Why do we Cosplay?
Escapism is “the tendency to seek distraction and relief from unpleasant realities, especially by seeking entertainment or engaging in fantasy.” To be a cosplayer you must know that you are wavering over a thin line of social norm versus psychological norm. In the cosplay world, what is normal varies from what none cosplayers sees as normal. This is because of the societal values that linger within the cosplay community and its lasting effect of what is morally and what is psychologically unfit. In other words, what it takes to fit into one group, maybe different from what it takes to fit into another group. But as a whole, we all possess one trait that holds us together, our imagination.
Imagine! “Using your imagination makes it possible to experience any and everything just by forming the mental images of it in your mind. Everyone – regardless of age possesses the ability to imagine. Though some people have developed it into an art form.” Take Jackie Chan, one of the greatest movie action heroes of all time; he explained in one of his biographies that the reason why he got into acting was because he couldn’t be a hero in real life, so he could act like a hero in films. Cosplayers fit into that realm of developing your imagination into an art form in a society that accepts them for it. Hayao Miyazaki a contributor to many Asian animation films and mangas states:
“What I think the various fan subcultures do is provide a space for community. They allow people of diverse background and experience to form bonds around a common interest. They let people know that they are not alone in their likes and their passions. Fan subcultures provide the sense of belonging that used to be common among most American communities and families prior to the 1980s. Today kids are raised by daycares and public schools. Parents are too busy working and building careers to devote significant time for family building and family life. Kids are just one of the many entries on the day planner. . . . Fan subcultures help to provide a space for community where people can come and be accepted for who they are. In a society as fragmented as America has become, fan subcultures can provide an oasis for the weary soul.” Napier, S. J., 2006
The 3 main reasons why people cosplay.
1. Because it’s fun to pretend to be a character that they you have some form of adoration to.
2. Because you like the attention from people, and enjoy the idea of people looking at you. This in itself has a lot of negative connotations which I will explore later on in the blog.
3. Lastly because you like the craft behind the idea of cosplay outfits and character designs.
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I think that this post definitely pretty well summarizes the feelings I have towards why me and most of my friends cosplay. I often feel the need to escape from reality a lot and conventions have been one of the greatest and most fantastic locations to escape at through cosplay. It's really let me get into the characters I really look up to, have a lot of interest in, or have really strong connections to.
ReplyDeleteCosplay has also been really important to me for more than just escapism though. For me, it's been really a really important point to connect my to several of my best friends that I've met over the years solely through cosplay so that's left it one of the most important things to me.