Reverbiage: Stories from NPR tagged 'costumes'

Walmart Thrives On Candy And Costumes

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 13:00:00 EST

Sales figures out Thursday are the worst in decades. Still, there's a bright spot: Walmart. The world's largest retailer says its sales of Halloween merchandise bolstered its October sales. Analysts are predicting this Christmas shopping season will be the worst in two decades.

What Will You Be For Halloween...

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 13:00:00 EDT

If you're going as someone from the news — say Sarah Palin or Ben Bernanke — we want to hear from you and see photos of you in costume.

Boo! What Are You Wearing For Halloween...

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 13:00:00 EDT

Day To Day wants to hear what your ultra-clever costumes are this Halloween. Tell us at our blog, daydreaming.

Pizza Promotion Backfires

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 06:00:00 EDT

When John McCain stopped campaigning in Michigan, a pizzeria owner made customers an offer: free pizza to people who brought in John McCain signs. Diana Franzoni apologizes, saying she didn't know people would steal yard signs for free food. McCain is still campaigning in Florida. That includes Key West, scene of a giant costume parade. One of the hottest-selling masks is of Sarah Palin.

Buying Bob Hope's Stuff

Sat, 18 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EDT

When the comedian died in 2003 at the age of 100, he left behind almost a century of stuff: signed photos, golf clubs, cuff links from presidents, costumes, and golf sweaters. This weekend, a lot of those items are on the auction block.

Topless Mermaid Lawsuit Dismissed

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 06:00:00 EDT

This next report brings to mind the saying: If you don't want to read about it in the news, don't do it. Maria Kristina Dominguez attended a party thrown by rapper Sean Combs. She wore a mermaid costume. Then her photo showed up in Vibe magazine. She sued. But a judge threw out her $3 million claim: You can't claim invasion of privacy when you show up at a party topless. Now she returns to her day job, which is managing a Wall Street hedge fund.

Woody Allen Routine On Moose Hunting Recalled

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 16:47:00 EDT

In a political season where moose hunting has become highlighted, Woody Allen's standup routine in which he tells a tall tale about how he shot a moose is recalled. The moose lives and comes in second in a costume party contest — to a Jewish couple in a moose costume.

Pooh Arrested For Theft In Tokyo

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 06:00:00 EDT

Try to avoid staring into the eyes of a dog — or into the eyes of Winnie the Pooh. A man wearing a Pooh costume on a street corner in Tokyo took offense at people staring. The Pooh — accompanied by two friends dressed as a mouse and a panther — then beat up and robbed two people. They told police they put on the costumes after running out of clean clothes.

Creator of Big Bird Costume Remembered

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:00:00 EDT

Kermit Love, the costume designer who helped puppeteer Jim Henson create Big Bird and other Sesame Street characters, has died. Carroll Spinney, the puppeteer who plays Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch on Sesame Street, remembers him.

Finding 'Mr. Happiness'

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 13:00:00 EDT

On a street corner in suburban Las Vegas, one man has been reaching out to people all day, every day, for the last six years. Larry Johnson, a.k.a. "Mr. Happiness," wears colorful costumes, dances, waves and blows kisses to passing drivers.

Hollywood Makeovers, Frame by Frame

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Films are edited digitally, get their sound digitally Â� and increasingly rely on technologies that can change the colors of a costume or a background digitally. Even a star's frown lines can be banished -- by artists like Stefan Sonnenfeld, pictured -- with a mouse click.

Catwoman: Feminine Power, on the Prowl

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EDT

With a shadowy past and a dark allure, Catwoman has been a compelling figure, for women and men alike. But she's anything but static. Her character, like her costume, has changed over time, from conflicted villain to damaged but empowered antihero.

Taking the Measure of 'The Other Boleyn Girl'

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 10:50:00 EST

Fresh Air's film critic reviews The Other Boleyn Girl, a costume drama from director Justin Chadwick. Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson play sisters battling for the affection of England's King Henry VIII.

Theatrical Protests Color FCC Hearing on Media Ownership

Sat, 03 Nov 2007 08:00:00 EDT

Protestors turned up in costume for the Halloween hearing by the FCC on whether it should relax ownership rules to allow national media conglomerates to own more local stations.

Bush Says Cheney Touts Dark Side for Halloween

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 06:00:00 EDT

President Bush says he asked the vice president what Halloween costume he planned to wear. He said Cheney replied he was already wearing it, then "mumbled something about the dark side of the Force."

Halloween Goods to Yield $5B Holiday

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 08:56:00 EDT

The National Retail Federation says Americans will spend a scary $5 billion on Halloween this year on costumes and candy.

Jill Sobule Sings Her Halloween Horror

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 08:42:00 EDT

The musician presents a musical essay on what the singer considers a scourge of modern Halloween: tarty costumes.

Real Life Out-Spooks Supernatural this Halloween

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 16:27:00 EDT

Witches, goblins and ghosts used to be standard Halloween costumes. But some schools and communities have banned such so-called pagan symbolism. So, on the eve of Halloween, we offer some alternatives ripped from the headlines.

Halloween Costumes Getting Less Scary, More Sexy

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 14:21:00 EDT

Skimpy costumes are the fad these days, says Amy Dickinson, author of the syndicated advice column "Ask Amy." Callers weigh in on appropriate costumes for kids and teens, and the debate over "healthy" trick-or-treating: real apples or candy apples?

Guys are Beefing Up for Halloween

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 13:15:00 EDT

"Muscle" costumes are a new development in Halloween fashion. While girls have been accused of tarting it up for years, boys and men are now looking for less scary, more beefy outfits that let them flaunt faux superhero bodies.

N.Y. School Bans Halloween Costumes

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 06:00:00 EDT

School's have banned sodas, cupcakes and now Halloween costumes. The principal of New York's Long Beach High blames Captain Underpants -- and three senior girls, who last year dressed up as the hero of the popular kids' books.

Candidates' Likenesses are Halloween Favorites

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 17:44:00 EDT

A Halloween store in Manhattan unveils its political costume collection. Rudolph Giuliani and Hillary Clinton costumes are predictable and perennial New York favorites. How are the other presidential candidates playing this Halloween?

Yes, It's Hot in This Big, Furry Bird Costume

Thu, 09 Aug 2007 14:41:00 EDT

Steve, the mascot for the Baltimore Orioles baseball team, talks about what it's like to be a huge dancing bird in oppressive heat and humidity. First, he would like to dispel the rumor that his costume has a built-in air-conditioner. It doesn't.

Live Tonight: Gypsy Punk Group Gogol Bordello

Wed, 18 Jul 2007 10:25:00 EDT

Gogol Bordello is a spectacle. The wildly exuberant, multi-ethnic group from New York City makes frenetic music that's part punk rock, part Gypsy folk, part Cabaret. The band is famous for its costumed live shows that often stretch for more than two explosive hours.

Seersucker, Still Well-Suited for Summer

Sat, 16 Jun 2007 16:00:00 EDT

Seersucker, the perennial summer wear, was born in India hundreds of years ago. Tony-winning costume designer William Ivey Long -- a fan of the fabric -- offers a few details about its history.