John Morcotte, father of two little girls, has called for #MoreThanCute Halloween costumes after being fed up with the “disturbing” contrast between the offering for girls and boys.
When searching for Halloween costumes for his daughters, John found that those geared at boys were styled as “brave, scary, smart, adventurous”, whereas those on offer for girls were simply “cute”.
“Boys are given a full range of costumes that tell them they can be anything they want – heroic, brilliant, or scary,” John told BuzzFeed. “Meanwhile, the girls’ costume aisles are usually fairies and princesses, and [this] tells them that the only thing society values about them is their appearance.”
John added that this disparity continues into adulthood, with the costumes available for women telling them that “the only thing society values about them is that they look ‘sexy’.”
It’s a cause John is particularly passionate about, as the founder of Heroic Girls – an organisation that advocates for better representation of girls and women in media and comics. So he took to social media, starting the #MoreThanCute campaign, to encourage parents to look past the stereotypical costumes for girls and dress their daughters in something more than cute.
“It’s fine to look cute,” John said. “But Halloween is a time to let your imagination run wild and to dream about what you want to be.”
The cause has been well received, with parents around the globe sharing photos of their daughters as everything from sports stars to superheroes. Check out some of the #MoreThanCute photos here.
John has been overwhelmed by the positive response. “I am the father of two little girls, and nothing makes you a more active feminist than wanting them to have the type of limitless opportunities they deserve.”

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