Stranger Things was one of the best TV shows of 2016, so there’s huge anticipation for the second series of the Eighties sci-fi horror. And, as the new episodes are going to drop on Netflix just in time for Halloween, it should come as no surprise to learn that plenty of people are looking to the show for costume inspiration.
What feels completely horrifying and wrong, however, is that some fancy-dress stores are now retailing a “sexy” costume based on Millie Bobby Brown’s character, Eleven.
As fans of the series will remember, Eleven may be a telepathic badass, but she is also very much a vulnerable little girl. A child, And, towards the end of the first run, we saw her undergo a “makeover” in order to help her blend in amongst the other children at the school: her shaved head was covered with a blonde wig and her borrowed clothes switched for a pink smock dress (with billowing sleeves and a Peter Pan collar).
Her friends finished off the outfit with a heavy denim jacket to keep her warm, a pair of football socks, and a grubby pair of trainers. Because, y’know, practicality comes first when fighting the supernatural forces that lurk in the shadows.
It was an iconic look. What it wasn’t, however, was a “sexy” look: Eleven is very much still below any legal age of consent and very clearly a minor, so presumably the costume department made a point of dressing her as such.
Which is why it is so many people have been left feeling thoroughly, thoroughly horrified by the new ‘Upside Down Honey’ costume that’s gone on sale.
Retailing at $50 (£37.76), the company hasn’t mentioned Stranger Things or Eleven’s name in the product description. However, the similarities are clear to see: there’s the dress style, for starters, the blonde wig and the Eggo handbag. They’ve even given the model a bloody nose.
Dressing as the character might not be wrong in itself, but there’s clear sexualisation. The company has shortened the hemline and lowered the neckline on her dress.
Additionally, her sports socks have been taken up a notch into a thigh-high style and paired with a pair of stiletto heels. And the whole calling it ‘Honey’, of course.
“This is creepy in all the wrong ways,” wrote one shocked social media user.
“When do sexy #Halloween costumes go too far??? I saw an ad for a sexy Eleven costume (from Stranger Things) and it was too wrong,” another tweeter wrote.
“STOP SEXUALISING CHILDREN AND RELIGIOUS FIGURES FOR HALLOWEEN!!! IF I SEE ONE MORE SEXY ELEVEN OR NUN IM GONNA FIGHT SOMEONE!!!,” another furious fan added.
While debate continues to rage about whether or not the ‘adult’ Halloween costume trend is inappropriate or not, this one seems particularly disturbing.
The company has yet to comment on the costume and comments.
Images: Stranger Things / Netflix
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