14 Halloween Costumes for People Who Love the Internet

7 minute read

Halloween is just a few weeks away, which means you’ve still got plenty of time to throw together a decent costume. (Some of your friends may have started planning weeks or months ago, but they’re probably spending way too much money and time on this.)

If you’re not sure where to turn for inspiration, why not look to the biggest trends, memes and stories that circulated around the Internet this year? At best, you’ll look hip and topical. At worst, people will make fun of you behind your back for trying too hard. Either way, it’s Halloween, so there will probably be candy and alcohol involved. You’ll be fine.

Here are 14 costume ideas to get you started.

1. Ariana Grande licking a doughnut

Honoring the Great Ariana Grande Doughnut-Licking Incident of 2015 allows you to look cute and carry around an edible accessory. Make sure you have a backup doughnut supply so you can snack throughout the night.

What you need: A high ponytail, a small dress, thigh-high boots, a doughnut, back-up doughnuts

2. Pizza Rat

When footage of a rat dragging a slice of pizza down the stairs of a New York City subway station surfaced in September, the Internet fell in love. Keep the spirit of Pizza Rat alive by honoring him with a Halloween costume.

What you need: Brown sweatshirt, rat or mouse ears, whiskers painted on your face, an old slice of pizza. (Do note that someone also made a Sexy Pizza Rat costume, so that’s also an option.)

3. J.K. Rowling revealing stuff

The author behind the Harry Potter franchise was very active on Twitter this year. She debunked theories, defended her famous pals and, most of all, continued to reveal new information about the Harry Potter books nearly a decade after the series ended. It truly was the Year of the J.K. Rowling Reveal.

What you need: Blonde wig, black sweater, white collared shirt, notebook, pen. Interrupt every conversation by shouting things like “NOT TRUE” and “Actually, he was in Hufflepuff” and “Hagrid was on the Paleo diet.” Arrive at the party early and sort guests into houses as they arrive.

4. The Dress

Want to reignite the debate about whether that infamous dress was blue and black or white and gold? Of course you do. This could be a great way to start some drama this Halloween. (We realize it could also be a great way to get people to yell “NOBODY CARES ANYMORE” at you.)

What you need: Someone made an actual Halloween costume for this, so just buying that is probably the easiest route. But if you’ve got a sewing machine, you could try making your own version.

5. Unexpected John Cena

This meme has become 2015’s (admittedly less popular) version of the Rickroll. It involves a video clip which is unexpectedly (and very loudly) interrupted by wrestler John Cena’s entrance theme. That’s about all there is to it.

What you need: Several sweatbands, chain link necklace, no shirt, muscles (real or fake, depending on what you’re working with.) Wear a different costume of your choosing over that, and strip it off at some point to reveal John Cena. Make sure to do this loudly and dramatically. Bonus points if you can pull this off using a conversational segue: “I acquired a new client recently, and his name is…. JOOOOOOOHN CEEEEEEENAAAAAA!”

6. Taylor Swift’s squad

taylor swift lena dunham
Larry Busacca—Getty Images

Tay’s crew of famous pals has gotten out of control. So out of control that SNL predicted a post-apocalyptic world where nearly everyone has been taken away to join her “squad.” It’s really not that far-fetched.

What you need: Blonde wig, red lipstick, sparkly mini-dress or black leather jumpsuit, as many friends as you can round up, knowledge of the lyrics to “Bad Blood.”

7. A dislike button

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed that the company is developing some kind of “dislike” button. Turn yourself into the human form of that.

What you need: The Facebook “like” button printed out, turned upside down, and taped to your shirt. Also a disapproving frown. Hover near people and burst into the middle of their conversation when you want to express disapproval.

8. Snapchat’s rainbow filter

Snapchat seriously upped its game with the addition of new selfie filters. The best among them, of course, is the filter that lets you puke rainbows. This Halloween, bring it to life!

What you need: Blush, sunglasses with giant eyes painted on them, a rainbow scarf dangling from your mouth. Or, if you’re feeling ambitious, check out this very elaborate makeup tutorial to paint the rainbow onto your body.

9. The Fat Jewish

Over the summer, Instagram sensation ‘The Fat Jew’ (real name: Josh Ostrovsky) was bombarded with criticism over alleged joke theft. One critic said his “entire career is simply stealing jokes from Tumblr, Twitter, etc. He is making a living off of the hard work of other people.” As far as Internet controversies go, this was a fairly big one. Sure, you could dress up with Ostrovsky’s signature ponytail, or you could go the edgier route.

What you need: Just wear your regular clothes, and then throughout the night, steal other people’s costumes, put them on, and try to pass them off as your own. See? Edgy.

10. Shiba Inu stuck in a bush

Remember that adorable Shiba who got stuck in a bush but pretended everything was totally cool? He enjoyed a brief moment of viral fame, and you should resurrect him this Halloween.

What you need: Shiba Inu mask, potted plants, a good attitude

11. A cat with Donald Trump hair

#TrumpYourCat became a very popular and entertaining trend over the past few months. So instead of dressing up as Trump himself for Halloween (as many people will inevitably do), we recommend dressing up as a cat dressed up as Donald Trump.

What you need: Cat ears, simple cat face paint, Trump wig (or something resembling Trump’s hair)

12. Water on Mars

When NASA confirmed evidence that liquid water flows on Mars, the Internet went into a tizzy. Some people even got all topical about it. Either way, you’ll look really highbrow for dressing up as something science-related.

What you need: A head-to-toe red outfit and a glass of water. Periodically dump the water over your head throughout the night.

13. Ronda Rousey and her Marine date

A few months ago, a U.S. Marine posted a video to Facebook asking UFC champ Ronda Rousey if she’d attend the Marine Corps Ball with him. It promptly went viral, and Rousey eventually said yes. It was a very exciting time, but nobody is really sure if this date will happen. So why not make it happen yourself? (This is a couple’s costume, but if you want to fly solo, you can just go as Ronda Rousey. People will still like it.)

What you need: For Rousey: black sports bra and spandex shorts, boxing gloves, shiny hair. For Marine: camouflage military uniform and boots or Dress Blues if you happen to have those.

14. Kanye for President

Yeezy announced that he was running for President in 2020, and his wife Kim Kardashian confirmed he was “serious” about it. Naturally, the Internet jumped all over this news. People even started making Kanye campaign buttons. Use Halloween as an opportunity to imagine what a Kanye White House would look like. Optional: recruit a friend or significant other to go as First Lady Kim Kardashian.

What you need: American flag pin, suit, shutter shades, Kanye West 2020 button

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