5 Harsh Realities of Cosplay
There was an article circulating with what the author called the Realities of Cosplay. And they were in general pretty inaccurate. Y'know like having to be pretty or that it has to cost an arm and a leg. Those came across as one guy venting his frustration and y'know, whatever. But there are some realities of cosplay that I do think people should be aware of.
Let me start by saying, this is a great hobby. I love it and I think everyone should try it at least once regardless of your age, gender, skin color, body type etc. Cosplay is a hobby about love and if you love what you're doing then these harsh realities won't matter much to you.
1. Some of us (cosplayers) can be jerks.
You would think that for a community made up of people that have spent a good chunk of their lives being ostracized we'd be a more unified people. But we, like all social groups, have a few bad apples that are just jerks. They'll criticize your costume. They'll exclude you. They'll gossip and start all manner of drama that you thought you left at High School. We have elitists. We have snobs. We have controlling people. We have gossipers. We have two faced individuals.
And this isn't because they're cosplayers. It's just who they are as people. And as the Cosplay Community gets bigger, you're going to see a bigger percentage.. It's how any social collective is and Cosplay is no exception.
2. The internet can be a cold, cruel place.
Look, I'm a thin white girl. It would be easy for me to tell you to completely disregard skin tone, body type, height, gender, etc and just cosplay who you want. But I won't. It's not because I think you shouldn't because frankly I believe the opposite. It's because I'm not the one that would have to deal with any resulting consequences. The internet is a dark, cruel place that uses a shield of anonymity to hide behind as people proceed to rip in to you bit by bit. I don't feel like I have the right to tell you to just endure that anyways. That's for you to decide.
That said, I'm not going to discourage someone from doing so. I have a friend who is a curvy lady with dark skin wanting to cosplay as Azula. Her idea and I think that's just awesome. Chick is sassy and I think she could rock Azula. It was her idea. It's her desire. Some of the internet won't like that but she doesn't give a crap. And that's why she's awesome. But she's also very confident. She's bold. And she doesn't take any crap from anyone. She's comfortable with herself and who she is and that's what really makes the difference here. Whether or not you decide you are there or not is completely up to you.
The internet has all kinds of crap to sling at you. Make sure you are ready to withstand it. You'll have people you never met standing behind you to support you but at the end of the day, you're the one that gets to decide if you want to. And if you don't, that's okay too. You don't have anything to prove to anyone. Confidence is part of the costume too.
3. There's a good chance someone else has done your costume. And they've done it better.
I have this other friend. Wonderful chick. She's talented. She's determined. She has a good eye for things. She'll start on a costume and then look up reference pictures only to see someone has already done it and it's amazing. And then she gets discouraged and stressed and suddenly it's a competition. "I will never be as good as ____ in mine."
Unless you are actually competing, don't worry about how well someone else has done a costume. Don't let it discourage you. Don't let it stress you out. Cosplay isn't about being the best of that character. It's about love. Love for the character. Love for what you do. Love for the people you do it for. Don't worry about that super awesome cosplayer over there. Yeah they're amazing but even if you think your costume looks like crap now, you still have room to improve. Your last costume was probably better than the one before it.
4. All costumes have a high cost
I'm not just talking money. There's a saying among cosplay commissioners. Cheap, Fast, or Good. Pick two. What this means is you will either have to pay extra money, extra time, or sacrifice quality.,
Not all costs are financial. Sure you could make an incredible buster blade with cardboard and paper mache but it's going to take a lot of time and a lot of skill. Sometimes the cost is not getting any sleep. Sometimes the cost is not getting to wear that costume to the convention because it wasn't done in time. Sometimes it's injuries like hot glue burns or cuts from exacto blades.
And even in a more literal sense. You get what you pay for. If you pay 75 dollars for a Lulu costume from FFX, I can go ahead and tell you: It's not going to be very accurate. The material is going to suck. It's probably going to fall apart. The cost there is quality.
5. Your mental, physical, and financial well being are more important than cosplay.
Let me say that again: Your mental, physical, and financial well being are more important than cosplay. If you are neglecting one of these things, you need to stop, sort that out, and then go back to cosplay. And don't let cosplay affect any of these.
Don't bind your chest with Duct tape to get it super flat. Don't stay up for three days before the con to finish your costume. Don't spend your rent money on worbla. Be responsible. Be an adult. Look after yourself and if you're okay then you can go on with the hobby. I'll often see the phrase 'Cosplay is life'
And if that is life for you, back up and try to get things in order. Find some support. Talk to someone you trust. There is no costume...no prize. No convention. Nothing that is worth harming either of those three aspects of your life. You, a human being, are more valuable than any hobby. Take care of yourself first and then deal with any costume things.
Anyways that's my version of the 5 harsh truths of cosplay. Please understand that I love cosplay and despite these facts, it's still something I feel is worth doing.
