BP oil disaster cleanup worker is a hot 2010 Halloween costume

Figured out what you're going to dress up as for Halloween yet? Better hurry -- the big day is barely a month away. If you do happen to have a particular costume plan in mind, and if that costume plan happens to involve dressing up like a BP oil disaster cleanup worker, well, let's just say you're not alone.

The New York Times' Damien Cave reports in Tuesday's newspaper that the costume "flying off the shelves" is a green jumpsuit splattered with crude stains, featuring BP's familiar sunburst logo. Only in this version, BP stands for "bad planning."

The costume is the brainchild of a Long Island, N.Y., company called Fun World and retails for $39.99. And we discovered that, just as the Times indicated might be the case, the item is temporarily out of stock with some online retailers. Alan Geller, the company's vice president, told the paper that the company will produce 10,000 of the costumes, which he described as "unique" because "it combines the horror of Halloween with the topicality of the disaster."

Geller also told the Times that "several dollars" from each sale will be donated to charities providing assistance to the spill's victims. Our calls to the company to follow up on the scale of those donations, as well as the charities earmarked for funds, have yet to be returned.

And yes, oiled wildlife accessories are indeed sold separately. In view of the latest round of distressing economic news, though, that additional cost could spur budget-conscious Americans to opt instead for Lady Gaga meat dresses, fashioned from downmarket cold cuts. Let's just hope none of those Halloween enthusiasts get into drunken fish-slapping brawls with the make-believe BP workers, leaving People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals to deal with the whole unsightly aftermath.

(Photo via Anytimecostumes.com)