Dwight Schrute from The Office
We love Dwight and his crazy farmer antics, but a yellow shirt and some cheap glasses aren't going to cut it on the big night. Also, it's cheating to try and pass yourself off as Jim pretending to be Dwight.
A less lame option: One word: Creed



Barack Obama
This one goes for Ron Paul, Dennis Kucinich, Hillary Clinton, and every other presidential candidate people are already going nuts about more than a year before the friggin' election.
A less lame option: Go with George Washington or Abe Lincoln. They're proven winners, and you won't get roped into any heated political debates with a guy dressed as a used tampon.

Britney Spears
There was a time when a cigarette, a wifebeater, a jean skirt, and a baby doll made up the "white trash chick" costume. It has been around forever, and you're not getting any creativity points for just renaming it "Britney." It's worse if you're a guy. A lot worse.
A less lame option: There are plenty of pop stars out there that still look good, why not try to be like one of them? We'll take a girl dressed up like Christina Aguilera over a Britney wannabe every time.

Chris Crocker (the "Leave Britney Alone" YouTube douche)
If this guy had come to the media's attention a few weeks earlier, he would've fallen out of the public eye and back into his Starbucks apron before anyone would have the chance to grab a headband and mascara. Unfortunately, we're not yet far enough removed from this guy's 15 minutes of Internet fame to spare ourselves the pain.
A less lame option: Be a devil, a hobo, a vampire. Hell, anything is less lame than Chris Crocker.

The "Dick in a Box" guys
A lot of people are thinking that this Digital Short aired too long ago for anyone to remember, but we can assure you that there will be no shortage of hacks dressing up in teal suits with packages strapped to their groins this year. There are bonus points to be had, though, if you actually support the box with your junk.
A less lame option: Older, more obscure SNL characters are usually a pretty safe bet. Try the Blues Brothers or, better yet, the Chris Farley lunch lady. Or go way out of the box and pick a Mad TV character. We can assure you that no one else will have the same costume as you.