about cosplay popularity

[twinklebat]

An open rant

Comments

[astillar]

I think that as anime/manga becomes more mainstream, it becomes accessible to an increasingly younger crowd. If a hobby is dominated by insecure teens, it's likely that issues of popularity and ego and pettiness and envy become pronounced

[twinklebat]

I never used a name on /cgl/ because to me doing such seems to fall into two categories of possible results: one being the obvious self-promoting popularity bit and the other would be kind of painting a target on yourself to be ridiculed even if you have more noble intentions. And since I don't care what random Anon thinks of me I just tried to avoid that. If people just take a few seconds to try and be considerate it is possible not to be a dick while being anonymous. I have considered maybe using a name on /co/, but I know we must have some proportion of crazy neckbeards there. So I don't really want them being able to track me down and they just get kind of weird about girls over there sometimes

[katielovespink]

I think you and my boyfriend would be BFFs for life, just sayin'.

[amazonmandy]

Personally I'd rather be concerned about my reputation than my popularity.

[katielovespink]

I don't worry about the cosplay community like I used to anymore, probably because I'm pretty much done with anime cons.

Also, this. lol

[archivedjournal]

Absolutely true for me as well. :( I really feel like I've outgrown the anime-con scene, but I still keep small bridges so that I can make money through wig commissions - which kind of makes me feel terrible. However, I still enjoy sci-fi and general cons like Dragon*Con, so I guess it's a bandaid for the guilt. :/

Lately I've just been alienating the cosplay community because of my real-life obligations, which is actually okay with me. I do miss it sometimes, but I have more important things to worry about. And then I think of the things I don't miss and I feel better. XD

But it DOES really hurt when I can't make time for the people I DO love from the community - and it seems to happen all the time! -___- sigh

More on topic, I never go to 4chan, nevermind /cgl/, but I do know what it's like, so more power to Mary for holding back! There are better things to do with your time. :)

[twinklebat]

Oh, you shouldn't feel bad about not really like anime cons anymore but still doing wig commissions for them! As long as you still like doing the wig work that's what matters I figure. I mean, I'm not into steampunk but I'm working on a commission for that. But then I'm mostly just doing Victorian styled garments and I dig Victorian stuff, so maybe that isn't the best example(lol).

[katielovespink]

Sometimes I feel REALLY guilty for getting all of my local cosplay friends into /cgl... but I jokingly blame Diana and Velvy for getting me into it in the first place. XD It really is one of those things that you can't help but pass on... like a contagious virus. lol You make a lot of good points (though, most of these points have been made over and over... essentially because all [mature] cosplayers think the same thing and eventually get really mad and want to talk about it), but I still say what I will always say... /cgl/ is the cosplay tabloids. Just like I'll flip through the pages to read ridiculous, fake stories about celebrities when I'm waiting in line at the grocery store, I read /cgl/ when I'm bored, I post when I'm even MORE bored, and I don't believe anything I fucking see there. If I did, I wouldn't be friends with a LOT of people who, according to 4chan, are evil, evil, heinous bitches (myself, included). I used to say that all the hate was "jealousy, jealousy, jealousy," but now I'm starting to think it's honestly just

[twinklebat]

Lol, it's okay Katie! It was an interesting ride while it lasted, kind of like a train wreck you can't look away from. Honestly for me it was more fun at first because Morgan was around there too. When she gave up on /cgl/ is probably when it started going downhill

[katielovespink]

Oh! And I just thought of another point, Mary. I'm formulating this theory as I go with guesstimated percentages, so I apologize if I ramble

[twinklebat]

I could see that. However, if the only photographers going who it's possible to get a shoot from at D*Con(or the only ones you know you'll be able to track down pictures from later) are regular cosplay photographers then one still falls into the conundrum about that I mentioned above.

I also think your average cosplayer can sometimes get pouty about D*Con too. I know somewhere you must have heard someone baww about not getting as much attention for their Bleach costume or whatever at D*Con because anime isn't the main thing going on there.

And sometimes D*Con can just have it's own drama outside of this issue but that's not totally relevant right now.

[blikku]

Yeah, the cosplay scene has gotten pretty out of control. What really upsets me is that people are now so starved for attention that they think it's a GOOD thing to be posted on 4chan. @_@ I don't know, I kind of just stopped caring about all the circulating drama everywhere. I cosplay for many reasons, fandom, freedom of expression, creativity, problem solving, etc. It's awesome that I gained new skills which I may not have otherwise. At this point I'm kind of just in my own little world. It's not being snobby or anything like that, just distancing myself from the chaos so the hobby is still enjoyable. I can understand where you're coming from though, people are just starting to take it WAY too seriously. Save the(friendly)competition for the contests. There's no need to bash others, because if your work is good, it will speak for itself. :)

[twinklebat]

I know, it's just gotten ridiculous. And while we all joke about about cosplay being "Serious Business" it seems that somehow that's what some people really believe. It's just like, wow this is supposed to be fun. And some people are just sucking that out of it. That's kind of why my cosplay plans for this year now include a silly costume I've been wanting to do for a while. I really felt like I needed to get some silliness back in my cosplay life.

Re: Perfectly said!

[blikku]

Hey! (Just added you btw! Sorry I forgot your LJ tag.^_^; ) To answer your question, I wasn't thinking that at all. It's always cool to meet people with similar interests outside of cons. ...And now I'm reminded of the cupcakes! lol Seriously though, I agree with you, it's good to know there are still some down to earth people left in the community. Gotta start somewhere right?

Re: Perfectly said!

[twinklebat]

Yeah, I have another friend who's been out of the cosplay scene for years and I think she feels intimidated about the thought of maybe trying to get back into it. And I totally understand how you feel. That's pretty much what I was saying at the end of the post. If I hadn't met Yaya years ago at a photo shoot I probably never would have casually approached her since she is a "big name" in the cosplay scene and manages to run a successful cosplay related business. I would have felt those same apprehensions. If I'm friends with a cosplayer that does happen to be popular within the hobby it's because they're actually a nice and interesting person, not because I want to leech off of their popularity.