How to Dress Like Cousin Eddie

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Best Cousin Eddie Costume Guide

Eddie Johnson, or more popularly known as “Cousin Eddie,” is a recurring character played by Randy Quaid from the popular movie series National Lampoon’s Vacation. National Lampoon was an American humor magazine that ran from the 1970s to the late 1990s. The movie franchise was a spinoff from the magazine. Within the National Lampoon movie franchise was a popular movie series that focused on various vacations, aptly named National Lampoon’s Vacation. Originally based on a short story written by film director John Hughes, “Vacation ’58” was the start of the vacation series. Known from his appearance in the Christmas Vacation movie, Cousin Eddie is unemployed.

Get the look of the jovial layabout with this complete Cousin Eddie costume guide. To get yourself Cousin Eddie’s look, you’ll need a spa robe, a white belt, a Cousin Eddie hat, black socks, and a pair of dress shoes. Don’t forget to complement the look with a fake cigar and beer can.

Cousin Eddie Cosplay Costumes

The main characters of National Lampoon’s Vacation are Clark and Ellen Griswold, along with their children Audrey and Russ. They’re a well-to-do family who has enough resources to go on big vacations every so often, be it Christmas or Summer. Cousin Eddie, though called as such, is a cousin-in-law of Ellen as he’s married to her cousin Catherine. They, along with their children, Rocky and Ruby Sue, live on the opposite end of the Griswold family. Where the Griswolds live in a snobby neighborhood and are portrayed as “posh,” Cousin Eddie’s family, the Johnsons, live in a much different neighborhood and are often portrayed as “rednecks.”

In Christmas Vacation, Cousin Eddie and his whole family show up to the Griswold’s home in an RV. Vacations are never fun alone! So, call your family and friends and get them to dress up like the Griswolds or the Johnsons. They can be anyone from Clark, Ellen, Russ, Audrey, Catherine, Rocky, or even Ruby Sue.

About Cousin Eddie

After arriving at the Griswold’s home unannounced, Cousin Eddie admits that the RV is not just an RV. It’s where the Johnson family has been living since Eddie lost his job. He says the family has been bankrupt and forced to sell their house and land. Because of this, Clark offers to buy Rock and Ruby Sue, Cousin Eddie’s children, gifts for Christmas so that they can still enjoy the holiday despite the unfortunate events they’ve had to endure.

Cousin Eddie repays Clark’s kindness by kidnapping Clark’s boss and bringing him to Clark to confront him about his lackluster Christmas bonus. This altercation and the events that follow after make for a particularly memorable Christmas for everyone, complete with SWAT teams and police interventions. Cousin Eddie might have gotten most airtime in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation movie, but he also made an appearance, along with his family, in the first National Lampoon’s Vacation movie!