Cosplayers should STOP being JERKS!!!

Ok so before you flame and write hateful comments let me say this, CHILL!

This is NOT a hate post directed to cosplayers because I am a cosplayer myself; my sisters are cosplayers and most of my friends are either cosplayers or cosplay enthusiasts rather this is a post to point out some of the things that I’m really starting to not like in the cosplay community in the Philippines.

So yeah basically, this is a rant. Lol!

But before anything else, let me just say that I really believe that the cosplayers here in the Philippines are definitely one of the most passionate people that I have ever met, you can see that on how they create their costumes and how they present their selves in cons and competitions as well as in their craftsmanship.

We may not have the same resources like cosplayers from other countries but we make do with what we have.  I’m sure a lot of you reading this post may point out that NOT every cosplayer is like this, yeah, I understand that as well and I think this is where something really ugly stems out off.

As they say (or not) with great passion comes great responsibility.

What I mean is that you can’t really expect other people who are also into this hobby to have the same amount of passion and dedication as you.

In my city, cosplay is actually only starting to get really popular with the general public especially with the help of celebrities like Alodia and Myrtle.

But just like any other cities in the Philippines most people actually have no idea what cosplay is and what it constitutes to. I’m not going to tackle about this that much because you can actually Google it if you want to and this isn’t actually what this post is about.

Going back to Alodia and Myrtle, there are actually cosplayers who definitely hate that some people refer to them as “Alodias” or “Myrtles” and because of this some cosplayers have the tendency to hate these people.

But if you ask me I really have no problems about it.

So what if the general public refers to you as that?

You know who you are and what you’re doing, right?

You know your character and I’m sure your friends also know right?

Do you really need the acceptance of other people or their nods and thumbs up to keep you going?

Are we really that insecure that we feel so threatened for people addressing us as that?

Sure, it would be great if people look at you for who you are and what you’re doing rather than compare you to those famous cosplayers but we don’t live in an perfect world and you have to face the fact that NOT all people understand what you’re doing and why you’re doing it.

People who do not know may refer to you as someone who just wants to be popular or someone who has some screws loose, sure it’s annoying but we have to face the fact that not everyone is willing to listen.

But you know what, instead of acting like spoiled little brats and venting out our anger on those cosplayers and the TV companies for “making cosplay mainstream”, “murdering the hobby”and making a gimmick out of it why can’t we just educate those people who are genuinely interested in what we do?

Educate, rather than humiliate!

Don’t shun people who are interested in cosplaying but have no idea what it is or simply think it’s all about dressing up or gaining popularity. Again, educate rather than humiliate. Teach them what it is, tell them what it is and how they can join in the fun as well.

Because let’s face it, cosplaying is fun! :)

So, if other people see all the fun we’re having then there will be others who may also want to join in the fun as well.

Cosplaying is not just a hobby for otakus but if you look at it it’s also a way for the otaku community to grow. There are different ways for people to get interested or influenced in a hobby.

With that said there’s always the good way or the bad way to tell people about it, let’s be nice and not let those who are interested feel stupid for not knowing. Put yourself in the other person’s shoes.

How would you feel if you ask someone knowledgeable about a certain thing and he/she answered you in a mean or sarcastic way?

Again there are people who might be interested in cosplaying but just don’t understand it yet, let’s not put a gap or treat them differently for not knowing.

I hear a lot of people saying that they want to better and help the cosplay community to grow but it’s not actually going to happen if we act negatively on all the criticisms or bad press that we get.

Remember those days, when you watched a very awesome anime or movie and you want your friends or other people to know about it too so you can have people to talk to or gush over it?

Why can’t it be the same for cosplay?

I hear a lot of people saying that they don’t want it to be main stream and this really disturbs me big time.

Why? Why can’t it be main stream?

I understand the concerns that comes with it being main stream but I honestly think cosplaying is not for everyone. It’s not for weak of heart.

This has always puzzled me because honestly, when cosplay was only starting here in my city the first few people who cosplayed always wanted to encourage others to do the same.

There were no rules, no complications, nothing!

I honestly miss those times, it was less complicated and there weren't really any conflicts.

They wanted cospay to grow. Way back then, we could only hold cosplay events at our school during the school’s anniversary and every year the number of cosplayers grew. Then a year later, a cosplay event was actually held in a MALL!

I thought it was awesome because people are actually coming out of their shells and exploring this hobby. I was excited to see the number of cosplayers grow every year! Back then I was just a spectator who really admired those people’s guts to present their selves that way which in a way gave me the courage to get into the hobby as well.

If you DON’T want cosplay to be main stream then let’s just hold private events and NOT hold it in malls instead and not make a big deal about it.

As I've mentioned before, you can’t expect others to have the same amount of passion and dedication as you. Don’t push your beliefs into others.

Sure, there are some posers out there and others who only use cosplaying to get attention or fame but why should these people bother you?

In my opinion, if you’re confident about what you’re doing and is doing it to have fun, why mess with other people’s fun?

You see, if these people actually care for this hobby then you will be seeing them learn and be interested in it and maybe even be in this hobby for years! But if not then it’s easy for them to simply leave this hobby with a snap.

I’m sure some of you may be thinking, “you say that but how would you feel if you’re character gets murdered or wasn't portrayed properly?”

Well, I’d honestly feel a bit bad but let’s face it we’re not perfect, right?

Sure, sometimes a little part of my dies inside but there is a difference between constructive criticism and thrash talking.

We also have different tastes, so what others see as good may not be good from our point of view and vice versa.

Again, educate rather than humiliate!

I know that this post may be a bit too idealistic for some but these are just my opinion.

Let’s make cosplaying enjoyable and positive for new or old cosplayers alike.

I’d appreciate any positive and negative comments or opinions feel free to leave them in the comments.