Toxic Behaviors in Cosplay: Resentment
While Cosplay is generally viewed as a hobby, there is no doubt that it certainly has become competitive. For those who choose to pursue cosplay in more of a business direction, the possibilities are endless! You can choose to sell photos, get sponsored to create items, create and participate in panels, have guest booths, model costumes/geek inspired clothing (etc).
With this, it is very clear that some have become more successful than others. It just happens in every business environment. Yet I have seen a resentment against those who have more auspicious experience in this craft. Instead of celebrating in the fact that fellow cosplayers have made a living for themselves through the hobby, a lot of those who have not yet caught their break turn to shaming and bullying; often blaming the more popular cosplayers for their own situations.
Instead of understanding that some people just have had better opportunities, happened to be lucky enough to catch a big break, happened to know the right people, have astounding charismatic skill, have a fantastic marketing skill; overall just refusing to understand that sometimes we just haven't made it due to many reasons. They decide to become overly bitter at other cosplayer's prosperity.
Now I get it. Everyone can get insecure and even upset that they aren't where they would like to be. Jealousy is a very human emotion and isn't necessarily a bad thing. However; projection is.
Shaming other cosplayer's by accusing them of *insert some harmful stereotype* in order to get where they are.
Bullying cosplayers who's cosplays aren't "elaborate enough", "modest enough", "hand crafted"... the list goes on.
No matter how a cosplayer got to where they were, chances are they didn't harm other people to get there. Being sexually suggestive isn't harmful. Buying simple premade cosplays isn't harmful. Getting financially supported to do cosplay isn't harmful. Having your costumes made for you isn't harmful. Every cosplayer is going to have a different way to market themselves. Some of them are indeed lucky that they have a huge following, that they don't have to pay out of pocket, that they get super awesome gigs! But how is it their fault that you are not quite there?
There are cosplayers of the same skill level who are both well known and not known at all. Cosplayers that use the same tactics; some who become "cos-famous" and those still under the radar. There are TONS of cosplayers with amazing talent, charisma, and ideas. And the simple truth is that some make it and some don't. There is no reason to play the blame game when there simply is no rational evidence that some have made it simply because *insert accusation insinuating the cosplayer has no skill*. Only stereotypes, rumors, and self convincing.
We need to start taking more responsibility and become more at peace with where we are in this community. If we want to become more successful then we have to focus on our game plan to get there. We also have to face the very real possibility that we may not get the audience that we strive for. The cosplay community is a very competitive industry. Let's go back to remembering how we started. Wasn't it to have fun? Wasn't it to meet fellow geeks? To come together?
