this case, each shop owner can decide whether they want to take the product off or not. However, it’s safer to watch out and be more sensitive for those who might get hurt in any way to prevent further harsh consequences.
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ReplyDeleteAnna's article involves the areas of knowledge and ways of knowing in ethics, history, and emotion. As Anna said, the Anna Rexia Halloween costume was unethical and insensitive. We know this largely through history and our sense of empathy. For example, last month, a few students from the University of Southern Mississippi had attended 1980s-themed party as the Huxtables from The Cosby Show, and had practiced "blackface". Blackface, according to Wikipedia, is a form of theatrical makeup used in minstrel shows, and later vaudeville, in which performers create a stereotyped caricature of a black person. The practice gained popularity during the 19th century and contributed to the proliferation of racist stereotypes such as the "happy-go-lucky darky on the plantation" or the "dandified coon". These students were subsequently subjected to probation. University of Southern Mississippi’s Dean of Students Eddie Holloway stated, “…it is clear that these women had no ill intent, it was also clear that they had little cultural awareness or competency, and did not understand the historical implication of costuming in blackface.” This event is similar to the Halloween Costume issue. Racial discrimination and mental illnesses can be touchy subjects, hence, it is important to be considerate and aware of ethical and historical implications in an act/dialogue that can lead to emotional responses.
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