Are we overthinking costumes?

Dressing up for trick-or-treating has become complicated. The list of forbidden characters is growing, with the creepy clown as the latest. Are we over-thinking costumes?

It's that time of year All Hallow's Eve,a night for ghosts and goblins, tricks and treats.

But dressing up for Halloween is getting complicatedas a growing number of institutions take steps to prohibit racist, sexist or potentially offensive costumes.Brock University student's union, for instance,issued a list of banned costumes before their Halloween bash. Bindis, geishas, and Caitlyn Jenner aren't welcome, neither are native headdress, "Poca-hottie" outfits and fake dreadlocks.

The list of forbidden characters is growing;the latest being creepy clowns.

Reports of funny business involving nefarious clowns turninto hysteria far and wide across North AmericaOne school district in the U.S. banned clown costumes,and a clown society in B.C. asked costume stores to not sell clown stuff.

Our question: Are we overthinking Halloween costumes? Have costumes become a political minefield?