Caitlyn Jenner-Themed Halloween Costume Sparks Criticism

— -- Caitlyn Jenner’s striking Vanity Cover is one of the most memorable moments of the year. Perhaps it's not surprising that the images have been an inspiration for countless Halloween costumes.

“People want a Halloween costume that makes them look good,” Jean Twenge, personality and social psychologist and author of “Generation Me” told ABC News. “But they’re also sometimes looking to look cool and to put across the idea that they know what is going on in the world and that they are thinking about big issues.”

Caitlyn Jenner Named to Glamour Women of the Year List

Caitlyn Jenner Celebrates 'First Birthday'

Controversy has been brewing since August when the first “Call Me Caitlyn” costume came on the market. Retailers like Wholesale Halloween Costumes and Anytime Costumes decided to pull the costumes from their sites this week.

Many are taking their outrage to Twitter, calling the costume “The most offensive thing ever,” and petitions from DoSomething.org are demanding that retailers not sell it.

“Some people see that Caitlyn Jenner costume as potentially a little offensive, maybe a little insensitive, but then other people see it the opposite way,” said Twenge. “They see it as a way to honor her and say that she is a super hero.”

Jenner has said she’s not offended, but in a bold new piece in Vanity Fair, Monica Lewinsky is weighing in as someone who knows all too well what it’s like to be the center of Halloween jokes.

“It’s complicated when someone starts the year as a private person and by October ends up in the costume aisle,” Lewinsky wrote.

The question of what’s edgy and topical versus what’s offensive and tacky is a fine line. Celebrities have always used Halloween as an opportunity to let loose and dress up as their Hollywood counterparts. But critics say that costumes like Jenner’s make fun of her and the entire transgender community.

Lewinsky is reminding us all this Halloween to remember, “There is a fine line between clever and cruel.”