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Abstract

This paper argues that men's Halloween costumes do not offer insight on versions of hegemonic and non-hegemonic masculine performativity as much as Halloween costumes tell us about the colonization of masculinity by commercial interests, thus creating yet another version of branded masculinity. The data, from a content analysis of 100 images of men's Halloween costumes, demonstrates the considerable power commercial culture has today in constructing and limiting ideas of American masculinity through licensed/branded costumes. Men's Halloween costumes are not a mere masquerade, an impersonation; rather commercially produced costumes masquerade as consumer “choice” while simultaneously masking the continued transformation of American masculinity into specific brand products.

Keywords

masculinity Halloween costumes masquerade commercialization branded masculinity

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