Dressing up as an elderly lady for Halloween - WTF?!

[Laceyshoes]

Is it just me or is this really nasty? Heidi Klum dressed up as an old lady "complete with varicose veins"

I get that it's an incredible makeup job and that it's meant to be funny because she is known for her beauty and obviously old women are considered to be the polar opposite of this.

But, if you're not doing the sexy revealing costume thing, Halloween costumes are usually something scary and repellant like a witch or zombie and I'm really taken aback that someone would put elderly women in this category. Genuinely quite stunned actually! And that it's come from a woman too

Before anyone says it, I do know there are more important things going on in the world and I do have plenty of other, bigger things to worry about :) I'm just amazed by this and wondered if anyone else thought the same.

I had only the vaguest idea who she was, to be honest! Anyway. I think the point still stands, the industry in which she made her name demonises older women, and her choice of 'Generic Elderly Woman' as a Hallowe'en costume is in remarkably poor taste, and rests on a thoroughly unpleasant set of attitudes.

FGS.

It's a bloody costume, not a personal or political statement and no your point does not still stand, it never did!

YANBU - it's like saying that old people aren't human.

Queen, are you as bothered by someone dressing up as an old man?

What?! How is it saying old people aren't human? Dressing up as a baby is saying babies aren't human, or dressing up as Barack Obama is saying he isn't human? That's nonsense.

I am never normally affected by things celebs do (and usually take no notice) but in this instance even my jaw dropped.

I think its awful - basically liking being old with being goulish or horrific in some way. Or even worse - something to be laughed at.

If that's ageist then what are people who dress as Zombies seen as they are dead people

My son was a zombie monk.

Halloween doesn't mean scary costumes. Have you seen the Ann Summers range?!

Rather that than see through netted body suit and tutu

It just seems poor taste to me as most woman probably don't want to age, but have to, and it is therefore not their choice to have wrinkles and varicous veins - not there for a supermodel to play at for a day.

Dressing up as anything seen by society to be a negative (and ageism is a massive problem already), that a person cannot chose to be or not be, surely is poor taste?

A zombie isn't based on real life (I hope)!

As others have said, in the US Halloween costumes aren't always, or even usually, scary.

When I was living there I saw people dressed as volcanoes, bunches of grapes, individual playing cards, lego men, Bob Ross, Lois Griffin, etc.

Shatners, I think it would be significantly different (depending on which male celebrity was in costume.)

For one thing, older men are still seen as comparatively powerful, and there's no 'celebrity bodies' type fixation on the appearance of elderly men in the public eye. A famous man is almost never as heavily invested in an appearance of youth and beauty as a woman. There would be nowhere near as much shock factor, and no celebrity magazines exclaiming in horror about his 'fake, withered bingo wings' and veined legs, even supposing he was in a kilt...?

Imagine if Hugh Hefner had been an elderly woman cavorting publicly in her nightie and slippers with a bunch of Chippendales...

I think the fact that all these adults are going to parties trying to outdo each other in costumes is weirder frankly! [killjoy alert]. And then posting 'selfies' in their costumes.
Just weird.
Mind you, I think Heidi Klum may be particularly bonkers about this sort of thing. Remember a few years ago when she and Seal renewed their vows and I think dressed up as 'trailer trash' or some such..?!

I'm very impressed with her repertoire. I think it shows she is a strong woman not trying to look typically 'sexy' as pp said - cat ears and a playsuit for eg.

Thinking about it from a US pov, where Halloween is associated with general random dress up rather than ... I actually think it's sort of interesting that someone who (I assume??) is know for being stunning is choosing to dress up in a way that is not classically beautiful. Rather that, than 101 pants, push up bra and tutu type outfits.

Although I think she looks like a fabulous, haughty, take-no-shit old lady, so that is swaying my opinion.

Looking at the pictures of her other outfits it's clear to see that she is just being creative with her costume. Trying to make her look as real as possible, nothing at all to do with mocking the elderly!

So YABU.

Obviously, being old and wrinkly is scary to her. They have these parties every year. Her and seal dressed as crows one year.

Didn't some American celeb dress up for Halloween as a pregnant woman?

That's her nightmare.

wow! How on earth has she done that?! Looks totally real, her skin is even saggy!
misses point entirely

Don't see a problem with it. Dressed as old crone myself last night.

Don't see a problem with it. Dressed as old crone myself last night.

Lovely

Was fun thanks!

Yawn!

I think its refreshing.
I'm getting bored of seeing people strutting about in their pants with false eyelashes and eyeliner whiskers on their cheeks. On a side note, what is so sexy about a cat?
There's loads of costumes that don't fall into the scary/ sexy categories- dressing as Tweedledum and Tweedledee for instance, or a hot dog.

FFS does everything have to be so analysed?

And to the PP that said it implies old people aren't human, what about costumes that are based off someone else? One year me and my partner went as each other. Does that make us goblins?!!

Sandiacre Your costume does sound very good, but if you were going along the same train of thought as what is considered mean/ taking the piss, then surely you think that your costume is mocking victims of decapitation?

Costumes for halloween do differ in the states though, they don't have to "scary" it's far broader.