THE GREAT DEBATE: Celebrity Halloween Parties, Are They Out of Touch with Reality?
Celebrities, they’re just like us. Except when it comes to celebrating Halloween, apparently.
While some of us may don a pair of trusty cat ears, or throw on an old sheet to trick or treat the kids on October 31st, our efforts are ultimately undone by the celebrity onslaught of fancy Halloween parties that dominate our social feeds .
Jonathan Ross, The Kardashians and of course the self-proclaimed ‘Queen of Halloween’ Heidi Klum are all known for hosting over-the-top spooky soirees. Of course, none of these glamorous do’s would be complete without the guest list, an army of disguised A-listers all trying to outdo each other by donning the most creative costumes.
While many celebrities opted for classic Halloween looks—see Adele as Morticia Addams and Kendall Jenner as Marilyn Monroe—the looks that seem to generate the most attention are often the more quirky costumes that reflect the current zeitgeist. This year’s examples include Paris Hilton and Jessica Alba as Britney Spears, or Edward Norton and wife Shauna Robertson as Posh and Becks.
Heidi Klum in particular is known for her crazy and complicated outfits. Some of her most memorable and bizarre looks in recent years include “the worm,” Jessica Rabbit, complete with facial and body prosthetics, and Princess Fiona from Shrek.
This year, she certainly didn’t disappoint on that front, debuting an elaborate giant peacock costume that required the support of no fewer than ten people to keep it up.
Klum even went so far as to literally stand on top of a member of her entourage, who clearly got the short end of the stick, dressed as an individual wing that formed the lower half of the peacock – to complete the dramatic look.
Her outfit was complimented by her husband, Tom Kaulitz, who was dressed like a large white egg.
When planning her costume, Klum said, “Most people are nurses or police officers, but I was always looking for something I hadn’t seen yet.”
No one doubts that Klum’s efforts are unparalleled when it comes to fancy dress creativity. Yet the scale of the preparation and the vast sums of money clearly being poured into these glamorous, celebrity-hosted extravaganzas have sparked a backlash online.
Critics believe that with the devastating war unfolding in the Middle East and the cost of living crisis leaving many of us struggling to afford basic necessities, such extravagant displays of wealth are starting to feel out of touch with reality.
One Mail commenter echoed this view, describing celebrity Halloween parties “a vain display of excess, end of.” Correct me if I’m wrong.’
In another comment echoing this sentiment, a reader objected to these extravagant parties in light of “everything going on in the world” and advised that “all that money should go to charity instead.”
Others ridiculed her costume as way too over the top, saying: ‘She needs an ENTOURAGE to bring her creativity to life!? Come on! Next one!
That said, many readers argued that dressing up is “just a bit of fun to lighten the gloom” and expressed admiration for Klum’s “creativity.”
We want to know what YOU think. Are all these celebrity Halloween parties a bit of welcome silliness in a dark time? Or do you think that, given everything that’s happening in the world, celebrities should behave a little more sensitively? Have your say in the comments.