+31 Not all cosplayers are valid and I'm sick of people pretending they are, amirite?

by InternalPainter544 1 week ago

this is why gatekeeping is actually good, it protects the hobby from being diluted into dog water. normies ruin everything

by Icy-Fishing 1 week ago

I think not enough gatekeeping can kill a community, but too much can also severely stunt it. The best communities walk a tightrope between maintaining the original theme and vision with not punishing creativity or stifling population growth

by Donavon63 1 week ago

That sound good, but gatekeeping and establishing standards functionally works the same. They exclude some people. But lets be real. Gatekeeping only really applies to certain things. If you're a fan of some king of niche product or service, you can only gate keep so much. If the creator of said product or service decides they want it to be mainstream, there's not a lot you can do about it.

by Miles13 1 week ago

Whats the point of having a gate if you dont keep it?

by Anonymous 1 week ago

But you have to pay the toll

by Anonymous 1 week ago

The troll toll?

by lavonnemetz 1 week ago

If you wanna get into that boys hole

by Longjumping_Run_9839 1 week ago

No, I said Boy's Soul

by leone61 1 week ago

The best communities are hard enough to get into that gatekeeping isn't needed See 90% of free climbing groups, there's little need for gatekeeping

by Anonymous 1 week ago

This is why I hate when certain concepts or language goes mainstream. Nuance gets flattened and everything gets oversimplified. "Gatekeeping" had it's moment, and the consensus was "gatekeeping = bad", and now even a whiff of anything that could remotely be described as gatekeeping is met with hostility.

by berniece03 1 week ago

Haha, literally the next word down on my mental list of these kinds of buzz words.

by berniece03 1 week ago

Probably because the difficulty in learning the mechanics serve as a natural gate. The community really doesn't have to do much.

by Miles13 1 week ago

Lots of people try to gatekeep fighting game still. I agree though, the barrier for entry keeps a lot more people out.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

I've never seen anybody try to gate keep fighting games until recently with SF6 and the simplified controls. But I haven't really been deep into that community for a long time so I could be wrong.

by Miles13 1 week ago

Ah but if you hurt their feelings you're gatekeeping and then you get pushed out of your own community because whover cries the loudest gets the most sympathy usually.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

That's typically how it goes

by InternalPainter544 1 week ago

You are literally complaining about stuff that would be fixed by gatekeeping

by Steuberdee 1 week ago

Gatekeeping saves hobbies

by WoodenAd 1 week ago

We used to get 3 dnd books a month, we didnt gate keep and now we have to have wheel chair accessible dungeons as not to offend differently abled pcs

by Steuberdee 1 week ago

wait like, in the game there have to be wheelchair accessible dungeons? the game that you play as a character in, not real life?

by berneiceshields 1 week ago

One of the designers of some stuff in Candlekeep uses a wheelchair, and said it was important for people like her to be able to imagine themselves in those places. It's legitimately a non-issue that some people are blowing out of proportion. It affects able bodied people in no way unless they hate ramps.

by Scassin 1 week ago

In a world of magic there isn't a way to not be crippled or have something better than a wheel chair?

by WoodenAd 1 week ago

Sure, there might be for the rich or powerful. Add stairs in yourself if it offends you so much.

by Scassin 1 week ago

It literally effects the verisimilitude of the world directly. Why would *evil monsters build a dungeon full of deadly encounters and traps but suddenly feel bad that it wasn't accessible to people in wheelchairs? If they were worried about accessibilty wouldnt the literal monsters in the dungeon be a bigger threat to accessibility? *we arent allowed to have evil races anymore either so be sure you start every combat with mind flayers and beholders asking them their pronouns and what alignment they identify as otherwise you are a bigot.

by Steuberdee 1 week ago

Ok but, it would be really funny to have a monster go like: "Hmm… if we make it accessible to more people.. that means more people will fall for our traps!"

by efunk 1 week ago

That sounds cool? You've wrote it like it's a negative but surely that only applies if the dungeon you're making up is being played by a person RPing as a wheel chair user?

by Anonymous 1 week ago

The question is why on earth would a dungeon, designed to be hard to break into, be built by an Evil Monster to be accessible to someone in a wheelchair. Like arrow traps are fair game, but stairs are a bridge too far?

by Anonymous 1 week ago

They've got monsters that struggle with stairs. Their builders were too lazy to hewn steps out of the stone. They plan to cover it with slime as a trip hazard. Easier to clean blood off of. Want to roll a rock down it. It's a game of unlimited imagination, I'm sure someone can think of a reason that still has internal logic. And again, surely that only applies to people playing a campaign with wheel chair users? Otherwise you can just say "you come to a set of stairs" instead of "slope"

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Are normies not allowed to enjoy things now?

by Anonymous 1 week ago

The very idea that a hobby can become "diluted" is ridiculous. You love doing something, and other people love doing something. Their thing doesn't affect your thing.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Yes, it does affect everything. Unless you literally don't talk with anyone about your hobbies, chances are you interact with a community...

by GlobalComparison 1 week ago

If someone's enjoyment of something ruins yours, you never liked that thing.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

If you like X attribute of a hobby, and the growth of the community brings an influx of people that change X attribute, now what you enjoyed about that thing and its community is lost.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Then you never cared about it, you cared about keeping people away from it.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

This ^

by InternalPainter544 1 week ago

Yea I see to many low effort cosplay being praised for looking good, hell I've seen some people who didn't even look close to their actual character be called a good cosplay. Especially my hero cosplay, those guys are extremely low effort

by WoodenAd 1 week ago

EXACTLY!! I understand being a fan and just dressing up but just throwing on an unstyled $10 amazon wig and wearing a merch shirt isn't a cosplay

by InternalPainter544 1 week ago

HAHAHAHA love this

by InternalPainter544 1 week ago

No one is making the argument that low effort cosplay isn't cosplay. It's just bad cosplay.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

God forbid people that don't have hundreds to spend on cosplay try to cosplay because they enjoy it.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

You don't understand what's being talked about here. No one is saying you have to spend hundreds for cosplay. They are saying that a SIMPLE cosplay isn't a GREAT cosplay. It still counts as cosplay but it shouldn't be encouraged to be the standard.

by Rich-Elephant 1 week ago

OP says simple is invalid as cosplay. I understood. There's nothing wrong with encouragement. If someone likes the simplicity of a cosplay or that it's halfway decent looking in spite of it's simplicity, they are allowed to say so. Or, cause that's the only game they have and are trying to flirt. Sometimes encouragement can motivate someone to do more!

by Anonymous 1 week ago

‘you don't need a wig, contacts, makeup or even a canon outfit to look remotely like the character for it to be an amazing cosplay'. throwing on an unstyled $10 amazon wig and wearing a merch shirt. I don't even understand how this kind of logic works. Do these people understand that cosplay stand for "costume play"? Meaning, you are supposed to dress up and role-play as the character you are cosplaying?

by Anonymous 1 week ago

And that's great for her mama!! But I don't ever judge minors, so this conversation wouldn't even really apply to her! If she looks up to her character, and feels confident in what she's doing that's all that matters <3 You probably don't see every side to this community but someday you will

by InternalPainter544 1 week ago

So you're different from the other girls because you put a lot more money and time in on your outfits than some others do, but they're having just as much fun as you are and that's just not fair ?

by Business_Fox 1 week ago

To be fair your cosplays... you know what, not today. I'm choosing kindness today!

by Fine-While5655 1 week ago

It's always the people who shouldn't be throwing stones that end up throwing the stones ya know

by Ok-Seat-7413 1 week ago

It's them projecting how they really feel about themselves tbh

by Metamcdermott 1 week ago

this. the fault we find in others is typically a projection of our own insecurities

by Anonymous 1 week ago

If they are not doing it professionally and money involved. Just let ppl have fun and enjoy themselves. No need to bring them down.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

TF does not valid mean in relation to a group of people?

by Anonymous 1 week ago

I had always wanted to get into cosplay but people like OP are exactly why I never did. The level of judgement is pretty rough and for something that feels like if you are at all shy or introverted that getting that kind of reaction would be a major turn off.

by ukub 1 week ago

Agreed. I've always wanted to do some cosplays but people would say stuff like "You can't do that character because you aren't her race" or "You're a faker if you don't spend 30h and $500 building a costume" and crap 😭

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Prob still gonna cosplay my pfp, skin color be damned Just gotta figure out how to smoke without smoking 😭

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Ik someone who had a steam machine in their mask!

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Gatekeeping wearing clothes lol

by Anonymous 1 week ago

What's 'valid' supposed to mean? Cosplay isn't serious, it is just for fun. If you're having fun, it's 'valid'.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Literally, it's professional dress up

by EducationalStorm6165 1 week ago

It's not professional. It's always has been a hobby. Do you also criticize people who are not playing video games on the cybersportsmen level?

by Anonymous 1 week ago

i'm confused on how other people having fun and cosplaying as a hobby affects you in any way?

by Any_Plankton 1 week ago

100% this

by Anonymous 1 week ago

I wouldn't say allat As a fashion girly imo cosplay's just a more niche form of it tbh

by Anonymous 1 week ago

It's just dressing up, calm down.

by Abject-Ride 1 week ago

You sound like the guy in that meme of him tweeting about being dressed as the joker complaining that someone else's costume is clearly inferior and gets angry that people like that guys costume so much

by Anonymous 1 week ago

What do you mean my Waifu in the DVA bodysuit isn't a legit cosplayer

by Anonymous 1 week ago

There is truth to this, but it's not even remotely what I'm reaching too. Sex workers who also cosplay in their sex work are using it as a fetish, so definitely not a valid cosplay- just a fetish.

by InternalPainter544 1 week ago

Who decides which cosplays are "valid"? Who decides how much effort goes into a cosplay before it's considered "valid?" Bro is gatekeeping wearing clothes and dressing up, this is getting insane. "validating unskilled cosplayers is gatekeeping them from ever actually expanding their skills" is crazy bro LMAO Cosplaying is just dressing up as a hobby. That's it. It's just people having fun emulating characters they like. It doesn't matter how much or how little effort is put in. It's literally just for fun. Some cosplayers are more serious than others and do more involved cosplay—but it's all cosplay. Please touch grass I'm literally begging you

by Anonymous 1 week ago

oh I was guilty of a lot of closet cosplays in 2020. They weren't great, but I got thousands of hits because I was funny. But it's only for fun, what's the fuss? Everyone knows there's a difference between cheap wigs and random shirts and somebody who handcrafted a perfectly accurate cosplay, we all know which one looks better. But cosplay is just professional dress up, what's the fuss?

by EducationalStorm6165 1 week ago

This is kind of classist of you OP lol going to that level of effort takes a lot of time, energy and money. Just let people be happy and cosplay - it's about the fantasy, not always the accuracy.

by Georgechamplin 1 week ago

I don't know why it matters. Does this actually effect anything other than how you feel? If not, people should just be able to enjoy themselves I honestly think that's how it should go for most aspects of life

by Anonymous 1 week ago

I am a cosplayer, and to me cosplay is like fan art. It is an expression of a character that someone is trying to portray. It doesn't always have to be accurate, it's their interpretation and art style of the character. I personally like it being more accessible to more people. The fact that people can buy cosplays and be praised for lower effort cosplays gets people into the community and they can start learning how to improve and build their own cosplays. Before it was mainstream like today, many people were so rude about any sort of detail wrong, including things like SKIN COLOR and shaming people for having any differences. The community was overall super toxic and I like that it is inviting now. Legit cosplays take a lot of time, money, and experience to make; not everybody has that. I will say that YOU CAN TELL when someone puts time and effort into making their own cosplays, there is a clear difference. If you are salty that lower quality cosplayers are getting more attention on social media than you then maybe you should learn more about marketing yourself. Maybe these people have built a community because they are nice and empower other cosplayers. Instead of being envious, focus on your own growth and building your own community.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

A cosplayer gatekeeping cosplay is the saddest thing I've ever seen. You realize, of course, that you can be gatekept from your own hobby, right? In fact, I'm going to say right now, if you really feel this way, you're not a real cosplayer. Be better.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Right? I'm sitting here, sipping a Manhattan doing a double take. Is this dude really whining about this? Worry less about others.

by leilani05 1 week ago

Wow fancy dress has got a lot more complicated since I was a kid.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

My unpopular opinion is what you and they are doing is called playing dress up. Cosplay is a word that doesn't make sense and makes the practice of dressing up for make believe sound more adult.

by Pritchie 1 week ago

I'm pretty sure it is a portmanteau of costume play. So yes, adult dress up. Not my thing, seems weird to me, but whatever.

by Free_Ad_9630 1 week ago

I agree with about the portmanteau, but "Costume Play" doesn't make sense to me grammatically the way "playing dress up does" I wouldn't say "vidplay / video game play" I'd say "playing video games"

by Pritchie 1 week ago

Sure but when it comes to language, there aren't set rules They change form depending on how much people use them. I'm sure the oed and merriam webster can back this up too

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Your cosplays don't look good + learn to drive

by Independent-Cod-8703 1 week ago

You realise that cosplay is for fun, right?

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Here's my thing I'm a massive weeb but I have never been big on cosplay because in my opinion a lot of it doesn't look good. Simple cosplay is most of what I like as it's hard to mess up and often looks better. But I feel like as someone who passively sees cosplay I have to agree with you. If you're not going to put in the effort/you don't look generally like the character you can't expect people to pretend that your cosplay is spectacular. Also it seems as cosplay becomes more popular and normalized that some people are really getting lazy about it. Like some blond girl will claim to be power from chainsaw man without any props, outfit, character knowledge, contacts, or really anything. But because they have 1 matching characteristic from the character that's their "cosplay"

by lessie47 1 week ago

You're just gatekeeping your community, which helps exactly no one

by Few_Entertainer 1 week ago

The idea that cosplay is valid or not is wild. In my opinion it's a waste of time and money but it's your time and money so I don't really care.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Cons and twitch are cancerous communities full of narcissistic people I would prefer I spent my entire life never crossing paths with

by Anonymous 1 week ago

dude I'm a cosplayer (well, not so much now) and I have hated 98% of every cosplayer I've met. They're all weird man

by EducationalStorm6165 1 week ago

Some high quality gatekeeping here

by Dbarton 1 week ago

Lol Imagine this being on your list of things to be concerned about

by Aurorehintz 1 week ago

It's my most expensive hobby, and it's not necessarily a concern- I'm just expressing my opinion.

by InternalPainter544 1 week ago

I mean you just said that it's expensive, maybe they just don't have the money to enjoy it but still want to enjoy it? As someone who owns ten surfboards for different conditions, I would never say the dude who found their one board in the trash that they use for all conditions isn't a real surfer

by Dcollins 1 week ago

I wish things were this simple

by Fine-While5655 1 week ago

In a word, "feelings"

by Anonymous 1 week ago

If you're looking for a good definition for elitism I just found it.

by Ofritsch 1 week ago

"When you play dress up you don't take it as seriously as I do when I play dress up therefore your dress up is invalid and anyone who disagrees is hampering you" reads like someone was told they take their hobby too seriously by other people in the hobby and are lashing out looking for validation about how seriously they take it.

by nikitabrown 1 week ago

gatekeeping?

by jhaley 1 week ago

Huh? Seems elitist af. I did not feel like I needed contacts to do an effective cosplay, and this honestly just sounds like gatekeeping. Everyone has to start somewhere. Chill. It's all for fun. Here's a radical idea - let people have fun without feeling the need to gatekeep them? 😉

by Kayaernser 1 week ago

THIS

by Metamcdermott 1 week ago

I mean, I agree with OP that some decent effort needs to be made. I think something could be said for joke cosplay, but I can't put on just a tuxedo T shirt and say I'm cosplaying James Bond.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

I think you can. Others might consider it a terrible cosplay, but it's still your take on the character.

by Fit_Engineer 1 week ago

Costume is built into the very word cosplay isn't it? Play is too though so I wouldn't take it too harshly. I wouldn't think birthday suit is a part of dressup. You could tell a Marine with the skinned head you look like a cop. He'd still be a better cop cosplayer with a lip wig,a blue suit, and a wearable early pregnancy belly even though his hair cut will do fine. Someone going to a Halloween party, not in costume and when told thanks for dressing up they say I did dress up I'm my evil twin. It's play so you shouldn't cast them out, but it's not in good spirits either and you don't pretend it was.

by Cheap_Check 1 week ago

I'm sick of everyone needing to sensationalize their headings by saying "and I'm sick of pretending they are!" Nobody is pretending anything. Get over yourself.

by Otherwise_Tea5874 1 week ago

your hobby became mainstream, the worst possible outcome. I'm sorry for your loss

by Anonymous 1 week ago

cosplay was just dressing up as your favorite characters and having fun at cons That's still what it is today, no thanks to dorks like you. The guy and girl from My Dress-Up Darling would poor milk on you

by Anonymous 1 week ago

I have the same thing but opposite. Just because I make clothes/costumes and have some pictures of me in Halloween costumes on my Instagram, doesnt make me a cosplayer. People compliment me so many times on my cosplay and apparently I can't wear a costume on halloween anymore without being called cosplayer

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Why are you gatekeeping the cosplay community? Not everyone has the resources or funds to create elaborate costumes. Let people have fun man. Side note, why is this labeled NSFW?

by Willmssherwood 1 week ago

Cosplay is stupid anyway

by Anita03 1 week ago

Honest question, why cosplay? It's not something I've ever understood (outside of Halloween and just being a kid wanting to dress up as a favorite character) but haven't asked anyone.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

I am more angry at basically porn-cosplays. you know those that are only a wig of XY character and half of the victoria's secret catalog? yeah. that one can F off.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Personally, I think a cosplayer is someone who makes a costume to look like a character. Doesn't matter how much of a begginer they are and if it doesn't look super good. HOWEVER, people buying the entire outfit on amazon and going to cons are NOT cosplayers for me. It's like if I comission a drawing of a character then go around showing it to everyone saying "look I made that drawing".

by Grouchy_Soft 1 week ago

I get that it's annoying, but honestly... who cares? Just like with any hobby, there are going to be those who put in more time, money and effort, and there are going to be people who put in less. If anything you should be thankful that the low-effort cosplays make yours look better. I guarantee you someone out there is looking at your cosplay, scoffing then thinking to themself 'Wow, we need to tighten things up in this community."

by Hopeful_Card 1 week ago

Some excellent gatekeeping here. Why do you care so much about what random strangers say to each other?

by bashirianelisha 1 week ago

My Waldo hat is just as valid as your Master Chief full-body custom build.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Isn't art generally considered to be in the eye of the beholder? I mean I don't think there is an established set of rules is there? Are they beating you out for cosplay awards? I'm not trying to come across rude I'm honestly just not sure why you'd care if someone calls themselves a cosplayer but doesn't do it the same way you do. Things evolve over time. Look at Drag which is honestly kind of similar. 20 years ago if you weren't wearing boobs and stiletto heels you were basically laughed off the stage. Now very few even use boobs, tons of queens don't wear high heels anymore, even wigs have become optional. Unless there is a formal organization that oversees the rules for competitions, then you should probably just expect that the art form is going to continue to change and evolve and you'll probably have to either adapt or get left behind.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Cosplay is literally just advanced dress up…it's not that serious.

by Fuzzy_Bluebird 1 week ago

You're an adult dressing up like a fictional character... Gatekeeping less committed adults doing the same. There's nothing valid about any of it, if people like it, they like it.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

You call what you do cosplay?

by blairbogisich 1 week ago

It's a costume. People can dress up however they want

by Anonymous 1 week ago

I think all cosplay is dumb and pointless, and to get upset about people doing something dumb and pointless not up to your standards is also dumb and pointless. Thinking you're better than someone at something doesn't dive your the right to tell other people they shouldn't do it, you're just mad people are getting the attention you want.

by linniebruen 1 week ago

I love cosplaying, it's a fun hobby to have. Mine also aren't the most "valid" in your terms because it's expensive and i have other stuff to pay for. I get my wigs on amazon and buy premade outfits if they're cheaper. Do they always look the best? Not really, but the whole point of doing it is to have fun.

by eddullrich 1 week ago

It's ridiculous to be this pressed imo

by Anonymous 1 week ago

I dunno man, i feel pretty valid running around my house in boxershorts with my Master sword

by Anonymous 1 week ago

my gripe with cosplayers is making a non sexual character sexual and walking around a convention almost naked. it just screams narcissism

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Because outside of enjoying the series and being a fan and having fun, there's nothing remarkable about cosplay for the person observing, so if you start being elitist at events, thats going to make people feel unwelcome and result in a decline in participation over time. No one wants to take it that seriously

by Anonymous 1 week ago

I don't see what the point of gatekeeping is.

by Faymaximillian 1 week ago

Takes like this are always weird because who is the central authority validating them? At the end of the day it's a hobby. You can dislike what people do but there's no laws about it. And to be fair this makes me confused: And I think it's pretty cool- but when you apply this idea to a non-Disney character it's apparently considered a ‘proper cosplay' and I just don't think it should be as it is. You just want people to call it by another name? Is just that? That being said you have a great Rhaenyra cosplay.

by brant22 1 week ago

Gatekeeping Hobbies 👍

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Are you gate keeping cosplaying? Anyone who wants to can play dress up. Also, cosplaying has been around a lot longer than the early 2000s.

by Twatsica 1 week ago

dude what are you talking about

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Just let them do their own thing since they are having fun and making some money out of it. What's your problem with it? I saw the cosplay on your profile and it doesn't look very nice to me, it might do to someone else. Does that mean I should try to criticize you instead of just minding my own business?

by ratkeolaf 1 week ago

I can guarantee you they aren't making any money

by InternalPainter544 1 week ago

Question: What qualifies a cosplay as valid? And what does validity mean in this scenario?

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Basically, what cosplays are deemed acceptable and accurate

by EducationalStorm6165 1 week ago

are you trying to tell me that my rubber gimp suit with the 18 inch dildo complete with faux semen ejaculation is not appropriate for family scenarios? Homophobe.

by NaturalUnited 1 week ago

Why care? How does this effect what you do? Most people wear cosplay or inspired styles to express fandom, not to entertain. So how are they competing with you or ruining what you are doing?

by Anonymous 1 week ago

This is why the world needs gate keeping and elitists. People may hate it, but it's social quality control.

by Few_Cellist 1 week ago