Janelle Monáe's Halloween Costume Is The Creepiest Thing I've Seen All Year

Hello, I fear Janelle Monáe may have won Halloween.

Janelle Monáe in a strapless, multicolored dress poses in front of a stylized award backdrop
Frazer Harrison / Getty Images

A tall order from someone who is already very good at Halloween, I'll admit! There's a reason why the Hollywood Reporter called her the "Queen of Halloween" this year!

Janelle Monáe dressed as the Mask, wearing a yellow suit and hat with a polka dot tie, poses at a nighttime event
Robert Kamau / GC Images

But lest you think I'm exaggerating, may I here present exhibit A: An image of E.T. on The Jennifer Hudson Show.

Janelle Monáe as E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial wrapped in a blanket, with a pumpkin and candle nearby
Warner Bros. Tv / Getty Images

Yes, this is chart-topping Grammy nominee Janelle Monáe. She even posted a series of images of her getting into the prosthetic getup, featuring a costume made by artist Alex Navarro.

Janelle Monáe without the head of  E.T. poses on a luxurious set with a signature in the background
Warner Bros. Tv / Getty Images

Quite frankly, one might even think, "Surely, that isn't actually Janelle in there." However, a clip from the talk show reveals that it is their voice (and that they do an uncanny E.T. impersonation).

I have not seen E.T., but I am incredibly unnerved. The way they blink...it's unnatural. "What I want people to see and to remember about me is that I wasn’t afraid to look silly. I wasn’t afraid to investigate my fears and turn it into a costume. I’m not afraid to transform,” she said in a recent interview with the Hollywood Reporter. “I’m a transformative motherfucker.”

Side note: An anonymous source pays for Janelle's Halloween costumes. They would not specify who, other than it's not somebody in the entertainment industry.

Side note: An anonymous source pays for Janelle's Halloween costumes. They would not specify who, other than it's not somebody in the entertainment industry.

Warner Bros. Tv / Getty Images

Here's the movie E.T., for a reminder:

E.T. from "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" looking directly at the viewer with a curious expression
Universal / courtesy Everett Collection

Lest you needed more, there's also footage of Janelle/E.T. being wheeled onto the talk show stage:

So, on a scale of 1–11, how much does this frighten you?