Cosplaying has become one of the most vibrant and popular hobbies on Earth, and what makes this hobby amazing is the effort done by many cosplayers who make their own costumes, which range from the simple cloth costumes to the extravagant armor costumes. However, cosplay does have its dark side, and it involves real bullying.
Yes, many go through the effort of making their own costumes, however, there are also those who buy their costumes instead of making them, and these cosplayers have been looked down upon by many of the cosplayers who do make their own costumes. These cosplayers are often mocked, ridiculed, and shamed for not being able to make their own costumes, and this practice must be stopped.
American cosplayer, Crystal Rose Creations, has wrote on her facebook page about the issue, and here is what she had to say:
Cosplay Bullying has become a SERIOUS problem within our community. One of MANY of the major problems is shaming those who buy their Cosplays.
Most of my Cosplays are commissioned, bought, or modified. I have no skill in sewing therefore I look else where for my costumes.
There is no shame in buying a costume or having it commissioned. But if commissioned, make sure to credit all those who made the costume for you. Don’t falsely claimed workmanship!
You’re a real cosplayer, regardless if you made, bought, or commissioned your Cosplay. Don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise.
In a comment, she then added:
Yes, unfortunately there is Bullying in Cosplay. And there are many forms of it, this is just one of many problems we have. Why do I take the bullying seriously? Because no one else will. We need to stand up and help each other instead of being against each other to help rise each other! We are a large family after all. We are all equal and no better then anyone else smile emoticon
The cosplay community has a lot of talented cosplayers, however, not all of them have skills in crafting armor or sewing a cloth costume. Some actually have the skill, but they lack the time to do so, and even they get looked down upon. A cosplayer friend of mine from the Philippines has done his share of sewing and armor crafting himself, but has admitted he also bought a costume for various reasons. When I asked him his thoughts on the matter, he said that “Cosplay demands a lot of time and resources. If you dont have any of those, then it would be best to buy. During my cosplay years, I have experienced Sewing, Armor making, and buying.” He also added “I’m sure there are cosplayers that have a sense of pride in making their own costumes, but looking down on people who buy costumes makes one look like an elitist. People don’t know the whole story about why these cosplayers buy their costumes and we shouldn’t judge them.“
As a community of cosplayers, we here at SGCafe ask everyone to not look down upon those who cannot make their own costumes, those who only buy official costumes by companies like Cospa, or those who commission their costumes from crafters.
But to the ones who do commission or buy their costumes, please don’t claim that you made that costume yourself and always give credit to where credit is due.
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Thank you to Crystal Rose Creations as well as my cosplayer friends, Judyben and Kyle for their insights
Cosplay bullying: It"s a real thing and it must be stopped
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