> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://hyperallergic.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Halloween Costume Conundrum: Beast Jesus or Big Bird?
- URL: https://hyperallergic.com/halloween-costume-conundrum/
- Published: 2012-10-10T23:30:13.000Z
- Updated: 2025-11-24T16:18:51.000Z
- Description: With Halloween only three weeks away, those of us in the art community are facing a very important decision: what should we dress up as — Beast Jesus or Big Bird?
- Author: Jillian Steinhauer
- Tags: Opinion, Beast Jesus, Halloween, LOL, #wp, #wp-post, #image-position-hidden, #Import 2025-11-24 06:51 (2012, 2013, part 1)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2012/10/halloween-costumes.jpg)

Choosing the right Halloween costume is very important. (Big Bird image via Ricky’s)

With Halloween only three weeks away, those of us in the art community are facing a very important decision: what should we dress up as — [Beast Jesus](https://hyperallergic.com/best-halloween-costume-ever-beast-jesus-comes-alive/) or [Big Bird](https://hyperallergic.com/why-is-romney-picking-on-big-bird/)?

After Mitt Romney’s dig at PBS during the presidential debate, which spawned a host of Big Bird memes and fake Twitter accounts as well as an Obama ad featuring the beloved children’s character, the *New York Times* did what any sensible publication would do: dispatch a reporter to Halloween stores around town to find out if Big Bird costume sales are up. The result? [They are!](http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/09/big-bird-costumes-in-demand-for-a-post-debate-halloween/?partner=socialflow&smid=tw-nytmetro&ref=hyperallergic.com) Some shops have sold out, while others have received requests but don’t stock it (and are now cursing themselves). Plus this:

> Nationally, at Disguise Costumes in Poway, Calif., officially licensed manufacturer of Sesame Street costumes, Maddie Gerety, the product manager, said there had been a big spike in Big Bird sales — particularly in the adult male size.

Suspiciously, the wearer of the Beast Jesus costume *also* seems to be an adult male. *Hmmmm.*

Anyway, all of this raises a very big conundrum about what us artsy people should be for Halloween. (This is coming from someone who once went as a Richard Serra sculpture — really. So yes, it’s important.) Do we stand with President Obama and PBS, or do we stand with Cecilia Gimenez and her [quest for royalties](https://hyperallergic.com/cecilia-gimenez-beast-jesus-royalties/)? What about some sort of hybrid Big Beast Jesus Bird? (TRADEMARK) Of course that may not be [sexy enough](http://afternoonsnoozebutton.com/post/33115557396/ilikeyourfacesideways-are-you-kidding-me?ref=hyperallergic.com) for the ladies, so maybe we could have sexy versions of all of them: for Beast Jesus all you really need is the face and then you can wear a bikini on bottom, and wait, sexy Big Bird [ALREADY EXISTS](http://www.yandy.com/Exclusive-Yellow-Bird-Costume.php?ref=hyperallergic.com) (and it’s worse than the one above).

All this talk of Big Bird can’t help but make me think of that lame Yellowism movement … so major points to whoever goes as the [vandalized Rothko](https://hyperallergic.com/rothko-defaced-at-tate-modern/)!