So I love the notion that cosplay is for everyone, it really is, and I actually love when people realize the hate that goes on in the community and try and do something about it, that’s really great.
But what I get frustrated at, more so than the hate, is the blindness.
I saw a post that said something along the lines of, “Why is it that when white cosplayers cosplay outside their race, they get bashed, but when people of color do it, they get praised?” And just… h-huh?
Now, I’m not saying that it doesn’t happen, I’ve seen it happen, but from my experience it’s more of a, “Why are you cosplaying a person of color when you have so many choices and we have so few?” From my experience it’s a genuine feeling, because I feel like when we do see people of color in our geekery we get so excited because there’s not that much representation, so there’s this moment of, “FINALLY!” Now I personally don’t mind who cosplays what, but I’m not going to pretend that when I saw Tiana for the first time my thoughts weren’t, “OMG,” and, “FINALLY,” and, “GONNA COSPLAY THE HELL OUT OF THAT,” and even, “A princess for me after all these years!” It’s a thing that happens, because representation is important, I can tell when I see that little black girl staring up at me when I wear Tiana, and her dad is smiling just as brightly because… finally! So I get it, and I hope white cosplayers can see where the “bashing” comes from. It’s not so much “bashing” as it is… disappointment? But ultimately its your cosplay, and my only advice is to be respectful about it, and just understand where those feelings are coming from. And, for the most part, I think white cosplayers do get it, and understand, some have even asked me my opinion on the matter to which I say, “Do what you want, just be respectful, and understand why someone might have an issue.” Cosplay is about showing love for a character you love, and we should respect each other along the way.
Which leads me to the other part of that statement I quoted in the beginning because… since when have people of color NOT been bashed for cosplaying outside their race? I wish, WISH, I could stop seeing ignorant posts in regards to black cosplayers cosplaying outside their race… or cosplaying in general. This is what I consider blindness. In the argument of “one gets bashed more than the other” that is just some serious “I choose not to see the truth” because there can’t even be black fanart without some harsh comments. And, in my experience, the hateful comments I see are bashing, straight up bashing. Where a person of color may be like, “Why cosplay that one character when there’s a million others,” the comments I see on the flip side are all about “ghetto” versions of characters, or “nigga” versions of characters, or terrible fried chicken jokes, or watermelon jokes, or just a wide variety of racist statements. There’s no, “Why cosplay Belle when you can cosplay Tiana,” it’s a flat out “har har ghetto princess” with no purpose other than to hurt the cosplayer.
So yeah, if you think that people of color don’t get hated on for, well, being people of color… I’m here to tell you that that’s not the case. Sadly, it happens, a lot, it happens too much, and it needs to stop. It’s nice to think that everything is right with the world but… it’s not the truth. The truth is that we are working on it, and are always aiming to make things better, and to highlight why such comments are uncalled for and to promote the fact that cosplay is for everyone, key word being everyone. And I genuinely think that people do want this, they do want cosplay to be this thing that everyone does, but in order to do that you have to take the blinders off.
The hate is real, and it needs to stop.
