I'm not judging you freaks AT ALL

[lurkerwithout]

My Nemesis points out this article on costuming and cosplay from SDCC from The Star. Not sure WHICH The Star, but one of them.

These part is..um..nice:

From which we can draw only one conclusion: some people have way too much time on their hands.

I mean this in the nicest possible way. Over the past four days, I have met some of the friendliest, most intelligent and good-hearted folks I have ever seen gathered together at one time in one place.

I respect and admire their dedication, their passion, their enthusiasm, their fellowship, their uncanny ability to withstand intense temperatures ...

This less so:

But if I see one more "adult" dressed up like a kid in a costume, cape or catsuit, I will be tempted to rip it off and smother them with it.

Fun may be fun, but enough is enough. It was amusing for a day or so, then repetitious, but when I started to notice their ranks being infiltrated by some of those creepy "furry" people – you know, the ones who get off on dressing up as plush toys and rubbing up against each other ...

Uh oh. Scary furries!

I guess any fringe behaviour attracts its share of excess. But halfway through the weekend I found myself longing for a real conversation with someone – anyone – whose voice wasn't muffled by a mask or helmet.

I exaggerate, of course. Comic-Con has its share of socially acceptable, normally dressed, perfectly presentable genre enthusiasts.

Ha ha. Don't worry not all these nerds are freaks other normal people. Ami goes and makes some good points regarding mainstream media's need to report on some "fringe" activity like its new and the "normal" people need to be informed. Others in the comments make the normal remarks about the difference in how nerd/geek fandom is treated by the media vs. sports fandom. About how little real difference there is between the two...

Which is wrong. There's a HUGE difference between them. Nerd fandom doesn't regularly light cities on fire and riot when their fandom loses and/or wins...

Comments

[furikku.livejournal.com]

OK wow, I don't like cosplay much and I still want to punch this person.

[thekamisama.livejournal.com]

I admit to having my own laughs at the expense of some costumers, but really they are no less strange then that guy with the flaming wig hat at a basketball game or the grossly obese guy with no shirt and a painted face at a football game.

I wonder if the writer of that article has ever been to a ren faire or an intertribal pow wow?

[theweaselking.livejournal.com]

Thestar.com is The Toronto Star.

It's a real newspaper.

[starmanmatt.livejournal.com]

*nods* I had similar reaction when the local "Indy" paper published an article by a woman who spent a weekend at the Renn Fest and determined that there were three types of people who go to Renn Fests, in her words...

1. The Real Fans - the people who work at the Renn Fest, create period costumes, speak in period accents and generally try to make everything as realistic as possible. (i.e. The SCA Facists)

2. The Norms - the families who come in their jeans and T-shirts, have Bud Light with their turkey legs and mostly come to see the shows.

3. The Freaks - the guys "who bring their Anime or WoW" to the Faire. Anyone dressed like a fairy, wearing elf ears and a chainmail bikini, wearing a black t-shirt with a slogan like "Rogues Do It From Behind" or quotes Monty Python.

Honestly, I see no problem with this. It's all in the name of fun! I mean, if you want to ensure total realism, you shouldn't employ anyone with a full set of teeth or hair that has been washed within the last three months. It's like Hobb Galding's speech in Sandman #73 - spray them all with shit as they walk through the gates and have them WADE through streets where the gutters are overflown in their $300 "Authentic" Celtic Riding Capes and see how much they like "realism". :P

Of course I own a t-shirt that reads "Rogues Do It From Behind", quote Monty Python and have several friends who dress like fairies who are routinely harassed by a Society for Creative Anachronism-appointed monster-hunter... so go figure who I'm going to side with.

[lurkerwithout.livejournal.com]

I need a "Rogues do it from Behind" t-shirt now...

[seanmonster.livejournal.com]

Not all rogues do it from behind.

[brewmoo.livejournal.com]

"some people have way too much time on their hands."

To which I say, what SHOULD they be doing? Watching TV? Doing sports things? Going to their kids soccer game? Shopping at the mall? Playing golf? Washing their car? Playing Texas Holdem? Working way too many hours? WTF dude, its a hobby. They created something that they find useful, fun, and enjoyable.