Whether or not a celebrity-inspired costume should be regarded as offensive or even disrespectful clearly depends on the motives of the person donning the costume. While Halloween proves to be a great opportunity for some people to make fun of or mock stars that were once famous but passed away (especially if they were publicly known for their sometimes strange behavior), I think most people would not invest great amounts of money, time, and effort into the makeup and accessories of a costume if they were not truly emotionally vested in the purpose. This being said, I can attest to the cost of an average Michael Jackson costume: about $ 60 for the Thriller jacket, $ 20 for the wig, $ 10 for the police eye glasses, $ 15 for the sparkly white glove, another $ 10 for the matching socks, and about $ 15 for a fake fedora hat. I know about these prices because I have a miniature but full-blown Michael Jackson fan at home: my 5-year old Kindergartener. I know his obsession with the star is strong enough for him to desire being like the star on just one night out of the year, the night that allows every child to be somebody or something that want to be but can’t be at any other time. For me, if we would have found a costume in my child’s size, there would not have been a great concern as to whether my child would be making fun of the star since he has been a huge fan since the beginning of the year. Seeing how MJ has inspired my little son to sing and dance, I could not turn down his wishes to also look like the star and act out his imagination on Halloween night. In this sense, I think that while some people may be out there to simply ridicule a dead celebrity and remind everybody of their negative attributes, most people aspiring to dress up as the celebrity are likely long time fans who wish to do nothing more but keep the person’s memory alive and have the chance to be just like that person for once in their live. I have been to numerous Halloween parties in my live and have seen people dressed as many types of celebrities from Britney Spears to Bill & Hillary Clinton. Sure some costumes make you wonder what the true purpose behind the dress-up is, but most people are simply dressing up as their idol or a celebrity they enjoy watching to have fun and live a day in their role. Therefore, whether a person walking down the street on Halloween night dressed up as Michael Jackson or Farrah Fawcett is meaning the dead celebrity any harm is likely hard to determine.However, unless they are making negative gestures and acting out awkward behaviors (that are meant to be the celebrity’s) their dress-up efforts should be appreciated and interpreted as a tribute to the entertainer who passed away.