Ashley Tisdale: ‘Offensive’ Sugar Skull Costume Raises Eyebrows
Ashley Tisdale and her husband, Christopher French, dressed up for Halloween this past weekend, but their costumes caused some controversy among fans.
The former High School Musical star attended Vanessa Hudgens’ annual Halloween bash. Tisdale wore skull makeup on her face along with a black evening gown that had a sheer embroidered bodice. Meanwhile, her husband wore white paint on his face along with a feather necklace around his neck. He kept the rest of his look black and minimalist with a hoodie sweatshirt, T-shirt, and pants.
After sharing a photo of them on Instagram, Tisdale was under attack from fans who accused her of her cultural appropriation of the Mexican culture. Often referred to as a sugar skull, the image is traditionally used in Mexican food and decorations to honor the deceased, but has become a popular painting technique among YouTubers and beauty bloggers around the Halloween season. It’s often seen around the Mexican holiday, Dia De Los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead.
#Halloween:???? #MAKEUP del día de los muertos para HALLOWEEN???????? ¡Probalo! ?? https://t.co/a9Kh0CpaGZ pic.twitter.com/0Tu8hUDXSF
— Historias de Moda (@historias_moda) October 7, 2016
Ashley responded to the criticism she received from her fans. She wrote in the comments section of her Instagram post, “read my comment above. my husband is half Mexican and wasn’t offended,” as noted by Oh No They Didn’t!
Some argued that wearing a sugar skull on Halloween is offensive.
“Dia De Los Muertos is not a costume, it’s a Mexican holiday and its not something to just dress in even for fun, cultures celebrate it for their family (SIC),” one fan commented.
Meanwhile, other fans argued that Tisdale’s sugar skull costume wasn’t offensive at all since it’s considered a costume in Mexican culture.
“I have Mexican heritage, and I know that even in Central / South American cultures this is a costume. So that makes it quite different from appropriating a cultural identity as a costume, since to that culture it’s ALREADY a costume. You might wanna learn about something about this debate so you can be more informed next time you bring up this issue. Some costumes are inappropriate, but I don’t think the sugar skull costume fits that category,” another fan argued.
According to a report via People Style, Ashley Tisdale and Christopher French’s Halloween costumes were a last-minute decision. Maybe, they didn’t put much thought into their costumes. On second thought, Vanessa Hudgens and her boyfriend, Austin Butler, dressed up as skeletons rather than sugar skulls. Hudgens took to Instagram to share some of the black-and-white photos from her own bash.
Prior to celebrating Halloween with French, Tisdale and Vanessa Hudgens previously got into the Halloween spirit when they celebrated friend and former co-star Shenae Grimes’ birthday party last week. This time around, Tisdale played it safe and opted for a Mean Girls classic costume, the sexy cat, while Grimes was a sexy witch, and Hudgens called herself a “gypsy,” which fans also found offensive.
Tisdale and French are just a married couple who got into some Halloween hijinks, and they also duet together. The two recently collaborated on a cover of Paramore’s hit song, “Into You,” and they even created their own album artwork, as reported via Entertainment Tonight.
“I’m here with my husband, Christopher French, and we are actually going to play a really special song,” Tisdale said before they performed the song that’s close to their hearts. “It’s one of our songs, and we wanted to do a really cool cover version. It’s a song called ‘Still Into You’ by Paramore, so I hope you guys all like it!”
Check out their duet video below.
Let us know what you think. What are your thoughts on Ashley Tisdale’s Halloween costume? Do you think it’s offensive that she went as a sugar skull? Sound off below in the comments section below this article.
[Featured Image by Mike Windle/Getty Images]
