In the first episode of Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story , Lyle passes four people on Halloween dressed as he and his brother killing their parents with shotguns. It’s a gruesome and shocking tableau, drawn from real life and that captured the world’s attention. This may be a scene from a show, but it’s nonetheless familiar.
Controversial costumes have become a mainstay of Halloween, from people dressing as cult leader Charles Manson to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Menendez brothers are a popular costume choice this Halloween. Does that cross a line? Credit: Miles Crist/Netflix This year, the costume of choice among “edgier” revellers appears to be Sean “Diddy” Combs, the rapper who has been indicted for multiple charges , including sex trafficking and racketeering.
Videos on TikTok (which have since been removed) show people dressed as Combs at one of his notorious White Parties , some even appearing in blackface. Others show people dressed as baby oil, referencing the bottles recovered from Combs’ properties during searches by authorities earlier this year. And, as if the show foresaw it, there have also been videos of people dressing up as the Menendez brothers – convicted killers and sexual assault victims.
Lauren Rosewarne, associate professor in the school of social and political sciences at Melbourne University, says the motives behind controversial costumes can differ. Some may simply feel connected to people like Diddy or Lyle Menende.
