Good Essay/Presentation on Cosplay

[auronlu]

I strongly recommend reading: “Oh, You Sexy Geek!”: “Geek Girls” and the Problem of Self-Objectification by Courtney Stoker (found via metanews)

I'm particularly taken with Olivia Waite's interpretation of Leia's "I will strangle you for making me wear this" slave costume.

Rambling thoughts in response to the essay... or just my own vague thoughts about cosplay.

I've always had ambivalence about cosplay: I rejected Barbie as a child, because I recognized the poisonous apple, and when I encountered cosplay, I thought (a) "Ugh, dress-up ... I hate clothes" and (b) "self-Barbiezation, double ugh."

I gradually overcame that because I learned that good cosplay is an art that takes great craftsmanship, it's fun, and it's creative. Also, I have a totemic relationship with fictional characters: I enjoy and feel satisfied when I see excellent representations of them, in the way that traditional cultures like seeing their gods or cultural symbols represented. There's something viscerally appealing about "Oh my gosh, there's Lulu FOR REELZ!" that still hits me when I come across a good cosplay photo, even though I've seen a gazillion good Lulu cosplays.

Which is fine: in that case, I'm just appreciating cosplay as a craft and as an activity. However, because I'm bi, there's also a part of me that responds to fanservice -- usually designed by and for guys, but it often intersects with my own tastes. (My self-chagrin being represented by userpic above.) In my case it's non-heteronormative, but still, I like looking at Teh Sexy. So I'm buying into and perpetuating fanservice by favoring female cosplayers with The Sexy bodytype, except that I have a slightly broader definition of that bodytype than some

Also, if a character is too visibly objectified and stripped of strength/intelligence/personality, I recognize the poisonous apple and recoil from what is my personal Uncanny Valley: a recognizable female character sapped of her soul for titillation purposes. Hentai does this in spades. Sometimes cosplay does it, mostly by body language and gestures that telegraph meanings which don't seem to me to fit the characters at all.

So anyway. Good essay, and that's my rambling response.

Comments

[cumuluscastle]

Hmm interesting. I've never really fully thought it through, I guess, but what you are saying makes sense to me.

[littletown]

"It is thus women’s responsibility to prevent their own objectification"

Aaah, classic male privilege. Like the article said, the issue of self-objectification applies to almost every other aspects of life, and not just the geek subculture. But IMO sexism is so rampant in geek culture because the general public sees geeks as socially inept. So instead of holding the men accountable to what they say and they do, people just go "LOL these geeks, they don't know how to behave" which basically excuses them. Of course, that shouldn't be the case, and they *should* be made accountable.

The argument that women are just owning their sexuality is a tricky one. On one hand, women should be able to feel sexy and take control of their sexuality, however they see fit. On the other hand, pandering to men isn't really taking control of themselves, especially if they don't really find the attention enjoyable at all. I think owning your sexuality is more about focusing on your own self-esteem without the approval of others.

[crankyoldman]

See, it's never been my experience that the "sexy" costumed cosplayers got the most creepers. I had way more creepers as Terra (who was very modest in the way I did her outfit, mainly because I wasn't comfortable with my body at the time).

When I dressed up as Kuja for Otakon this year, I had no male creepers and quite a few enthusiastic (but never inappropriately so) fangirls. Keep in mind I wore the jacket without ANYTHING on under it (I'm small chested) and was walking around in essentially underwear with a butt-cape on the bottom.

Oddly enough this is probably one of my more liberating costumes and I felt pretty damn powerful in it.

I think perhaps part of the fanboy discomfort is Kuja is a male character that has all the trappings of female fanservice and that makes them uncomfortable and maybe perhaps my lack of binding or something gave them pause as to my actual gender (there were moments of the hilarious "NOT SURE IF DUDE" faces which were SO FUNNY).

The is no where near Slave Leia lengths, but I was pretty inappropriate in most of the polite world, covering-wise.

I also have a friend that cosplays skantily-clad characters because she hates sewing and would rather focus on the props, which she is quite good at making.

Also, if a character is too visibly objectified and stripped of strength/intelligence/personality [...] Sometimes cosplay does it, mostly by body language and gestures that telegraph meanings which don't seem to me to fit the characters at all.

This can be hard to tell sometimes, because some people legit don't know how to pose themselves. Particularly if they're new at it. I've been in the scene long enough to know that most of the wannabe model types don't dress sexy, they dress recognizable as all heck (like, Princess Peach) for maximum attention. And may do the cues that you describe, or may not.

Either way there's a reason I tend to do my own take on costumes, and sex up or down depending on how I feel it would fit the character or my body.

[akycha]

I think perhaps part of the fanboy discomfort is Kuja is a male character that has all the trappings of female fanservice and that makes them uncomfortable and maybe perhaps my lack of binding or something gave them pause as to my actual gender (there were moments of the hilarious "NOT SURE IF DUDE" faces which were SO FUNNY).

I think you are right about Kuja (and I wish I could have seen you in your outfit, it sounds adorable!). One of the things I find so interesting about cosplay is how it serves as a place to queer (in the academic sense -- to twist, to make unexpected and yes, it does have the obvious connotations!) body performance. Crossplay does this, as does Rule 63 (of course), but it can also be done more subtly, simply by changing a few expectations (one of my favorites was a Rose Bride Miki from Shojou Kakumei Utena. Not in a dress).

I think cosplay also allows people to express things using their body-selves, and this is a very attractive option for a lot of people.

Reducing cosplay to a presumed male gaze (the "get out of my fandom, Fake Geek Girls" debate going around the Internet right now does the same thing) ignores 1) the actual experience of the person in the costume and 2) a number of messages which may have nothing to do with (traditional panty shot) fanservice whatsoever.

Anyway, most of this is a reply to Sepdet, it seems, not to you! In any case, your costume sounds great.