Three-Point Cosplay Rant.
I'm prepared to say a lot of unfair things in a short amount of time. Are ya with me? Let's GO.
Item the First. The more I look around the internet, the more I see Asian cosplayers getting a bunch of oohs, aahs, and accolades just because they're Asian. Seriously. It's almost like people see an Asian cosplayer and a non-Asian cosplayer wearing the same outfit, and the Asian cosplayer will be considered 'better'. No matter who the character is, or what the character is supposed to look like. I find that a little silly, and very frustrating. Sure, it's adorable. Sure, anime and manga CAME from Japan, so it makes sense to some degree - but only to the point where we admit that some cosplay items are regular merchandise in some Asian countries, whereas we either have to commission or DIY most of it.
Okay, I'd first of all like to say that this is not about race. It's not like I'm saying 'oh that character's not Japanese so you can't cosplay them', or 'you're white so you can't cosplay an Indian character' (I'll be doing just that for ACen 2010!). I'm just saying that good cosplay (accurate colors, clothing, and accessories) should be recognized, no matter the skin color or nationality of the person wearing it. The overall aesthetic achievement should be recognized. It's kinda cool when things match up, when you meet a Japanese Saya Otonashi or an African Tousen Kaname with dreads - but it's not necessary.
Item the Second. I hate it when cosplayers are discriminated against because of their weight. There is NO reason for anyone to do this. When people are overweight or underweight, they already have enough problems of their own. It is rude and cruel for anyone to continue this behavior at a con or on the internet. Be compassionate, people! If you see a good cosplay on a larger or slighter person and someone else is trying to make them the butt of a joke, say something! It's very easy to point and laugh, but to take the higher ground and find the good, positive things about that person and his or her cosplay is very rewarding.
Also, it's very rare that someone is the perfect, perfect body type for a cosplay. And those people are competitive cosplayers. Cosplay is not serious biz, so we should just get together, have fun, be our geeky little selves and leave those prejudices at home. Prejudices that should be left at home, if you even hold on to them in the first place.
Item the Third. This includes budgeting and 'crappy cosplay'. You cannot afford to have a great cosplay and belittle other people's 'cheap' cosplays. It turns your great cosplay into 'a great cosplay worn by a cretin' and you deserve any alienation your loudly proclaimed judgment over other cosplayers may cause. That Light Yagami cosplayer with his composition notebook colored over with sharpie and labelled 'Death Note' with paper cutouts pasted on probably loves the series just as much as you do. Go talk to him. Take his picture. Give him half your juicebox. Share the love.
You do not know their cosplay situation. This is one of the things that burns me the most, when people are like 'ha ha ha, what a crappy cosplay' and they don't realize that the person's full suit of armor broke in the mail the week before or that their staff broke in half and they had to make do in a half hour's time with a broomstick and superglue. My friends over at cosplayconqueso and I have all had some pretty close calls when it comes to critical props/wigs, and after spending all that time on the rest of the costume, it's extremely disappointing to face the idea of not wearing it! I can't blame anyone who still tries to pull it together in the end.
If this is tl;dr, just read the following, bullet-pointed for your convenience:
-Asian cosplayers are not necessarily OMGtheBEST!!11!
-Accurate cosplay appreciation should be based mostly on costume design/construction/accessories/pose, not the person wearing it
-If the person matches your conception of the character, that's even more awesome~
-Don't hate because of weight!
-If you recognize a character/series you like, be friendly!
-Be moar understanding, plz.
Item the First. The more I look around the internet, the more I see Asian cosplayers getting a bunch of oohs, aahs, and accolades just because they're Asian. Seriously. It's almost like people see an Asian cosplayer and a non-Asian cosplayer wearing the same outfit, and the Asian cosplayer will be considered 'better'. No matter who the character is, or what the character is supposed to look like. I find that a little silly, and very frustrating. Sure, it's adorable. Sure, anime and manga CAME from Japan, so it makes sense to some degree - but only to the point where we admit that some cosplay items are regular merchandise in some Asian countries, whereas we either have to commission or DIY most of it.
Okay, I'd first of all like to say that this is not about race. It's not like I'm saying 'oh that character's not Japanese so you can't cosplay them', or 'you're white so you can't cosplay an Indian character' (I'll be doing just that for ACen 2010!). I'm just saying that good cosplay (accurate colors, clothing, and accessories) should be recognized, no matter the skin color or nationality of the person wearing it. The overall aesthetic achievement should be recognized. It's kinda cool when things match up, when you meet a Japanese Saya Otonashi or an African Tousen Kaname with dreads - but it's not necessary.
Item the Second. I hate it when cosplayers are discriminated against because of their weight. There is NO reason for anyone to do this. When people are overweight or underweight, they already have enough problems of their own. It is rude and cruel for anyone to continue this behavior at a con or on the internet. Be compassionate, people! If you see a good cosplay on a larger or slighter person and someone else is trying to make them the butt of a joke, say something! It's very easy to point and laugh, but to take the higher ground and find the good, positive things about that person and his or her cosplay is very rewarding.
Also, it's very rare that someone is the perfect, perfect body type for a cosplay. And those people are competitive cosplayers. Cosplay is not serious biz, so we should just get together, have fun, be our geeky little selves and leave those prejudices at home. Prejudices that should be left at home, if you even hold on to them in the first place.
Item the Third. This includes budgeting and 'crappy cosplay'. You cannot afford to have a great cosplay and belittle other people's 'cheap' cosplays. It turns your great cosplay into 'a great cosplay worn by a cretin' and you deserve any alienation your loudly proclaimed judgment over other cosplayers may cause. That Light Yagami cosplayer with his composition notebook colored over with sharpie and labelled 'Death Note' with paper cutouts pasted on probably loves the series just as much as you do. Go talk to him. Take his picture. Give him half your juicebox. Share the love.
You do not know their cosplay situation. This is one of the things that burns me the most, when people are like 'ha ha ha, what a crappy cosplay' and they don't realize that the person's full suit of armor broke in the mail the week before or that their staff broke in half and they had to make do in a half hour's time with a broomstick and superglue. My friends over at cosplayconqueso and I have all had some pretty close calls when it comes to critical props/wigs, and after spending all that time on the rest of the costume, it's extremely disappointing to face the idea of not wearing it! I can't blame anyone who still tries to pull it together in the end.
If this is tl;dr, just read the following, bullet-pointed for your convenience:
-Asian cosplayers are not necessarily OMGtheBEST!!11!
-Accurate cosplay appreciation should be based mostly on costume design/construction/accessories/pose, not the person wearing it
-If the person matches your conception of the character, that's even more awesome~
-Don't hate because of weight!
-If you recognize a character/series you like, be friendly!
-Be moar understanding, plz.