‘Tranny Granny’ Halloween Costume Recalled by Amazon, Target, and WalMart

While Halloween is supposed to be fun and shame-free (although we wish every day were shame-free), some retailers didn’t get the message and are selling disappointingly inappropriate costumes.

Take, for example, the “Tranny Granny” costume that Walmart and Amazon just pulled from their respective websites. “All the guys will be dressing up as superheroes and princes, but you will stand out among the rest in this hilarious Granny Men’s Costume!” the costume description read.

Included in the costume is a white tank dress covered in colorful flowers with a pink collar. It also has a “curvaceous butt and boob pads to complete the look.” Additionally, this particular granny “wouldn’t go anywhere without her pink babushka with flower design headband to keep her hair perfectly in place.” To top it all off, “slap on some makeup and get ready for your granny walk and you will have the room roaring with laughter!” 

We could go on forever about what’s wrong with that portrayal, but you get the point. On both websites, the costume was listed in the marketplaces by a third-party vendor called Rasta Imposta. And while it’s supposed to cost $64, you were getting a steal from both stores at just $25. 

Walmart told LGBTQNation that it removed the costume from its website because it “obviously” violated its terms of service for third-party retailers. “While it’s listed on other sites, it clearly violates our policy and was quickly removed once we were notified. We’re appalled this seller put it on our site to begin with,” a representative for the superstore said. And even though there’s an entire team dedicated to making sure there aren’t any offensive costumes, it seems the group missed this one. 

Rasta Imposta must have caught on because the costume is now listed as “Manny Granny” on its site. 

Target, which was selling the costume with a different name for $39.99, Women’s Granny Costume One Size Fits Most, pulled the product on Wednesday. The costume is still available though on plenty of other sites. 

Unfortunately, this isn’t the only tactless costume out there. Last year we saw “Anna Rexia,” which obviously trivialized a serious health condition. Then there are all the culturally insensitive costumes, like the “Little Amigo.” Fortunately, college student Mahala Herron has some pretty sound advice for avoiding controversy, specifically in regards to cultural appropriation. “Halloween is coming up, so everyone please remember that my culture isn’t a costume,” she tweeted. She shared this alongside an illustration of three figures symbolizing different cultures: One head is adorned in a hijab, another is wearing cornrows, and the third is in a headdress.

What ever happened to black cats and witches? We never thought we’d say it, but we miss the days of basic Halloween costumes.

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