Zombie Sarah Palin and More Bizarre Halloween Costumes

(Oct. 21) -- What do you mean you can't figure out what to be for Halloween?

Try this: Throw on a hard hat with a light, a pair of sunglasses and a jumpsuit. Then wrap yourself in the Chilean flag and, Presto! You're a rescued Chilean miner. It's the perfect costume -- you get to run around yelling in Spanish and hugging people all night long.

Too ... Chilean? Then try going as teen heartthrob Justin Bieber. Don't worry if you're a woman. Bieber has that whole sexual ambiguity thing going on. It might have to do with the fact that he's only 16. Or the fact that the nonlicensed, unofficial Bieber hair wig sold by Internet retailer Halloween31.com is actually the Bruno wig. As in the Sacha Baron Cohen character Bruno Gehard (pronounced "GAY-hard").
"We've reinvented the same wig and gotten a whole new clientele," Halloween31 spokeswoman Shayna Parekh said in a phone interview with AOL News.

Speaking of hair, colored wigs are the rage this year. According to Parekh, a lot of women want to dress up as pop stars Lady Gaga (platinum), Katy Perry (blue) and Nicki Minaj (pink). That the three performers are remembered for their hair color around Halloween time, Parekh suggests, is no coincidence.

"I think the musicians know this," Parekh said. "They want to become as commercialized as possible with the color of their hair."

One last hair-related item. Those who recoil in horror every time Sarah Palin opens her mouth can now cringe at the sight of her, too. Halloween31 is offering up the Sarah Palin Going Rogue Zombie Mask. The mask co-opts the trademark Palin bun and rimless glasses, but throws in an ashen complexion, bloodshot eyes and yellowy teeth. Oh, and she drools blood, too.

Lest anyone accuse Halloween31 of political partisanship, though, Parekh points out that the company carries masks mocking folks on the other side of the aisle as well.

"I'd say the Sarah Palin zombie mask levels the playing field, in the sense that it brings political balance," Parekh said. "We also have an Obama zombie mask."

Since Halloween is just one big excuse for men to dress as women and women to dress as sluts, there are a few gender-bending, skanktastic ensembles worth mentioning.

From costume manufacturer Fun World comes the Tooth Fairy costume for men, complete with tutu, wings and a large molar emblazoned on the chest. And, my goodness, guys, there are so many ways to channel your inner fairy this Halloween! Note another another Fun World exclusive, Tinker Belly, a men's costume that gives you, Tinkerbell, a sizable beer gut.


Those costumes won't be the only fruits out and about on Halloween, as a randy banana costume, called Banana Flasher, makes its debut in 2010. It takes the standard banana costume and adds a bit of vitality in the lower third -- exactly where a gent would want it. (Men experiencing chest pains should consult their doctor before wearing the costume.)

"The traditional banana costume is always very popular for Halloween, so that's why we felt this one would be a hit!" Meredith Abraham of Anytime Costumes wrote in an e-mail to AOL News. "We're getting great response to it from the college crowd."

Finally, much has been written about "Jersey Shore" of late. In fact, too much, so there won't be a lot of attention given to it here. Suffice it to say, there are Situation and Snooki costumes. And they're apparently quite popular.

"I'd imagine there are going to be a lot of fake tans this Halloween," said Heather Golin, spokeswoman for the nation's largest costume retailer, Spirit Halloween.

And if you still can't think of what to be, do everyone a favor: don't fall back on "Jersey Shore." One Snooki is enough.