Soapbox: Dominance in the Cosplay Playground
by otaking on Apr.03, 2010, under Soapbox
My dad can beat up your dad because he makes his costumes by himself!
So a friend and I were shooting the shit the other night and he was going on about the ‘Amateurism vs. Professionalism’ clash he observed in the local cosplay community. This particular friend allied himself firmly with the ‘Professionalism’ camp, saying that people who work long hours for low pay in costume are just as deserving as the ‘Amateurs’ of the term ‘cosplayer’.
“What the hell is the difference between both camps, anyway?” I asked.
“Amateurism,” he said, “is basically the whole ‘Do it for the love of the hobby for no money’ camp. This is great but it goes nowhere. It’s stagnant. For the scene to progress it has to embrace the fact that some people will want to do this for a living, not just as a hobby.”
“I don’t get it. The conflict, I mean,” I said. “Take Trekkies. Trekkers. Whatever. Most of the content is produced by Paramount, who are the actual IP owners, or Paramount’s licensees. But the vast majority of people engaged in the Trek subculture are complete amateurs. Pale, thin-blooded bastards who show up in a sour-smelling Starfleet uniform that hasn’t been washed since last con. Anyway clearly Paramount couldn’t sell any Star Trek-themed merchandise without relying on the amateur fanbase, and the fanbase would have nothing to consume if it weren’t for the suits who decide what to do with the franchise.”
“What are you getting at?”
“I’m saying that there is no Us vs. Them dynamic inherent between amateurs and professionals unless one or both factions start one. The professionals clearly shouldn’t be alienating their fans. The amateurs clearly need to be valuing the content and exposure created by professionals. This Amateurism vs. Professionalism clash is a complete crock of shite.” I had rewatched Trainspotting and Grant Morrison’s Disinfocon talk and kept lapsing into a Scottish accent every now and then.
“When you put it that way…”
“The only reason why both factions are warring with each other — and by the way, the Amateurs simply call themselves ‘cosplayers’ and the Professionals ‘mascots’ or ‘models’ or ‘actresses’, once again proving my point that the power to name is the power of definition — is because of the dominance motivation.”
“What?”
“Dominance is an adaptive strategy. One way to make sure you survive in a particular environment is to dominate it. It’s not the only strategy, mind you, but it is the one favored by humanity since we learned how to bash each other over the head with clubs. You can still see it in playgrounds. Heck the cosplay scene is one huge playground and all the kids who got bullied back in preschool are taking it out on everyone else now. Have you noticed how childish the politics of the scene are? Basic big-kid-in-the-sandbox primate politics. The problem is, as the entire human race has demonstrated, dominance is such an effective strategy that everyone does it. And the thing about dominance strategies is that there always has to be a loser. Someone has to submit. And the dominated have no rights except the ones the dominators give them.”
“So how does this relate to cosplay?”
“Well, think of your standard factional tactic in the cosplay community. First they try to convince you to choose sides. They usually do this by dissing the opposing side. That group is a bunch of insular harpies. This group is a bunch of attention-seeking wannabe celebrities. That group is full of social misfits that everyone who’s anyone shuns. This group is cultishly led by a megalomaniacal leader. That group is a bunch of jilted wannabe Yagami Lights who are BAWWWing about their crushes being seduced by dirty old men. It’s like high school, but with costumes. Fortunately no single group currently holds complete dominance, which is, hey, fun for me.”
“And then?”
“And then if you don’t choose, they attempt to apply the ‘If You’re Not With Us You’re Against Us’ tactic. Since you’re not a dedicated hobbyist you must be in this just for the money (or the hits on your blog). Since you’re not putting yourself out there in public in actual costume you must not be a real cosplayer. Since you haven’t been around since the beginning then you have no authority to speak about the subject. It’s all very transparent, and all attributable to a failure to express these territorial urges when you’re supposed to — when you’re a toddler.”
“So how do you get them to leave you alone? Never pick a side?”
“That’s the hardest thing to do. Dominance-minded social robots have an inherent distrust of anyone who won’t pick sides. But if you value your independence, you have to resort to the tried-and-tested tactic of the little kid in the playground no one will mess with.”
“The what?”
“In every playground, you have your big kids who pick on everyone and all the other kids that they pick on. But there is usually at least one small kid the big kids never mess with.”
“Because?”
“Because whenever this kid — who usually doesn’t bother anyone if left to his devices — gets into a fight, he will fight back like a caged wolverine instead of simply submitting. Kicking, biting, clawing, eye-gouging. So the big kids learn that even if they win a fight against him (and they usually will), no one comes out from fighting the runt without getting hurt in the process. So they leave him alone.”
“So what are you saying?”
“I’m saying, BE THAT KID.”
A pause. “You mean, be the ‘Voice of the Minority’, O Fearless One?”
“Shut it you wanker.”
23 Comments for this entry
3 Trackbacks / Pingbacks for this entry
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News: The “Official” Asia Cosplay Meet - Project Otaking
April 6th, 2010 on 9:31 pm[...] This is the scummiest domination move in the cosplay world so far that I can think of. As the forums point out, this is akin to copyrighting ‘origami’ or ’swimming’. Now they’re stating that they’re the ‘Official’ Asia Cosplay Meet. [...]
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OtaGonzo Ozine Fest 2010 Day 1 Report - Project Otaking
April 13th, 2010 on 4:23 am[...] “Yeah, with my wife and her niece. I’m supposed to have coffee with Richie dela Merced at some point.” [...]
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Soapbox: Politics By Any Other Name - Project Otaking
May 13th, 2010 on 4:39 pm[...] by otaking on May.13, 2010, under Soapbox You want political discourse?! Here's my political discourse! In the forum post I allude to in the comic Divide By Zero, I get accused of politicizing the cosplay scene when all anyone wants to do is ‘have fun’ — but apparently everyone’s idea of fun is bashing other people while furthering their own agendas for supremacy. [...]
April 3rd, 2010 on 9:11 pm
Haha! Indeed, that kid could become the Otaking!
April 3rd, 2010 on 9:29 pm
An absolutely bold statement! I loath at all this “Us vs. Them” mentality and all the inessential controversies cause by it. I always thought what’s so wrong about being neutral? And as said, the big kids and the little kids will be hostile against you if you’re not on their side. Meh.
A loose cannon neutral…I like the sound of that.
April 3rd, 2010 on 11:06 pm
So that’s why no one wanted to play with me.
April 3rd, 2010 on 11:23 pm
I would have.
April 5th, 2010 on 5:20 pm
I’d play with you! ^__^
April 4th, 2010 on 11:58 am
This argument is quite funny. Its because both factions are needed by cosplay as a whole. Allow me to explain.
The Amateurs are extremely important because, the majority base of the cosplaying community comes from this area. They entice friends and relatives into the hobby to make it grow.
The Pros are just as important because the show you how far you can actually go into this hobby. They introduce the cosplay illiterate world to Cosplay, therefore increasing hobby standards and making it grow.
A fight between both factions is counter productive. It would be like the Street basketball player fighting against Kobe and Lebron, why would any sane streetball player do that?
The answer then is to see what makes the pro’s more popular and how you can achieve and even surpass what they have done. The only way cosplaying will be greater in our country is through UNITY and not by taking sides.
April 4th, 2010 on 1:03 pm
Such a fight seems insane today, Richie, but people didn’t always think so. In the nineteenth century, amateur sportsmen actually looked down on professional sportsmen. Here’s what Wikipedia has to say on the subject:
Let’s hope it doesn’t take one hundred years to resolve that same senseless conflict in cosplay.
April 5th, 2010 on 2:36 am
Yes im quite familiar with how pro’s were looked down upon in the beginning of the century. Unfortunately now some cosplayers are still in a 1920′s state of mind.
Just look at whats been happening in the beginning of 2010. ABC5, Chowking, Animax are paying top cash to get the best cosplayers and a very good friend just won 25k for all her efforts. Congrats.
Times are changing faster than you think. Those who can adjust will reap the benefits. Those that can’t…..well we know what happens to those people.
Like it or not cosplay is gonna become big business and like anything else the top players will get most of the swag.
April 5th, 2010 on 6:01 am
I’m a little confused. Surely both amateurs and professionals can vie for prize money. I’m not sure entering contests for cash prizes is the most accurate definition of professionalism.
And by the way, you totally just proved my point with your “the top players will get most of the swag” assertion that almost everyone in this scene is infected with the need to dominate the whole thing. Did we all not get enough toys of our own when we were two years old or something?
April 5th, 2010 on 11:57 am
Cosplaying is a fun hobby for those that came in and not compete. However there are those that join the competitions. I have never said that Amateurs can not compete in competitions, in fact im sure they are encouraged to.
Competition will always be competition. Not everybody can win. There always be only one winner in any given category. Cosplay isn’t any different.
Just like in anything, Most of the prize is won by the best. For example in basketball you see the same teams winning the NBA championships Lakers, Celtics, etc etc, are those the only teams in the league? Did they not get enough toys when they were young?
Its just the spirit of competition.
Im just here to engage in intelligent conversation and i do know where your coming from. I just feel it’s really unrealistic not to award most of the prize money to the best cosplayers in the competition. =)
April 5th, 2010 on 5:16 pm
But cosplay isn’t completely about winning competitions. You seem to be characterizing cosplay as elites who win all the prizes, and wannabes who don’t. There’s the Lakers and Celtics, then there’s ‘everyone else’.
The way I see it, this is precisely the “Us vs. Them” problem I’ve outlined. The “We win, everyone else loses” mentality. This is exactly what I’ve been arguing against. You even go so far as to say ‘streetballers’ (amateurs) have no business picking a fight with Kobe (professionals) because they don’t have a shot. That it would be ‘insane’ to try.
But hey, you’re with the ‘Lakers’ right? And they always win, right?
April 6th, 2010 on 11:37 pm
Otaking this is your blog and as a visitor I respect your point of view. I see that we will really not get anywhere so i will just bid you a very nice day.
I would really just want to make one thing clear. I meant it would be counter productive for the street baller to make a YOU vs ME fight against the pros. By fight I didnt mean a basketball game. I meant an antagonistic fight. I would never assume in a million years that a Pro will be better than an amateur at their chosen field.
I have said my piece and thank you for your time. I wish you the best on your blog.
April 7th, 2010 on 1:29 am
I don’t see why we wouldn’t be able to see eye to eye, unless you’ve already decided beforehand to disregard my opinion.
My entire problem is that you seem to insist that cosplay is all about competitions, what you oddly call ‘basketball’ competitions, and that the ‘NBA All-Stars’ would naturally dominate the scene. If you really can’t understand that there is more to cosplay than that, then there really is no way for us to find common ground — especially since many of those friends you’re proud of don’t even compete for prizes anymore and just wear costumes for pay.
Surely you don’t mean they aren’t cosplayers anymore?
April 7th, 2010 on 1:39 am
Ive never stated that cosplay is all about competition. You have gotten that idea yourself. Never did i say that cosplay is all about the competition.
Ideas are being put in my statements that were never there. If that is your problem?? Then the both of us have no problem. Because i am in 100% agreement with you Cliff COSPLAY is NOT all about the competition.
April 7th, 2010 on 2:35 am
It’s this I have an issue with:
This statement implies that professionalism is the future, and amateurism is SO last century.
See, there’s the trouble. Both ‘sides’ believe they are on the side of the God of Cosplay — one cites the ‘true spirit of cosplay’, and your side cites ‘the cosplay of the future’, and that those who don’t turn pro will get left in the dust. Or did you mean something else when you said:
Enlighten me.
April 7th, 2010 on 5:55 am
Since you enjoy quoting me allow me to quote you one last time.
“My entire problem is that you seem to insist that cosplay is all about competitions”
You did say Entire which means it was your only problem. I still never said COSPLAY is ALL about COMPETITIONS.
Isn’t saying I agree with you 100% that Cosplay is not all about competition “answer” your ENTIRE problem?
I’m quite sure we will meet in person in one of the events. Allow me to take you out for coffee on your free con time and we can discuss our differences. Until then more power to your blog Otaking
April 4th, 2010 on 8:06 pm
HAHAHAHA I LAB EEETT.
Here’s my take. Amateurs? Professional?
MY GOD IT’S A HOBBY!!!!
And yeah you can call me amateur because I don’t care if I don’t earn from it. I love cosplaying. I don’t care what fucking label they put me into.
I do what I like.
I enjoy in what I am doing
I am making friends to what I am doing
I’m LIVING MY LIFE
So Amateurs? Professionals?
Pft. *flips hair*
*sings*
I don’t caree~~~
April 4th, 2010 on 8:09 pm
That’s my whole problem with the term ‘amateurs’ by the way. It implies a lack of polish, and we all know many ‘amateur’ cosplayers possess an extremely high degree of technical proficiency!
April 4th, 2010 on 8:11 pm
hear! hear!
April 7th, 2010 on 3:12 pm
Amateurs are different from amateurists. Amateurs pursue an activity without pay, out of passion for the activity. Amateurists hold amateurs above professionals, out of some vague ideal of the “true spirit” of the activity.
As Cliff and Richie both point out, amateurs are absolutely integral to the growth of any field. Amateurists, on the other hand, simply refuse to accept that some people will want to do this for a living.
April 7th, 2010 on 4:58 pm
I’m going to reply to Richie’s comment as well as yours here seeing as the nesting is making the formatting insane
Yes, my ENTIRE problem is that Richie characterizes the scene as one of competition. It is my ENTIRE problem because his use of terms are ambiguous and sliding, going from ‘competitions for prizes’ (aka basketball) and ‘competition for all the swag’ (aka pros beating out ams for all the commercial benefits from cosplay). This entire issue is probably one of articulation and would easily be cleared up if we did meet up for coffee at discussed it face to face instead of over comments.
In other words, see you at Ozine, Richie
As for amateurs and amateurism, the trouble is in the original formulation of the argument, amateurs are set against professionalism, not amateurists against professionalists. So are you reformulating the argument?
April 7th, 2010 on 5:11 pm
Perhaps the clearest way to state the conflict is amateurists versus professionals. After all, by definition, amatuerists look down on professionals.
Yes, the phrase “amateurists versus professionals” totally fails at grammatical parallelism. Words are imprecise things, especially when they deal with ideas that died a hundred years ago.
April 7th, 2010 on 5:53 pm
This is why the ability to coin your own terms is so important, like I keep saying.