The scary thing about sexy costumes

Halloween is scary, said Dr. Gail Saltz in MSNBC, and it's getting scarier every year because of the "trend toward ultrasexy Halloween costumes." The worst of it is that even little girls are under pressure now to wear "tight, short" outfits that bear midriff and thigh. So take charge, parents, and encourage your kids to focus on "enjoyable themes that don't involve being tarted up but are edgy and funny or clever in their own way."

If you've never shopped for a little girl's costume before, said Lisa Belkin in The New York Times online, prepare for a fright. Stores are full of Catwoman outfits that look like "something from a bondage video," and other get-ups with "cinched waists and bodices stuffed to hint at breasts."

Grown-ups have stolen Halloween, said Mary Beth Hicks in The Washington Times. We've taken a fun holiday that was for kids and made it all about the two favorite pastimes of adults—spending and sex. So light a Jack-o'-lantern, put on some spooky music—and clothes—and give Halloween back to the kids.

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"Don't get me wrong," said Courtney Hollands in The Boston Globe. I love Halloween and "I'm no fun-hater." But I'll take creative over raunchy any day. "The next person to dress up like a Muppet wins my heart. No furry G-strings allowed."

Slutty costumes are lame anyway, said Suha Diab in the Sonoma State University Star, but it's OK to be a little sexy. Halloween is the one day people "get to be whoever they want to be," but most young women can find something in the closet to fit the bill.