Post 5: Wrong Side of Cosplay and Society

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     Cosplay has been really popular these days. Conventions here and there. It gives a huge contribution to anime fans to bring their favorite characters to life. But since that Cosplay became mainstream, a lot of cosplayers and con-goers tend to misunderstood the true essence of cosplay. Years ago, cosplay has been a ground for anime fans to give life to whoever character they want. Mecha, warriors, school girl and much more were the common characters cosplayers liked to portray because first and foremost it is pretty affordable for a beginner.

     As time goes by, con-goers became really into something cosplayers would go an extra mile. A lot of cosplayers nowadays show too much skin to gain popularity. Why do we have to show off skin just for popularity? Maybe because a lot of them got tired from being someone who cannot be identified or noticed through the characters they used to cosplay. Cosplay is an instrument for us to show our love for anime but for some, it became a field for popularity. An article entitled "Cosplayers Are Passionate, Talented Folks. But There's A Darker Side To This Community, Too." by Patricia Hernandez from kotaku.com discusses how cosplayers struggle from their cosplays. It shows how criticism can change people to worst. "What most of us experience is the ‘product.' The end result. But there is a person underneath that costume. That person has a story, that person has reasons for putting themselves out there for the world to see. And that person likely put in a lot of work to bring a character to life. Turns out, there is a whole lot more to cosplay than just what can be photographed and put into galleries." said by Patricia.

     We all feel tired from being someone who can't be noticed. We all want attention. But people take advantage of the things we want and we need. They give Cosplayers the bad idea of cosplay. Today, you will see cosplayers wearing ALMOST NOTHING. Too much skin, too short skirts, everything too much! But wait, there are lot more to talk about.

Have you ever heard of the word, "Jejecosplayers"?

     Jejecosplayers are very much popular here in Philippines. "Jejemon + cosplayer = jejecosplayer", a coined name made to call cosplayers who call themselves "cosplayers" just by wearing different colors of synthetic wig, contact lens, and that's it! If that's the case then, we can call anyone as cosplayers just because they wear contact lenses and wigs. If that's so, does that mean that celebrities who wear wigs are cosplayers? OF COURSE NOT. I don't want actually to upload and put up images here with how "jejecosplayers" cosplay and treat themselves "cosplayer". Because honestly, they don't know what they're doing and I will let you see it for yourself instead.

     These are just some examples of "cosplay problems". Also an article "The Problem with Cosplay Celebrity" by an Unknown Author from bittergertrude.com really expands the dark world of cosplay. Yes, it is true that you'll be a celebrity for a day but for some, once they've tasted this kind of popularity, they tend to bring themselves up. They lift their own chair for the sake of being a celebrity. By this kind of feeling of belongingness, it sometimes turn into envy especially to those who really cannot afford to do this  kind of hobby and that is where "jejecosplayers" or the "so-called-cosplayers" fall into. "The problem isn’t cosplay celebrities themselves, it’s the way mainstream culture requires our celebrities, especially the women, to conform to oppressive beauty standards, the way we commodify women’s bodies, and the way we divide women into categories of “acceptable” and “unacceptable.”" said by the author herself, and it is pretty sad reality.

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     Hobby, passion or whatever you want to call it. But when you start to do things for the sake of trying to mold yourself for the society, you're just making yourself worst. It is just, you should do things because you want it not because almost everyone or everyone around you do this kind of stuff. Do what your heart says not what the society tells you to do.