For reasons unbeknownst to us, Halloween companies (and the holiday's most obnoxious fans) are already gearing up for October 31st. That means we'll see the best of the best in terms of costuming in a few not-so-short months, but also, the worst of the worst. First up? This bodysuit, available on Amazon, that features the words "Mexico Will Pay" overlaid on a head-to-toe brick wall pattern. No, your eyes do not deceive you. And yes, this is real. It's so real, in fact, it comes in sizes Teen to Adult XL, and is as cheap as it looks — a whopping $12.
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Unfortunately, the costume is one of several offensive holiday looks that have been sold on the site. Last year, 'Tranny Granny' was pulled by the e-tailer, but things like a 'Call Me Caitlyn' sash and 'Sexy Indian Go Go Girl' costumes continue to be sold. However, this particulat costume isn't exactly aligned with Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos' views, per his letter to employees about President Trump's immigration ban in January: "We’re a nation of immigrants whose diverse backgrounds, ideas, and points of view have helped us build and invent as a nation for over 240 years. No nation is better at harnessing the energies and talents of immigrants." We've reached out to Amazon Fashion for comment on the costume and will update this story if and when we hear back.
There's already a petition to remove the costume from Amazon's site: "The 'costume' advertised on Amazon's website promotes this despicable xenophobia and is nothing more than a modernized version of a Ku Klux Klan robe. We demand Amazon immediately remove it and all other racist merchandise from its site," writes Mijente, a Latinx activist group. "The Latinx community will not sit idly by as companies like Amazon help to further normalize white supremacy. Attacks on our culture and our families will not be tolerated and we demand that Amazon remove this 'costume' from its website immediately." At the time of publishing, the petition has 218 of 300 signatures.
Customer reviews on this costume range from "Loved it!" and "Was a huge hit at the Halloween party!" to "This is the most racist thing offered on Amazon today. Have some decency..." We don't really need to explain why this is offensive, do we? What's even scarier than costumes like this being made (and sold) is the fact that many of them actually sell out. As in, people actually buy them.