[imagesource: Instagram / @katyperry]

Halloween was either extra fun this year, or terribly absurd.

I just don’t think it was scary, because nothing can outdo the threats the world has faced in the last 18 months or so.

All I have to say is the word “unprecedented” and a barrage of images of all the really frightening stuff comes flooding back.

(I tentatively vow to retire that word at the start of the new year.)

Celebrities seemed to have had a hoot with their Halloween costumes this year, harking back to some old classics and making pop culture references from more recent times, too.

CNN has more:

Though several major Halloween parties, like Heidi Klum’s annual bash, were put on hold this year, fellow model Alessandra Ambrosio hosted a star-studded bash and Harry Styles invited fans to dress up in costume for his “Harryween” concert at Madison Square Garden.

Styles isn’t afraid of a dress and came as Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, complete with the iconic ruby red slippers:

Instead of her big bash, Klum made a scary short film for Instagram:

 

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A post shared by Heidi Klum (@heidiklum)

Katy Perry did well to dress up like a syringe, while Orlando Bloom sported PPE as a doctor beside her.

That’s the duo right up top.

You can bet your bottom dollar that a Squid Game reference was in there, as well as a Britney Spears tribute.

Here’s Vogue:

Many celebs paid tribute to their favorite fellow stars. Hailey Bieber, for one, dressed up in multiple Britney Spears outfits, including her “Slave 4 U” video look and her iconic “Baby One More Time” schoolgirl outfit:

 

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A post shared by Hailey Rhode Baldwin Bieber (@haileybieber)

Actor Kerry Washington dressed as contestant 456 from Squid Game, while Blackpink’s Lisa cosplayed as the robotic killer doll:

 

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A post shared by LISA (@lalalalisa_m)

The pop references continued with Lizzo dressing up as Baby Yoda:

 

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A post shared by Lizzo (@lizzobeeating)

Former figure skater Adam Rippon had a dig at Nicki Minaj for saying that her now Twitter-infamous cousin’s friend got swollen testicles after the COVID-19 vaccination, going as the poor guy for his Halloween shindig:

Happy Halloween 🎃 https://t.co/1GqBgWthVv pic.twitter.com/a2cwBYsnfq

— Adam Rippon (@AdamRippon) October 31, 2021

Megan Thee Stallion gave Emma Stone a run for her money as Cruella de Vil, among the many other costumes that she donned for the season:

 

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A post shared by Megan Thee Stallion (@theestallion)

Special effects were also used, with Ariana Grande transforming herself into a rather stunning mossy swamp monster:

 

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A post shared by Ariana Grande (@arianagrande)

Likewise, with Lil Nas X who made an appearance as “He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named”:

 

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A post shared by MONTERO (@lilnasx)

Other celebs took a dive into the Hollywood archives, with Kendall Jenner dressing up as both a corpse bride and an otherworldly character from Mars Attacks!:

 

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A post shared by Kendall (@kendalljenner)

Reese Witherspoon referenced Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds by covering herself entirely in birds:

 

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A post shared by Reese Witherspoon (@reesewitherspoon)

Meanwhile, Justin Bieber did the ‘bear’ minimum:

 

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A post shared by Justin Bieber (@justinbieber)

While Cardi B did the most:

 

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A post shared by Cardi B (@iamcardib)

Chrissy Teigen and family also went with The Addams Family:

 

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A post shared by Cardi B (@iamcardib)

Last but not least, Steve Buscemi became even more of a legend by leaning into a meme featuring himself with excellent effect, per Mashable:

Remember the “How do you do, fellow kids?” GIF of Buscemi taken from the 30 Rock episode where the actor pops up as Lenny Wosniak, a private detective recalling the time he tried to masquerade as a high school student?

The GIF has since become one of the internet’s most famous reaction memes, a handy shorthand for whenever somebody attempts to act younger than they are.

Here’s a quick recap of that scene:

Buscemi was spotted as the now meme character by a fan while she was out trick-or-treating in Brooklyn, New York:

More sightings of Buscemi went viral on Twitter, too.

I just went as a mushroom, because I might as well grow from all the BS that we get fed on the regular.

Anyway, you can have a look at more here and here.

[sources:vogue&cnn&mashable]