Why Do I Identify With Cosplay?
Have you ever felt like you didn’t belong?
I have.
When I say that I don’t feel as if I don’t belong, I mean to the human race. Seriously. Either I don’t belong, or I am really evolved. Maybe I am actually a Time Lord, like Doctor Who. Or, maybe it is the human race who devolved a long time ago.
Could I have been frozen in carbonite in a galaxy far, far away? Was I forgotten on a planet that was the lone survivor of a supermassive black hole? I could imagine a Big-Bang level supernova taking place, just as my planet reached the event horizon of the black hole. There was so much energy being dispersed that it slingshotted the planet through Wild Space, ejecting it outside of the galaxy.
In other words, the Sith garb that I am wearing is not cosplay.
I don’t judge anyone’s reason for cosplaying. There are a lot of people who speak out against “sexy cosplay”. Then, of course, there are the Geek Police. They go from con to con pointing out cosplayers who “didn’t design a cosplay the way its supposed to look” (more on this in a second). I don’t have a problem with either. Personally, I think it’s awesome that someone identified with a character or a fandom so much, they want to be them for a day or two. I think it’s even more awesome that they put their time into creating a unique spin for the cosplay. That takes imagination.
However, the actual act of cosplaying isn’t even why I can identify with Cosplay. My reason can be summarized in three words: I hate Adulting! I feel like I am in cosplay every day.
When I am at work, I’m in cosplay.
When you see me and wave in the grocery store, I’m in cosplay.
When I have conversations with other industry professionals, you guessed it…
…I’m in cosplay
There are so many rules to being an adult in civilized society. As a professional, I have to dress a certain way. I can’t speak my mind because it will offend someone, or a group of someones. Apparently, I’m too old to read comic books and watch cartoons. If I don’t agree with someone’s lifestyle, I’m a bigot or I’m discriminating.
(I really didn’t know that my opinion was that important!)
Now, back to the Geek Police. We don’t need your judgmental opinions. Yes, you have the right to express yourself but, we are geeks because we don’t want to live by a set of rules. We enjoy our fandoms how we choose to enjoy them. You should respect that.
Don’t make it so hard for us to identify with you.
Did you like this article? Visit my blog, The Urbanerd Blog, for more of my rants, musings, and reviews! Leave a comment or shoot me a message at ambushvin@ambushvin.com or stop by my site at https://ambushvin.com. Thank You!
