I was the least basic version of Harley Quinn this Halloween

I was Harley Quinn for Halloween. While I am fully aware I was Harley Quinn from the movie rather than Harley Quinn from the original comics, one was fifty dollars cheaper than the other and much more comfortable. So why was my version the least basic Harley Quinn? Because I was actually dressed like her, and not because it was a “sexy” costume, but because I’m a girl who loves D.C. Comics.

Growing up, there was one thing my dad and I shared a bond over and it was anything superhero movie related, ranging from D.C. to Marvel. Just the other day, my dad called me on a Friday afternoon to talk about the new Guardians of the Galaxy movie coming out next summer, and how excited we are for when the whole Marvel universe comes together for one big movie. We go to all the new movies together and afterwards, he fills me in on what was different in the movie from the comics. I love that I can share this love for D.C. and Marvel comics with my dad, because it can be hard to find things to share in a father-daughter relationship.

So when I say I was the least basic Harley Quinn, I’m saying that for a few reasons. For one, while I was out during Halloween, I wanted to have as much fun as possible with the outfit. Every time I saw a guy dressed up as the Joker I quickly ran over to him and said “Puddin where ya been!” Most of them got it and played right a long, and one guy even came up to me first yelling “I’ve been looking everywhere for you”, and he was so surprised when I went responded as if I were Harley Quinn.

His reaction made me think that most of the girls dressed up as Harley Quinn barely even knew her character. I decided to ask girls why they decided to dress up as HQ, and what they knew about her. To my surprise (even though it actually was not that surprising) most didn’t even know what the word “Puddin” referred to, nor did they didn’t know that she was originally the Joker’s psychiatrist and then fell in love with him. To my surprise, only one girl I talked to knew all about her and was dressed up for the same reason as me. I didn’t think I would have been able to find anyone else.

No matter how many Harley Quinn’s I saw on Halloween and how many of those were clueless of who she actually is, there was no other person I would have wanted to dress up as. It may have been considered the most basic costume for Halloween 2016, but I wouldn’t put myself into that category. My reasons for being Harley Quinn were the least basic reasons. Maybe next Halloween I’ll be Wonder Woman in honor of the new movie next June, whether it becomes the “most basic” costume of 2017 or not.