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Halloween Costume Models UNMASKED

#150standardBizarre Niche
Oct 17, 2024ยท1h 10m
Watch Episode on YouTube โ†—
Premise: You've seen them as Comic Book Clown Villain and Blue Long-Tailed Nature Alien, but who are they really? This week, we sat down with the people behind the polyurethane: Halloween Costume Models. What goes into taking the iconic picture that convinces you whether or not to be that alien or that cowboy? How has the industry changed? And why is the President of HAG-AFTRA in grave danger? Listen and find out!

Cast & Characters (4)

Bits & Timeline (16)

1:36CHARACTER_INTRO
1:48

The Unseen World of Halloween Costume Modeling

The panel introduces the bizarre rules of the Halloween modeling industry, including the lack of directors and the 'white psych' studio environment where models are left to their own devices.

"Sometimes I'm like, is there a ghost that hires us?"

"No photo shoots have a director. So we're all sort of on our own doing our own thing."

3:25VISUAL_GAG
2:37

Astryd Sand: The Queen of Inflatables

Astryd discusses her 50-year project with Pantone to model every color of inflatable costume, explaining why AI cannot replicate the unique shadows of her curves.

"I have very, very unique curves that can't be caught by AI."

"I am kind of the queen of Inflatables."

6:02BACKSTORY_REVEAL
1:58

Gregory Malloy Brown's Literal Stumble into Stardom

Gregory explains how he became the face of the Babadook and the inspiration for Spirit Halloween animatronics after accidentally falling into a gauze rack.

"I kind of stumbled into this career, a literal stumble when I accidentally tripped and fell into the studio."

"When the Babadook comes around, Gregory Malloy Brown is found."

10:17VISUAL_GAG
3:43

Ruthie Pepto and the 'Coerced But Not Kidnapped' Brand

Child model veteran Ruthie Pepto discusses the 'parental gaze' in costume photography and her signature 'coerced but not kidnapped' resting face.

"My face naturally gives coerced not kidnapped every time."

"You want to be able to see the parents putting the kid in the costume in the kid's eyes."

18:25VISUAL_GAG
3:20

The President of HAG-AFTRA and the Veiny Dick Costume

Rick Hairdo, the president of the Halloween modeling union, defends his decision to 'punch up' a controversial veiny dick costume by adding a cane and glasses, rebranding it as 'Old Poker.'

"I would not be the president of HAG-AFTRA if it weren't for all the support."

"You became the president and they got worse."

"I'm a funny guy model. I'm not a funny guy."

"What you ended up doing was putting gray hair on it, giving it glasses and giving it a cane, so it really more looked like Old Poker."

23:31CHARACTER_INTRO
1:47

Seven-Year-Old Ruthie's Jitterbug Social Media Presence

Ruthie Pepto, a seven-year-old model, discusses her viral success on Threads and her struggle to connect a Jitterbug phone to modern apps, leading to her becoming a 'mailbox' meme.

"I connected my Jitterbug to apps just 'cause I need it."

"Me as the mailbox blew up."

29:40GAME_OR_PITCH
2:27

Generic Costume Naming and the Elphaba Dispute

The models pitch generic names for copyrighted characters to avoid litigation, including 'Witch with Signature Rift' for Elphaba and 'Mental Illness Clown' for the Joker.

"How are we going to label this green witch? Green witch is taken."

"What about deranged businessman? 'Cause he's wearing a suit."

35:21VISUAL_GAG
1:20

Gregory's Perfect Male Head and Stilt Modeling

Gregory Malloy Brown explains that he is primarily used for 'head-only' modeling because he possesses the mathematically perfect median head size for a human male, discovered through trial and error.

"I have the perfect head size and perfect shape of head for a man in general."

"I would walk up to a lot of men and feel their heads and figure it out."

39:30VISUAL_GAG
1:50

AI in the Writers' Room and Halloween Costume Names

The models discuss the use of AI in their industry, agreeing that while it's fine for writers' rooms, it should definitely be used to generate the bizarre names of Halloween costumes to appeal to the 'funny guy' demographic.

"Halloween costume names should be AI. That's the only thing that I believe should be AI."

"Anybody who buys a funny guy costume has a cryptocurrency wallet."

41:20TABLE_BREAK
2:25

Ruthie Pepto's Disappearance and Wellness Check

Ruthie Pepto briefly loses her internet connection, leading the other models to search WebMD for 'disappeared kid.' Upon her return, they question her parents' supportive nature and her lack of eating at craft services.

"I don't like to watch kids walk away so that's not something that I'm doing in practice."

"I was actually thinking about writing you a wellness check."

45:50VISUAL_GAG
2:49

The Art of the Pair Costume: JFK and Step-Son

The models reminisce about their most successful pair costumes, including a 'daddy-daughter' JFK and Bloody Jackie baby combo, and a highly specific 'Step-Son' costume involving a Nintendo Switch and two pairs of Nikes.

"You were John F. Kennedy and I was Bloody Jackie as a kind of a reverse twist and I was a baby."

"It's a $1,000 costume for a couple."

55:39BACKSTORY_REVEAL
2:33

The Curse of the HAG-AFRA Presidency

Rick Hairdo reveals the dark tradition of HAG-AFRA presidents mysteriously dying at the end of their term. He describes the gruesome fates of past presidents, including one who died on a roller coaster after his brain stopped.

"Every president of HAG-AFRA goes mysteriously missing and winds up dead after their term."

"He went around so many times that his brain eventually just stopped."

59:30GAME_OR_PITCH
1:22

The Practical Whoopee Cushion Redesign

Rick Hairdo proposes a costume made of 100 real whoopee cushions so that every movement, from sitting to kissing, triggers a loud fart noise.

"When you are the whoopee cushion costume, you don't really get to make the whoopee cushion noise."

"That's going to be like the Dune soundtrack type of fart."

1:00:52VISUAL_GAG
1:17

Dune Sand and The Zendaya Tomato Timer

Ruthie Pepto complains about being cast as a pile of sand for Dune, while Astryd Sand describes his obsessive 24-hour research into Zendaya's limbs.

"I hated being that pile of sand this year for Dune."

"I set a little tomato timer and I said I'm not going to... I looked up everything: Zendaya hands, Zendaya fingers."

"Clicking is part of looking up, darling."

1:03:50VISUAL_GAG
1:37

The Paris Fashion Week Sabotage

Rick Hairdo reveals he tripped the other models to prevent them from attending Paris Fashion Week, keeping them on the 'Halloween track' with him.

"I tripped you because I wanted you guys to stay on the Halloween track with me."

"I'm tall because of the vaccines."

1:06:30TABLE_BREAK
2:54

Gregory Fucks His Own Head

In a bizarre finale, Gregory Malloy Brown attempts to physically make love to his own head, providing graphic narration and sound effects as the others watch in horror.

"He's going to fuck his own head finally."

"I'm kissing my own lips. Wow, it feels amazing to kiss your own lips."

"I can't wait to be inside you."