Sex Sells: How Cosplay Could Die
On February 28th, Yaya Han wrote a post on her Facebook account that read:
“Maybe if I made a FB page about my boobs some of you can separate the kind of comments you post here. I appreciate you all being here but sometimes I think some of you forget I am a human being with feelings.”
Lately, whenever a female cosplayer shows off a new cosplay outfit, somewhere in the comment section a post would appear about the cosplayer’s “physical attributes.” And when I say “physical attributes” I mean “bewbz.” And it’s everywhere. And it’s not just their female friends joking around with them. It’s strangers.
I asked a few cosplayers if they received inappropriate responses to their cosplay photos online. Here are some answers:
Krystal MewPuff: LOL, all the time. They basically speak about my assets (which is to be expected due to the nature of my costumes). But sometimes they go a bit far and speak about what they would like to do to me in the bedroom.
Brittany Vetrino: It has been the norm for awhile. I have noticed it for me and my friends. I mean sometimes it’s just us being jerks to each other, which is fine because we are all friends, but when someone random does it it’s just rude and annoying. “Yes, we do have boobs, like every other female.”
BetZilla Cosplay: Yes. Most of the time it’s about my chest. Things like asking if they’re fake and commenting on the size of them. Some comments talking about how they’d “do” (or another term for intercourse) me (or the character I’m cosplaying).
If such actions in the real world would land someone in deep trouble, why would anyone think it would be acceptable online? When it comes to the art of cosplay, are some people subconsciously (or consciously) just seeing sex? Where did these perceptions come from?
Could the mainstream media be partially blamed for this? If you are looking for non-cosplay sites to look at cosplay for its artistic merits. you may be disappointed. I googled* Yaya Han to see what pops up. At first, there are a lot of positive Yaya Han articles but those features are published by cosplay-specific sites. As I was checking to see what non-cosplay articles had to say about Yaya Han, I found “Yaya Han and her Nice Boobs, I Mean Catwoman Costume!” and Sexy Cosplay of The Week: The Unnecessarily Huge Honkers of Yaya Han. Yaya Han sarcastically mentioned about creating a page just for her chest. Unfortunately it seems that other sites have already done it.
Does mainstream culture confuse the art of cosplay with fetishism?
“For sure! The average Joe just sees a hot girl in a comic book costume and nothing else. He doesn’t see the hours she spend sewing and drafting, the wig styling, the perfect makeup she practiced over and over, or the time she spent at the gym so she could look good in her costume! All these schmucks see is just fap-fodder. They just see the finished product, sexy or not, and not the art behind it all.” – BeckyTaka Cosplay
“I am sure some guys do think it is a fetish, and for some of us it may even be, since you find the strangest fetishes out there. As to why they act so boldly online, I think they think it’ll impress us. And it’s something they would never have the guts to do in person. None of those guys would ever come up to me at a con and be like “You so sexy, take it all off.” But they do it with the safety of the internet between me and them. Will those lines ever work on me, or really any other costuming girl? No. But that is just part of what we do and what we deal with when we put on the costume. I mean, it is a compliment in a very crude way, and a lot of people are just socially awkward and don’t think about it or understand that is not what should be said, and that we aren’t impressed.” – Brittany Vetrino
I continued to ask cosplayers if they feel geek websites, that aren’t cosplay-specific, portray cosplay fairly.
Krystal MewPuff: Well, that personally depends on the videographer. I feel that cosplay is becoming a popularity contest. But it is fair to an extent. Some people can have outstanding costumes but if they aren’t good looking they are often overlooked.
Ichigokitty Cosplay: I think that generally the media puts a sexual spin on it. There’s so many “top ten hottest cosplayers.” I often see a lot of sites that list the “best” cosplayers, but a lot of the costumes they feature are store bought or sexy/skimpy and not actually amazing craftsmanship. It reminds me of those halloween “costume contests” where the girl with the sluttiest costume wins.
The Portrayal of Women in the Media
Spare two minutes and watch this trailer for a documentary about the exploitation of women in the media.
There’s a lot of information in that two minute trailer. I don’t want to go off topic too much, but there are some points you need realize about ourselves, the media and our culture.
1) Women are being used by the media to be objectified and sexualized to influence you to buy a product, watch a program or in this case, view certain websites. “It’s a vicious circle.” Cheryl Wild, cosplayer, wrote when I asked her opinion about this issue. “If we didn’t want it there would be no demand for it. But the more we see the more we want. It’s sad, but true. Do I think it’s ever going to stop? No. It’s written in our DNA to want sex and anything that stimulates us sexually. If the industry had more main characters that looked like decent respectable women, then we wouldn’t have this problem. But we don’t because the majority of comic/anime/manga readers are male and sex sells.” Ichigokitty Cosplay writes, “I just think that America is obsessed with sex; sex gets attention, sex gets readers, more views, and that’s probably why these websites try to portray cosplay in a sexual way as opposed to a creative way.”
2) No matter what attire cosplayers choose to wear, no one should be debased verbally. “I’m a person of a certain body type,” writes BetZilla Cosplay, “and I feel most comfortable dressing up as characters that resemble that. Not only that, I also tend to relate to and like the personality of characters in that ‘curvy’ stereotype. I want to be pretty. I want to be attractive. And I want to cosplay as characters I love. I don’t think that doing something that I love, and choosing characters that I like, should warrant some of the comments I receive.”
3) Men, be aware that the media is targeting you hard to buy their products through images of violence and sex. You are more than beasts. Before a tragedy happens, organization needs to be made. Males need to teach one another that objectification is wrong. Call out your friends if they are verbally irresponsible, either online or off the computer.
The Definition of Cosplay
There needs to be concise definitions of what cosplay is. Wikipedia calls it “Cosplay, short for “costume play,” is a type of performance art in which participants don costumes and accessories to represent a specific character or idea.” I always thought that cosplay was assuming the identity of a character by creating the exact replica of the look by hand and doing your best to act like that character. I feel that this must be addressed as soon as possible. Why?
Because sooner or later, the mainstream media is going to wake up, corrupt, and take over cosplay. Ten years from now, magazines like Cosplay Gen and AstorCos will be replaced at bookshops by Bikini Cosplay magazine. Cosplay fetish books will replace Cosplay In America on shelves. Cosplayer Nation‘s TV pilot will be turned down for another cosplay show hosted by plastic people who are pretty to look at and make good puns but don’t know a needle from a thread. For those of you who think I am wrong about this possibility, that I’m being overdramatic… I hope you are right. I really do.
This isn’t an anti-porn or anti-men post. If a model wants to dress semi-nude with anime influences then that is her right. My points are this: Women need to be respected. Cosplay as an artform must be protected and preserved.
*Please note that with Google’s new policies that your search results may differ from mine.
This article is a nice enough idea, but the problem is there is a huge anonyminity factor on the internet so many choose to be jerks in some way or another. Cosplay has risen in popularity, so we are seeing more about it online. It’s just a fact of life on the internet. Whether a cosplayer is talented, big boobed, fat, anything, someone out there will say something untoward about them.
Curious, the General’s “interview”/article has a citation at the bottom, stating “All media used with permission.”, yet this one does not.
Good thing, too, since that image Anna Fischer provided you of the Steampunk Pixie (Marvel character) couldn’t have been used with permission. The subject of the photo was NOT made aware that she was going to be featured in this article, let alone as the cover of it.
I forgot that Yaya Han was a human being when she forgot that I was. At one point at AUSA 2010 I was out enjoying a smoke, and Yaya Han ended up walking past me and stepping directly on my foot. For some bone-head reason I had apologized to her even thought it was clearly her fault. I was simply scoffed at. I don’t understand how somebody can expect people to give a hell about them, when they treat people like garbage at every turn.
As a large chested girl I totally agree with this but at the same time if you don’t want the attention don’t wear the cosplay. If your going to cosplay catwoman with her zipper undone, yeah guys are going to stare. Especially since a lot of people question the naturalness of large boobs.
An interesting article, but I really wish you could have mentioned the characters for your cosplay pics as well as the more standard photo credits. Not everyone has the experience to recognize every character, and it would have been appropriate, for the art, to give reference to the goal look as well as the subject of the photo.
Something to look at for this would be Cosplay Deviants. They show case girls cosplaying and then stripping. Many of the geek guys I know are hooked on it and with their growing popularity, maybe it contributes to the whole sexuality of cosplay.
Anna has given me her okay to use her photos as long as I credit her. However, if the cosplayer or Anna wishes me to change the photos then I would be very glad to replace them. Thank you for thinking for the rights of others. 🙂
You make a great point. Thank you. I’ll remember that for next time.
No, what you’re asking for, what is needed, is for people to have respect for others. Respect for women, for human beings in general, and for the fan-culture surrounding cosplay. Wikipedia is using the “base” definition of cosplay as it is in the West. In Japan, it didn’t/doesn’t just mean dressing up but also BEING the character or idea that is represented by the costume. In the anime fan-scene cosplay has more to do with dressing up as and playing a particular character, and of course, that’s what it is in Japan too. If women are going to cosplay, especially in something that shows off their assets, they should expect comments about how good they look and how such costumes compliment their physique. But again, this is where people need to show restraint and respect. Lewd and obscene comments are inappropriate, as was described in the article. The only thing that can be done to protect this subculture from the blatant and uneducated filth that is associated with derogatory sexual media (like Playboy and Hustler) is to remind others to be respectful and to educate the masses about the difference between fetish and cosplay. Of course, cosplay can be a fetish. The difference is telling people why you are doing it.
As a woman, I feel women have the right to be portrayed as an object of beauty and should be well respected. In regards to Cosplay, this is definatly an Art of bring to life the character you are imulating, except in some respects some women take it a bit too far…they put themselves out there and do not expect men to notice? Maybe it’s time we tone down the low cut cosplays and try to dress a bit more modest. If that is at all possible. Men and society will never change…let’s keep the Art of Cosplay alive and not adversise you assets, especialy if they were not blessed with them naturally. Just Saying
Women will only earn respect in this world, when they stop putting themselves out there and bring back modesty.
I think it’s ridiculous for female cosplayers to put on certain costumes that show off their chest and then complain when someone mentions their chest. If you have large boobs and are dressing up as Power Girl, etc– prepare to be gawked at unless you just actually assume guys are going to look at your costume and not notice that your tatas are about to fall out of your top. A lot of cosplayers have gotten breast implants… they got them for a reason folks. To be looked at. And then they turn around and complain that people only view them as boobs and not how much time they took to create their costume.. lame. If you want to be taken seriously, then put on a costume that covers you up. Or, realize that if you dress half naked- people have every right to say something to you about it- because it’s you putting yourself out there for them to say something to.
What the real problem is here is not the cosplayers, ive been cosplaying/crossplaying for over 25 years longer than Yaya Han or any other cosplayer I’m aware of. The Problem is non cosplayers that are into it for the boobs and sex.
It didnt used to be this way when it was purly Nerd Sport but things like facebook have made it larger and easier to see, hide behind the internet and comment. Im freids with Mew Puff and she was recently asked to put eggs in her “no zones” i counter commented making fun of both poster and all the Egg puns i could think of but its not right that the guy thinks he can comment anything that on his twisted mind ,and she should just take it. I to think this will be the death of cosplay but once it dies it will go back to Pure Nerd Sport like it was before and most of the scum will look elsewhere for their kicks.
Lastly People should teach their children respect and to know the difference between right and wrong not tlet them just sit on the computer for hours bored out of their minds surfing for porn till they think everything is porn
I think it’s a crying shame that cosplay is beginning to turn into a contest of ‘Whose The Hottest’ and not being about having fun dressing up as your favorite character no matter what you look like. Every day I cringe my teeth at seeing girls who are just trying to have fun dressing up as either Jill Valentine, Bayonetta, or any other character and are ridiculed because they either aren’t ‘good looking enough’ or ‘don’t have big enough boobs’. Really? Is that what it’s all about now?
To be blunt, I think that people need to start admiring all the hard work and effort people put into cosplaying instead of worrying how they look. It’s not about the looks, but rather everyone having a good time.
Whatever happened to the days when no one gave a damn what people looked like?
So agree!
I have had this issue. I am a thin girl with a naturally large chest and it works well with a lot of cosplay. I adore superheros and find it fun to dress up as them for events and conventions. Most of the people who see me at these are very nice and love the costumes. The problems come from people who don’t do or get cosplay. I had to get around this by creating an alias and making sure that I only give my name out to people I actually know well. We can’t expect everyone to understand what we do and act with maturity, but we need to make sure we protect ourselves and our families as best we can if we chose to participate in cosplay.
As a ‘member’ of the male sex of our species and a cosplay, dare I say, fetishist (as I wait for the pitchforks and torches), I have to say that this article brings both good and horribly biased points.
Firstly, congratulations to the women who actually contributed some meaningful quotes for stepping up and speaking their mind. Cosplay should be regarded as an artform and requires a lot of hard work to excell in, not in just drafting, sewing, etc, but also in improvisational acting.
Secondly, shame on the women who think that dressing in skimpy clothing IS NOT going to attract the lewd attention of the male sex, especially the younger variety. The female form gives most men a shot of those crazy hormones. It’s human nature and nothing to be ashamed about.
When I am caught ‘oogling’ a woman’s cleavage, I do not hide it. I look them in the eye, shrug and grin all the while thinking, “Maybe you should wear something a less revealing if you are so uncomfortable.” Sometimes I even voice my thoughts if engaged in discussion.
Thirdly, why can’t someone appreciate BOTH the figure of the cosplayer AND the craftsmanship of the costume? I happen to be a fantasy pin-up artist and have also crafted a few costumes myself (generally for someone else). I think that the assumption that I am studying a cosplayer for ‘Fap-material’ later in the eve is a little unfair.
Just in case you are thinking, “Didn’t you just claim to be a fetishist?”, I’d like to smile and nod. Yes, but does that mean I can’t control myself? Does that mean all I think about is ‘do-ing’ Tifa Lockheart in the dressing room?
Absolutely not. If you greatly appreciate anything, you’ll manage to put desire aside and be a professional, or just a well-mannered being.
And my last point, which goes out to the other male meatbags…
Quit acting like a fool. No one cares if you’ll be adding some DNA to your tube sock later. Not only are you making the rest of us look bad, you also kill your chances of ever succeeding in your desires. Show some damned respect to the ladies who put a lot of hard work into becoming that which we admire. Thank them, give kudos, buy roses and don’t be a creep… or else I’ll show you just how much you piss me off (if I am present). ^_^
Ja ne, gambatte and all that good sh*t.
What I find most interesting is actually my own feelings on the matter – the flip side of the coin of objectification. Namely, the pressure to cosplay things that will lead to your inevitable objectification. I cosplay the characters I love whose costumes I can feasibly construct with my level of skill. I have a fairly unique body type in that I am almost 6′ tall and have long muscular legs, but my torso is pair-shaped. I never get comments on my boobs or ass and when I get a comment like “Wow! Legs for days!” I still can’t help but feel that I am not getting any attention.
It’s much easier to get far in cosplay as a conventionally attractive woman, especially if you have a top heavy or curvy figure, but for those of us who don’t… our costuming ventures will always be at a disadvantage. Since looking sexy is equated with “good,” many of us feel we aren’t getting due compliments if the comments we get aren’t borderline sexual harassment. It’s as if objectification is part of the female cosplay experience and if you’re not being preyed upon, you’re not doing good enough.
This is, of course, a stupid way of thinking, but I still can’t help but feel somewhat jealous of the ladies who get all this negative attention. No matter how many low-cut bodysuits I don or how much I work out to define my waist, I will never have that kind of inherent appeal… And when my boyfriend, also a cosplayer, shows me pictures with ridiculous sexist comments of the cosplayers he added on Deviantart or Facebook, I feel threatened by their sexiness and the fact that he obviously looks at them.
Not being objectified makes me feel like less of a cosplayer and less of a woman. I try to tell myself that there are tons of ladies that wish they were in my place, but the occasional cat-call or sexist comment would probably boost my self esteem more than it would tear it down. I know I can’t be alone in this feeling and I think it just points out another flaw in the system: cosplayers shouldn’t have to show off to be relevant just like they shouldn’t have to fear showing their bodies for safety.
This is broader than cosplay; this article could well apply to the entire spectrum of geek social events.
“Geeking While Female” is not an open invitation for people to be rude or skeevy; there are ways of appreciating someone’s excellent costume and attractiveness in same without coming across like a stalker.
The problem is that Anime has always been closely linked to Henti (anime porn ; if you didn’t know). Many of the writers, producers, artists are male (geeks) and much of the contents are aimed at male (geeks).
“Expect those comments when you dress like that.”
Sorry no. It’s more like this: “Expect those comments when you wear something damn flattering and drooling fanboys can’t see past your shape.”
We know this already. Don’t tell us to take an umbrella when we already know it’s going to rain. All we want is for the rain to stop. Keep your sex/body-type comments to yourselves, and these lovely ladies would have a lot less problems. We KNOW what you’re thinking, that doesn’t bother us a bit. It’s when you say it that it becomes weird, awkward, uncomfortable, or annoying. I mean, you don’t have to lay off the “Wow, you’re gorgeous”, just don’t say something you wouldn’t tell us in person in front of our mothers like, “damn, I’d love to squeeze those titties.”
I’m not a cosplayer, but I like to see pll cosplay, especially if it’s good and if their cosplaying my favourite characters. While dressing up in sexy costumes will obviously give a girl a lot of attention, there is a line where a girl is given a compliment on her outfit and where the guy just gives a lewd comment. Much more common on the internet because people can hide. What irritates me about the lewd comments is that the guy is not really giving the girl a compliment but is trying to embarrass her to get a response. Even if a guy has a sexy outfit on, you hardly hear any lewd comments from women. Maybe a girl would say how she would like to sleep with the guy, but it would be to her friends and not in front of the guy’s face.
See, this is why I like the company of, let’s say… cosplayers who aren’t exactly a match for society’s beauty standards. Girls and guys (yes, guys!) both. You know them – they tend to gravitate towards the fandom du jour. Sure, there are some self-esteem issues here and there, but overall, the attitudes are more relaxed, and there’s so much less preoccupation with looks, and the focus is shifted towards just having a fun time.
I think that when you introduce Venuses and Adonises with amazing crafting talents into the mix, and not only that, parade them in contests and masquerades, it becomes more cutthroat. Like the Judgment of Paris… except where’s the damn golden apple?
tl;dr – I just like cosplayers who DGAF.
People in America are not obsessed with sex. People all over the damn world, are.
I’ve long ago accepted that someone, somewhere, is masturbating to my pictures. That won’t stop me from going to public events.
Cosplayers, whether you like it or not, someone, somewhere, is masturbating to your pictures. That shouldn’t stop you from pursuing your art.
Can I just point out:
All this bullshit about “women should dress more modestly if they don’t want to ‘get attention'” is victim blaming by essentially saying that women deserve the sexual harassment they receive. And yes, it IS sexual harassment. Instead of teaching people not to harass others, this call for “modesty” is basically the same as saying that these women were “asking for it.”
Learn about victim blaming. Learn about rape culture.
Seriously, people. Grow the fuck up and be responsible for your words and actions.
As a guy, I love looking at scantily clad women. I especially love you cosplayers because growing up, I was that shy geek who collected comic books when it wasn’t cool. Personally I appreciate all the time you girls spend making your costumes. Some of which are insanely elaborate and detailed it’s mind blowing. Sadly too many guys have no respect or manners and post lewd comments – which you are free to delete. Personally I feel weird and uncomfortable saying such things in a public forum, but that’s b/c I have manners. The most lewd thing I can think of that I’ve ever said was something like “You are ridiculously beautiful.”
With all that said, don’t let the douchebags ruin your fun.
It happened to me the other day. I posted up the picture of me in my Seras Victoria costume where I am showing only a little bit of cleavage on my deviantART and like a second later a guy was basically saying my breasts were not as big as Seras’, but before I could even reply to this guy to tell him a) you couldn’t even see all of my boobs and b) I am an E cup (but I don’t look that large), some other guy posted he was “drowning in my cleavage”, among other things. When I told the other guy about it my cup size, I immediately regretted it because his response was, “Damn!”, but with more exclamation marks. I was just annoyed that he’d place so much importance on the size of my breasts in regards to my cosplay; no one is ever actually going to look like an anime character! I ended up just hiding all the comments and making a request on the picture to please be civil when commenting on my photo. I enjoy getting compliments, most people do (though I am a bit awkward about it when I do not know the person); but I’m not okay with people making sexualised comments about me – Especially strangers. In fact my first con dressed as Seras I was on my own and within the first 30 minutes, some guy started a rather lengthy conversation with me, basically staring at my chest the entire time. It probably doesn’t help I cosplay Seras or Lulu (from FFX) who are considered sexy characters, but people need to remember you are a real person. If I ever get groped though, I will be punching someone in the face. I can delete comments I find offensive or derogatory, but if someone gets physically it’s a little harder…
When i see a cosplayer i don’t see a sex object i see a person/ the character and will frequently try to have in cosplay conversations with that character/s. I enjoy hanging out with oran cosplayers. Sadly i knew it seems to be comon place but not towards my friends when i am around. i may not acutaly punch them in the face but i’ll tell them to pull their head in and keep it apropriate.
Lewd comments on an attractive cosplayer’s Facebook profile is just one more proof of John Gaebriel’s Greater Internet F***wad Theory. In short: normal person + anonymity + audience = total f***wad. For myself, well, I tend to just leave the female cosplayers alone; I tend to figure the last thing they’ll miss is one more overweight male geek in the crowd.
Sex sells. Therefore video games and movies and comics will all capitalize on that fact with the depiction of their characters. So when you take on that character via cosplay and have yourself dressed in a visually appealing way, people are going to see right to the main point. Sex.
If you don’t want to be objectified don’t put yourself in that position.
I’ve seen this article making the rounds and it’s weighted on my mind. A bit. It’s naïve to conclude that the oversexualization of cosplayers will eventually lead to the medium’s demise, like it’s pointed out in the article itself, most of the designs for female characters in games and anime catered to the tastes of young adolescent boys. If anything, seeing these designs realized is what has increased the popularity of cosplay, and it will only continue to do so. It looks like sex will be an effective catalyst for interest for a LOOOONG time.
I fall mostly within the scope of exhibitionist cosplayers, yes I do find the processing of making the costume enjoyable, but I am also well aware of the kind of photos I take and the emotions they inspire in some people. Do I find it dehumanizing when someone praises my purposely framed assets? No, because I’m impersonating the image of a character that is not real, despite how “deep” the character may seem, despite the issues they might have or how much I might identify or feel a connection to them, they’re fiction, and my purpose is only to present a fan’s reflection of that image.
To people that cross the line, I directly tell them to refrain from acting in that manner in the future and that is effective enough. Recommendations of ignoring or expecting such comments might give a sense of acceptance toward such feedback; these days most sites give you the tools to regulate such comments, or block users that start harassing. If you don’t tell people what you find acceptable or not, they’re not going to learn since they didn’t have the decency to be aware of it in the first place.
People that don’t actively participate in the hobby might not be able to grasp the amount of work that is involved in pulling off some outfits, and as such, can’t really appreciate it; you can’t get mad over that. You can’t tell people to stop liking your hobby or participating in it because they don’t fit your idea of what it’s supposed to be about (“out with all the newbs that buy their costumes!”), it’s like getting mad that obscure band you liked got popular.
Each person will like cosplay for their own reasons, and each person will appreciate it differently. It’s within your very own power to choose the kind of people you associate with or that you want to appeal to when you create your cosplay image.
I remember writing an article for a cosplay community here in my country, when cosplayers were complaining how people outside the community tend to objectify them or disrespect their choice of cosplay. I support educating the masses about the nature of our hobby, but I also believe that responsible cosplayers always know what they are getting into. Feel free to read: http://eva-guy01.deviantart.com/journal/Choice-of-Cosplay-Were-you-asking-for-it-235228842
In reading the comments above made by the women cosplayers who’ve had insulting comments thrown at them, I’m curious why the laughing and giggling is associated with their quotes and commentaries. It almost seems as if these young ladies take their experiences as jokes or far too lightly. I often wonder if it’s because of this behavior there are mixed signals being sent out to the individuals making these improper comments. Facebook has a remove friend function, Why even keep these individuals on your list if they insult you in such a manner? Why allow the jokes to continue on your photographs? Either adapt to no tolerance policy and invoke restrictions and restraints on these individuals. Send a direct and assertive message and not something light-mannered and quip. Protect yourself and protect others from this type of harassment. That’s my two cents.
I totally get that people don’t want to be ogled when they’re in costume, and I totally get that it’s in poor taste for people to comment on the physical attributes of someone in costume, but, really, you know people are going to comment.. if you don’t want to hear it, then don’t go out there in public wearing stuff that shows off your boobs, legs, whatever. Find a more modest costume that still shows off your costuming skills and that you can celebrate your fandom with.
One thing I’d like to point out…is these women are dressing in scantily clad costumes…inside a convention which is filled with nerds….guys who have a hard time hooking up with women to begin with. If a woman is going to walk into a crowd filled with children, and desperate nerdy people, wearing something with their asses and boobs hanging out…they have no right to get upset about people staring at them or taking pictures of them with whatever body part they are letting hang out. Some costumes are completely innapropriate for that type of situation, and if they choose to wear it, they are asking for that kind of attention. Besides, a lot of the time, the hot chick in questions isn’t even really a nerd and doesn’t even know what kind of costume they are wearing. They are just booth babes wearing what they are told to. So, I don’t see costuming dying over this. I see stuck up women, who want to have respect, without giving respect to themselves.
Victim blaming? How about taking personal responsiblity for your actions? No one is forcing them to dress up as the character that’s half naked. When you do, you make yourself vulnerable to the perverts of the world. It would be lovely if there weren’t any, but the reality is there will always be perverts. Esp. internet perverts who are able to hide being there computers. Sites and forums should take responsiblity also and delete these people from commenting. And if it’s your FB, do the same.
I love that last sentence!
Sometimes I have to wonder, do people not realize that some women who cosplay get unwanted male attention, regardless of the type of cosplay they wear?
Hell, I’ve met Yaya Han, in person, at a con, when she was wearing a turtleneck and completely covered up. Men were still approaching her to talk and you could tell some were staring at her chest.
I barely have “teh bewbies” and I cosplay for the hell of it. I do get unwanted attention from men about my butt (that is completely covered in 100% of my cosplays, usually in a form of pants). Telling a cosplayer that she deserves that attention, and assuming when she gets it her ass and boobs are always hanging out, is victim blaming and perpetulating rape culture.
I’ll never be a hot attractive woman with a perfect body. Try as I might to get in shape or eat right for my own personal reasons, I will never be a hot babe in a costume. …Nor do I want to be, or ever wanted to be. That said, I’m pretty confident about myself and my ability to make and put on a costume. I have numerous awards under my belt to prove it. I’m happy with my life outside of my hobby. I don’t need approval of strangers to feel worthy of existing. But for some reason, everyone who comments on a cosplayer, be it good or bad, feels entitled to determining that.
You don’t even NEED to be dressed half-naked to get that kind of attention. You could be fully covered, and people will still objectify you (your worth being based on how sexy you are). I’ve had it happen to me on numerous occasions.
I’ve been a part of this hobby and community for 10 years, and even though I’m 30 now, I have no intention of stopping. But in recent years, it’s become all about being physically attractive fap-fodder instead of just being a dork and having fun with your friends, geeking it out… That’s how it was 10 years ago when I started. And for the most part, the atmosphere at conventions hasn’t changed a bit. But how we’re regarded online after the convention is exactly the opposite. Those who aren’t copy/paste “booth babe” material get torn apart online for everything from their weight, their nose, not having the right face to “pull it off” when they never even intended to look identical to the character from the get-go. They just wanted to have fun and show their appreciation for a series, character, or costume design they love.
Honestly its a lose-lose situation. There’s no one to really blame or willing to accept the blame. There’s the industry for creating the characters. There’s the audience for demanding the type of material. There’s the costumers for dressing up. It’s never going to change. Like I said in the article, it’s all a vicious cycle. It’s our nature, we are hard wired this way. No one deserves to be mistreated, but there’s no way to control it without violating our civil rights. The only control we have is what we personally do, say and act.
Several of Yaya’s best cosplays hardly show any skin at all. The crafts-person-ship is phenomenal. But I think it’s also entirely fair to say that I could post an equally positive comment on her plastic surgeon’s page about the quality of work on her implants, which are also phenomenal.
Ignoring sexual appeal is pointless. Telling comic and anime creators to not objectify their drawn characters is pointless. This is how it is, and people like to look hot and feel good about themselves. Sex appeal is also empowering, everyone knows it.
As a mature adult brought up with manners, I realise many young men don’t understand that complimenting *what someone has* is entirely different than complementing *who someone is*. “Awesome car, man. Fantastic tits, girl. I don’t know you so I’ll just talk about what I can see that I like.”
As mentioned by another commenter, a lot of cosplay fans are shy and socially immature, the internet gives them freedom to say what they wouldn’t in person, and that’s a problem with the whole internet, not just sexual topics. Posts like this are the “Miss Manners” guide to etiquette, everyone needs to learn it at some point, because clearly, a large number of boys never have.
I am new to cosplay Myself but for years of enjoying the sheer art and knowing what goes into perfecting the look. I am sad to have seen how a few aholes could ruin some one having fun especially after they spent upwards of 200 hours making something they enjoy to have alittle fun, to only been met by unwelcomed attention. It brings hope to Me though after reading this that long as some one speaks there mind there is always hope for it not to die.
Nothing personal agaunst Yaya, I’m sure she’s nice and all, but if she’s upset over her chest getting more attention than her costumes, than maybe she should go back and reduce the size of those implants that she got.
But let’s all be real here, she didn’t really get those oversized boobs for her health, she got it for added attention, when no extra attention was needed in the first place! So if it upsets her now, I cannot feel sorry for her because of it.
Now if you want to talk about a girl naturally endowed with a large chest, ok, then I can see why the girl might be upset.
But come on, this is like a porn star complaining that all of the viewers are more interested in the way she shaved her beav to look like a Mario mushroom instead of the script she wrote for the movie they’re watching! ha-ha
Yaya Han is a disrespectful woman. She picks skimpy or sexy costumes on purpose. She is an attention whore. I feel like a good portion of this article was written to make her seem like a victim. While I’m not personally familiar with the others mentioned… I’m familiar with Yaya and her attitude towards the people not fawning over her did a good deal to tarnish my memories of an otherwise decent time at Ikkicon 2012.
This isn’t one sided. There are members of the cosplay community who are selling the sexy side in order to promote their own business. For the people like Jessica Nigri and Yaya Han, they are models making a living off of cosplay, not just doing it for hobby or escapism. Yaya sells cosplay as a business and Jessica sells her image as a model. They are the one exploiting themselves. In regards to the end of cosplay, I do not think such a thing will happen. Just like any art form that gets popular, it will diversify and expand to multiple subgenres. The slutty minimalistic eyecandy cosplay like you see Nigri utilizing will surely grow, as will the side where you see elegant costuming work filled out by women who have increased their proportions surgically, like Yaya or Riddle. And there will always be the core group that don’t do it as attention whores but as genuine fandom.
Just like gaming, it hasn’t died out, it has branched out to reach new audiences and evolved into a more robust system. That being said, the people who leave disgusting comments still need to be more respectful. Though they have every right to say whatever they want, that doesn’t mean that what they have to say is warranted. When addressing the cosplayer directly on their facebook, being inappropriate should merit an automatic dismissal from a friends list or fan list. And it is the job of the cosplayer to remove them. If they keep them around just to keep a number up, then they are perpetuating a problem, one they have a very real way to combat, but aren’t.
Has the mainstream media fetishized cosplay? No. The cosplay culture has confused a mass of media – comics, manga, and anime – with something not already pre-fetishized. No amount of work, however skilled, can ultimately change the nature and perception of the underlying work it is inspired by.
I’ve crossplayed since 1996 and its never fails I get at least 3-5 girls wanting to touch my fake bouncy pair, never guys, lol.
Kayla, you have written an excellent post. I could not have said it better myself. These ‘elite’ cosplayers are all attention getters. Their hope is to get noticed on websites, Flickr, Tumblr, and other places for popularity even it if means to wear skimpy outfits. Sometimes I think they feel that it will lead to advancement in jobs that they want in the entertainment field, modeling, or fashion design. It’s less about the love of character they are portraying but more for the exposure.
I’m female, and I do not have a “right to be portrayed as object” by anyone. Nor do I have a right to be treated like an object. Nor do I seek to be respected as an object, for the size of my boobs or any other quantifiable property. However, I do have the freedom from being treated like an object based on someone’s view of my clothes or physical attributes. Even if I am a different person when I’m wearing a different costume, I am still a person – and I have a right to be treated as such.
What are you arguing here? what’s your point? That the anonymity of the Web makes people jerks? Surprise, ’twas ever thus and always will be as long as sites like this very one allow me to make up any name I want for the Required Name field and don’t validate or post my email address (both of which are accurate in my case).
Is it that objectification occurs? As Cheryl Wild said, people like sex. As long as that is the case, people will view people they are attracted to at least in some part as sex objects. If those viewed people willing place themselves in costumes that were created specifically to enhance the fictional character’s sexuality (Yoko, Baby doll, ad infinitum), that objectification will occur even more often. Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time (yes, I’m that old that I remember that show).
But the worst part of this blog is the hyper-dramatization of the future of cosplay. First, the view that growth of the overall nerd culture is in some way going to diminish the cosplay subsector of that culture is ludicrous and elitist. And make no mistake – cosplay is a subsector of nerd culture. I defy you to find a dedicated amateur cosplayer who is not also a gamer, a comic book fan, a science fiction or fantasy reader, or all of the above.
The growth of nerd culture has, if anything, made cosplaying safer, because the size of the community has exploded, and the level of personal support within the community has soared. No one needs to feel like they are a lone weirdo anymore. Sure, social media allows more people to get a look into this culture, and that brings in the aforementioned Jerks On The Internet. But that is the same with every aspect of your life. You can thank Mark Zuckerberg. Or better yet, thank yourself for being so willing to suspend your privacy for the convenience of connecting with your friends 24/7. Not that I blame you – I do it too. I just accepted long before Facebook that the Internet meant the end of privacy.
If someone wants to call me old, or fat, I can’t argue with that. If they do so in a rude manner I can be upset about it, or ignore it. Similarly, Yaya Han has big boobs. She employs them to her monetary advantage. Pointing out that fact pleasantly and with respect is fine, even though it is still in a real sense objectification. Being rude about her boobs is not fine.
Ultimately, it boils down to one crime – being rude to others. Don’t so it in real life, don’t do it in your virtual life. Simple. And you know what – cosplay may actually move that needle further toward the right side by forcing discussion about what is appropriate interaction on the Internet. That’s a plus for its future, not a minus.
Stop right there Mr. Mike Abundo for crying out loud! You’re such a delusional freak. No one masturbated on your pictures because first of all, you are masturbating to your pictures because no one fantasizes you and envisioned yourself as a sex God and the people in the cosplay community are really irritated, even itching to punch you in front of your ugly face because you are a PERVERT yourself. You have been notorious in the cosplay community for the past 12 years so stop proclaiming that you are a stud or a gorgeous beefcake in the cosplay community.
Yaya is the perfect example of how cosplay & internet fame can really change people in a negative way. She went from a sweet down to earth cosplayer into a cold snobbish piece of plastic. She will do anything to gain more notoriety to gain more and more fame & attention. Proof? She is even willing to get a real job to do so. When the economy started to take a hit, and conventions couldn’t spend as much, she went and got a job at an airline so that she could continue to travel the world at a smaller cost for the con. Sure, we would all like to do such a thing, but we can’t. I guess that makes me a hater, but I am not the one getting plastic surgery to keep up with the aging process. In 10-20 years she will be the Joan Rivers of cosplay!
Looking at her twitter, all you see is about how she’s in this part of the world, or that. Oh I’m so tired, tired from walking the streets of this foreign country. Good thing I have this IPAD! Look, see my ipad? I even use it while I am at hime driving my porche. Blah, blah blah blah blah. Now let’s make myself a fake facebook page for my boobs, we’ll even use april fools as an excuse for the ego boost. Of course the added attention won’t hurt. Oh by the way, here is my card.
They say Paris Hitlon is a fake brat, but at least she hasn’t gone the way of breat implants. I guess when you have too much money and real fame you do not have to go about it the hard way.
I’m assuming this may be a response to my post, and if not, it does hold relevance.
You’re completely right on all points. It shouldn’t be this way, but unfortunately the majority of the human population tends to talk/type first and think later.
Unfortunately, I do not think this will ever change.
I was just stating the attention is inevitable and to think that will change is f*cking hilarious.
Otakitty wins… Fatality.
It certainly goes both ways! I get lewd comments all the time when I’m in costume.
http://www.thepirateempire.com
From my experience people dress up to be seen and show off. I’m guilty of that myself! And alot of wmen do that intentionally. To garner the attention. If not then why wear a bikini to the beach?!
“If ya got it, flaunt it!”
Really? Cosplay is all about looks, so yeah people are gonna stare. Especially Otakus who are all pervs by definition. Yaya Han got implants for a reason, and it’s to play that “sex sells” game, It’s her business after all. So not sure how she could really complain about it.
That said, being attracted to women and being rude are too different things, I completely understand that too. Lack of manners and tact are the real issue here.
Problem is this exact way of thinking. BOTH sides are at fault. If you don’t want the comments, don’t let it all hang out. On the same coin, people should have respect yes, but this is the internet full of immature people. It’s to be expected, whether it is right or not. There are plenty of cosplayers that will wear say…a schoolgirl outfit. Perfectly done, oh look, my shirt is halfway unbuttoned, and my boobs/bra are popping out. Sexual picutre = sexual comments. Common sense. Really have no footing to only blame the viewers when the pic was part of the problem also.
It’s not just men at fault. Women will never change either. Tons of them blame “society” and other factors as to why they get skimpy. Problem starts in the mirror on this whole subject. If women stopped “selling out” and giving “society” what they wanted and stuck to the modeling is artistic stance, things would start to get better over time. Problem is, modeling/cosplaying is like a drug and gonna have women selling out to be that “next hot cosplay babe” or some meaningless title.
“1) Women are being used by the media to be objectified and sexualized to influence you to buy a product, watch a program or in this case, view certain websites. ” Last time I checked, they weren’t held at gunpoint to sign the paper to allow them to be exploited. Personal choice, again with the blaming other things than their poor choices.
Mhahahah this was some good story telling. I actually like the writing, but making someone like yaya han out to be the poor bullied cosplayer … no sir, I can’t get behind that idea. Way back when she started cosplaying she had a nice natural A cup. Now I can understand wanting a little bump but she took it to the extreme and jumped straight from an A ALLLL the way to a D-DD cup and then she wants to complain about it? Come on; this is the same chick that cosplayed Anck-Su-Namun (the mummy) and went to Dragon*con in nothing but body paint and a sheer piece of cloth. She whats men to stare at her, and there is nothing wrong with that, but just own up to it and don’t play innocent.
Let’s be real, when you deiced to get boobs that are way too huge for your body type I think you need to be prepared for the backlash, both good and bad. Grow a thinker skin and just keep on moving or stop doing cosplays that are 1cm shy of showing nipple. duh! I respect the fact that she is a very good seamstress but it’s usually overshadowed by the way she choices to flaunt herself around.
With that being said, I actually see cosplay as catching on more. As long as lesser known, but more genuine cosplayers, like Han Pan, Coconut Jacobs, Iggy, Naiiki, Brittany Dawn, and hell even the “Ice cold water” guy keep going to cons and cosplaying. It’s not going to die anytime soon.
That’s my $0.02
Cosplayers and the whole cosplaying has become so mainstream and even a bit overrated. I’m a female and enjoy the background of characters portrayed in comics, etc… dressing up in costumes and acting out for fun is merely fun. But lately all I see nowadays are women dressing up in provocative costumes. Mainly taken from the anime/japanese comic art. It’s a double edge sword from what it looks like. The cosplayers personally choose to dress themselves in very sexy sometimes overly revealing outfits and then expect not to be commented in a sexual manner? It’s very much expected -sadly. I think what happens is, in a time where online has become the secondary home to the majority, comments (good or bad) are expressed. The thing about that them is to either ignore them and move on, or limit who views the images of these women. Unfortunately when something is posted online and made public — comments that can become harmful are also public. Either don’t dress up in a manner that clearly shows “sex appeal” and post online and expect all comments will be positive. Hate to say it, but there are a lot of jerks that feel the need to express the obvious “female body parts” -but who cares, women are made that way. Would a man object to women pointing out “nice butt” ?!
What I find intriguing is that some people actually try to negate the validity of this article. For example one poster brings up a singular incident with Yaya Han, as if that justifies treating all cosplayers with disrespect. The issue you bring up is right on point, and is really just the tip of the iceberg. Women on the web in general have to put up with this kind of stuff all the time regardless to if they are cosplaying, or not. Just go online and look at the comments under the site of any girls that game, or are into Sf, fantasy, movies, what have you. It’s like the web brings out all the worst aspects of some individuals, or scarier yet, it’s allowing these people to be who they really are, which also goes a long way to explaining why our society is in the state that its in.
What does the intent of the cosplayer, be they a professional model or just in it for the fun have to do with lewd remarks? A lot of these comments make it seem that only certain people are exhibitions and capitalists, and everybody else is legit. This doesn’t even respond to the fact that women in it for fun are getting pawed and approached in inappropriate ways as well. Even back in my day Vampirella and Red Sonja were two of the most recognizable costumes you’d see at a con, and women who had the physique to wear those costumes often did. They weren’t professional models or selling anything. Heck there wasn’t even a web back then. It seems like jealously and personal issues are preventing a lot of people for looking at the real issue. That is unless some of the people trying to defend bad behavior are guilty of it as well.
The ULTIMATE white knight. Cover the cans if you can't handle horny teens oogling or commenting.
If you have gigantic fake tits when you're under 5'4'' of course people are going to talk about them: whether you're in cosplay or not there's always going to be skeezeballs, but don't act like a victim.. especially when even the characters you are cosplaying are sexual in nature.
And you are seemingly the problem. No one has the right to harrass and degrade another human being based on what they wear. Cosplay is not consent and if accurately portraying a character based on the artist's original design is in that instance sexual, it still doesn't merit the horrible treatment cosplayers receive. People need to get themselves in check and show some restraint and humanity.
The only form of consent is a "yes". I never said anything about harassing others, putting words into another's mouth is not attractive. All I am implying is that people seem to act like victims when they're scantily clad. Everyone should have the right to wear what they want when they want without being bothered or bullied. However given our society's views on certain garments you have to expect certain comments and behavior and know how to deal with it – especially people who are not directly involved or knowledgable of our subculture.
If you don't want the attention, then don't cosplay as hot characters like Yoko, Chun-li, Supergirl ect. Simple as that.
Well while this is a article about female cosplay and sex, many of us male cosplayers have our problems too. Women who like to grab our asses while were not looking or that make comments on how tight our pants are not realizing were are not there to be leered at or like we are looking to hook up with random people because we are in costume. We are there because we love our hobbies and we love the character we dress as.
I am still wondering when it became alright to comment on the chest of women you don't know in a fashion that displays the comment for all to see and usually makes the comment permanently available?
people should not be degraded or categorize them for a single feature wither it is appearance or sex.
but the attuide of we have to change people views is part of what's wrong with America today.
if everyone just worried about their own sh** then we would be in better shape the ones that want to change things usual are the ones that need to change.
example more people die from drugs than firearms, but the media and the government is wasting 100'000's of dollar wanting to take away a constitution right when a mental ill history person gets access to weapon that already is illegal.
the first law did not work so lets add more more laws that wont work except those that are trying to obey them.
the result will be cant own a legal gun so law bidding cits will become non law abbidding.
Agreed- there is a larger cultural problem here, and it is not restricted to a single gender. I think it simply appears that way because the majority of cosplayers are female, and as a consequence most of the inappropriate attention tends to come from males. It's an unfortunate and unfair perception, and it tends to obfuscate the real issue at hand, that of how costumes seem to validate breaks from societal norms.
I've also had women at conventions attempt to touch me in shockingly inappropriate ways, and react with genuine surprise when I was upset with their behavior (no, having armor on does not make it okay for you to touch my chest!) It's definitely not a problem that only guys have.
Nothing wrong in cosplaying a semi-nude character if that is what you want. Of course, that does not apply when ALL of your cosplays are all semi-nude characters, in which case you fall into the category of costume-skank. Examples of such individuals include; Yaya-fake-tits-Han and Jessica-Mcslut-Nigri.
Are you using Kapersky?
Are you using Kapersky?
Are you using Kapersky?
Says the girl who got a ridiculous boob job just to amplify her earnings as a cosplayer, I'm sorry, yes its degrading and wrong but Yaya loves it..