In the wake of the Expo, I've been contemplating a lot of things. Tons of great things that I love about the con, and just a few things that drive me freaking crazy. And here they are. (Bear in mind, these are my personal opinions, and inane ranting- I'm sure this holds little to no validity, so don't get too offended).
1- Cosplayers
Wait a tic! I have nothing against cosplayers, I love them! Obviously, given that I dress up every year. It's amazing to see fans with that level of dedication, and the level of intricacy involved. But there a few people among this group that violate what I consider to be 'unspoken cosplay rules'.
Half assed or store bought costumes... You're going to a convention, where the like of the 501st are mingling and being photographed. This is not a costume party, this isn't halloween. If you choose to dress up, dedicate yourself to it. Hey, you've got a whole year to prepare! There's no reason you costume should involve pyjama pants (unless your Arthur Dent) or a felt tip marker (unless... nope, never. Shouldn't happen). Half assing it undermines all the time and effort everyone else there went to.
Just one particular note I'd like to add, every year there seems to be one particular popular half assed costume. For me, this year, it seemed to be Poison Ivy. A green t-shirt does not a costume make.
Also, please try and remain relevant. This is the fan expo. Sci-fi, horror, anime, comics, gaming and a few other niche interests. Lady Gaga does not belong here... Seriously... And maybe it's just me, but neither do Disney Princesses. Don't get me wrong, I love disney, I always have. And I understand as well as anyone how hard it is to find a quality female cosplay. And I do comment the Disney characters for the quality of their work. But it's not really a geek interest. Do you buy disney merch at the con? Do you see panels featuring disney staff or actors? Do you get autographed photos of Disney stars? No. So I don't see where the desire to dress up as a Disney princess comes from. But like I said, nothing against them. Beautiful costumes of some of my favorite characters, but I personally feel like they don't belong.
2- Taking pictures
The second most common comment I received this year was "You're brave for wearing that." Meaning a cosplay of Princess Leia in her metal bikini. You know, slave Leia in Jabba's palace. I'm not really sure what people mean by telling my I'm brave. Is it because I'm showing so much skin? Because of the occasional swarm of eager photographers while trying to shop? Is it because of the chance or wardrobe malfunction?
Let me just say, I'm a pretty confident person. Not cocky or self-absorbed, just comfortable in my own skin, and with who I am. Wearing this outfit didn't make me feel awkward because, well, it covers more than my regular bikini does. So, you know, don't take advantage of that.
What I mean to say is, when I'm looking the other way, talking to someone, don't try and kneel down behind me and take a picture up my skirt. I've seen hundreds of pictures online (and I'm sure there are many many more that don't get to see the light of day) of some poor girls butt as she's bending over, or shopping or something. This girl was brave enough to show up in a spandex suit, treat her with respect. Ass shots are not respect. It's rude, it's innappropriate, it's uncalled for, and its fucking creepy. Just don't.
And while we're on the subject, just because I (or any other girl) am dressed up does not mean I want you to come up to me and grab me. I'm not your girlfriend, I'm not your best friend, and I'm not a prop. I'm a person who likes wearing a costume. I don't mind when people put their arm around me or anything, it makes for a better picture, but if you want to do anything else, ask first. I have a metal chain hanging from my collar, and a few people would just come up, grab it and then shout to their friend "Get a picture." I very much don't appreciate that.
It's simple, if you want someone's picture, come up to them and ask nicely, if you want to do anything out of the ordinary (such as a different pose) ask first. And whatever you do, don't take any innappropriate pictures.
One last thing, I'm not a model, and you're not paying me. Don't tell me to do this pose or that pose. I guess if you ask nicely, or offer to send me copies of the pictures, it's fine, but I don't take orders from you.
3- On the subject of pictures and cosplayers.
This is a two way street. If you've dressed up and someone wants your picture, or to talk to you about your costume, oblige them. It doesn't take any effort to be nice, and these things come with the territory when dressing up. If you don't want to talk to people or pose for pictures, don't come dressed up.
So some people take about 25 pictures of themselves, camwhoring. I get it, you want to get a good shot. But don't post all of them online. No one wants to see all those identical pictures of you. Pick one.
4- Be friendly, but don't smother
I love meeting other like minded geeks, and I love talking about all our geek loves. Hell, that's probably my favorite part of the convention. But sometimes it goes beyond friendly chat to awkward territory. Everyone knows when it's gone there, and it's not cool. Personal space. Embrace it.
But mostly, this pertains to celebrities. And Q&A's. It's great if you have a question for them, but no one wants to hear the five minute story about how you named your fish after them in the first grade. Keep it simple. (Just to be clear, when getting an autograph or a picture, I think it's great to chat with celebs and have a real conversation, but theres only 40-50 mins for a Q&A)
And last, but not least...
5- Complaining about Fan Expo's organization
That seems to be the theme of this year. Everywhere I look, it's people bitching about the con, and it's driving my crazy.
I'll start off by saying I am in no way defending hobbystar. I totally agree, it's poorly organized, oversold, understaffed and let's face it, they need way more space. But what bothers me is that the fans aren't taking responsibility for it themselves.
To all the people who didn't get in: It's partially your fault. I showed up at opening and got in no problem. They let 60 000 other people in. If you show up halfway through the afternoon and get stopped at the door, what where you thinking? That it wouldn't be busy? That you could just saunter into the third largest convention in North America? Because even if they had still been letting people in, the linup would have been long enough that you'd have to wait for hours. This isn't new. The convention has always been this way, there's always lineups, it's always crowded, it's always poorly organized. It clearly wan't going to change this year, being crammed into a new, smaller venue.
To the people who didn't get back in: Yes, it's unfortunate, but don't leave in the first place. The lineup didn't appear out of nowhere. Take your queue from the Vulcans and think logically. It was wrapping around the block on friday, and growing steadily on saturday. Even if you did manage to get back in, you would have been waiting in line for hours. Settle for the food they're selling inside. Crappy? Yes. No selection? Yes. Overpriced? Yes. If you have the thought, then bring your own food. That's your best bet from the start. That way you don't have to worry about leaving the con, overpricing, food allergies, etc. All anyone had to do was think logically, do your research and plan ahead of time. Simple.
To the people who are getting bitterly angry at me: Yes, I was one of the ones who got it. And hey, I did get to enjoy the whole convention, start to finish. Because I planned ahead of time. I've been going for years, and I love this convention. I waited in line in the morning, I didn't leave the hall, I sat in on panels during the busiest hours to avoid the crammed show floor. Honestly, it wasn't at all hard to enjoy the convention, and anyone who didn't is going about it the wrong way.
If you have so many issues with how the con was run, don't run your mouth off about boycotting the show. Email them, talk respectfully and constructively, to help make things better for next year.
K, I guess that should be all for now. I could argue for hours about this, but no one needs to hear that.
End Transmission
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