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Quick! We gotta act fast on this one: there are lives at stake. OK, there aren't any lives at stake.  I was in the Halloween costume store yesterday-- good use of otherwise empty store properties, by the way-- and was reminded again that Halloween is an increasingly ...ahem... "mature"-themed day.

Don't get me wrong: nothing's more fun than pulling up at a stoplight a day or two before Halloween itself, and noticing the next driver over, is wearing a naughty nurse costume for the office party. At least I hope that was a costume. Or I hope her doctor is in my PPO.

But check out these costumes:

Anybody notice that a couple of the models are just little girls, and the others are dressed like them? I don't know which is more offensive, a Harry Potter-style school outfit, or a bare-midriff pirate on a 9-year-old. It strikes me, an increasing number of 'sexy' costumes are consciously geared for teens, 'tweens, and younger kids, who really shouldn't be targeted.

Coming out in opposition to the sexualization of children isn't excatly going out on a limb, but really: these kids will have to grow up fast enough. Much faster than we did. It'd be nice if they could be allowed to have some innocent scary fun, going house to house scamming candy, dressed in something that can't be viewed as an early tryout for Girls Gone Nasty, Volume XII.

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