Ryan ChartrandDuring the time of witches and wizards and goblins and ghouls, Halloween presents itself as a masterpiece of disguise. It is a time to transform into something that is not your real persona, to take on a different character and to hide behind a mask, both literally and figuratively. For those few hours as a ballerina, a vampire or even a football player, you get to be someone else; you lose your inhibitions and insecurities and pretend to bite people’s necks or that you can throw the 40-yard touchdown pass for your fake team.
But Halloween presents us with an idea bigger than bobbing for apples or going trick-or-treating. It shows us that playing a role dissimilar from our own and dressing up in costumes that typically don’t represent us can be liberating. So now it is time to take this idea with us away from the streets and into the bedroom.
In a completely unofficial poll of about six of my friends, we deduced a list from the millions of costumes down to the three top costumes for sex-related role-play for each partner. Now, these are in no particular order because of the fact that in none of my research subjects could agree unanimously on first through third place. The following costumes are great for the feminine role in the relationship.
How would you feel walking into a hospital where all the nurses walk around in low-cut tops and an extremely high hemline? While it might not lead you to have the greatest confidence in their medical ability, it would lead you to believe that they have a fantastic ability in another area (cough cough). Thus, when they pulled out a stethoscope to listen to your heartbeat, you probably wouldn’t be complaining, especially if you got to play the part of their patient or if they checked for signs of life in unorthodox locations. Either way, when acting out these roles, the nurse’s partner gets to be placed in a role to be coddled and taken care of. And taken care of definitely has more than one connotation when talking about sex. This role also allows the partner’s to explore each other’s bodies, as that is part of a check-up, is it not?
The second role-play combination is a common one, one even demonstrated by the pre-shaved head Britney Spears in her video “Hit Me Baby, One More Time.” That was every 5th grade boys’ wet dream, and though they had no experience, they all would have stood in line to hit that. A schoolgirl character puts the girl in the position of submission to her headmaster, principal, teacher or whatever else you can come up with. The stereotypical costume requires a small, cleavage-revealing white shirt, ponytails, and a Catholic schoolgirl’s skirt. Her partner could demonstrate what he would want to do to her if she got sent to his principal’s office.
The third role, rounding out the top three is a cop and robber. While either partner could wear either costume, it would be more interesting for the woman to take on the authority position of the police officer. If making this role choice, it puts her in the dominant role, giving her the freedom to tell her robber what to do. And, really now, who would deny a woman in aviators and a tight blue uniform? Not only can she tell her partner what to do, she can use handcuffs and a little roughness to make them behave.
Of course, I could go into more detail on the actual stipulations of each costume, down to a screenplay, but it’s more fun to play someone else if you get to decide whom they are. Other roles or costumes you could choose to take on are angel and devil, teacher and student or even just an athletic jersey and nothing else. A fallback is always lingerie, but while it’s sexy, it’s only a role if you go outside your sexually expressive box and get something not normally representative of yourself. Such as, if you normally wear a t-shirt and boy shorts to bed, get something that is black and lacy.
The idea of role-playing is not to make you try to be something that you’re not, it’s to let you be something that you’re not, even if just for a short while. It is what is different and unlike your typical romance or sexual routine that gives some spice to the concept; it is what is out of the ordinary that turns people on.
Give in to the Halloween spirit and let out your inner schoolgirl or devil that has been repressed for so long. Don’t be afraid of props and what is not considered the norm, because for all you know, it could lead to your greatest sexual experience together. And if you refuse to do this outside of Halloween, at least for one night you can trick even yourself with who you can portray, and give your partner a treat they won’t forget.
Melissa Norman is a psychology senior and Mustang Daily sex columnist. You can contact her at cpbetweenthesheets@gmail.com.