It's a Halloween tradition as old and as rich as bobbing for apples and craving pumpkins.
Each and every year, celebrities are forced to issue apologies after they wear some kind of offensive costume that is either racist, sexist or simply wildly inappropriate for any number of reasons.
Except that Roger Mathews has put a pair of twists on this tradition.
FIRST, the costumes in question belong to his kids.
SECOND, Mathews is not here to apologize. Not one tiny little bit.
The former reality star, who appeared often on Jersey Shore as the husband of Jenni "JWoww" Farley, came under fire this week after he posted some photos of his two kids in their Halloween ensembles.
Why did strangers on social media take exception to these costumes?
This is why:
Yup, that is five-year old Meilani and three-year old Greyson, dressed up as character from the movie Grease.
And both have cigarettes dangling from their mouths.
"Never was there a better Danny Zuko and Sandra D. Grease came to New Hope Railroad," wrote Mathews, referencing the main characters from this film.
He then predicted the backlash to come and added:
"Please comment on the fake cigarettes so I can block you. Please. They nailed the role and if you don’t get it you most certainly would never get us. #Peace."
Despite Mathews telling critics to shove it before they even said anything negative... many social users still went ahead and had to say something.
“Not liking it. They’re too little,” wrote one individual, while another added:
“OMG, cigarettes!!! Come on, you’re a f—king dad. Aren’t you supposed to keep them away from cancer??”
And a third person chimed in, writing: “You had to know people were going to ride your ass about the fake cigarettes."
In Roger's defense, if you will, he did seem to know this; he just didn't seem to care.
Mathews and Farley were married for three years when the former filed for divorce in the fall of 2018.
The split appeared to be amicable at first, but then the exes got into a heated argument several months ago... which actually led to the police being called and a restraining order being taken out against Mathews.
It also prompted Farley to call Mathews out for having been abusive, an allegation to which Roger eventually agreed.
See what we mean here:
The divorce was at last finalized this past August, however, and everything has calmed down at this point between the MTV personalities.
Mathews has even gushed about Farley as a mother and an insider told In Touch Weekly after the break-up was made official and legal and Jenni and Roger are well aware of what's most important here:
Their children.
"Jenni and Roger have reached an amicable conclusion and finalized their divorce," this source said a short while back, adding:
"They remain devoted to co-parenting their children in a happy and healthy environment and they both wish each other the best."
