Are the meat cleaver-wielding Halloween costumes smeared with blood sold by Asda, Amazon and Tesco an offensive portrayal of people with mental illness?
The outfits have now been removed from sale by the three retail giants after stirring up controversy and attracting the ire of mental health charity Mind.
Former Downing Street Director of Communications, who has suffered from depression, Alastair Campbell told the BBC: “We are trying to change attitudes towards mental illness so people do not stigmatise it, then something like this comes along and it just reminds you we are basically still in the Dark Ages.”
We asked Mancunians what they thought of the major retailer’s ‘Psycho Ward’ and ‘Mental Patient’ Halloween outfits. Are they a part of the festive fun, or something more sinister?
MM ventured onto the streets of Piccadilly to find out what you thought, asking:
Do you think it’s right that shops should stock fancy dress depicting mental health in this way?
| Option | Result |
| Yes | 17% |
| No | 83% |
Peter Twigg, 58, retired and living in Hulme, said: “I think it’s wicked, the costumes should be destroyed. I suffer with mental health problems and I’m not walking around with a knife covered in blood.”
Anne Holmes, 29, a student from Chorlton, said: “It annoys me how quick these shops are to apologise, if they didn’t agree with it why did they sell it in the first place?”
Beth Gill, 25, who works in fashion and lives in the city centre, said: “No harm done, I’ve seen a lot worse Halloween costumes – Nazis, Gary Glitters. This is bad but I’ve seen a lot of offensive outfits at this time of year.”
Connor Parker, 21, a student living in Withington, said: “I actually tried buying one and I feel bad now, but I was buying it to dress as Hannibal Lecter, not as every mentally ill person.”
Toby Wolstenholme, 28, who works at a bookmakers in Stockport, said: “Whatever happened to your traditional outfits? I’m going as a vampire this year – I’ll leave the controversial costumes to Prince Harry thanks.”
Callum Stark, 34, a joiner from Salford (dressed in a t-shirt, jeans and trainers), said: “It’s wrong, I could be a mental patient and be dressed like this.”
Ahmed Choudrey, 33, an office worker from Rusholme, said: “I have family with mental health issues so to me these are going too far. How are we going to move forward if this is what people associate with mental illness?”
Daniel Conrad, 20, a student from Fallowfield, said: “To me they’re going for a Silence of the Lambs type vibe rather than saying all people with these problems are like that.”
Earl Smithy, 62, a retiree from Moss Side said: “I think all Halloween costumes are offensive, I hate Halloween!”
Featured image courtesy of allfancydress
Image courtesy of BBC via YouTube, with thanks
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