Vault: She has to get one Halloween costume for each party she attends

Summary

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Podcast Summary: The Bert Show - "Vault: She has to get one Halloween costume for each party she attends"

Date: May 5, 2026
Host(s): The Bert Show Cast (Bert, Wendy, Melissa, Jen, and others)
Main Theme:
This episode dives into the surprisingly high stakes of Halloween costume planning, especially when attending multiple parties. The cast debates whether you need a unique costume for every event, shares personal and listener stories about elaborate preparations, and explores the social pressures and expectations surrounding adult Halloween festivities.

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1. Costume Enthusiasm and Planning

• Excitement Builds
  • Wendy and Melissa express their love for Halloween and discuss the hype over piecing together creative costumes this year.
  • Wendy: “I love Halloween and I love picking out my costume...this year I’m kind of putting it all together in different little pieces.” (01:10)
• DIY vs. Store-Bought
  • Most of the cast favors assembling costumes from various personal items rather than buying pre-packaged ones.
    • Melissa: "A good costume usually is from things that are not expensive…we make all of our costumes, and normally it’s just something we can throw from something in our closet." (04:01)
• Long-Term Planning
  • Melissa and Wendy reveal they start planning their biggest costumes months ahead of time, sometimes as early as June or Labor Day.
    • Wendy: "I knew in the summertime what I wanted to be. I always start planning in June because [I’m] so excited about Halloween." (05:09)

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2. The "One Costume per Party" Debate

• Costume Repetition is a Faux Pas
  • Melissa insists on a different costume for each party, emphasizing the need to impress at every event.
    • Melissa: “You cannot wear what I’m wearing to Big Wicked tomorrow night and have pictures taken and then people see it…A costume is about you walking in the door and people going either laughing or saying that’s sexy, whatever result you want. It’s walking in the door and having that immediately.” (01:25)
  • Both Wendy and Melissa confirm they do indeed get separate costumes for every party.
    • Melissa and Wendy (in unison): "Yes." (02:16)
• Social Media Pressure
  • The cast discusses how photo tagging on platforms like Twitter and Facebook increases the pressure to never repeat an outfit.
    • Male Commentator: “In a Twitter, Facebook world, you know, the pictures, you’re gonna be tagged. And you can’t be tagged at three different parties in the same costume.” (03:28)
• Competitive Edge
  • Melissa points out the risk of someone copying and improving upon your costume if they see it at one party and you attempt it again at another.
    • Melissa: “…if you wore something this weekend and then you went to Wicket next weekend and somebody improved upon your costume because they got the idea from you…if you’re first to it then you gotta do something else later.” (03:35)

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3. Dissenting Voices and Practicality

• Opposing Opinions
  • Jen finds the pressure excessive and prefers to focus on one main event.
    • Jen: “I don’t go to that many Halloween parties and if I do, I’m not dressing up for all of them…that’s too much I know to think about for me.” (02:18)
• Men’s Simpler Approach
  • The cast jokes about how men recycle the same costume with minor comedic tweaks from night to night.
    • Male Commentator: “Guys will just go as a construction worker to party one and then the second night be like, I’m a drunk construction worker…and then by Halloween, I’m a drunk, horny construction worker.” (05:58)

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4. Listener Stories & Family Traditions

• Listener Becky’s Call
  • Shares how her six-year-old son decided months in advance to go as Wolverine, demonstrating how kids are just as committed—but often easier to shop for.
    • Caller (Becky): “He knew back at the end of April that that was what he was going to be for Halloween…It’s a wife beater tank top, a little leather jacket and put his hair up…” (04:24-04:47)
  • Her daughter will go as a ladybug, and she herself as a black widow.
• Listener Megan’s Call
  • Describes her brother-in-law growing out a beard to be Borat, while she herself needs to be Batwoman for her son and needs a separate, ‘sexy’ costume for an adult party.
    • Caller (Megan): “I actually have to wear two costumes because my son’s making me be Batwoman…and of course I have a party to go to, so I can’t wear that. I have to be sexy.” (05:20)

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5. Costume Budget and Practical Tips

• Cost-Effectiveness
  • Emphasis on creative budget options; costumes don’t need to be expensive to be fun or impressive (04:01).
• Parallels to Other Event Seasons
  • Melissa and Wendy compare the no-repeat rule for costumes to women not wearing the same dress to multiple holiday parties.
    • Melissa: “Especially women are not going to wear the same dresses to the different Christmas parties. Same for Halloween.” (05:41)
    • Show Host: “You approach it the same way.”
    • Melissa: “Approach it the exact same way.” (05:57)

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6. Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “A costume is about you walking in the door and people going either laughing or saying that’s sexy, whatever result you want.” — Melissa (01:28)
• “In a Twitter, Facebook world, you know, the pictures, you’re gonna be tagged. And you can’t be tagged at three different parties in the same costume.” — Male Commentator (03:28)
• “Guys will just go as a construction worker to party one and then…by Halloween, I’m a drunk, horny construction worker." — Male Commentator (05:58)
• “Save that. All of that.” — Jen, laughing at above comment (06:14)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:10 – Wendy shares her excitement for assembling her costume
• 01:25 – Melissa on the need for different costumes per party
• 03:28 – Discussion on social media’s impact on Halloween outfit choices
• 04:24 – Listener Becky describes her son’s advanced Wolverine prep
• 05:09 – Wendy and Melissa reveal their extra-early Halloween planning
• 05:41 – How adult women treat Halloween like holiday party season
• 05:58 – The male ‘costume recycling’ joke

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Tone & Style

The episode is lively and humorous, balancing the competitive spirit of costume planning with light-hearted banter and real-life anecdotes. The cast’s authenticity shines through, making even niche debates like “one costume per party” both relatable and entertaining.

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For Those Who Missed It:
The Bert Show crew’s Halloween costume debate captures all the fun and anxiety of adulting on what’s supposed to be the most playful holiday. From elaborate pre-planning, DIY hacks, and the relentless scrutiny of social media, to the low-key approach some men take, this episode will make any Halloween-goer (or costume skeptic) laugh, commiserate, and maybe rethink their own spooky season strategy.

Transcript

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[Show Host]

So I have seen the excitement building over the last week between mostly Wendy and Melissa about Halloween costumes.

[Wendy]

Oh, I love Halloween and I love picking out my costume and normally I don't make my costume but this year I'm like kind of had them put it all together in different little pieces. So I'm like really amped up for my costume this year.

[Show Host]

I didn't realize that you can't wear the same costume.

[Wendy]

No.

[Melissa]

Wendy and I were talking about this because I've got three parties this year for Halloween and two of them, Katie and I are set on what our costumes are gonna be. But one tomorrow night we're not trying, we're trying to figure out what we're gonna wear to the Halloween party at the Biltmore for Jerusalem House. And so. Yeah, but you can't wear. No, I cannot wear what I'm wearing to Big Wicket tomorrow night and have pictures taken and then people see it and then it already be surprise. A costume is about you walking in the door and people going either laughing or saying that sex whatever result you want, it's walking in the door and having that immediately. Exactly.

[Male Commentator]

You don't want to be wearing a sexy one and walk in and have

[Melissa]

people laugh and start laughing.

[Show Host]

I've got two questions really to ask like who is listening right now that has spent the most amount of time pre planning for your wet for your Halloween costume and who has the most. Like if you're going to four parties, do you get four costumes?

[Melissa]

Yes.

[Wendy]

Yes.

[Show Host]

Really?

[Melissa]

Yes.

[Jen]

Jen. I don't go to that many Halloween parties and if I do, I'm not dressing up for all of them. I don't, I don't. I mean I get excited about Big Wicked and I'll definitely like put a ton of him, you know, into my costume for that one. But I won't do it for. That's too much I know to think about for me.

[Show Host]

I know a woman that works in an office. And about two months ago, one of her co workers started growing this thick ass beard out of nowhere, you know, like it just came out of nowhere. And everybody in the office was talking about how bad it looked. And she finally called him out on it a couple of days ago, and he decided to go as Zach Galifianakis from the Hangover. And he's been growing that beard now for months. So he thought about it 60 days ago what he was gonna be for Halloween. I just don't put that much thought into it, y'.

[Wendy]

All. Well, Halloween this year starts on Wednesday. Like, the parties are starting next week on Wednesday. So people are going out Wednesday night, Thursday night, Friday night, Saturday night. And you are taking pictures every night. So you don't wanna wear the same outfit. You want a different audience. Cause what if you see, like, one person on Wednesday, but you see the same person on Thursday? Didn't you wear that last night?

[Male Commentator]

Or in a Twitter, Facebook world, you know, the pictures, you're gonna be tagged. And you can't be tagged at three different parties in the same costume.

[Melissa]

And the worst case scenario is if you wore a party. Cause I think that. I mean, you know, I think the parties start this weekend for people who have other plans for Halloween night. And I think that also the issue is if you wore something this weekend and then you went wicket next weekend and somebody improved upon your costume because they got the idea from you. See? So if you're first to it, then you gotta do something else later.

[Jen]

I think you two should tally up how much you spend on Halloween this year.

[Show Host]

It does seem like it's.

[Melissa]

Well, a good costume usually is from things that are not expensive, you know, Like, I. Cause I'm more like Wendy, where there's very few times that Katie and I will actually purchase a costume. We make all of our costumes, and normally it's just something we can throw from something in our closet. So I don't know if expense equates quality when it comes to Halloween.

[Show Host]

Here is Becky. You are part of the Birch Show. Hi.

[Caller]

Hey. Yeah, we never pay that much for costumes either, but my son is 6, and back when we took him to see Wolverine X Men Origins, he knew back at the end of April that that was what he was going to be for Halloween.

[Show Host]

Yeah, it's different for kids, too. And they get locked and loaded. Like, once they get an idea in their head there, that's it. You can't suggest anything. There is no veering off script on something like that.

[Caller]

And it's so Easy. It's a wife beater, tank top, a little leather jacket and put his hair up in like a little, you know, sticking it straight out on the sides and we're good to go.

[Melissa]

Well, you gotta take some of your eyeliner or whatever and you gotta make them a little. Yeah.

[Caller]

And my daughter's gonna be a ladybug and I'm gonna be a black widow.

[Melissa]

Nice.

[Show Host]

Okay.

[Melissa]

Nice job done. Yeah. Katie and I decided on our big wicked costumes on Labor Day. So we've known since Labor Day what we're wearing.

[Show Host]

Really?

[Wendy]

I knew in the summertime what I wanted to be. Cause I always start planning in June because so excited about Halloween.

[Show Host]

No kidding. So new in June, here is Megan. Good morning. You're on Q100.

[Caller]

Good morning.

[Show Host]

Good morning.

[Caller]

My brother in law actually started growing out his beard about a month ago because he plans on going as Borat. So he's been growing out his beard. And I actually have to wear two costumes because my son's making me be Batwoman for Halloween. He's Batman. And of course I have a party to go to, so I can't wear that. I have to be sexy. So I have a separate sexy costume for that one, right?

[Melissa]

Yeah, you have to. It's. I mean, it's the same as any other. You know, if it's an event where event season, you know, coming up after Halloween, we have a lot of holiday parties. Nobody's going to wear the same outfit. Especially women are not going to wear the same dresses to the different Christmas parties. They're coming same for Halloween.

[Show Host]

You approach it the same way.

[Melissa]

Approach it the exact same way.

[Male Commentator]

You know, this is one of the times where I'm so thankful to be a guy, Bert, because guys will just go as a construction worker to party one and then the second night be like, I'm a drunk construction worker. And then by Halloween, I'm a drunk, horny construction worker. Wow.

[Jen]

Save that. All of that.

[Wendy]

All of that.

[Show Host]

It's the virt show.

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