about cosplay popularity
An open rant:
I find myself increasingly frustrated with the cosplay community. There was a particular thread I found on cosplay.com a couple of weeks ago that to me really brought to light just what a sad state the community is in. A cosplayer started a thread asking about self-promoting. What?!? Really, have we gotten to the point where that's what cosplayers are really concerning themselves about. This is cosplay for goodness sake, a hobby that when you get down to it is basically just about adults dressing up as cartoon characters. How has it been warped into this monster where there are issues like this? When did trying to become popular become a priority for so many cosplayers? And this also really makes me worry what sort of twisted notions newbies have about the hobby.
Now I could be wrong but I'm going to assume that a lot of cosplayers weren't the most popular kids in school. I figure a lot of us were the sort that hated cliques, and weren't friends with the popular kids, and had people pick on us, or talk about us behind our backs, or start rumors about us, or other things like that. Having been through that why would some cosplayers participate in and encourage such actions within the community? We are a community whether everyone likes it or not and you think we would try to get along with everyone or at least try and be civil to each other and not be worrying about who can be the most popular kid in the class. And when you start focusing on popularity you start alienating people. It also seems to me that those who are wrapped up in worrying about trying to be popular probably have some unresolved self-esteem issues as well, and they might be better off just working on that instead.
Let's take some time to talk about 4chan now, /cgl/ in particular. I figure just about everyone in the hobby these days are at least aware of it as a vile place regardless of it they browse or post there or not. And kind of off topic but one reason I think that's kind of sad is because /cgl/ really does not represent all of 4chan, but that's what people who really only know it by reputation think. For example, I rather enjoy the time I spend on /co/. And yes, I've always been honest about my own browsing or posting habits on 4chan. I haven't ever really been hiding behind anything concerning my activities there. After I started getting increasingly disappointed in /cgl/ one reason I continued to stick around was to try and be a good example. It really could be used for good if collectively that's what /cgl/ would just try to do. But yet so many people just use it as a place to try and put down other people because I guess in some twisted way that makes them feel better about themselves. I tried to not post unless I could say something constructive or just pretty meaningless. And if for example I was in a thread about a masquerade and I said I did or didn't like a skit for whatever reasons I would leave a corresponding vote for it on ACP. I'm not afraid of my opinions. But I just got too tired of it recently. I found myself telling other posters that it was too negative a place for them and they should spend their time somewhere else. So I decided to kind of take my own advice. I blocked myself from /cgl/. Yes, I could have just tried to use my willpower not to go there. But let's face it none of us are doing something productive all the time and we like to goof off. And that had become one of my places to go do that. So now I'm just forcing myself to spend that time somewhere else, sometimes /co/ like I mentioned before. And I'm hoping that I'll feel better having a little less negativity in my life.
Another thing that always got to me about /cgl/ was just how odd and particular cosplay popularity was there. For example those of you that have ever browsed there have heard of the cosplayer Miyu. She is really well known and "popular" there. Yet even though I've been cosplaying since around 2000 I had never once heard of her before I started browsing /cgl/. And the same kind of goes for a lot of the other cosplayers who use names and "trips" on 4chan. They are well known there but I think really hardly cared that much about outside of /cgl/. Yet the /cgl/ regulars seem to really think those are the important and popular people. And I guess I just find that to be kind of an odd little pocket and sort of mirror of the rest of the community.
And that will bring me to general cosplay "popularity". No matter how "popular" or "famous" a cosplayer is your average person in the real world does not care one lick about them. And I think it's this basic concept that makes it hard for me to wrap my head around why some people seem to try so hard to be a popular cosplayer. Personally the only advantage I can see to it is that it sometimes seems to make it easier to get together with cosplay photographers. Which can be kind of annoying because that means I kind of assume there are some photographers I might not ever do a shoot with because they're too busy chasing after popular cosplayers. But if I really want a shoot I don't mind paying the photographers that offer paid shoots for one knowing I'll get quality pictures. So in the end that doesn't even really affect me that much. Anyways the comments you get on your cosplay.com pictures, or views on your deviantart account, or followers you have on twitter, or friends on livejournal, etc. aren't going to affect your regular life in the real world. No one even really cares how many awards you've won at cosplay contests. Yes contests can be fun, and receiving recognition on a job well done from your peers in the hobby does feel nice, but again not real world relevant. If someone is actually trying to pursue some sort of costume or fashion related career the things that will matter will be things such as their experience in the industry, their resume, their portfolio(and btw, a good artistic cosplay picture will not often make for a good picture for a portfolio), who they know, and what sacrifices, compromises, and risks they are willing to take; not that they have one hundred cosplay costumes, and go to a new convention every month, and win awards in cosplay contests. Basically being a "popular" cosplayer does not make one a more important or better person in real life and I think it's silly that some people treat things that way.
Of course there are a few exceptions for people that do need to concern themselves with some promotion. But I think the only people that applies to are those that have a business and/or professional interest in it.
Personally I'd rather be concerned about my reputation than my popularity. And I remember when the hobby was about having fun and sharing something with your fandom and your friends. It just makes me sad that I feel like a lot of people have lost sight of that, or have gotten into or are using this hobby for the wrong reasons.
And honestly for me it's been at the point for a while now where I am nervous about trying to make new cosplay friends. I am just concerned about not wanting to look like I'm trying to use anyone. Even if I have met and spent some time with someone at a convention I might not even try and add them on livejournal. I don't want to seem like I'm trying to make friends with someone just because they may have some bit of notoriety in the community and I want to try and be better connected. And I don't want it to ever look like I'm just trying to collect friends. I could be wrong but I think that some people may try and get a lot of friends here on livejournal, or facebook, or wherever just to try and seem more popular. I don't want to be your fan, and I don't want you to be my fan. But I might like someone's cosplays, and I might want to make a new friend.
I find myself increasingly frustrated with the cosplay community. There was a particular thread I found on cosplay.com a couple of weeks ago that to me really brought to light just what a sad state the community is in. A cosplayer started a thread asking about self-promoting. What?!? Really, have we gotten to the point where that's what cosplayers are really concerning themselves about. This is cosplay for goodness sake, a hobby that when you get down to it is basically just about adults dressing up as cartoon characters. How has it been warped into this monster where there are issues like this? When did trying to become popular become a priority for so many cosplayers? And this also really makes me worry what sort of twisted notions newbies have about the hobby.
Now I could be wrong but I'm going to assume that a lot of cosplayers weren't the most popular kids in school. I figure a lot of us were the sort that hated cliques, and weren't friends with the popular kids, and had people pick on us, or talk about us behind our backs, or start rumors about us, or other things like that. Having been through that why would some cosplayers participate in and encourage such actions within the community? We are a community whether everyone likes it or not and you think we would try to get along with everyone or at least try and be civil to each other and not be worrying about who can be the most popular kid in the class. And when you start focusing on popularity you start alienating people. It also seems to me that those who are wrapped up in worrying about trying to be popular probably have some unresolved self-esteem issues as well, and they might be better off just working on that instead.
Let's take some time to talk about 4chan now, /cgl/ in particular. I figure just about everyone in the hobby these days are at least aware of it as a vile place regardless of it they browse or post there or not. And kind of off topic but one reason I think that's kind of sad is because /cgl/ really does not represent all of 4chan, but that's what people who really only know it by reputation think. For example, I rather enjoy the time I spend on /co/. And yes, I've always been honest about my own browsing or posting habits on 4chan. I haven't ever really been hiding behind anything concerning my activities there. After I started getting increasingly disappointed in /cgl/ one reason I continued to stick around was to try and be a good example. It really could be used for good if collectively that's what /cgl/ would just try to do. But yet so many people just use it as a place to try and put down other people because I guess in some twisted way that makes them feel better about themselves. I tried to not post unless I could say something constructive or just pretty meaningless. And if for example I was in a thread about a masquerade and I said I did or didn't like a skit for whatever reasons I would leave a corresponding vote for it on ACP. I'm not afraid of my opinions. But I just got too tired of it recently. I found myself telling other posters that it was too negative a place for them and they should spend their time somewhere else. So I decided to kind of take my own advice. I blocked myself from /cgl/. Yes, I could have just tried to use my willpower not to go there. But let's face it none of us are doing something productive all the time and we like to goof off. And that had become one of my places to go do that. So now I'm just forcing myself to spend that time somewhere else, sometimes /co/ like I mentioned before. And I'm hoping that I'll feel better having a little less negativity in my life.
Another thing that always got to me about /cgl/ was just how odd and particular cosplay popularity was there. For example those of you that have ever browsed there have heard of the cosplayer Miyu. She is really well known and "popular" there. Yet even though I've been cosplaying since around 2000 I had never once heard of her before I started browsing /cgl/. And the same kind of goes for a lot of the other cosplayers who use names and "trips" on 4chan. They are well known there but I think really hardly cared that much about outside of /cgl/. Yet the /cgl/ regulars seem to really think those are the important and popular people. And I guess I just find that to be kind of an odd little pocket and sort of mirror of the rest of the community.
And that will bring me to general cosplay "popularity". No matter how "popular" or "famous" a cosplayer is your average person in the real world does not care one lick about them. And I think it's this basic concept that makes it hard for me to wrap my head around why some people seem to try so hard to be a popular cosplayer. Personally the only advantage I can see to it is that it sometimes seems to make it easier to get together with cosplay photographers. Which can be kind of annoying because that means I kind of assume there are some photographers I might not ever do a shoot with because they're too busy chasing after popular cosplayers. But if I really want a shoot I don't mind paying the photographers that offer paid shoots for one knowing I'll get quality pictures. So in the end that doesn't even really affect me that much. Anyways the comments you get on your cosplay.com pictures, or views on your deviantart account, or followers you have on twitter, or friends on livejournal, etc. aren't going to affect your regular life in the real world. No one even really cares how many awards you've won at cosplay contests. Yes contests can be fun, and receiving recognition on a job well done from your peers in the hobby does feel nice, but again not real world relevant. If someone is actually trying to pursue some sort of costume or fashion related career the things that will matter will be things such as their experience in the industry, their resume, their portfolio(and btw, a good artistic cosplay picture will not often make for a good picture for a portfolio), who they know, and what sacrifices, compromises, and risks they are willing to take; not that they have one hundred cosplay costumes, and go to a new convention every month, and win awards in cosplay contests. Basically being a "popular" cosplayer does not make one a more important or better person in real life and I think it's silly that some people treat things that way.
Of course there are a few exceptions for people that do need to concern themselves with some promotion. But I think the only people that applies to are those that have a business and/or professional interest in it.
Personally I'd rather be concerned about my reputation than my popularity. And I remember when the hobby was about having fun and sharing something with your fandom and your friends. It just makes me sad that I feel like a lot of people have lost sight of that, or have gotten into or are using this hobby for the wrong reasons.
And honestly for me it's been at the point for a while now where I am nervous about trying to make new cosplay friends. I am just concerned about not wanting to look like I'm trying to use anyone. Even if I have met and spent some time with someone at a convention I might not even try and add them on livejournal. I don't want to seem like I'm trying to make friends with someone just because they may have some bit of notoriety in the community and I want to try and be better connected. And I don't want it to ever look like I'm just trying to collect friends. I could be wrong but I think that some people may try and get a lot of friends here on livejournal, or facebook, or wherever just to try and seem more popular. I don't want to be your fan, and I don't want you to be my fan. But I might like someone's cosplays, and I might want to make a new friend.