Live Magazine June Edition - Spider-Man!

eader CONTRIBUTION
when
cosplay is too sexual?
by Bec from Costume Collection [costumecollection.com.au]
This month we received an article from
Bec from Costume Collection - (you
can see more here:
www.costumecollection.com.au)
It asks the question of what to do when
Cosplay is too sexual. Here’s what she
had to say...
“Cosplay is an abbreviation of ‘costume
play’. It is a hobby whereby people
dress up as fictional characters,
especially those from manga, animation
or computer games,” says Melinda
Tankard Reist, writer and advocate for
women and girls. Dressing up, whether
it’s for a party or just to look nice when
you go out, is a fundamentally human
thing to do and I daresay countless anthropologists
have devoted their PhDs
to uncovering the deep spiritual need
that binds all the earth’s people. While
Melinda does explain what cosplay is, it
is only the tip of the iceberg. At its core,
cosplay is a combination of social fun
and self-expression, literally wearing
your fandoms for all the community to
see. For some it is a form of escape
and liberation, wearing something you
would dare not wear in your daily life.
But at a convention you can be the
character you have always wanted to
be.
Another thing that is as old as Gandalf
is sexism, and the cosplay community
is not immune. The community’s
reliance on social media and that lifegiving
nectar that is the internet only
amplifies the issues to a global scale
giving cosplayers no safe haven from
unwanted attention. Melinda Tankard
Reist says “there is nothing inherently
wrong with dressing up as one’s favourite
character. But because of the
sexualised way that women are depicted
in many of the manga, anime and
games that cosplayers emulate, it can
have negative impacts on women.”
Just because you’re wearing an attention-grabbing
outfit doesn’t mean you
want it (and, inherently, yourself) sexualised.
At best it is uncomfortable, and
at worst it can make for a very dangerous
situation.
Cosplayers, no matter their gender,
should be able to enjoy a convention
without worrying about lecherous congoers.
Australian Cosplayer and judge
of Jakarta’s 2016 Toys & Comics Fair,
Kiara Kirameki, is no stranger to receiving
sexual harassment. Most harassment
is from people calling out of
their cars or passing by on the street,
people who don’t know or understand
what cosplay is. Let’s not forget that
the internet, as amazing as it is, allows
people to harass cosplayers from
the safety of their computer chairs at
home. However, while at the convention,
the security staff are there to protect
all attendees and ensure that no
one, no matter how they are dressed,
are harassed in any way.
“It doesn’t fly in conventions, the Con’s
will actually protect you which is good.
So, if you have a problem with someone
you can go up to security and they
will help you.”
Popular conventions in Australia such
as SupaNova, OzComicCon have very
strict anti-harassment policies where
stepping even a toe out of line can
lead to people being kicked out of the
event. Dracula’s Operations Manager,
Luke Newman, says that they have a
zero tolerance policy towards sexual
harassment, “sometimes, customers
can get a little too ‘into the atmosphere’,
and say or act inappropriately
towards staff members. It’s rare, but
when it does happen, our staff are
trained to drop character and address
the issue. We want to foster an environment
where our customers and
staff feel safe to enjoy themselves.”
- Jessica Nigri, Kida, Atlantis
Sexiness as costuming isn’t an unspoken
aspect of the community and
it certainly has been tapped into, for
better or for worse. Popular cosplayer,
Jessica Nigri, is well known for her sexy
adaptations of popular characters,
most notably her sexy pikachu and has
received mixed comments. While some
people see her creative approach to
characters and making them sexy as
the opening of new doors, some people
see it as attention-seeking and demeaning.