Cecil and Caitlyn heat up the Halloween costume wars early

This image released by Costumeish shows a man holding a fake lion head while dressed as a dentist, a costume referring to the Minnesota dentist who who killed Cecil the lion. The Halloween wars over pop culture costumes heated up early this time around. Petitions and social media outrage are flying over a blood-spattered dentist's smock paired with a Cecil-like lion head, along with a replica of Caitlyn Jenner's joyful lingerie outfit for her coming out on the cover of Vanity Fair. (Costumeish via AP) This image released by Costumeish shows a man holding a fake lion head while dressed as a dentist, a costume referring to the Minnesota dentist who who killed Cecil the lion. The Halloween wars over pop culture costumes heated up early this time around. Petitions and social media outrage are flying over a blood-spattered dentist's smock paired with a Cecil-like lion head, along with a replica of Caitlyn Jenner's joyful lingerie outfit for her coming out on the cover of Vanity Fair. (Costumeish via AP)

By Associated Press August 28, 2015 5 min read

NEW YORK (AP) – Who gets to decide what grown people wear for Halloween?

Apparently everybody.

The Halloween wars focused on pop culture costumes have heated up early this year. Petitions and social media outrage are already flying over a blood-spattered dentist’s smock paired with a Cecil-like lion head, along with a replica of Caitlyn Jenner’s cream-colored corset set she wore for her joyful coming out on the cover of Vanity Fair.

But exactly how do the latest examples in the costume clashes for a holiday with a long, bawdy history differ from always off-base behavior like blackface, ala Julianne Hough, or Prince Harry’s turn as a non-Halloween Nazi?

Is the rule of “too soon” at play? Has the digital age spawned an overly politically correct genie with no immediate plans to be stuffed back in the bottle?