PETA joins the Halloween fun with ‘Cecil’s Revenge’ dentist-mocking costume

The pop culture Halloween costume meme seems to be moving at light speed, with the news Tuesday about a sexy Cecil the Lion costume being followed by today’s news of not one but two costumes that ape trophy-hunting Minnesota dentist Walter Palmer, who has admitted to killing the Zimbabwean lion earlier this summer.

The more humorous of those costumes, called “Cecil’s Revenge,” is being offered for pre-order by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals as of Thursday morning. It consists of a white, dentist-appropriate jacket complete with a name tag that reads “Dr. Palmer,” bloody claw marks across the front and a plush lion affixed to the back, with one lion paw grasping a shoulder, the other around the waist.

The costume description at the www.petacatalog.com e-commerce site includes the following note: “It can easily be accessorized with a toothbrush or a fake drill or crossbow.” Priced at $139.99, the organization says “all profits from merchandise sales will go directly to support PETA’s life-saving work for animals.” (A PETA spokesperson said that five pre-orders had been placed as of this writing.)

Another version of the costume, being offered through www.costumeish.com, is bit less tongue-in-cheek and good deal more in your face. How so? It’s not the blood-spattered white smock (see above) or a description that notes: “[d]ue to popular demand the price of the costume has been raised to $99.99,” that leaves a sour taste in our mouth. No, the straw that breaks the camel’s back here (don’t worry PETA, our camel is safe and sound – it’s only a metaphor) is the inclusion of a severed lion’s head mask brandished like a Frisbee in the right hand of the costume-clad model who gives a bloody-gloved thumbs up with his left hand. (Also, while the website description notes “15% of all proceeds will go to a Wildlife Foundation,” it doesn’t identify a specific organization.)

Honestly, we can’t wait to see what else is in store between now and All Hallow’s Eve.

For the latest in questionable costumes -- and more -- follow me @ARTschorn

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