Why Lizzo's Controversial Halloween Costume Is Causing So Much Buzz

Pandemic be damned — Halloween is here, and people are out to get their scare on — or at least, show off their best costumes. Some of the best celebrity getups this year include Kim Kardashian and Jonathan Cheban as Tiger King's Carole Baskin and Joe Exotic (complete with all the Kardashian/West children as tiger cubs), Jennifer Garner as the Granny emoji, Vanessa Hudgens as the Black Widow, Kendall Jenner as Pamela Anderson, Lil Nas X as Nicki Minaj, and Neil Patrick Harris, husband David Burtka, and their twins as Willy Wonka, Slugworth, Charlie and Veruca Salt (all via Vulture).  

But while all these costumes are meant as good holiday fun, one celeb is raising more than a few eyebrows with her choice of wardrobe. Lizzo posted Instagram pictures of her Halloween costume tonight, and depending on which side of the political fence you sit on, you'll either find it hilarious or in super-poor taste. 

As anyone who followed the vice-presidential debate between Mike Pence and Kamala Harris on October 7 knows, the highlight of the night wasn't their take on healthcare, the coronavirus, foreign relations, or President Trump's performance in office. No, the night was dominated by a fly that landed prominently on Pence's head in the middle of the debate and stayed there — unnoticed by the vice-president — for more than two minutes (per NY Post). The well-timed insect immediately blew up the internet and even inspired a Saturday Night Live sketch that weekend (via CNN). 

Jumping on the chance to riff on the event, Lizzo dressed as the famous fly on Halloween and posted selfies to her Insta account. One photo shows her modeling the outfit in its entirety; two were videos of her posing in front of a screenshot of Pence's recognizable white hair, twerking and flashing a middle finger. The "Good as Hell" singer's costume featured large black wings, a headband with fly eyes, and a bikini fly body adorned with "Vote" stickers. She completed the look with white kitten mules.

Naturally, the responses to Lizzo's costume came quickly. Some of the positive replies included: "YOU WINNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DA FLYEST FLY THAT EVER FLEW," "Thank you this made my day. Also voted early for Biden/Harris" and "FLY 2024." And many agreed that she "won Halloween."

Other followers weren't so amused, posting reactions such as: "Trump 2020 4 more years," and "I hope Trump wins for the sake of us all." Several called her simply "vulgar." Another announced he would be unfollowing her account. And still others went there by criticizing her size: "Imagine finding Lizzo attractive," said one. "Lizzie for the cemetery" was another snark. Yet another reply was a long list of McDonald's products, presumably commenting on the singer's food preferences."

Love it or hate it, Lizzo's intent was undoubtedly to attract attention and ramp up interest in voting (one video shows her holding a "Vote" sticker up to the camera). She may have just inspired some fans (and not-so fans) to head for the polls before Tuesday.