|
Post by thefourtheleven on Sept 19, 2013 18:58:06 GMT
I agree with all that's been said here. Personally, most (95%) people I've met have been pretty awesome at conventions, but there is the odd one or two people who miss the point. I was at an event recently, and unfortunately got bombarded with a rowdy set of people visiting. In that event, a Predator had some people trying to pull its dreads off, and another person dressed in a steampunk-pirate outfit was almost groped. I myself was, almost ah, licked by someone wanting a photo whom was so obviously drunk. Something that was way past not cool.
It's not good, and it's incredibly disrespectful to attack and abuse people for, in their eyes, "dressing funny". Le sigh.
As for inaccurate cosplay elitism, LOL I'M SORRY WE'RE NOT ALL MADE OF MONEY! Those G-Star jeans cost almost a hundred quid each, and are pretty rare! I've recently got a 7B coat for less than 50% of the cost of a single metre of the purple cashmere Matt Smith wears, so if anyone says it's inaccurate, I know all the stats. And as much as it'd be cool to own a genuine purple cashmere coat, I could NEVER bring myself to spend over a thousand pounds on it, especially as a student.
So, I guess one could say it is a bit of a bug bear for me. Gahh.
|
|
Nullien
Gallifreyan
"Actually it went just about as badly as it could have done, but that wasn't my fault."
Posts: 46
|
Post by Nullien on Sept 19, 2013 19:12:28 GMT
At a con I've never had a bad experience, only a random girl coming to talk with a friend dress as Mononoke Hime, telling her "You forgot the earrings". My friend just showed her that she actually had those, and she left embarrased haha For internet is another thing. I never had bad words from anyone on the DW fandom, but I cosplay and play a game called League of Legends, that has the most horrid community I ever saw in my life, so I've been called fat on the internet by some people from there. Fortunately, the positive feedback is always more, and I tend to ignore the nasty comments. I just wish they could stop doing nasty comments everywhere, because even if that's not my case, I'm terrified about what those comments can make to someone that don't have a thick skin
|
|
|
Post by Matt Holden on Sept 19, 2013 20:28:53 GMT
The sad thing that I've found is for every awesome person within the DW Cosplay (or any other) community there is a least one muppet...
|
|
|
Post by Doctor Who Cosplay on Sept 19, 2013 20:34:17 GMT
It's examples like this (and all those quoted) that are the reason we set up this community.
People should be free to celebrate what they enjoy without the fear of ridicule.
As the old quote says “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men (people) should do nothing.” as such we are doing something.
|
|
|
Post by runyoucleverboy on Sept 20, 2013 11:09:05 GMT
I imagine my parents would do the same if I made a habit out of cosplaying but it still wouldn't stop me!
|
|
|
Post by benaequee on Sept 21, 2013 2:33:21 GMT
I got lucky that my family supports me fully... they are all geeks too. I met my hubby through it, so that's a bonus I have been doing this for 11 years now. When I joined, I was naive about the hobby, fandom, elitism, and trolls. I learned about it really quickly. I let it roll off my back, as I didn't care. Someone once commented I was missing a piece to a costume, my comment to them "And your point is???". They were confused as they realized they didn't have a point and just walked away. Any group of people with like interests will have different subgroups of types. It cannot be avoided and is to be expected. It shouldn't be tolerated, but it will never change unfortunately. Its always worse online vs in person as people can hide behind their PC. In person, they think twice usually as they know there will be instant consequences. #1 rule in life online... DON'T FEED THE TROLLS! Most of the time ignoring them and deleting comments is best. Most feed off the negative energy and it makes it worse.
|
|
|
Post by fallynangel on Sept 21, 2013 11:59:49 GMT
First off, you gf did a great job as River, and omg a Dark Eyes 8 and male Ace! brilliant!
That said, unfortunately the cosplay community does get flack, and moreso now that it is mainstream. One has to have thicker skin than in the past, even when cosplaying Doctor Who. You just have to turn away, and know those whom would make fun of another for creative output (ie cosplay) are just jealous they can't find such enjoyment, and feel they need to piss in other's cereal as compensation.
I will never understand sexualization do characters. I mean, if the character is sexy, awesome. If not...why force it? Reminds me of Halloween, where they try to turn everything into a sexy costume. :/
|
|
|
Post by curlykirsty on Sept 22, 2013 21:53:31 GMT
On the whole I either haven't seen comments online about my cosplays or haven't got any. Not surprising as I tend to go for odd, less popular characters like Captain Price, Liz 10 and a Plasmavore and they were not screen accurate, just cobbled together out of bits I could get my hands on. I am in my late forties and my mum still thinks it is funny to laugh at me for dressing up and going to conventions, she thinks it is a waste of time and money getting autos etc but I'm married with kids of my own who I am proud to say are open minded and supportive of my hobby.
I have been told off by others for commenting that a nine cosplayer had a leather coat rather than a jacket which I don't think is malicious, just thoughtless of me. I would probably have agreed if someone said that my costumes were terrible tbh, as they are pretty cheap. I haven't come across anything too vindictive such as I'm too old and fat etc.
In regards to sexualised cosplay; If the character is created with a sexy costume (princess Leia comes to mind) then as long as it is not too revealing (tape it down) and you feel comfortable then that's ok but wearing a bikini sized costume of the Joker or pikachu for example just because you want to be "sexy" is going too far. It would be different if the event was a 16 and over convention but not where young children are part of the audience. I was pretty disgusted by a woman walking around with a Vagina costume this year, I don't want to see that. I'm all for being tastefully or classy sexy and not strip club naked and many people seem to think so too.
I think the first posts picture is amazing, what fantastic cosplays. I like them all.
|
|
|
Post by curlykirsty on Sept 22, 2013 22:11:36 GMT
Preach it Matt! I agree, it's never okay to make fun of anyone who cosplays. I know my mum never understood my love for costuming, but once she realize that I was actually decent at it, AND I was making money selling costumes, she started respecting me for it and began to even admire what I had created. I do hope your girlfriend's mum comes around and starts to understand that we're just people out there having fun. I think you can't fix stupid. If someone needs to laugh and put you down then that is because they are inadequate, I worked so hard to mould my daughters into strong women only for the youngest one to be let down by her teachers at primary school. They let the bullies pick on her and call her childish and knocked her confidence and self esteem so low it took two years of counselling to get over it and she still affected by it. Why? Cause she wanted to be a fairy when she was seven or that she dressed up as game character when she was eleven. She is 14 now and still struggles to overcome her confidence issues but being part of the cosplay world and convention scene means she has so many friends looking out for her at conventions that for me is very reassuring that she can be herself and not judged or put down. I think that being part of the Doctor Who cosplay scene has been so helpful as so many people give each other support here for so many issues and not just for costume advice. If only mainstream society were more like us.
|
|
|
Post by Matt Holden on Sept 22, 2013 22:19:59 GMT
The sad thing is there is a proportion of the cosplay community (DW included) that are just as bad if not worse than 'mainstream society'.
It's one of the things that winds me up more than anything and one of the reasons why I always stick to the edge of groups...
|
|
|
Post by frankiewilliams on Sept 22, 2013 22:32:23 GMT
First off, you gf did a great job as River, and omg a Dark Eyes 8 and male Ace! brilliant! That said, unfortunately the cosplay community does get flack, and moreso now that it is mainstream. One has to have thicker skin than in the past, even when cosplaying Doctor Who. You just have to turn away, and know those whom would make fun of another for creative output (ie cosplay) are just jealous they can't find such enjoyment, and feel they need to piss in other's cereal as compensation. I will never understand sexualization do characters. I mean, if the character is sexy, awesome. If not...why force it? Reminds me of Halloween, where they try to turn everything into a sexy costume. :/ Why thank you. I thought my gf did a great job as River Song as well. Thebrokenman was awesome as Dark Eyes Eight, its the first costume I have seen anyone cosplay from Dark Eyes.
|
|
|
Post by Clara Oswald on Sept 23, 2013 11:33:59 GMT
Preach it Matt! I agree, it's never okay to make fun of anyone who cosplays. I know my mum never understood my love for costuming, but once she realize that I was actually decent at it, AND I was making money selling costumes, she started respecting me for it and began to even admire what I had created. I do hope your girlfriend's mum comes around and starts to understand that we're just people out there having fun. I think you can't fix stupid. If someone needs to laugh and put you down then that is because they are inadequate, I worked so hard to mould my daughters into strong women only for the youngest one to be let down by her teachers at primary school. They let the bullies pick on her and call her childish and knocked her confidence and self esteem so low it took two years of counselling to get over it and she still affected by it. Why? Cause she wanted to be a fairy when she was seven or that she dressed up as game character when she was eleven. She is 14 now and still struggles to overcome her confidence issues but being part of the cosplay world and convention scene means she has so many friends looking out for her at conventions that for me is very reassuring that she can be herself and not judged or put down. I think that being part of the Doctor Who cosplay scene has been so helpful as so many people give each other support here for so many issues and not just for costume advice. If only mainstream society were more like us. I hate hearing stories like that. It breaks my heart, because I was one of those kids as well. Teachers never stepped in to stop the bulling, one actually encouraged the bullies. All because I was a "weird" Christian kid who and loved scifi and fantasy. Today I am a teacher and I make it my goal to stop bulling before it even starts. I would love to have your daughter in my classes here at my high school! I even have a TARDIS on the wall of my classroom:
|
|
|
Post by carolinew on Sept 23, 2013 12:17:10 GMT
Guys I went through the same thing a couple of months back when I started doing shoots involving steampunk ...oddily enough from other photographers one in particular who slated everything from the clothes to the makeup .....It knocked me for six the first time but it kinda did me a favour because if they did it again Im a much stronger person for it...Id sort of tell them "where to shove it"...I often find the people that do the mocking are very bloody narrow minded and cant see outside their kitchen window....dress like you want.... and be who you want.....the world has enough designer clones.....Im new to cosplay and blooming loving it......x
|
|
|
Post by kelldar on Sept 23, 2013 13:45:28 GMT
I think you can't fix stupid. If someone needs to laugh and put you down then that is because they are inadequate, I worked so hard to mould my daughters into strong women only for the youngest one to be let down by her teachers at primary school. They let the bullies pick on her and call her childish and knocked her confidence and self esteem so low it took two years of counselling to get over it and she still affected by it. Why? Cause she wanted to be a fairy when she was seven or that she dressed up as game character when she was eleven. She is 14 now and still struggles to overcome her confidence issues but being part of the cosplay world and convention scene means she has so many friends looking out for her at conventions that for me is very reassuring that she can be herself and not judged or put down. I think that being part of the Doctor Who cosplay scene has been so helpful as so many people give each other support here for so many issues and not just for costume advice. If only mainstream society were more like us. I hate hearing stories like that. It breaks my heart, because I was one of those kids as well. Teachers never stepped in to stop the bulling, one actually encouraged the bullies. All because I was a "weird" Christian kid who and loved scifi and fantasy. Today I am a teacher and I make it my goal to stop bulling before it even starts. I would love to have your daughter in my classes here at my high school! I even have a TARDIS on the wall of my classroom: your classroom is awesome!! After so many years of doing this and being called every awful thing under the sun, I've come to the conclusion there are two kinds of people who make rude comments about costumers: the person who just says hurtful stuff and doesn't care (trolls on the internet, mostly), and the person who just doesn't seem to realize they're talking about a real, live human being. I've found that the second kind don't do it out of spite, and when confronted will often apologize for it. The first kind you can't do anything more than ignore - like it was said, you can't fix stupid. Arguing with or confronting that kind of person only makes things worse. It's hard to ignore and it's hard to get over some of the hurtful things people can say. You just have to realize whose opinion matters more - a stranger on the internet or the people who love and support you.
|
|
|
Post by Matt Holden on Sept 23, 2013 13:50:30 GMT
I've always gone by the phrase 'mind over matter' ie I don't mind and they don't matter
|
|