I spent Halloween with my friend and her two daughters, giving out candy and attempting to bring back the innocence I once associated with this day. Halloween's fall from grace began sometime after the French Maid (or Playmate) costume began popping up (I want to say 2004) and has since landed somewhere near Stripper Appreciation Day. Halloween (as celebrated in LA) now manages to demean both strippers, professional women, and the very notion of a "dressing up." I'm no prude, but I do know the difference between a costume and lingerie. And I know that female policewomen, nurses, and even leprechauns never wear bustiers...

One year, after I first moved to LA, I and some friends dressed as piñatas. Ok, maybe a little strange considering what people do to a piñatas, but the emphasis was on creativity and ingenuity. We fulfilled the function of this weird holiday and went to a party confident in our clever use of paper mache. Fifteen years later (ok, a few more) hundreds (possibly thousands) of women throughout Los Angeles deprive themselves of the opportunity to excavate their imaginations and resources because some salivating over-sexed guy paid tribute to their sexy doctor costume.

Just for today, I miss the old Halloween.