May 10 2019

Cosplay and Assault-Allies and Enablers

I’m getting ready to head into the first day of Visioncon 2019 , the biggest and best regional Comic-Con in my area (and I don’t just say that because I’m on staff!).

From my hotel room, I can see cosplayers walking in, and I am STOKED to go in and see the cosplayers, and all the fans, the amazing JEWEL STAITE is our guest of honor *browncoat fangirl scream*

and the Cosplay Club of the university where I work is doing a group cosplay of “Disney Warrior Princesses.” (More on that later). Also, today I am rocking my new 40th anniversary Alien Stompers (replica Ripley kicks from my favorite film EVER, Aliens)

But as I sit here, I’m worried, as ever, about the possibility of assault at the con.

Have you all seen the story of Cosplayer Elora Kay?

I’ve linked to her whole story above, but she his this visual evidence of this person assaulting her. She had multiple witnesses to his assault, her rejection of his advances and his continued manhandling of her, and also had multiple other reports from other women that he did the same to them.

AND.

NOTHING WAS DONE TO THIS MAN.

HE WAS NOT EVEN KICKED OUT OF THE CON.

She had to file a police report. AND NOTHING WAS DONE.

So, first, folks. Let’s put some pressure on StarFest in Denver. in particular and the culture, in general, to put a stop to excusing this behavior. What we need are allies. ESPECIALLY MALE ALLIES. And we can start, all of us with two really big steps.

Stop excusing the bad actors. With “well, he was drunk.” or “Boys will be boys” or “It’s just locker room talk.” or “she was asking for it” or “she shouldn’t have worn that” or whatever bullshit you tell yourself and your bros to make it ok.

2. and. AND (this is really important) CELEBRATE THE ALLIES.

So I want to do that, right away. First, a Mexican example.

Y’all know I study cosplay here in the U.S. and in Mexico. In Mexico, a blogger, vlogger, artist and commentator El Jagr, who works with Mena on a couple of YouTube channels and at cons like Mexico city’s La Mole (where I met him) to talk about popular culture, cosplay and comics. He’s great, his content is in Spanish, but if you’re Spanish speaking, I highly recommend him.

He’s also an ALLY. He has a series of videos in which he calls out the kind of toxic machismo that treats women as objects and figures them as dolls to be manipulated and manhandled. He also, in these videos, offers empowering messages to female cosplayers about their rights to not HAVE to put up with that bullshit, no matter what prevailing cultural norms might tell them. This is good an important messaging and I am here to give a BIG ass APLAUSO TO El Jagr.

(if you’re Spanish-speaking, consider checking out his zombie-hunting superheroine Fatima as well)

Ok, and back to Visioncon and the Allies that I’m so lucky to have close to home. I’m lucky to be married to the best one ever.

But also, though many female cosplayers sent me the link to Elora Kay’s story, the admin to my local Costuming Guild, a cosplayer whose cosplay name is Flash Dixon also posted it in the guild’s Facebook page. And he posted it with this message, verbatim:

“Just so everyone knows, if this ever happens to you and I’m nearby, shout out to me. This is utterly unacceptable and I will end it. I’m old, I fight dirty, and I’m not afraid of prison.”

other comments from male members of the group then included, “We got a tarp and shovel should it be needed. Totally unacceptable” and “I’ll help. Just point me in the direction. A few ‘fu-hok’ peeps may want to assist”.

THIS IS WHAT WE NEED.

God bless these men. I love them. No excuses. Don’t do this. Don’t excuse other men. We don’t need you to beat them up, necessarily, but the key word here is UNACCEPTABLE.

Folks, everyone, everywhere, cosplay isn’t consent, and sexual assault is always unacceptable. As con season begins, no one should accept it.

Ostracize the ones who do it and the ones who excuse it. Celebrate the allies who shut it down.

thank you.

Mar 19 2019

What I Learned at La Mole: Captain America and U.S.-Mexico Relations

I was lucky enough to go to La Mole Comic Con in Mexico City again last week. It’s Mexico’s biggest fandom event and to me, at least, it looked bigger than ever. It was packed.

There were times when we could all barely move for the crowd of fans thronging the Centro de Convenciones Citibanamex. Which was GREAT!

The center was also filled with cosplayers, rocking amazing looks, from superheroes to zombies. (Even the chihuahuas were in cosplay):

One thing that surprised me, however, was exactly how many Captain Americas I saw. There were nearly as many Captain Americas as there were Spidermen/Spider Gwen.

(I sat next to this perfect couple for the cosplay competition)

Spiderman and the recent movie Into the Spider-Verse have done a great job of promoting how “anyone can be behind the mask.” \

Spiderman (and the spider-verse) are a fan and superhero identity that encourage wide participation.

But Captain America? He’s so…….AMERICAN (and here I mean specifically U.S. of American). As the official Marvel site says: “World War II hero Steve Rogers fights for American ideals as one of the world’s mightiest heroes.” Cap’s whole uniform and supersuit is an American Flag motif and his original incarnation even wore a capital “A” on his head.

I’ll be honest, given the treatment of Mexico, Mexicans and Latin Americans in general by the current presidential administration of the U.S.

-(not sure what I’m talking about?, check this out)-

I would have thought that Mexican fans would be frankly a lot more mad at the United States, and mad enough to not want to wear our colors.

Recent polling by Mexican firms indicates that for the first time ever, a majority of Mexicans hold negative views of the United States:

“two in three Mexicans (65%) express an unfavorable view of the United States, while just three in ten (30%) have a favorable view. This represents a stunning reversal of opinon from 2015, when the two in three (66%) had a favorable view of the United States and three in ten (29%) had unfavorable views. ”

And I don’t blame them. My day job as a professor of Spanish and Latin American Studies has given me a front-row seat to the deterioration of U.S-Mexico relations. I cringe daily at the bile, hate and outright lies that come from our Republican elected officials about Mexico, I cry for the children separated at the border from their parents, and I rage against the stupidity and idiocy of the idea of a wall. Frankly, the last two years have been a struggle for me against depression and fatalism.

I’m ashamed of the U.S. policy toward Mexico and Mexicans. So I wanted to understand why Captain America was still so popular. So I asked, and these two cosplayers were nice enough to talk about it with me:

So I’m ashamed to admit that I didn’t get the Cap on the left’s name (hit me up if you see this!) but the WWII vintage Cap on the right is Captain Pete Solo. The former, a citizen of Mexico and the latter, a Chicano cosplayer from San Antonio, Texas.

What these two guys had to say made a lot of sense to me, and gave me hope in general. I asked them why, when they agree that our current president Trump is a nightmare (Pete used a much stronger word), why they would choose Captain America.

Their answer? Because Trump and the GOP don’t represent the America they admire. Steve Rogers does.

Both cosplayers, U.S. and Mexican, said that they had loved Rogers and Captain America since they were children. They admire Steve Rogers as the “Classic Good Guy/Boy Scout”- an example of American values of justice, fairness, and honor.

For these Captain America cosplayers, the superhero is an example of traditional U.S. values, those that we could all feel good about. This, of course, is how Marvel also describes Captain America.

Cap represents an America that hadn’t yet gone to the dark side (as Dick Cheney famously announced that we had to do after 9/11). Captain America is symbolic of the U.S. as the good guy: a nation that doesn’t torture- an America that protects innocents instead of locking them in cages.

(Cap’s main weapon is a shield- inherently protective and sheltering, as I would like strong men to be. His is not a toxically masculine figure, but a good man, a paragon of positive masculinity. He is a knight- ready to defend others. For a perceptive discussion on this, I recommend this piece).

Steve Rogers, like the Statue of Liberty, is a symbol of truth and justice, and as such, represents the America that we were, and can be again.

The fact that Mexican and Mexican-American cosplayers can still see that America is a blessing.

That they are willing to still embrace us through those core values that have been so trampled of late is generous, and I hope, perceptive.

The Captain America cosplayers of La Mole gave me hope: hope that we can return to the values that I grew up with as a child. Hope that we can move away from the anger and hatred of so much of the current environment.

Because the America of truth and justice is still here. Good men and women exist and are fighting to protect the weak and take care of others. As Captain Pete told me, Chris Evans, who plays the current film incarnation of Captain America, is a good example. His public discourse and positions oppose anti-immigrant and racist policies. He is, as a public figure, fighting just like his on-screen character.

One example. I recommend him on Twitter, where is profile photo, incidentally, is of him visiting troops deployed abroad.

We need to emulate both of them- superhero and actor. Captain Pete told me that one of the things he likes about Cap is his “Never Say Die-Never Give Up” attitude. I think we need to remember that and act in the same way.

We may not have vibranium shields like Cap, but we can prevail.

Feb 5 2019

Faces of Cosplay: Tranquil Ashes

“no matter your body type, skin color, gender, sexuality that you bear you can cosplay your own way. “

I follow cosplay and cosplayers- in person, on Facebook, and on Twitter. Twitter is where I discovered Tranquil Ashes- a spectacular cosplayer who not only has badass cosplay construction skills but also has amazing stage presence, truly inhabiting each character in her stable of cosplays.

I’m stunned and impressed by the power she projects in images like the ones above and below.

As she is based on the East Coast and I am in the midwest, I haven’t had the pleasure of seeing Tranquil Ashes cosplay in person, but recommend her to all of you who might catch her at an upcoming con!

No cosplayer, especially this one, needs to be limited by race or gender, however, I do think it’s especially appropriate to highlight her during the #28daysofblackcosplay. Here, without further ado is Tranquil Ashes.

Name: Tranquil Ashes

Day job: (n/a transitioning)

Age-ish: Past 25 and not loving it lol

Home base: Baltimore Maryland

Why do you cosplay?

It’s a form of fun for me. It’s a chance to express myself creatively in many different ways. Many of the art mediums I’ve learned to love over the years have been incorporated within my cosplay. It’s so much a part of my daily that it’s inspired my own passion project of a cosplay ball in which I am trying to see to fruition.

How long have you been cosplaying?

I’ve been cosplaying in earnest 5 years or so.

How do you choose your character(s)?

Most of the time it’s just based off of the love of a character, and sometimes I’m in a group cosplay and I cosplay a character to make a full group. I also take into consideration how I’m going to need to grow about recreating the character in my own style. Very rarely do I make a cosplay that is a replica of a character’s outfit I always change it in some way to make it my own.

Do you have a signature or favorite cosplay?

To be honest, I don’t think I have a favorite cosplay, each cosplay makes me feel a different way so I appreciate most cosplays for what that feeling is. However, I believe I’m most known for my Rose Quartz cosplays and my Akuma cosplay.

Akuma from Street Fighter

Do you make, or buy your cosplays?

I make about 80% of my cosplays from scratch or rework old street clothes into completely different garments. I have yet to buy a cosplay although I do see that as a prospect in the future. I simply get the enjoyment of creating my own look so I like to craft my own cosplay and make them uniquely me.

What advice do you have for other cosplayers?

To make sure that while you’re cosplaying you’re doing it for fun. That no matter your body type, skin color, gender, sexuality that you bear you can cosplay your own way.

What’s the best thing that someone has said to you about your cosplay?

I honestly think that so many folks have come to me, especially women of color and plus size men and women tell me that I’ve inspired them to cosplay for the first time. I’m just happy that I’m able to be out in the face of the community to show that anyone can do this if they so desire.

What’s the worst thing that someone has said to you about your cosplay?

When you put yourself out there, there are going to be a lot of people who just hate on you for the fact that you’re doing what you’re doing. I’ve been told to die, or that I ate all my fellow cosplayers etc etc. However I don’t let the comments bother me, in fact, they move me to be bigger and better!Do you attend conventions? Which is your favorite?

Colossalcon, Katsucon, Blerdcon, and New York City Comic-Con are a few of my favorites.

Follow Tranquil Ashes on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TranquilAshes or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tranquilashess/ and consider supporting her amazing cosplay at find her, and her amazing cosplay at: https://www.patreon.com/tranquilashes

Aug 3 2018

Remember to Listen: Cosplay, Racebending, Racefacing and Privilege

As a professor and as a blogger, I’ve written a lot about gender-bending, gender-blending, and crossplay. I am, in the day job, a scholar of Gender Studies and the mother of a queer cosplayer, I have felt that I can offer a genuine and even valuable perspective on these phenomena.

I say this, but I have to also note two really important things:

It’s absolutely imperative for me to remember that I am sometimes, often or occasionally WRONG. My personal experience or even experience in my family is not representative of a whole group.
Because I DON’T know everything, because I don’t live the lives of all the cosplayers, it’s that much more important for me to listen to them and really hear what they are saying about their practice and their experience.

I’ve been thinking about this in the last few days. There is a renewed interest and debate that I’m seeing in various places on the internet on the practice of racebending. Let me say at the outset, please, that I am not an expert on this in any way, and as a white woman, I am aware that I do not understand the position or experience of people of color. But I’d like to learn more. So I’m thinking out loud here not so much about POC cosplaying white characters as I am in the other direction: white cosplayers cosplaying characters of color.

This debate has really taken off in regards to a Ukranian cosplayer: Pugoffka who came under fire for racefacing and doubled down on her privilege and assertion that it was right in an essay she posted on her Facebook page:

I want to wade in on that debate. I welcome your comments on this. Teach me things. Share your experience if you like. I will listen. Here we go.

So What is Racebending?

Just as genderbending is the practice of presenting a character as a different gender from the canonical version (e.g.: Femme Joker or Male Harley Quinn), racebending is the practice of performing a character with the appearance of that of a different racial or ethnic group. So in this case, perhaps an African American cosplayer performs Wonder Woman, or here is an example of a favorite cosplayer of mine, the U.S. based Tranquil Ashes cosplaying, racebending (and genderbending) the Japanese character Akuma.

Akuma from Street Fighter https://twitter.com/tranquilashes?lang=en

I can see how the ability and freedom to cosplay characters of a different race are of great importance to cosplayers of color because their options are so much more limited than white cosplayers. Many of us who study cosplay and the fandoms talk about “affective resonance.” Affective resonance is that concept of how we as individuals see ourselves (either as we are or who we want to be) in a fictional character. We want to be strong and badass, or sexy and desirable, or smart and effective. We feel a resonance with the character as presented, an emotional or affective resonance.

That’s what leads many of us to cosplay. My first cosplay was of a smuggler-pirate- it is a chance for me to be the bad girl that my every day, eager-to-please self shies away from. I also think Storm from the X-Men is fascinating and an aspirational ideal of a powerful female superhero who overcomes trauma.

Storm: https://www.writeups.org/storm-x-men-ororo-marvel-comics/ I love her hair too.

So I, personally, think it makes perfect sense for cosplayers of color to racebend characters like in the examples above, to maintain their identity and show how it works with that of the character they are playing. But I don’t think I would ever racebend Storm, because I don’t understand what that would mean to cosplayers of color, and I’d rather err on the side of respect for experiences I don’t have the background to understand.

So What About White Cosplayers Who Want to Cosplay Characters of Color?

This is a question that I’ve been thinking about basically since the Black Panther movie came out. What would it mean if a white kid wanted to cosplay the King of Wakanda? I really didn’t know and didn’t presume to know. The phenomenon that is the success of that film is something I can’t understand the importance of fully- because I am not part of the group to whom it means the most.

So I’ve been sitting back and listening.

What I’ve read and heard is:

While racebending characters of color is ok for some, (AS LONG AS YOU DON’T CHANGE YOUR SKIN TONE), it bothers other people of color.
It’s just really NEVER ok to change your skin tone with makeup (Doing blackface or Asian face, etc.) This is called “Racefacing” and is highly offensive.

Let me expand.

Point #1: It May Be Ok, But Some Will Still Be Offended

In a piece in the LA Times, they interviewed Mike Le, from Racebending.com, who discusses the position of superheroes as figures that supersede individuality and stand as avatars of our ideals. Because of this, he says it’s not the canon (and the canonical race) of the character that’s important. He does not see the need to “stick to canon” in race (so, you don’t NEED to cosplay Superman as white because he’s canonically white) any more than the President of the United States can’t be Asian because no President (yet) has ever been of Asian descent.

This makes sense to me. It embraces the idea of affective resonance (which is such a powerful way for people to explore identity and worth, and representation.). So this opinion is that it would be ok for a white girl to cosplay Shuri from Black Panther…..if she was very, very careful. No tribal markings. And not, under any circumstances, blackface.

Full disclosure, long before I knew enough about Avatar the Last Airbender or cosplay to think this through, Kiogenic cosplayed Katara.

Cosplay daughter as Katara in like….2012?

I think we would both make a different decision now.

WHY?

Ok, whether any of us want to recognize it or not WHITE PRIVILEGE IS A REAL THING. If you don’t believe that after all the shootings, the rise of Nazism in the U.S. and the way white folks use 911 as customer service, I don’t have the space to debate it with you right here. Please go read: this, or this, or this, or this.

We are privileged, and we need to acknowledge that. This means that our INTENT doesn’t matter. The EFFECT does. Cosplayer of color Sophia Bravo puts it this way:

“The problem with white cosplayers taking on characters of color is that even though the characters we all love live in a world separate from ours, we don’t. We as fans of all races still have to live with long histories of racial tension and trauma as well as other forms of injustice in this society. When white cosplayers dress as characters of color, they are reinforcing (Unintentionally! Yes, you don’t have to step on someone’s foot on purpose for it to hurt) a long history of Hollywood’s exclusion of people of color. The trouble of it all is that race and skin color simply are not costumes and paint fans of color can take off anytime they want.

When white cosplayers dress as characters of color, the clock strikes midnight and they can take off their costume and go back to the lily-whiteness that protects their lives. They can decide who else they’d love to cosplay, because Harry Potter, Luke Skywalker, Wonder Woman, all of the Doctors and their companions, and so many other fandom icons look like them already.”

So you can do this, but be aware that you might be offending some people, whose experiences you should defer to.

Point #2: NEVER NEVER CHANGE YOUR SKIN COLOR

And here I’m not talking about anyone wanting to cosplay Gamora.

Painting yourself green is DIFFERENT. There isn’t a long global history or contemporary problem with the repression and enslavement of GREEN people. You’re not going to be appropriating anyone’s experience, or misunderstanding anyone’s background if you paint yourself green, or blue, etc.

That’s not true of racefacing: using makeup to look like a different race. There is a whole history of this practice that white folks have the privilege of ignoring, but people of color have to live with. As Cosplayer WifufuxBelle notes, racefacing “has been used to further the marginalization of black people, to limit roles from PoC in Hollywood, and lately to profit off blackness.” And this isn’t just about people of African descent. Yellowfacing is just as much a problem and has been for a long time.

“In a world where black people are killed due to a fear of our skintone” WifufuxBelle says “it is salt in injury to wear it for a [photo]shoot.”

We’re talking about centuries of murder, rape, subjugation, and oppression. Why would you want to add salt in those wounds? And really, frankly, how little empathy do you demonstrate by refusing to even hear these objections and listen to them?

Back to My Original Thought: For the Love of Pete, LISTEN

So back to the Ukranian cosplayer. Here is part of her statement (which I’m copying verbatim with no points off for English not being her first language):

“Whenever a cosplayer uses different greasepaints, wigs, contact lenses etc to match the character’s appearance he or she does it because of great appreciation and love for the character but not for deriding this character or someone else. For those who accuses me in racism. Rasism – is the belief in the superiority of one race over another. In what way a portrait of a girl with cosplay makeup fits in this belief? Cosplay is all about love of the character. Also I’ve mentioned in post that I will ban any negative comments.Till now I haven’t ban anyone and I’ve heard all of your oppositions. My page for me place with positive things, rainbow and unicorns XD I don’t like when people use my page for their discussions and bear negative.”

Pugoffka is here arguing for affective resonance: “love of the character.” I get that. But she is also resolutely refusing to read, listen to or acknowledge the flood of comments answering the question that she pretends to pose: “in what way a portrait of a girl with cosplay makeup fits in this belief?” – here referring to racial superiority.

Lots of people (including myself) made an effort to explain on her page to help her understand about privilege and more importantly STRUCTURAL racism. But as she herself notes, she “doesn’t like negative comments” and only listens to rainbows and unicorns. Sigh.

I get that white privilege (like all privilege) can be hard to see and harder to accept for oneself. I’d like everyone to give it a try, though. Please.

Racebending, Racefacing, Cultural Appropriation

The debate on racebending and racefacing is similar to the one on cultural appropriation (which white folks are only forced to think about at Halloween, and PoC all the time). And the same rules, I think, apply.

No, black people are not committing cultural appropriation when they dress like white people. Cultural appropriation has two key components:

An unequal power dynamic
Lack of permission

The group with more power appropriates. Period. The group with less power is forced to conform out of necessity, generally. The group with more power generally WANTS everyone to look like them (i.e. permission) and actually has the power to prevent other groups from stealing their cultural products. The group with less power has no ability to hold things to themselves or keep more powerful people from appropriating their culture.

Be Excellent to Each Other and Listen

And because one of the things I love most about cosplay is the way that it has the very real possibility of being supportive and empowering for ALL people, I would like everyone to think about having empathy and sympathy for our fellow cosplayers:

Cosplayer of color DelaDoll:

“Look at it this way: If I attempt to toss you a ball and it ends up hitting you in the face, it will still hurt you, and I still hit you in the face, even though I didn’t mean to. Rather than me growing indignant and laughing off any reaction you may have, the right thing for me to do would be to apologize and be more careful next time. The same rule applies when it comes to the issue of blackface in cosplay, as it does with anything else in life.”

Jul 23 2018

Faces of Cosplay: Labinak and Mangoloo Cosplay

In July of last year, I was in RTX with Kiogenic. It was her senior trip. I had registered for the convention, but never actually went in- the line to pick up badges was CRAZY, and I had too much fun talking to cosplayers in line.

(It was a lesson: cosplayers are super happy to be interviewed when they are stuck in line! I used this lesson in Mexico as well: equally true!)

As I worked my way down the miles-long, winding, cast of thousands waiting to register, I was struck by the amazing cosplay of these two:

Labinak and Mangoloo Borderlands RWBY cosplay at RTX 2017

This cosplay was exquisitely made, ultra-detailed and eye-catchingly different. A beautiful example of creative cosplay, in this case, of melding two franchises. The young woman on the right, Mangoloo was the artist in this case, and was kind enough to talk to me about her enthusiasm and process.

I’m grateful, as her willingness to share was also extremely useful in the academic cosplay work that I’ve completed since as well! Therefore, I hope she’ll forgive me for this profile taking so long to post.

Name: Mangoloo

Age: 24 years old

Do you have a “day” job?: I definitely do!

How long have you been cosplaying?: I’ve been cosplaying for about 5 years now.

What’s your home base? :I’m based in Vienna, VA.

How do you choose your characters? What appeals to you about them? Do you identify with or aspire to be like them?:

There are many different factors that I consider when choosing a character to cosplay. A big factor is if I can relate to the character. For instance, Ruby from RWBY – I can easily relate to her sweet derpy personality.

I also look into the design – I particularly like challenges so I tend to choose more difficult cosplays, for instance, Final Fantasy’s Serah Farron. Overall my love for the character is what motivates me to make the cosplay for it. I think more often I identify with my character because I spend so much time doing character studies and trying to get into the head of the character so I can accurately roleplay as them by the time the cosplay is done.

Do you have a signature or favorite cosplay?:

I think most people know me from my RWBY Ruby Rose cosplay. Although if I personally had to choose a favorite – I can’t say that I necessarily have one because I love all my cosplays differently. Each cosplay came with different challenges that I had to figure out how to overcome and new techniques that I had to learn. I am proud of the outcome of all my cosplays; therefore, each cosplay has a special place in my heart.

Do you make, or buy your cosplays?:

Primarily I make my cosplays because I enjoy the challenge. Although I have bought/modified a few more causal ones.

What’s the best things someone has said to you about your cosplay? What’s the worst?:

The best thing someone could say about my cosplay is complimenting my detail work. I take huge pride in the small details. As for the worst – I would say if someone makes a comment that isn’t constructive. I am all for constructive criticism.

Can you elaborate on the “character studies” you do? What does that consist of?

Character studies consist of anything from memorizing quotes, learning the backstory, learning speech patterns, etc – essentially anything to help me get to know the character better so that I can better get into the head of the character when I go and roleplay as them.

Check out Mangoloo’s amazing work on her Facebook Page, Tumblr, and consider booking them by emailing: LMcosplays@gmail.com.

May 7 2018

Sexy Cosplay, Nerdlesque and Men’s “Right to Sex”: Time to Move Past the Karate Kid

Crazy days, friends. The President is an admitted sexual predator. There are open debates about whether women should be “redistributed” to provide more sex to more women. But at the same time, there are now feminine Star Wars heroes to choose from, and women are finally getting some much needed, much-deserved justice on matters of abuse and assault.

“Incel, The Misogynist Ideology that Inspired the Deadly Toronto Attack.” (Vox)

“Blizzard Wants its Diverse Fans to Feel ‘Equally Represented’ by Overwatch’s Heroes“- (Polygon)

“Nerdlesque and Body Positive Cosplay.” – (The Geek Anthropologist)

“The Redistribution of Sex” – (The New York Times)

…..and finally, “Anyone want to cosplay Overwatch Playboy Bunnies with me?” – (one of the cosplay groups I belong to)

I don’t think it’s too much to say that this is a singular moment in U.S. cultural history.

The headlines above describe the edges of a phenomenon in which women increasingly reject Judith Butler’s “law” of society, and stretch out to make choices that push against multiple canons, societal expectations and collective fantasies.

These events and thoughts, these increasingly violent and entrenched positions have recently led me to believe that there is something really important going on in geekdom, something that could show us the way to how we can get through this moment of gender trouble as a nation.

My Two Cents on What’s Going On

I’ll explain. Let me start from an early essay from Cracked, one of the most perceptive pieces that I had read in quite a while. In 2012, I read this article from David Wong: “Five Ways Modern Men Are Trained to Hate Women.”

In the essay, as it states, Wong lays out how men are 1. Taught that they are owed a hot girl, 2. Are trained to see women as decorative, 3. They think that women conspire with their penises to ruin them, 4. They feel like their manhood (of the 300 kind was stolen, and 5. They feel powerless because of all of the above.

I don’t agree with everything in this piece, but much of it rings very true. It’s the author’s attempt to explain why, even though men hold most, if not all of the economic and political power, “no amount of male domination will ever be enough, why no level of control or privilege or female submission will ever satisfy us. We can put you under a burqa, we can force you out of the workplace — it won’t matter. You’re still all we think about, and that gives you power over us. And we resent you for it.” This, Wong writes, explains the rage.

It’s a convincing take on the problem described in the headlines above.

Incels apparently believe they are owed a “hot” woman, believe that women have all the power in society and are filled with violent rage at their lack of power.

And when they are thwarted, and cannot treat women as toys, objects or decorations, they snap and start killing them.

This has got to stop.

We have to stop teaching men that there’s only one way to be a man and it involves big muscles, violence, and treating women like trophies.

so, as I often do, I think cosplay, gaming culture and the fandoms have something to teach us about sexuality, gender, identity and the possibilities of what the world COULD look like, if we could break free of a Karate Kid/Donald Trump kind of world view.

Back to Overwatch: What Can Cosplay Teach Us?

Kiogenic, my daughter, plays Overwatch. Her favorite character is Tracer- a strong, short-haired, fierce lesbian who is as sassy as she is brave. This is the beauty of Overwatch, as noted above, the game was designed by the people who brought us World of Warcraft, men who realized that women appreciated characters who didn’t just walk around in bikinis. Here is one of the creators reflecting on the decsion to create non-sexualized characters for Overwatch:

“”We’ve heard [from] our female employees and … even my daughter tools me out about it,” he said. “We were looking at old Warcraft stuff on YouTube, a cinematic … and my daughter is like, ‘Why are they all in swimsuits?’ And I’m like ‘Ugh, I don’t know, honey.’

So there are LOTS of choices of representation in Overwatch, the cast list is extensive:

There are lots of different choices for women who want to cosplay or play as non-sexualized and strong women.

Which, frankly, is why I was so confused when I saw the call for Playboy Bunny/Overwatch cosplayers on my Facebook thread. Didn’t, (I thought), the decision to overtly sexualize the Overwatch players completely undercut the idea behind creating them as non-sexual?

What I’ve decided is…. actually, NO.

While we definitely have a lot of work to do in the representation of women (and men) in society to allow for different types of expression, the “Playboy Bunny” Overwatch characters were examples of women’s agency: their ability, through cosplay, to explore whatever sides of their identity they would like to.

Women, and men, in cosplay, can cosplay, crossplay, gender-bend or make up new and sexually adventurous versions of characters to express and explore their own sexualities freely, and in a healthy way that doesn’t resort to hurting others.

I think it’s GREAT that women don’t have to be confined by either the cage of puritanical “purity” OR the “sexualized decorative trophy.” Again, I don’t know that women have that freedom everywhere, but I increasingly see it in cosplay.

What’s more, I see an open space for men to cosplay, crossplay or do nerdlesque- breaking out of that toxically limited box of Arnold Schartzenegger testosterone and Trumpian disdain for women.

As Geek Anthropologist Emma Louis Backe writes, “nerdlesque pushes back against pernicious sex myths within the geek community.” Nerdlesque, in which both men and women have the opportunity to perform sexy, burlesque-style performances of their cosplays (Femme Kylo Ren as striptease, for example). Nerdlesque, as the New York Times, took note of above, is about breaking out of the vicious and damaging hetero-normative narrative about men and women that has framed geek culture for too long. This is the “adorkable misogyny” of Big Bang Theory. “The caricature of geeks as poorly socialized straight men eternally mystified by women hazards becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy: a modest but vociferous circle of geek men seems to warily view the entrance of smart, beautiful, and strong women into the geek fold.”

This paradigm would insist that strong women are a danger to men’s power and position, and that non-ideal body types are not decorative enough to be accepted. This stereotype of course, is just nearly as damaging for men as it is for women. It also, of course, excludes queer and asexual cosplayers by framing everything within the nasty, sick anger-generating paradigm that teaches men to hate women.

Where Can We Go From Here?

If Wong is right, and our culture teaches men to hate women, we need to create better, healthier cultural models. Some of this is ongoing- in cosplay especially.

it’s no secret I’m a fan of cosplay as a way to build self-esteem, promote respect for others, celebrate creativity and help people grow. What I would like to see entertainment, economic and political leaders learn from the beautiful and brave artistic work of cosplayers.

Sex isn’t inherently bad.

Women can enjoy sex.

Men don’t have to be Spartan warriors.

Women don’t have to be barbie dolls.

Men do not HAVE to be ruled by their sexual drives

Women can be strong and smart

Everyone deserves to be safe and happy, everyone deserves to be respected.

All bodies are beautiful bodies.

YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL.

Apr 11 2018

Faces of Cosplay: William Herschel Moore

Greetings! Welcome back to “Faces of Cosplay!”

There was a little hiatus as Kiogenic and I wrote a book….(see the ad to the right!) but I haven’t forgotten about all the great cosplayers I’ve met and talked to. And I am still very committed to helping them showcase their work!

The further I get into cosplay, the more impressed I am with the ingenuity, creativity, and skill of all the cosplayers I know. So without further ado, here is William, who I met in Arkansas at the Arkansas Anime Festival, also known as A2F.

A2F is one of our favorite cons, it’s small, but not too small, friendly, well run and well-attended. The cosplayers we meet there (like Paul, who I’ve profiled before).

The last time we went to A2F (sadly, before Kiogenic ran off to college), I went to check on her in the line for cosplay contest pre-judging. She had struggled to get into the newly made Yang gauntlets (a very tight fit), and now couldn’t take them off until after the cosplay competition.

These Yang gauntlets!

William, I remember, was walking up and down the super-long line of cosplayers, asking if anyone needed water- and then bringing it to them. So this is my best memory of William, in cosplay, a friendly, decent guy, a superhero for all the thirsty, tired cosplayers!

(side note: conventions that set prejudging appointments, instead of those long lines are better.)

Road Hog from Overwatch

Name: William Herschel Moore

Day Job: Game Master at Bolt NWA! An escape room in Bentonville Arkansas

Age: 22

Home Base: Lowell, Arkansas

Why do you cosplay?

It’s fun to be able to become some of my favorite characters and be recognized as those characters!

How long have you been cosplaying?

I’ve been cosplaying since about 2010, which is crazy to think about now…. it doesn’t feel like I’ve been doing it for 7 years.

How do you choose what characters to cosplay?

Well, honestly I try to find larger characters. I try to fit them to my body type, luckily enough they are all characters I end up liking!

What’s your most famous, or best-known cosplay?

For the longest time, everyone knew me for my Choji Akamichi cosplay from Naruto, I’d say I cosplayed him exclusively for about…. 2 1/2 years?

Choji from Naruto

The more I look at my old Choji cosplay the more I realize it was literally just stuff I pulled from my closet. Aside from the shirt my dad and I made.

Do you make or buy your costumes?

Both actually. I order some pieces online and alter them as well as having help from others when it comes to making stuff. A vast majority of my cosplays are thanks to my friends that have helped me make them. I can’t take the credit for my cosplays.

As Mario (right) with Luigi from Kingdom Hearts Mario and Luigi

What advice do you have for other cosplayers? Especially new cosplayers?

I guess my advice should go hand in hand with what I just said. Never be afraid to ask others for help. You’ll always find people willing to help out and teach you a new way to do things! Who knows, maybe someday someone will come to you asking for help and you can teach them!

What the best thing that someone has said to you about your cosplay?
There was one gentleman at a local convention that came up to me and told me that he and his wife always look forward to the cosplays I come up with and loves seeing my updates on his feed. He told me he came to one convention for a day just to see my newest cosplay at the time!

Tombstone Taric from League of Legends

What’s the worst thing that someone has said to you about your cosplay?

The worst thing I’ve had said to me was because I’m larger, I’ll never get any attention as a cosplayer and that I should just do myself a favor and stop cosplaying all together before something bad happens to me haha. Well, I kept cosplaying and nothing has happened yet!

Do you attend conventions? Do you have a favorite?

Yes, I attend conventions, though lately the number of cons per year has dwindled, due to adulting constantly. Hooray for bills. Can’t really say I have a favorite haha. I love all the conventions I go to equally! Most of the time I go to see my friends and Con family more than anything else.

I interviewed William via Facebook messenger. You can check out his work at https://www.facebook.com/OneMooreTimeCosplay/

Feb 28 2018

Taco, Taako, and Other Signs that I’m Old

KIOGENIC IS 19.

HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?

very much like this. From adorable, small, opinionated talent to drop-dead gorgeous, Talented, outspoken, and excellent person.

Sigh. Anyway, since she now consumes media mostly in another city (away at Webster U., where she is very happy), I am totally clueless about what is going on in much of fandom.

She is, still, however, cosplaying and building cosplay. She just now has new a new cosplay posse, including her friend Raleigh, who lives on her floor in the dorm.

When Kiogenic was home for Christmas break, she asked if she could take the Sulaco (our sewing maching) back to school with her. I said yes, because our sewing machine fix-it guy, weary of having to repair a machine never meant for sewing pleather, had recommended we get an all-metal old school machine.

So we bought Peggy, at a thrift store, for $20. Isn’t she beautiful?

Yes, I name our sewing machines. No, I don’t think that’s weird.

So we had two machines, and she took one back with her to make some new cosplay with Raleigh, which she and Raleigh showed off at Visioncon in Branson, for Kiogenic’s birthday extravaganza.

Here are Kiogenic, Sammy Jo (cosplaybestfriend), Raleigh and Scooter (cosplayboyfriend, who you can see is REALLY TALL.)

My 19-year-old daughter at the convention with her 21-year-old boyfriend, who is a math genius. Another sign that that I’m old.

Another hint? I was so clueless about what Kiogenic and Raleigh were cosplaying that I misspelled it when I tweeted it out. To be clear, this is Taako, from the podcast The Adventure Zone.

Since the Adventure Zone is a podcast, the fans don’t know for sure EXACTLY what Taako looks like but there is consensus on umbrella, hat, and general fabulousness. This makes cosplay more fun!

Here is Taako’s bio on the wiki:

“He is a high-elf wizard with a chaotic good alignment. He is originally from New Elfington. Prior to joining up with Merle Highchurch and Magnus Burnsides he hosted a traveling cooking show, ‘Sizzle It Up with Taako’, but fled after forty people died in the show’s final episode.”

Which frankly, makes him sound to me like the elf member of Spinal Tap. But again, I’m old. She said “Taako” and I heard “Taco.”

So I totally called him “Taco.” On Twitter. To an audience of like seventy billion people.

I’m old. The kid leaves and I’m stuck with TNG and Tap cultural references.

Anyway, she and Raleigh did Taako with his twin sister Lup. And they were AMAZING.

Fantastic make up by Sammy Jo and photography by Scooter- who turns out to not just be a math genius, but a GREAT cosplay photographer!

And, in my defense, within an hour of me tweeting a photo of her as “Taco”, a nice fan of the podcast had gently corrected me and made FAN ART of her cosplay! Which……I can’t copy and paste in this blog, because again, I’m old. Follow this link if you’d like to see it.

As a bonus, you get to see my original tweet about “Taco.”

Ah well. I may be old, but I’m very lucky. Very blessed and very happy to have such a great kid, with such great friends, and to have such a great family.

Feb 16 2018

Mako Mori, Wonder Woman and Black Panther: Rules and Representation

I’ve spent the last year reveling in the success of the Wonder Woman movie and eagerly anticipating the Black Panther premiere.

Both are huge signs and signals to Hollywood of what we know from cosplay already: that identity, representation and fan inclusion matter.

As of November, the Wonder Woman movie became the highest grossing superhero origin story ever. As of today, the film has made 891 million dollars. Almost a billion dollars!

But Black Panther, with it’s massive pre-sales numbers and kick-ass reviews may pass that mark. FANTASTIC.

Kids. Men. Women. Black.White. Asian. Hispanic. All WANT to see detailed, well-rounded, heroic representations of themselves- as we all know from cosplay. That’s what cosplay has been doing for a long time: offering the chance for people to perform stronger, braver, more beautiful or more dangerous versions of themselves as a way of exploring identity.

That cosplay involves crossplay, gender-bending, mash-ups and other great creativity, however, is a sign that media producers don’t always provide to fans the images that they seek.

Cosplayers, as I’ve said before are both very creative and very savvy about finding ways to both express and represent themselves and also to recognize the figures, characters and ideas that they resonate with.

The kids above, rocking Wonder Woman and Black Panther cosplay, are just two examples.

As a fan and a cosplayer, I’m always impressed by the intelligence and creativity of sf/fantasy/comic fans and their costumes.

But as a scholar, I’m also impressed by the awareness and savvy that gives us the Mako Mori test.

You may have heard of the Bechdel test, which asks us to consider representation of women in film. The rules are:

is there more than one female character who has a name?
Do the (at least) two women talk to each other…..
…..about something other than a man?

If you stop and think about it, it’s a truly astounding amount of films that don’t pass this test. (And MOST sf/fantasy films don’t.)

In real life, women have identities and names, and they talk, all the time about things that are NOT men. Work, politics, film, whatever.

So this has been a rallying cry for years in an effort to get more women represented in film as both 1. important and not just decorative (that’s also the sexy lamp test. I’ll talk about that later) and also 2. interested in more than just romantic entanglements with men.

But of course the Bechdel test is designed as a guide, not a hard-and-fast up or down rule or vote. There are films that women find to be good representations of them and their aspirational selves, but that don’t pass the test.

Enter the Mako Mori test.

Mako Mori is the protagonist of the sf film Pacific Rim. She is, in fact, the hero of the film, and the film is arguably about her.

But….it doesn’t pass the Bechdel test. There are only two women in the film, and they don’t talk to each other. Doesn’t mean you can’t like it, but for a lot of folks, that was disappointing.

The thing is though that, especially for female fans of Asian descent, it’s really hard to fault a film that is really a coming-of-age/hero’s journey/chosen one tale about a woman.

Fans of color point out how vanishingly few representations there are of Asian women like this.

And so, the Mako Mori test was proposed in a conversation in Reddit by the user Chalia.

The Mako Mori test is:

If the movie has at least one main female character
…who gets her own narrative arc
…and whose arc does not exist solely to support the male lead’s story

This allows a different perspective and appreciation for the film and the truly original and even transgressive stance of placing the woman’s arc in the center of the plot.

so why do we even care? BECAUSE REPRESENTATION IS IMPORTANT.

And this is at least as true for white men as anyone else. Look at the backlash against the strong women in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Men who had grown up visualizing themselves as pure Luke or Han-who-follows-no-orders were existentially troubled by a not-perfect Luke, and a rogue fighter pilot who gets scolded by female generals (and who is really ultimately responsible for all the rebels dying.)

I think it’s important to remember that kids (and adults) can see and visualize themselves as not just victims or assistants, not just girlfriends or servants (please see Spike Lee’s important “Super-duper magical negro” theory.)

African superheroes, Amazons who run and kick ass in their own nation, Asian robot drivers and Hispanic princess are all IMPORTANT in the dreams they help build, and foster and communicate.

And so are, still, Harry Potter, The Karate Kid and every superhero that the Chris collective plays (Starlord/Kirk/Thor, etc.)

Maybe next we can have representation of men being caring, emotional and collaborative. Let’s devise a test for that!

Nov 7 2017

Meeting the Cosplay Family(s) at La Mole

(Version en Espanol de este articulo por hacer clic aqui)

I’ve returned from my adventure in Mexico at La Mole Comic Con . What a great event.

On Saturday, I met talked with many more cosplayers, and I was struck by how many family groups there were.

My experience of groups attending together in the U.S. is that these tend to be affinity groups (groups of friends.) I have met a few family cosplay groups- and after all, I blog as one, but I noticed how many more of these folks I met in Mexico City.

And I am very sure that this is the time I’ve met cosplay grandparents. : )

Ignacio and Estela as Snow White and The Punisher

Estela was quick to tell me that she isn’t normally the “Princess” type (she’s a fan of the Spiderman franchise)- but had dressed as Snow White for her grand-daughter, who was at the convention as Princess Peach. Here she is with her little sister (who is the most adorable, tiniest Michonne you’ve ever seen).

Cosplay grandparents and granddaughters!

Fantastic. More on this family to come.

In addition to the grandparents, I also met groups of siblings and cousins. Here- Diana, Aden, Joseline, Mariana and Edgar as various characters from Mario Kart (including the “final lap” cloud.)

They were a lot of fun- had collectively decided to cosplay, had worked on costumes together and were there as a group.

I also met two brother-sister pairs:

Javier and Andrea, taking advantage of the IT hype to give people a fun scare:

these two were having a great time and getting along famously.

There were also Rebeca and Ramon (with their father- who like my esposo, was just tech support).

Rebeca as Camus and Ramon as a Digimon

Rebeca and Ramon’s Dad, beaming proudly (and taking photos of me interviewing these two), is an example of some really nice family support dynamics that I observed, however briefly, at La Mole.

As I’ve written before, I often encounter U.S. based cosplayers who wish they had more family support. Sometimes I’ve met U.S. cosplayers who talk about open hostility to their hobby from their parents and family.

As a Cosplay Mom myself, I’ve always loved that Kiogenic (cosplay daughter) was into cosplay- it’s creative, it’s positive and it has really allowed her to make new friends while learning new skills. So many worse things a young person can spend their time on.

I mentioned this to several of the cosplayers I met in Mexico, but they all reported at best, enthusiastic family support (as in the case of Rebeca and Ramon’s Dad who spent a month of weekends making their costumes), and at worst sort of a shrugged indifference by family members- “huh, that’s a funny thing the kids are into.”

As the cousins told me, the saying is that (paraphrasing) “if your kids spend money on cosplay, they won’t have any for drugs or alcohol.”

True.

So many more people to talk to and much more to learn, but I was charmed and delighted by the wonderful cosplay families I met at La Mole!

A big shout out and thanks to all those supportive families.

cosplaymom

Adventures in costuming, constructing, cosmetics and cultural observation

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