Is there any Halloween costume lazier than the sheet ghost? I don’t think so. The bed sheet with two eyeholes draped over the head in an expressionistic representation of a supernatural spirit is the easiest, least-effort requiring costume in the history of costumes, which is probably why Mom dressed me up as one for my first several Halloweens.

Laziness factor notwithstanding, there is something charming about the sheet ghost. There is for me, anyway. Yes, I love the rubber makes, the fake blood, and the Ben Cooper smocks, but the sheet ghost provokes some good feelings from me as well. I think that’s because it reminds me of a time when Halloween was more rustic and less Wal-Mart. If that’s not it, then it must be because the sheet ghost has become an iconic Halloween image, one represented both in Halloween specials as well as in mainstream movies. Considers these examples:

If Charlie Brown, Garfield, and E.T. don’t equal iconic, than I don’t know what does. So, yes, the sheet ghost might be a lazy costume, but it is at the same time a classic one.