Since at least the 1960s, it has been common that every four years, there would be no shortage of politically-themed Halloween costumes. In fact, it could be said that the sales of masks of a particular candidate could help serve as a preview of the possible election outcome.
Fast forward to 2023 and this Halloween may have been the year of"political caricature" more than characters. This was noted by several videos that circulated across social media of children dressed as President Joe Biden, where he was seen stumbling—a reminder of spills the commander-in-chief had taken this year.
"It's hard to say how much social media has created a divisive environment that would promote making fun of a political figure," Cliff Lampe, professor of information and associate dean for academic affairs in the School of Information at the University of Michigan, explained.