My husband and I are both 501st. My initial forays into cosplay were through the 501st, and I became an official member in 2007. We did local events. We did cons. And we branched out early on into other areas of cosplay.
My husband and I out in front of our theatre. Photo by Cheshire Isaacs.
As someone who has always been a nerd, usually in the process of varying degrees of hiding my nerdiness, the cosplay scene was like a dream come true. I’d never been involved in a more openly nerdy, less judgmental activity. It was a way to express your enjoyment of a certain thing and enjoy it along with others. The accuracy, complexity, or creativity of the costume was paramount. I remember examining the craftmanship on one woman’s costume as she proudly told me she learned metalworking in order to create it.
Then . . . it became popular. Mainstream culture moved in, and what happened to cosplay when mainstream culture moved in is what happens to everything when mainstream culture moves in. The values change. The culture changes. And the mainstream dynamic of “popular kids front and center, nerds to the margins” came roaring in. Cosplay went from an all-skate to Superhero Suicide Girls in no time flat.
Long-term cosplayers who voice concerns about the costuming and the fandom aspects taking a firm backseat to the hotness of the girl in the costume are told, repeatedly, that they’re “just jealous” because they aren’t as pretty as popular cosplayers, or are called “haters,” as if expressing dismay at being pushed to the margins of your own hobby is somehow being unfair. I felt exceedingly lucky to be able to remove myself from the whole thing by being 501st (armor is a great equalizer) but there are non-501st costumes I’ll likely never wear again.
Cosplay is now dominated by models and women striving to look like models, who sell seductive pictures of themselves posing in sexy costumes. And you know? There’s not a damn thing wrong with that. My issue isn’t what they do– it’s what we lost when cosplay changed. Cosplay, once a way of expressing fandom with other fans, has become another area of our culture where we privilege the concepts of celebrity, oppressive beauty standards, and the commodification of both over everything else.
Women who are young and beautiful (and, to a much lesser extent, men who are young and beautiful) are the “popular kids.” They’re minor celebrities with facebook fan pages, press attention, and now, web series, films, and video games devoted to them. Their popularity is based on their physical attractiveness. Cosplayers who do not conform to traditional beauty standards are publicly shamed (I will not post the many, many links as they do not deserve the hits), occupying the same position of “marginalized outsider” we occupied throughout our lives EVERYWHERE BUT THE CON SCENE, our little oasis. That was our one place to belong until mainstream culture invaded the cosplay scene and shoved us back to the margins, back to where the “not good enough” are always shoved.
I’m not implying that cosplay celebrities aren’t nerds or fans. Of course they are. Apart from the obvious– that everyone is suddenly a nerd in this cultural moment (I never thought I’d see the day)– I absolutely believe that these women are true fans of the work they represent. And I absolutely believe that most of them have no intention of marginalizing others. I see some cosplay celebrities regularly championing body acceptance and cosplayer diversity, shutting people down for shaming other cosplayers, and encouraging people of all types to get their nerd on.
I DON’T BLAME THE COSPLAYERS. Nor do I expect (or even want) them to stop doing what they’re doing. I’m so committed to not blaming the cosplayers themselves that I refuse to post any pictures of them along with this article, because I don’t want anyone to feel implicated or blamed. Cosplay celebrities are not, however, in control of the culture at large (would that they were), and even the most vocal supporter of nonconforming cosplayers has little power to change mainstream culture as a whole.
The problem isn’t cosplay celebrities themselves, it’s the way mainstream culture requires our celebrities, especially the women, to conform to oppressive beauty standards, the way we commodify women’s bodies, and the way we divide women into categories of “acceptable” and “unacceptable.”
Conforming to traditional beauty standards is the basic entrance fee to celebrity. Our culture demands that women who participate in the kinds of activities that might make one a celebrity conform to these beauty standards or receive a barrage of shaming. Actors, politicians, singers . . . and now cosplayers. Where once upon a time a cosplayer could be anyone with a costume and a lanyard, the rise of cosplay celebrity has brought with it our culture’s oppressive normativity for female (and often male) bodies in display-related activities, and that extends to body size, body type, gender identity, age, and race. Before this change, the display was from fan to fan, largely unseen in the mainstream community. Now it’s celebrity to admirers (or perceived as aspirationally so), bringing with it all the cultural restrictions on who is allowed to occupy that celebrity space and who is not. Mainstream culture demands that we know our assigned places and stick to them or the shaming is fierce.
The cosplay community was never perfect. Don’t get me wrong; there are douches everywhere. And there’s nothing (apart from being publicly shamed: again, not posting links) stopping anyone of any type from slapping on a costume and living the dream. I see cosplayers who don’t conform openly flouting the new oppressive standards, setting up tumblrs for cosplayers of size and of color, with some cosplay celebrities in full, vocal support. I see resistance from lots of sources, and it’s good.
But it would be disingenuous in the extreme to assert that there’s been no change in the cosplay community over the past 5 or so years, or that all change has been positive. And it would be disingenuous in the extreme to pretend that the mainstream dynamic of “popular kids > marginalized misfits” hasn’t taken over cosplay to at least some degree, particularly in how it’s expressed on the internet and in press coverage, which is, let’s face it, MOST of cosplay now. Cons are only a few days long and not everyone can go to them, so cosplay celebrity lives primarily on websites, fan pages, and the like.
And even as they sit at the top of the heap, is cosplay celebrity nothing but good for these young and beautiful women? Their authenticity is questioned nonstop, as if beauty cannot coexist with a love for comics. A young and beautiful cosplayer is inundated with disrespectful attention from the kinds of guys who are at the con primarily to see hot girls in costume– the new phenomenon of cosplay fans. There have always been young and beautiful nerdy cosplayers, and there always will be, but they haven’t always been forced into a cosplay situation that values their beauty far, far more than their craftmanship, or that forces them into competitions they never sought over “who’s the hottest Poison Ivy” or “which Slave Leia is hotter?”
I don’t have a solution. I don’t think one exists, apart from the obvious: keep resisting and keep the conversation going. I think cosplay will slowly become more accepting of cosplayers whose size, age, gender identity, or race currently marginalize them, but only if we choose to carve a place for acceptance of difference in a space where acceptance of difference used to be the norm. I honestly don’t know if that will make it easier or more difficult. And maybe the change will come when mainstream culture gets bored with us and tosses us back onto the scrap heap. Until that time, I’ll stay under my helmet for the most part. But I think you look great– truly.
UPDATE: I approve almost all the comments I find in my moderation queue. I will not, however, despite the fact that they prove my point, be approving the comments I’m getting that are accusing me of being a “jealous hater,” or that are based on reading comprehension errors, such as the assertion that I “hate” that there are beautiful cosplayers now, where before there were none, all of which is demonstrably false and nowhere in the blog post, and is, of course, just another way of calling me a “jealous hater.” I have no problem approving comments that disagree with me– I welcome debate– but I am under no obligation to approve comments that have no purpose other than to attack me. So, gentlemen (and so far, all of the attacks are coming from self-identified guys), that’s what happened to your eloquently worded “Your just jealous” comment, and all comments of that ilk.
Bitter Gertrude 
I agree on all counts, however I do want to point out that men are subject to body shaming just as much as women. If we don’t fill out that super hero suit just right, you can bet we’re going to hear about it.
We really aren’t subject to body shamingas men. At least not to the extent woman are. You can get a guy in a ::insert any female from any fandom:: costume and it’s immediately humorous. Generally the hairier and bigger beer bellies go a long ways.
You throw a girl in any costume and they immediately have to live up to the professional whor- errrr-models that skimp in little outfits.
You have not been to enough conventions or you have not been listening. Yes women are subjected to more body shaming than men but if you try to do a serious male cosplay and you are even a bit chubby you are getting talked about or made fun of. “look! chubby Storm Shadow! or “that guy is to fat for that” are totally common. Women have it rougher by far but men get the shaming too. I want to do pyramid head but I am fearing the belly comments I know I will be getting should I ever don the costume I am working on.
I am tall and thin (6 ft 5 and 190 lbs) and I still get shaming if I don’t wear my muscles shirt….Still, I make whoever I want, but yes there is still shaming, no matter what.I wear… It is so easy, and nothing seems to stop haters.
I even had hate because I did Cloak and Dagger (yes I am white, so I did some make-up)
All black people loved it, and the hate came from two american WHITE girls, easy from behind the screen…oh well.
Unfortunately, I don’t hear about it i hear much more on women. Though may not be discussed publicly as the women Cosplayers.
And to the comment about what ever shape size etc. Man who cosplays gets accepted easier because they are funny etc.
Women they get body shame instant.
Just look pass the body n look at the great work they put in to be their favorite character.
But what if you don’t want it to be humorous….
Amen to that! When I first started out cosplaying, I was Christopher Reeve Superman! I loved walking around in his costume! But I always got some looks and a lot of laughs because I’m not tall, I’m 5’4″ and not the right height to play the Man of Steel, I am also not the perfect specimen (as I was told back then) But I haven’t let it hold me back! I have a lot of cosplay costumes and I just keep going! 🙂
I have posted exactly the same point!! We need to highlight the plight of male cosplayer a lot more xox
Bravo. Well put, the entire article. This is why, when I meet any of the so-called celebrity cosplayers I try to tell them how much I respect their skill. I can only imagine what it’s like to put dozens or hundreds of hours into a cosplay only to have hawkers look straight past to my skin. Cosplay is for everyone. It should be safe and enjoyable for everyone.
I’ve been a huge geek my whole life, and I’ve always wanted to cosplay personally. In the past, I’ve been paid to model costumes at anime cosplay fashion shows. Since I’m not a huge fan of anime as much as I am for video games, comics, and Star Wars, I rarely knew the character I was dressed up as. So, yes, they do pay models and “booth babes” to wear costumes. I didn’t think much of it at the time because I just wanted the (very) meager paycheck and exposure, and hey, I related with some fellow nerds. Also, many of the other girls working with me were kind, and let’s be honest–it was dubbed a fashion show after all, for the designers to show off their work to be bought.
Despite my past in modeling and the attention my looks have brought to me while simply existing as a fan of these genres, I have a fear and paranoia of cosplaying my favorite fandoms. What you’ve written here is why. My entire life I’ve already been criticized for my behavior, looks, or ideas by other fans, just because that’s what people do when they see someone who sticks out among them. So, the idea of cosplaying and suddenly being picked apart, again, makes me nervous.
As you can see, it’s a lose/lose situation especially for women. If you’re deemed fat and unattractive by the mainstream, stones are thrown at you. If you’re deemed attractive by the mainstream, they’ll still find something to insult– they’ll go for your personality, dignity, and intellect just the same. i.e. “She’s probably not a real fan.” “Too bad she’s stupid.” “She’s a crazy b****!” “Has to wear makeup to look like that.” “Total slut!” “OMG attention whore!”
I’m not saying it doesn’t happen to men on some level. I’ve seen men work really hard on their armor just to be viciously criticized by people who are part of groups, or better at it than they are, rather than given a helping hand if asked for.
I’m not against celebrity cosplayers, sexy cosplayers, or studio quality cosplays, or even cosplayers that are wearing a costume someone else helped them make or design for them. As long as you are having fun expressing yourself and you are not inflicting harm on others, there is nothing wrong with it. I am against the negative critique of something that was never asking for such input, the insults, the sexism, and so on. It’s one thing when someone on the “outside” does it, but it’s terrible that fellow cosplayers and fans go out of their way to tear each other down for their cosplays.
At the same time I know it’s up to me to gain that confidence, recognize that this is how the world is regardless of cosplay, and to give zero f’s about what they think. It’s easier said than done!
I’ve been in this hobby for a long time. About a decade. Unfortunately…or fortunately, I’ve been pigeonholed into a description due to the change in our hobby.
Sometimes I get really pissed that physicality matters more than the length of time I’ve been a Staff member of the Replica Prop Forum or the amount of attention I put into my craft. Then again, I’m proud of my body, the work I put into it, and don’t feel that any woman (or man for that matter) should be shamed for how she looks or wants to wear.
Basically all we can do is be the change we want to see. If I am known, let it be known for acceptance of sexuality/non sexuality and all forms of the hobby. Let it be about respecting each other as human beings and sharing the geeky things we love.
Keep swimming, keep geeking and keep crafting. ❤
~Abby
I’m sick of seeing all these facebook fanpages. I think they’re partly to blame for what’s happening to the cosplay community too. I’ll admit that yes, I do have one, but purely for the purpose of keeping all my cosplay photos on the one place.
I know so many “big” cosplayers who treat the little guys so terribly, making fun of them and picking on them. Cosplay fame is something extremely rare & sadly it can’t last forever, I’d like to see how these “bigger” cosplayers act once their time is up.
As a massive nerd myself I started cosplaying because it looked like fun, while I’ve only been doing it for 2 years, that first year was the most fun I’ve ever had. Now, it’s horrible.
I make all of my costumes and props yet when I go to a convention it’s not about the craftsman ship, it’s about who looks the best and who shows the MOST skin.
Cons aren’t fun anymore. Cons are just another danger zone like that dark alley that no one ever wants to walk down and soon enough, no ones going to want to go to a con anymore.
I often think we need a list.
A list of the ‘big’ cosplayers that shame the little ones.
A list of the cons with looser or nonexistent ‘cosplay is not consent’ policies.
It’s absolutely important to – as Abby said above – ‘be the change we want to see’… but unless we strike a chord, take a stand, and say ‘THIS behaviour is wrong, so stop it.’ that change will be far slower.
As a great sage once said: “You can’t make an omelette without breaking some eggs!”
I would definitely support a Convention list like that. Would definitely make it awesome to know where we can go without fearing the shame of inferiority of the big name cosplayers.
I would also support a list of “big” name cosplayers, but I can definitely see that shifting into a “slut shaming” list almost immediately, so holding out on that would be best for the community.
My city in North County San Diego recently held their first annual “Nerd Con” which was definitely great to see so many people just there to cosplay. No MASSIVE names in cosplay entertainment from what I saw. It was definitely more my speed and enjoyed way more than my typical experience at SDCCI 🙂
My first cosplay was a Star Wars one – Jawa at age 11 in 1977 and my poor little brother in his trash-can R2 decorated with prism tape! Then I discovered renfaire, and then comic book, then steampunk, and now I run the costume track at a long-running Chicago convention.
I agree when you say there are no easy answers to the issues you raise – the “answer” is to keep talking about them, to call people out when they fat-shame or for that matter anything-shame cosplayers, to continue to exercise and promote this craft that we love so much.
I sit on a lot of “Getting Started in Costuming” panels, and the one thing I tell people is that no matter what, they are going to get shit from people. Some people are going to tell them they aren’t authentic enough, polished enough, young enough, old enough, skilled enough, and anything else you can think of. It’s going to happen, but they also need to remember this – the kind of person who is going to say crap like that to a complete stranger…why would you care what that kind of person has to say? Ignore them, and listen to the people who will support you.
We’re actually having a discussion on “REAL Heroes of Cosplay” on the schedule this year at Windycon. We’re getting some people from groups who do charity and/or community work in costume to talk about what they do – everything from a friend from the 501st to one of the guys behind the Klingon Christmas Carol that does a toy drive every year. Those people, the people who teach others, who encourage people to push their comfort zone a bit and to give it a try, who don’t hoard their techniques to themselves but share them in person and online, and every person who has every screwed up the guts to walk into a room in that costume and just for a moment felt truly amazing – To me, those are the real “Heroes” here.
You’ve got it. You’ve obviously been around long enough to figure these answers out, and we’ve used the same answers in past decades, and they work. It’s a pity though. Back in my day (he wheezes), the worst we were getting at the conventions is that the literary bunch wanted to ban us for getting away from “real science fiction fandom”.
This happen when a sub-culture goes mainstream, heck it happen with tattooing, the whole fetish scene and, comics. Then once mainstream done with it, the scene is all messed up, you have the old schoolers trying to keep the hobby going and you wannabes trying to make a buck off its. If the old schoolers hang in, a new generation will pick it up and actual bring it back. It will come back around different but still have it’s roots.
Problem with cosplay celebrity is not celebrity itself. Problem is complete and utter lack of cookies.
Me get over 250,000 likes on Reddit, and George Takei posts my picture on his Facebook, and how many cookies do me get?
That right. NONE.
So many comments saying, why doesn’t cookie monster trooper have blue fur showing?
Because me wearing under armor. Me have modesty. Me no feel need to show off perfect muppet fur while wearing storm trooper armor.
I am glad to see that modesty is not just for cookie monster cosplayers. Keep the faith, fight the good fight, and pass the cookies.
To me the funny part to this is that I have no idea what you look like. You could be one of the “mega” hot babes and you are getting “you’re just jealous” comments. I’m 47 (or will be in November 2014) and I enjoy costuming, or cosplay. I’m not one of the young and beautiful and I don’t care. I do it for me, haters be damned. To be honest, I look when a “hot skin baring” woman walks by (I’m a guy. We do that.) but I really look when I see someone who has obviously put a lot of time and effort into their costume and it looks great to me. I will let those that impress me know that I like their costume, regardless of “hotness”. I guess what I’m trying to say is, “Don’t let the haters keep you from enjoying ‘your’ hobby”. Those that matter don’t hate and those that hate don’t matter.
The whole cosplay celebrity movement is why I stopped cosplaying. When they monetized my favorite hobby all of a sudden attractive women started showing up like hey, we’re nerds too! I remember con’s from 10 yrs ago. The attendees were not a pretty bunch. Myself included. But as soon as it became known you can make money off of it (right around 4 or so years ago) there was a deluge of beautiful women who suddenly appeared out of nowhere claiming nerdom that they had previously shunned and mocked others for. You can’t say that they all were closeted nerds and suddenly decided to show their true colors all around the time a certain “ambassador” proved you can make a living off it in the US.
Mind you, I’m not saying this out of “Omg all pretty girls/guys are fakes!” A lot aren’t. But, I do know a few of the most popular cos celebs weren’t really nerds to begin with. I grew up with a couple of the biggest. They saw an opportunity and didn’t just appear. They decided to immerse themselves in nerd culture so they could claim nerd cred and back it up with knowledge. Maybe along the way they became actual fans when they realized how awesome the material is, but they started out to basically exploit an untapped market
Oh and I grew up in Phoenix, for those asking who the heck I’m talking about
I disagree with a great many of your points.
I’ve been in this hobby for over a decade now myself. And this has *always* been here.There have always been people seeking cosplay fame. Most of the ones who *are* cosplay famous now are the same ones who were seeking it 5-10+ years ago. Only one thing changed.
Social Media. Social Media gave the people seeking cosplay fame the ability to reach out to a wider audience. The “mainstream boom” we’re seeing in it now is because of that more then any “change in the subculture” or “cosplay going mainstream”
I agree with this. It was (only) 20 years ago when I first started cosplaying (terrible, costume satin fraying nightmares that I poured my heart into), but I seem to remember the culture being much nastier, more toxic back then. I remember there being tons of old sites and forums dedicated to being nasty about cosplayers without anyone really speaking out against it.
I think in some ways we’ve hit the news paradoxical effect where the rarer something becomes, the more shocking it is, so the more coverage it gets, and the more people feel it’s gotten worse.
Dead. On. Accurate. Keep on keepin on.
As someone who has been cosplaying since 1999, I completely agree.. the cosplay community has changed, and I don’t like it. No one cares anymore if I spend months working on a costume, as long as my boobs look nice.. =p
I stopped cosplaying a little while ago, because I can’t deal with the beauty pageant that it’s become.
501st Member here. Long time costumer, 501st since 2010.
What I dislike about the new era is two emerging trends:
1. Focus, for the most part, has shifted to pushing the costume limits toward the R rating. Can’t just be a girl dressed up like something cool – gotta make it a “sexy” version. Why? Are you too insecure or too much of an attention hog to not show off your body?
2. People who can’t respect boundaries. Don’t touch means hands off. I’m talking about every aspect of costuming – male, female, normal, sexy, whatever. I’ve been assaulted as a Scout Trooper. We’ve had a Vader get punched in the face (and not by some little kid who didn’t know any better). Luckily as a Tusken Raider I have a large, pointy stick that keeps the punks at bay.
I’m amused by your point #1. Back in the 70’s, bare breasts were common in the masquerade. If anything, the average fannish female costumers (attractive with average bodies, say 10-20lbs over the ideal) were instrumental in driving the hotties (and these were fannish individuals, not wannabe-models from outside) into covering up. One of Rotsler’s Rules was “no costume is no costume” which was stretched in getting back to PG-13.
#2 is, unfortunately, our society. 40 years ago, a very hot woman could wear 40′ wings, essentially a G-string and nothing else . . . . . and her two assistants were there to help get the wings thru the halls, not keep the jerks at a distance. This was Seacon, and there’s a BBC television show showing her.
We’ve become a more hidebound, restrictive, conservative society – and our behavior has gotten worse, not improved, with the restrictiveness.
I think you’ve really hit on the driving impetus behind this whole “fake geek girls” phenomenon, and the reason why so many “real” geek girls (at least behind closed doors) are all too happy to jump on the anti-fake-geek-girl bandwagon. Labeling people as “fake” geek girls has never actually been about a presumed lack of enthusiasm or interest in geek-approved subject matter; at it’s heart, the “fake geek girls” phenomenon is driven by the same instinctive push-back against cultural appropriation that you’d see in any subculture.
If you look at gay subculture you see a very similar pattern of gay men (especially queens) objecting (rather vociferously) to the presence of straight women in their cultural safe-spaces (gay bars, dance clubs, etc). I’ve actually had women ask me on more than one occasion why they, “hate us so much even though they have more in common with straight women, than straight guys”, but if you look at it from their perspective the answer is obvious: an attractive straight woman has had everything a queen could ever want (and will never have) handed to her on a silver platter. Without even trying (or even really realizing it for that matter) she has been given desirability, opportunity, social mobility, and acceptance for who-and-what she is, and the relative freedom to safely express her sexuality where she may so choose, yet she still feels the need to push her way into that one last hard-won bastion of gay solidarity, and claim it as her own.
Geek subculture exists precisely because geeks are not popular: they carved out their respective fandoms and conventions exactly because they weren’t pretty, and they weren’t accepted, and they had no where else they could go to be themselves. Knowledge of arcane trivia is just the window dressing, what makes a geek “real” in their minds has much more to do with the fact that the individual in question has been denied the privileges associated with desirability and social acceptance, yet managed to dig their heels in and carve out an identity independent of social acceptance. The reality of that situation may not make their hatred any more justifiable, but it I do think it makes the frustration and anger they are experiencing somewhat more reasonably understandable.
I was feeling really down about the changes to the costuming scene last year when this blog was written. I got started in costuming 11 years ago, so it’s been enough time to see some changes and have feelings about them. I missed the days when it felt as though there was appreciation for all costumers attending conventions. I missed the days of it being about community, and not about individual “celebrity” status. Sure, there were always the cute gals people wanted to meet and snap a photo with them. Or the costumer known for turning out excellent show stopping craftsmanship and we were all excited to see what they’d created. We just didn’t have the platform of social media and the internet in its current form to catapult specific individuals into a celebrity spotlight. So along the way, costuming at cons became more of a “hot or not” phenomenon. A set of cultural values (which were always there as people have noted) have become extremely heightened in relation to costuming.
I do think the more we can talk about all of this constructively we can do things to shape our community. I probably mentioned it in a comment a year ago, but we can all choose to support one another a bit more rather than feed into the celebrity craze. No, I’ll never be a cosplay celebrity and I don’t strive to become one. But I do want my community to remain in tact and not taken over by concepts of “celebrity” and “beauty” to the extent that others feel so marginalized they leave the community due to lack of support. I felt very encouraged at a recent convention this year as I had many genuine compliments and questions about the costumes I created and wore. Nothing was revealing, the costumes were nothing that were going to land in a blog/photo site and get thousands of likes, I’m over 40 so I’m not in the category that people want a photo with me for my looks. But there was a lot of true costume appreciation going on at this convention and I had not felt that in a while. I even ran into a gentleman handing out cards that said “Thank you for cosplaying” He was not promoting anything, no URLs, no e-mail address – he was just promoting good costuming will which was pretty cool.
The only thing I would say I’ve seen take hold since this article was written is the way that unfortunately, some conventions are now fully buying into the “Celebrity cosplayer” craze in such a big way that their actions literally, are marginalizing groups who have contributed a lot to the craft costuming phenomenon at conventions. No longer is free table space made available for costume clubs or fan groups. Instead, that free table space is given to a single celebrity cosplayer. I don’t blame the cosplayer for taking the offer from the con. Free badge and a table – why not. However, It proves to me that convention promoters do not fully understand why people go to conventions. It’s usually for the group experience, not to celebrate an individual cosplayer. I almost can’t imagine if I would have ever gotten as involved in costuming and attending multiple conventions if it had not been for conventions encouraging/supporting these groups to have a place there. I don’t know, I just find that promoting a few individuals at their fan tables to be far less appealing to me as a convention goer than knowing there will be a group/club there for me to meet and potentially be involved with.
I agree with you while heartedly. Cosplay use to be about being in costume an having fun with people that had similar interests as you . And if people did know you it was based off of your craftsmanship and construction skills not how much skin you can show an how much you can flirt with boys for attention… It’s sad
Well said! I’m also a 501st/RL/MMCC member and I’m just now starting to branch out into other areas of costuming/cosplay. While the celebrity of some can be troubling what bothers me more than anything else is the elitism. And more often than not it’s not the “celebrities” who are exhibiting the elitist attitudes. It’s the people who are not in the spotlight. Those folks who are in the margins with the rest of us. It happens all the time within the clubs but you see it and hear it out on the con floor as well. It’s noting new and I don’t suspect that it is something that will ever go away but it definitely casts a shadow over everything we do.
One thing I see a lot is people saying “…that’s why I stopped cosplaying/costuming.” Brothers and sisters that is the worst thing you can do! When some elitist wannabe celebrity twit pushes you out of your hobby they win. Don’t let them! As with all aspects of life the elite are in the minority. Which means there are more people on the fringes to hang out with. So hang out and troop with your merry band of social outcasts and have fun! Don’t let the elitists make you feel uncomfortable in your own house. Strap on your gear, go to the con, and have a blast!
This. Just all around this. Thank you for writing what so many of us have been trying to voice over the last couple of years as the mainstream brings cosplay further and further into the lime light.
Quick background: I’m 64, did my first Worldcon Masquerade in 1979 (Seacon in Brighton), and my last was LACon II (1984) which is, from what I understand, where the term “cosplay” originated. AKA, I’m an old fart who was doing this before anyone realized they were doing it. Back then, we called them “recreation costumes” to differentiate them from the general masquerade costumes which were, by definition, all original designs – or at most, 3D reproductions of science fiction art (mostly paintings). And my then-wife and I were some of the biggest guns on the east coast.
Disappeared from the Worldcon stage when the CostumeCons started (science fiction conventions for costuming – period). Spent a good two decades in the hobby before disappearing completely into historical reenactment.
Nothing kicks fandom harder then when the mundanes discover it. I don’t care if your talking literary, animation, film, comic book, whatever. There’s one thing you’ve got going for you. In about 4-5 years, all these mundane johnny-come-latelys are going to move on to the next fad. The news cameras are going to get bored with the sci-fi geeks and find their hotties in some other venue.
And, at that time, pretty much every one who was there before the onslaught hit will still be there. And you’ll have gained a few new people who came because it was the next hot thing and then discovered they had a real interest in what you’re doing, its become a major part of their lives and . . . . . . hey, they’re just like you. They just did’t know it the first day they walked thru the door.
I can remember the science fiction conventions 1977-1982 when we were overrun with Star Wars fans. All these “hardcore” science fiction fans who’d never opened a SF novel in their lives, had no idea who Isaac Asimov was, and only knew of Harlan Ellison because they heard he wrote one of the best episodes of “Star Trek: TOS”. It got to the point where some conventions, fearful of losing their literary basis (which is where fandom started in the 1930’s) seriously considered banning films, comic books, masquerades . . . . anything except books and science fiction magazines.
And a few years later, all those interlopers were gone. And we were back to the same old group, with a number of new faces who really added to the experience. And helped run those conventions. And a few who became big guns in the masquerade, once they started sewing something other than Star Wars uniforms.
Stay dedicated. You’ll outlast the newbies and the hotties. This is your world. To the interlopers, this is just the latest club. And a new club opening is just around the corner.
If i may,
cosplaying like everything else, if not maintained properly will certainly rot eventually, and as much as i hate to see things going this way,
i hate the fact that people aren’t hating “trends”, “streams”, “behaviors” and most of all “people” that hate or push back deliberatly one of the the concepts of cosplaying conventions that is
FRIEND GATHERING / MAKING…
If social media and people are using cosplaying for their own ends, so why wouldn’t the cosplay community (us!!!!) push back those that aren’t cosplaying just for the fun of it instead of supporting those that don’t just because of a possibility that they’re “cosplayers” ????
I agree that promoting cosplay is good(awsome in fact!) but promoting a cosplay community that doesn’t care for it’s community own primordial rules or expectations for happiness,
why smile?
I think it’s not about cosplay celebrity but being a cosplayer or not.
Would a cosplayer intent lead to a cosplaying community like this? That discriminates instead of promoting cosplay itself and not some other concepts like celebrity, earnings and alienation?
Hope not !!!!
Hate those who hate because we know that’s because of our smiles!
My biggest issue with the “celebrity cosplayers” is a financial one; we among the 501st, Rebel Legion, The Dark Empire, Mandalorian Mercs and other similar organizations don our costumes for good. Sure, it’s fun. I love going to cons and other events. But there is always – always – a charity involvement. At the last con I attended we raised over $5000 for a charity that gathers toys for children.
Celebrity cosplayers, the ones who only put the costume on for the sake of gaining attention, certainly have money involved as well. But it’s money that goes into their own pockets. Some get paid to attend cons, and then charge for photos or autographs.
I really appreciate seeing your words here, even though I’m late to comment (Alexa Heart linked to here today). Like you, I don’t see a real solution other than continued support of each other, but the support is certainly appreciated by those of us who aren’t either attractive or socially adept.
I am a late arrival to cosplay. Conventions were generally inaccessible to me, both because of distance and cost. When I started in 2013, I was already in my 30s and thought that I was too old to be accepted, and while I’ve fluctuated with diet and exercise attempts, I’ve not been to a convention under 330lb. A member of a steampunk group (Airship Vindus) convinced me otherwise and I have enjoyed the accepting side of the community. That said, I have certainly seen skill-snobbery (my first cosplay competition I was asked about the one bought piece of my costume and the response was “Oh… Who’s next?”), and I’ve been given the impression recently that my age and weight are indeed weighing against me as I improve. I actually got positive comments from the cosplay guests while being judged, which was my first positive experience in a convention competition, and made me decide then to stop on that positive note. Unfortunately, someone talked me into another more recently where I watched as two of the judges demeanor very obviously changed between talking to young cosplayers and older cosplayers.
I find the term “celebrity” seems to be applied randomly to cosplayers, but cosplayers-with-fans (including Zendragon) have each made me feel more accepted at conventions when I’ve encountered them. I’ve encountered others that were too busy (“I have a panel in 10 seconds” sort of busy, not dismissive), or that I was afraid to approach due to my own social awkwardness, but I’ve yet to meet anyone who the “celebrity” label could be applied to who was ever anything less than polite, knowledgeable, and eager to help others.
I do find, though, that even without it being directed at me, the “too fat”, “too old”, “beards are gross”, “men shouldn’t cosplay” and other such comments do make it hard to find the energy to put into my costumes. Much like body shaming makes it hard for people to value themselves enough to try to be healthy, it also makes it hard to put effort into anything else.
Personally, I’m not yet skilled enough for the 501st costume building requirement, and I’ve also not yet figured out how to modify a costume design to look authentic when I’m 2-3x the weight of the character. I do, however, find what you said about armor to be true. I’ve had heat exhaustion in foam armor twice, so I won’t “finish” an armor costume without a working fan ever again, but I will be moving towards more armor costumes for the ones I spend a lot of time building.
merennulli – not sure where you are located but most local chapters (garrisons) of the 501st are very welcome and positive towards new members and providing assistance. reach out and you will be surprised by how much we like to help people join the ranks
Thank you. I will look into it. I have heard from several in my area (including two accomplished prop makers I look up to) that the standards were too high for them, which is why I said I’m not skilled enough. I am in a forested part of the 70th Garrison’s territory that has only 3 troops within a 50 mile radius, so I do feel there’s a large risk of Ewoks.
I really appreciate seeing your words here, even though I’m late to comment (Alexa Heart linked to here today). Like you, I don’t see a real solution other than continued support of each other, but the support is certainly appreciated by those of us who aren’t either attractive or socially adept.
I am a late arrival to cosplay. Conventions were generally inaccessible to me, both because of distance and cost. When I started in 2013, I was already in my 30s and thought that I was too old to be accepted, and while I’ve fluctuated with diet and exercise attempts, I’ve not been to a convention under 330lb. A member of a steampunk group (Airship Vindus) convinced me otherwise and I have enjoyed the accepting side of the community. That said, I have certainly seen skill-snobbery (my first cosplay competition I was asked about the one bought piece of my costume and the response was “Oh… Who’s next?”), and I’ve been given the impression recently that my age and weight are indeed weighing against me as I improve. I actually got positive comments from the cosplay guests while being judged, which was my first positive experience in a convention competition, and made me decide then to stop on that positive note. Unfortunately, someone talked me into another more recently where I watched as two of the judges demeanor very obviously changed between talking to young cosplayers and older cosplayers.
I find the term “celebrity” seems to be applied randomly to cosplayers, but cosplayers-with-fans (including Zendragon) have each made me feel more accepted at conventions when I’ve encountered them. I’ve encountered others that were too busy (“I have a panel in 10 seconds” sort of busy, not dismissive), or that I was afraid to approach due to my own social awkwardness, but I’ve yet to meet anyone who the “celebrity” label could be applied to who was ever anything less than polite, knowledgeable, and eager to help others.
I do find, though, that even without it being directed at me, the “too fat”, “too old”, “beards are gross”, “men shouldn’t cosplay” and other such comments do make it hard to find the energy to put into my costumes. Much like body shaming makes it hard for people to value themselves enough to try to be healthy, it also makes it hard to put effort into anything else.
Personally, I’m not yet skilled enough for the 501st costume building requirement, and I’ve also not yet figured out how to modify a costume design to look authentic when I’m 2-3x the weight of the character. I do, however, find what you said about armor to be true. I’ve had heat exhaustion in foam armor twice, so I won’t “finish” an armor costume without a working fan ever again, but I will be moving towards more armor costumes for the ones I spend a lot of time building.
I think the problem is essentially one of culture. I’ll admit that when I first started going to cons in the 90’s, I was taken aback by some of the cosplayers whose bodies didn’t meet my ideal. I was young and biased, but I was also polite enough not to say anything. As I got more into the scene and spoke to people and made friends, I came to appreciate the work and craftsmanship of cosplayers more than how closely they resembled the character(s) they portrayed. After seeing enough variations on the same character, I also came to realize that most cosplayers are not aiming to duplicate an image, they are creating a new vision, their vision, of a character. When viewed from this perspective, body type ceases to matter.
I say all this to give a perspective of what it is like to grow from a celebrity-centric teenager into a man within the cosplay community. Yes, we need to keep talking about the issues and pushing for acceptance. However, we also need to understand that those who have these damaging views are not necessarily bad people, they are often just the emotional equivalent of teenagers. Sure, educate them, but be compassionate and understanding when warranted rather than aggressive and confrontational.
Thank you and keep expressing yourselves in whatever way fulfills you!
Well, as with all things, I’m happy that I can enjoy aspects of a hobby that I choose to, and let alone aspects of that hobby that I choose to. Kinda like when there’s a song on the radio that I don’t care for….
I follow tons of cosplayers on my own cosplay fb page, and when I see someone who seems more into showing skin than being a fan of the character, I unlike! Easy peasy lemon squeezy.
You see a cosplayer walking around, they may or may not be doing it for the money and fame. The ones at a booth are doing it for the money and fame. A thin line between doing it for fun than doing it for money. Sort of like prostitution.
I have been shamed by random con goers, once for daring to wear a costume in a masquerade because someone did it 2 years prior…. I put more work into mine and the person who had did it before thought mine was way better then hers but the shamer thought I should quietly slip away and burn the costume I spent countless hours building, I was shamed for wearing a non sci-fi / fantasy costume before doing so became a thing, Dr Evil was fun, easy to wear and got a lot of attention especially when an Austin Powers cosplayer ran into me and we had a blast, he now is a good friend… but the shamer thought I had no business being there… the other time I was shamed for not being black while doing Nick Fury and when I explained that I was the original Nick, I was told that version does not exist any more and doing it is the same as black facing…. sthis came from another white person…. shaming for any reason is wrong, everyone should have the chance to have fun, I also have no problem with cosplayer celebs and any other aspect of something I love (other then the hate and shaming of course) I do not see you as a hater or jealous just a fellow 501st member who loves to cosplay but does not like some parts of this hobby
I’m not the biggest fan of this kind of thing, comics etc, but my boyfriend is and we had a conversation that raised many of these points (I have to say he is very much if the same mind-set as us). I am glad to see somebody talking about this. I was going to join in with the cosplaying thing at a convention we went to recently but I felt too intimidated by what I had seen on instagram. For me personally this was not due to a discomfort with my own appearence, simply because I didn’t want to be judged next to everyone game enough to get their body out. It is certainly a strange thing for people to feel marginalised within a group that supposedly celebrates difference.
So you get an idea of how I feel about this, I googled “when did cosplay become a fashion parade” because I feel that sometimes it has all the bitchiness of a Paris runway!
And for those who call you a “hater” – that is a non argument, don’t try to produce an argument unless you have something constructive to add!
I agree with you on pretty much all points. And I’m a big supporter of cosplay no matter what your body type, skin color, gender identity etc… and that includes if you happen to look like a super model. I will say that because cosplay has become popular, it has provided a “path to celebrity” for some aspiring models. I agree that the majority of cosplayers are into the fandom. But there is an occasional person who decides to cosplay because it will bring them attention rather than to celebrate a certain fandom. And you know what? That’s a valid reason for them. And perhaps as they decide to cosplay for the fame, the fandom will creep in and they’ll begin to cosplay for the enjoyment. It is true that I feel disappointment if I find a cosplayer “model” dressed as someone they really don’t know other than “they wear something sexy.” But I would not try to shame them or belittle them. For me that is not what cosplay is about and I may not choose to spend a great deal of time with them (unless they want to learn about the fandom they represent). But no need to make a big deal. With these folks, one of three things will happen. A) They’ll learn about the fandom… and become a fan. B) They’ll grow tired of being asked questions they don’t know the answer to and they’ll stop cosplaying. C) They’ll be discovered by a modeling agency and probably not cosplay anymore… unless they are modeling costumes (which isn’t really the same thing).
Back to the point, yes, cosplay has changed in some good and some bad ways by becoming more popular. All I can advise (and this is advice I follow myself) is be supportive of the cosplay philosophy YOU think is right. Those who think similarly will gravitate towards you. And if people decide to insult someone in cosplay, that says a lot more about them than the person they are insulting. And it’s nothing good.
Have fun and cosplay on.
Great article coming from a fan of all types of cosplay. I myself never cosplayed yet but I totally see your point. I like the “sexy cosplay” as much as the next guy or girl, but the environment has changed. Like you said we will see if it is for better or for the worse. Again just wanted to show my support for you and that I really enjoyed your writing on this subject.
I think the reason the geek world is now drawing the mainstream is in part that those who love geek and nerd love life and don’t conform. That has to be appealing in a world where barbie and ken looks are high scoring but there is no room for brains or personal growth. They want what we flaunt (same way those sending out hate do so as they just cannot cope when positivity rains on them). My uncle taught me the ways of the geek as a kid…i follow thaf path happily and now encourage my own mini geeks to do so too. We were at glasgow comic con this weekend. 1 wheelchair user as pikachu, her black(hes chocolate i swear) Ash, one bi Harley and one undecided, anxiety ridden Lady Robin. Happily doing own thang in a world which teaches that a sense of self will destruct the planet. Now said wheelchair user was 32st…now 14st and undergoing mass surgery, against all the odds. I’ll be damned if the unrealistic unhealthy standards set by society which has no clue of the damage being done to young minds through the global superpower known as media is gonna stop me cosplaying just because some idiot thinks pikachu’s ass shouldnt be as wide as mine…or that Elmo shouldnt have JJ boobs…if i can fit it and feel i want to go out looking that way i should be allowed…no critism required…ps…Pikachu and Ash got 2nd in the masquerade comp regardless of ass size or wheelchair…that would drive the mainstream loco.
This is a good read. However, I do want to point out some things regarding to the trend these days, where people felt righteous to bully others in the name of “defending the minority” to the point they tend to shame the ones considered as “mainstream-standard beauty” or “privileged”.
Look, I wholeheartedly support that cosplay is for everyone, I support cosplayers of all sizes and color, and being racist is wrong, but when the ideology is pushed to a ridiculous extent to the point that EVERYTHING has to follow “America’s politically-correct standards”, as someone being born and raised in Southeast Asia (and currently living there too) and being active in international cosplay community, I find that oppresive; especially when it comes to a white lady yelling at me that what I’m doing is not acceptable to the “PoCs”, and by logic I’m a “PoC” myself, since I am not caucasian? (I’m a mongolian descent, btw). I’m like…who are you trying to defend???
It’s not that I don’t want to learn other people’s culture, but when the global standard of “acceptable things in cosplay” has to follow America’s culture and understanding or else (e.g online bullying), I’m not sure who’s being racist here; you’re not giving anyone else a chance to explain themselves or understanding the culture where they came from, sometimes quickly shutting it off as “uneducated” just because the country they came from might not be as advanced as America. For example, Americans might find darkening your skin with makeup is racist, but not so in Japan where it is considered as a fashion style (see the ganguro trend from the early 2000s). Yes, some of you reading this might feel hurt and angry over the fact, but please calm yourselves down and do remember that many schools across Asia never taught us about what “blackfacing” is – even in international schools; like how American schools might never taught you about the difference of a Geisha and an Oiran and how considering them as similar is a shame – especially in the modern times.
I think this is one of the things amongst the changes of cosplay scene over the past few years that I’ve felt a bit sad for. Cosplay is about meeting new friends worldwide and exchanging culture and respecting each other, not pushing around political correctness. Nowadays it’s less attention to the costume and how they bring the character to life, but more towards the person who wears it.
Again, I don’t expect everyone to agree with me, but I do want you all to listen from another perspective. I feel the need to speak this out after I’ve seen several Asian cosplayers being accused of blackfacing even though they’re using their natural skin color (including me), and being accused as oppressed to society beauty standards for exercising and maintaining their health (which I don’t see wrong? It’s their personal choice)
Reblogged this on Jay Faulkner.