Go With The “Flo”

In Kenosha, Wisconsin, Halloween has come and gone with little fanfare. Unless you count the “controversy” created when Mayor Bosman and the Common Council switched the day for Trick or Treating from Sunday, October 25th to Saturday, October 31st. Not having any children, I am not a big fan of this holiday. I fully understand the appeal for young children, but cannot honestly comprehend the fascination for some adults.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy seeing ladies dressed up in revealing outfits pretending to be Elvira or a naughty nurse. But for every scantily clad lass, there is some dude in drag sporting a full beard to bring you back to reality. It just seems like an excuse to dress up and pretend like you are something that you are not, but might want to be. I just don’t get it.

And then it hit me. A Halloween costume that I could totally understand ladies wanting to wear. In this costume they would be portraying someone that while being a media icon, is both highly respected and at the same time, the desire of every red-blooded American male.

Who is this person who that the Boston Herald reported as being the subject for one of the most popular Halloween costumes this year?

Her name is Flo.

She is the Progressive Auto Insurance chick, lighting up televisions in a series of commercials as a perky cashier that pitches the money saving merits of Progressive to customers. She's a bundle of energetic contradictions, bursting here, retracting there. Her expressions blink and change like a neon sign. Her eyes are popping globes. And she just sold you a bunch of car insurance.

She works in a sterile, all-white big-box store, and her rosy-cheeked makeup stands out like paint, with her 'tricked-out name tag' and her '60s style eye makeup and her kissable red lips.

She is played by 38-year-old actress and comedienne Stephanie Courtney and has been cited in news articles as having a sizable fan base on social networks like facebook. After years of doing improv theatre, commercials and small roles on TV and in movies, Courtney hit it big as the delightfully quirky Flo.

You can’t turn on TV without seeing one of her wonderful Progressive commercials. A favorite of mine is the one where she accuses the man she is waiting on to be psychic. Her facial impression is priceless!

Another memorable ad that I really enjoy is the one where she encounters an Elvis impersonator in the store. When she hears, “Thank you, thank you very much” from the imitator, the unflappable Flo fires back, “You’re welcome, welcome very much.” Hilarious!

Obviously, in my humble opinion, Flo is the perfect person to portray on Halloween. I can now understand why any honorable woman would choose to go as her, if they really feel the need to dress up. Until next time…from the booth.