Last night in class we got the chance to watch the parody
video of “Let me take a selfie” only on cosplay instead. The major message I got out of this parody
was the dislike many cosplayers have for “fake” cosplayers. How she makes fun of how people only posting
pictures of them in their cosplay for “likes” and how they take the pictures
just to look sexy online. Another
reference was “I bet she didn’t even play that game” basically saying how some
people dress up in cosplay but don’t know the actual game or character they’re
cosplaying as. As someone who doesn’t
cosplay or know much about cosplay or the games in general I get the impression
right away that a lot of girls dress up in cosplay and try to make it more of a
sexy costume rather than more realistic.
That’s why I think I originally felt like this video was targeting girls
who just try to look sexy. After the
discussion we had in class from watching the video I realized that these games
actually make women have over the top sex appeal and that when woman do cosplay
it isn’t them looking for attention by altering the characters outfits. So the video was more so aiming at those who
aren’t real fans, not people looking for attention in a sexy outfit. Another issue brought up was the idea of
“steampunk” which I didn’t even know existed, or would be considered a bad
thing in the cosplay community. I
assumed that adding your own custom pieces to outfits for cosplay would be cool
and something that would be enjoyed in the cosplay community. I didn’t think that making things identical
to the original version was so important because now a day’s most people strive
to be unique and stick out as much as possible.
I think after the classroom discussion on the video my entire views on
what she was trying to say changed, my original thought was that she was sick
of seeing girls just there in super sexy outfits or posting on facebook or
other social media sites for likes.
However her problem more so comes from the idea of people faking their
belonging in the cosplay community by not knowing the real games or characters
they are cosplaying, and using it as bragging rights on social media, but not
for the reason of actually having a passion for the game or cosplay.
I perceived the parody video, "Let Me Take A Selfie," as a commentary on the criticism cosplayers can face in the geek community, with particular emphasis on women's experience. The video portrays the stereotype that women are obsessed with "likes," and want popularity on social media. This is connected to the "fake geek" or "fake gamer girl," meme. There's an impression in the community that women are more concerned with appearances, while men are the real fans. When a man states that he is a comic book fan, he is taken for his word at face value. When a woman states that she is a fan, she is often tested "to ascertain her knowledge."
ReplyDeleteThe video is also useful for highlighting the outfit choices women have available to them while cosplaying. Many videogame designers are men, and continue to draw women for the male gaze (for example, Lara Croft's creation). However, it must be noted that when some women cosplay as these characters, they can chose to in order to highlight their strength. Dressing "sexily" can shift the purpose from satisfying the male gaze to empowerment. Some characters, whether drawn or portrayed in film, may be wearing revealing clothes because they are empowered by their sexuality, rather than for the enjoyment of a male audience. The characters in the TV show "Charmed," often wore revealing clothing, even though the target demographic was mainly women aged 18-24.
Here is the citation for the viewer demographic information provided in my previous comment: http://cinema.usc.edu/assets/097/15720.pdf.
ReplyDeleteI do think there is plenty of room for creativity in cosplay. It would be boring if it always had to be exactly the same as the original character. It's also not always physically possible or practical either. However many fans don't like when something about the character they like changes. I see this as the same as people being critical of creative changes in a costume. Women don't have as many options as men if they want to choose a character that isn't wearing revealing clothing. Many male writers also have a tendency to not write female characters as well as the male characters. Maybe creative steps in cosplay could change the way artists and writers design characters.
ReplyDeleteI think its more of an individual stand point when it comes to preferences on whether or not something is cool when altered slightly. I don't know too many people who make a big deal about changing and adding your own ideas to a cosplay, otherwise gender swapping wouldn't be as cool or appreciated by the cosplay community.I agree with you, but that one video is not a proper reflection of the rest of the community.
ReplyDelete