Disabilities in Cosplay
Cosplay Taboo 1 continued..
In cosplay we like to dress like people we admire or like certain traits about them. But some characters we want to cosplay really question our ethics. In a thread on “http://www.cosplay.com/showthread.php?t=322753” one member discusses her interest to cosplay a character who is in a wheel chair. And asked the community for their input in. This is very special because this is something a lot of cosplayers question, but because there is this standard in society that being physically impaired is a something that shouldn't be mimicked, it creates this sort of taboo when cosplayers do dress like a character with those certain feature. Which arises these sort of questions.
1. Is it okay to cosplay characters with physical or mental impairments?
2. When is it crossing the line to cosplay characters with certain features?
3. If a cosplay is done ignorantly and offends someone, is the culprit guilty?
4. Is it possible for cosplayers with physical and mental disabilities be eligible to enter cosplay competitions, and not be judged based of their impairments?
To be perfectly honest, there is no right answer for these questions because it all a matter of morals. Depending on what you think is right and what you think is wrong is based on your values and your beliefs. And even if art sometimes does things that sparks controversy, it gets the observers talking and questioning. Cosplay is supposed to be a thing anyone can do and be anyone they want to be. But if people are questioning whether they are allowed to cosplay certain characters because they feel it is morally unsound, then is it really a place of unquestioned costuming. What happens at the end of the day when you want to have an experience of happiness and fun from cosplaying your heroes?
You've covered a lot of the taboo of Coplay well, and this blog looks like it would be a good starting point for anyone trying to jump into the community. The only thing I think you may have avoided is the issue with cosplaying characters who are Nazis or else have the Nazi symbol somewhere on their costume in canon. For the most part there is no good way to do this, and it is often a way to make a lot of people angry. Kind of like the skin changing you mentioned earlier, it implies a lot of awful things.
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