How Cosplay Can Help You Be Brave

[Liana Kerzner]

How Cosplay Can Help You Be Brave

When I met Jessica Nigri, she made the comment that cosplay makes her a better person. I was just reminded of how this works this past weekend. Here's the story.

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[LysanderNemoinis]

Amen. While I don't always comment on your articles, I always find them not only one of the most intelligent things on this site, but also a sort of pick-me-up, because you have a really great attitude and your confidence is very inspiring. You've inspired me to start cosplaying as well at the next con I go to, though thankfully the characters I'm most interested in cosplaying don't wear anything very revealing. I also don't have half the moxie you do.

 

[ArtemisPrime]

As a teacher, I expect my students to be brave all the time. I was reminded of how hard that can be. Today I "cosplayed" an ancient Greek bard, conveying the story of how Orion came to be a constellation. I dressed in the role, complete with walking staff, and felt a nervousness that I hadn't felt in a long time. Reading your article today about being brave was fortuitous and reminded me that being brave comes in many forms. Thanks for that.

 

[CharrHearted]

Cosplaying can sure build confidence so long as you're almost picture perfect to what the cosplay world perceives each cosplayer be. Hearing the disgusting comments of people talking behind a more rounded cosplayers back and silently insulting and mocking them makes me sad. Being a more pudgy human being myself, due to shame, of many individuals publically insulting me for being an ugly piece of roadkill, I decided never to cosplay again, which makes sense, i mean why should I ruin everyones time by cosplaying something i enjoy? Clearly only those with near perfect bodies can cosplay, thats what the years of constant emotional beatings ive received have taught me.

So yeah, perfect body = confidence
Not so perfect body = ridicule either publically or behind your back, always one or the other.

 

[Strazdas]

Cosplaying can sure build confidence so long as you're almost picture perfect to what the cosplay world perceives each cosplayer be. Hearing the disgusting comments of people talking behind a more rounded cosplayers back and silently insulting and mocking them makes me sad. Being a more pudgy human being myself, due to shame, of many individuals publically insulting me for being an ugly piece of roadkill, I decided never to cosplay again, which makes sense, i mean why should I ruin everyones time by cosplaying something i enjoy? Clearly only those with near perfect bodies can cosplay, thats what the years of constant emotional beatings ive received have taught me.

So yeah, perfect body = confidence
Not so perfect body = ridicule either publicly or behind your back, always one or the other.

If you dont mind me asking, what were you cosplaying as? because from what i learned from my (admittedly limited) experience with cosplay is that people like cosplay the best when the cosplayer look similar to the character they are cosplaying. Now, naturally, since in many video games characters have to endure excess physical tasks, they tend to be quite fit and healthy, so that is indeed the standard expectation for the look. I do not condone those that ridiculed you, but this [http://comicbookschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Fat-Batman-Girl-pose-nowords.jpg] is not my idea of batman look.

 

[CharrHearted]

If you dont mind me asking, what were you cosplaying as?

Thats the funny thing.

I was cosplaying Twig from the Fallout fanseries Nuka Break... Whos actually NOT supemodel skinny, a pudgy like character, which i was like "yeah, i can do that!" bUt nope, apparently, doesnt matter the cosplay, you have to be skinny as hell or you dont belong! whiCh is messed up.

 

[Strazdas]

If you dont mind me asking, what were you cosplaying as?

Thats the funny thing.

I was cosplaying Twig from the Fallout fanseries Nuka Break... Whos actually NOT supemodel skinny, a pudgy like character, which i was like "yeah, i can do that!" bUt nope, apparently, doesnt matter the cosplay, you have to be skinny as hell or you dont belong! whiCh is messed up.

no idea who that is but google seems to bring me to this horribly color corrected photo [https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3797/9665713096_471025f25f_b.jpg]. Id say hes pretty average build, not pudgy. Now i dont know how you look so i wont speculate there, but if you look similar to that guy then yes those comments were quite messed up.

 

[RaikuFA]

Cosplaying can sure build confidence so long as you're almost picture perfect to what the cosplay world perceives each cosplayer be. Hearing the disgusting comments of people talking behind a more rounded cosplayers back and silently insulting and mocking them makes me sad. Being a more pudgy human being myself, due to shame, of many individuals publically insulting me for being an ugly piece of roadkill, I decided never to cosplay again, which makes sense, i mean why should I ruin everyones time by cosplaying something i enjoy? Clearly only those with near perfect bodies can cosplay, thats what the years of constant emotional beatings ive received have taught me.

So yeah, perfect body = confidence
Not so perfect body = ridicule either publically or behind your back, always one or the other.

Same here. People these days are too judgemental. Kinda sickens me.

 

[Loonyyy]

Nah.

People are dicks. If you look right, you can get away with it.

If you don't, you won't.

It doesn't matter if it's a con, or cosplay, or your streetclothes or even fucking running.

It's nice that people were nice to you. Unfortunately, they're not nice to everyone. A lot of people cop shit for how they look all the time, and dressing up in any way, anything that might call attention, makes it worse. It doesn't help you be brave. It just exposes you to people who will make you regret what bravery you had and chip away at whatever self esteem you have.

And honestly, the Title image on this article just proves the point. It's ironic that you mention "safe spaces", because it reminded me of the recent South Park episode and Reality's comments to Vin Diesel.