Cosplayers being Disrespected and Why it Needs to Stop.

Photo by Larry Alan Photography

Does the picture above offend you? Do you feel the need to comment on how big her boobs are and fantasize what you would do to her in bed? If you answered yes to any of those 2 questions then congratulations, you need to get your life checked because YOU'RE AN IDIOT! If not then yay for being a NORMAL RESPECTFUL HUMAN BEING! I was going to write something about this much sooner but it's being brought up more so now and it needs to be addressed (least that's how I personally feel). Cosplayers like Jessica, Lisa Lou and many others are always criticized on how they cosplay and feel like they deserve the rude comments for dressing up showing off so much skin. Ummm no that's slut shaming. I might mainly reference the 2 lovely ladies I mentioned but this in general applies to ALL cosplayers, the ones I'm a fan of at some point they definitely have experienced something like this. If this sounds bias then I apologize in advance but this is because the people I've mentioned are ones who have made posts about this or have dealt with stuff like this daily.

People on the internet feel the need to address these fantasies they have about the cosplayers they follow directly to them via their fan pages. It's as if they think it'll turn them on and like them. Are you serious? If this was true, I'd be doing it XD. I'm sure as hell EVERYONE would be doing it. I was brought up to respect everyone you meet the way you'd want to be treated. That's like a golden piece of advice right? I'm sure your parents have told this to you. So what happened as you got older and you don't follow that rule anymore? Did you get dropped on your head?

Last week Lisa posted this little reminder saying she doesn't take any rude comments, degrading body remarks etc. I have no doubt she's actively banning people who do this and she expressed that she feels bad her long time followers have to see that kind of post so often. She writes

"I'm comfortable with my body and have accepted I have curves, and I like to teach that everyone should and can be happy with their body, too, no matter their shape. But I am uncomfortable with you treating me like crap because I show skin. I want to live in a society where it doesn't matter how immodest/exploratory you are with showing who you are, that every person deserves to be treated equally just the same." 

I'm betting you that even the picture on the right got disrespectful comments saying that she makes a suggestive look so she's probably asking for it to be talked dirty too. I can see the suggestive look but here's a thought, WHAT IF THAT'S PART OF THE CHARACTER SHE'S COSPLAYING AS? I dare you to not find pictures of females in fiction that aren't drawn, described or designed in a suggestive look. For Lisa to make that kind of look enhances the character and to drive it home, Miss Fortune (that's who she's cosplaying as) is one sassy character. Have you played her in League of Legends?

"But this happens all the time on the Internet, she should be used to it" No, fuck you, she's a human being and she can legitimately see the comments. You're not talking to a robot/AI who monitors the page for her. I'm happy to hear that Lisa is super confident in showing off skin and wearing whatever she wants and she definitely doesn't have to take any rude comment from pretty much anyone. Constructive criticism maybe but outright rudeness? No!

Let's shift gears over to Jessica for a second because if you think Lisa gets the worst of it, oh man are you wrong. Lisa has to handle 120k fans, Jess? Try 2.6 million (betting over half aren't real people/accounts either). It is literally impossible to go through any picture Jessica Nigri posts now without seeing the comment "Boobs" or "Will you just do porn already?". My god what is wrong with you people? 

Does Jess show off her chest in most of her cosplays? Yes and she knows it. Sometimes she'll design gender-bends of characters to firmly incorporate that aspect. Many will jump to say that she's "ruining cosplay" simply based on the fact that she sexualizes nearly every character she touches, adding on that she's not a real cosplayer. You know what Jess had to say about that? This,

"I think.... I am different from a lot of cosplayers... because I really truly do not give a fuck what I cosplay. I don't care that you don't like my sexy Pokemon, I grew up with Pokemon and this is how I want to show my love! I don't care that you hate all my gender/species bent yordle costumes! Yordles are OP AS FUCK and easily the most fun(for me) to play in League!

I genuinely love the ever-living crap of the characters I dress as, and I see NO restrictions when I love something and want to cosplay it. 

Cosplay is for you. If you start cosplaying for others, trying to gain fame and attention, you start to loose sight of the joy that it originally brought you... and oh brother people are going to notice. 

When you truly love something, you can fucking see it mate. 

Love what you do, and do what you love. Because holy shit, life is too short to be bending over backwards trying to appease a mass of anonymous internet peeps. 

The ones that see you for you will totally get you, and join you on your righteous life-ride(This applies to all aspects of life).

I don't know... I think it shows... you know?"

Photo by Larry Alan Photography

Jessica has been cosplaying long enough to easily shrug off any hate she gets since she's used to it. For that I'm simply amazed that she's able to do that. Some of her cosplays are hilarious to look at and you can tell she's having fun wearing it. Although I'm betting she wishes people would treat her with more respect but she's aware that might never happen. The Internet and Social Media with how it is gives people the sense of being safe behind a computer and not really caring if your words offend/hurt the person you're saying them too. All those types of comments I mentioned earlier? You'd have to have a lot of guts and willing to get smacked across to face if you were to say those things in public. Look, the bottom line I take from all this is that YOU 
SHOULD COSPLAY WHAT YOU WANT AND HOWEVER YOU PLEASE! You're expressing your love for a character you connect to. Want to inject your style to it? Go for it, that's what Lisa does with most of her cosplays and I love her for that. Jess will always have revealing cosplays and it's because she's comfortable showing it and doesn't hold back. If that offends you then you can simply not follow her work. As I stated at the beginning if it offends you then re-evaluate yourself, if you feel the need to spend time writing rude comments/spreading hateful things about any cosplayer, go outside and just think how this benefits you because it shouldn't.

It blew my mind that even Monika Lee's cosplay of Bunny Suit Daffy Duck got hate/rude comments because she was sexualizing the character or that it's so simple that it's not even a cosplay. First off Monika and her group members knew they wanted this to mainly be silly and a party cosplay since the con this was debuted at is known for being one big party. Second, Monika stated that the suit itself was one of the hardest thing she ever created. Why this offends people is just so weird. HOW IS SOMEONE WEARING AN OUTFIT OFFENDING YOU? Does Monika look sexy in the cosplay on the right? If it's ok to say so then yes absolutely she looks adorable! Is this offensive to me personally? God no. Yet some people had to point out that fact and even she is ruining cosplay for some with this one outfit. Monika rarely makes revealing outfits to begin with, don't believe me? Check out her cosplay page!

Photo by Joits Photography

I don't think I'll ever understand how boobs or a revealing cosplay will offend someone. I won't understand how people enjoy or feel a need to express rude things to the cosplayers when they post images. They're human beings, real people, I'VE MET THEM, talked with them, hugged them. Pretty sure they're real unless we've seemingly advanced to life like robots and that everything I know is a lie. I hope I'm making some sense with this post, I just feel bad that cosplayers have to deal with this kind of behavior. Some definitely take a stand towards it, I know Destiny Nickelsen constantly calls out rude comments on her page which is effective at some points in embarassing them and gets them to stop but it can only get so much done. You can bring up any argument saying why they deserve it, I'll just say that it's wrong. WRONG TIMES INFINITY.

Bottom Line? Respect people in general and don't be an idiot. To Jessica, Monika, Lisa, Destiny and every other cosplayer I've met: You're all super beautiful and talented, thank you for being who you are and DON'T EVER STOP WHAT YOU DO <3

Have some pictures to leave a smile on your face:

Photo by Robbins Studios Photography and Fine Art

Photo by Larry Alan Photography

I encourage you all to check out each of their cosplay pages and see what wonderful work they create:

Jessica Nigri: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialJessicaNigri
Lisa Lou Who: https://www.facebook.com/LisaLouWhoCosplay
Destiny Nickelsen: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialDestinyNickelsen
Monika Lee: https://www.facebook.com/London2191Cosplay