So there’s a smallish convention called Elite Con in Tampa, FL this weekend. They are a one-day collectible convention and they have stated that they are not permitting cosplayers. No exceptions. They’re reasonably polite about it, stating that as far as they’re concerned, this show is entirely about collectibles (including comics) and they don’t want cosplayers. And naturally fans are decrying the decision, being nasty and rude and declaring that they won’t attend.
Is there something wrong with me in that my response to the con’s decision is: So?
It’s their con. If they don’t want to have to deal with aisles being made more narrow by winged attendants or sword scabbards sticking out or everyone stopping in their tracks to take pictures, that’s honestly no big deal. There are hundreds of conventions that allow cosplaying. So one doesn’t. Big deal. Go or don’t go, but for God’s sake, stop yelling at them because they don’t want to produce a particular type of fan gathering. If I lived in Tampa, I’d likely go. Okay, I actually wouldn’t, I’m going to Kentucky this weekend. But you get the idea.
PAD
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Kentucky? Good luck, Peter. In my two con experiences there, the locals reacted to books like they were coiled rattlesnakes ready to strike. Hopefully, your mileage will vary.
One hopes none of those experiences were at a RiverCon…
Getting pictures of cosplayers could be my favorite part of conventions, but I respect the rights of the convention runners to decide what is or isn’t allowed at their convention. I might email them to try and change their mind, but I wouldn’t be “nasty and rude” and declare that I was boycotting the event.
I can sort of understand where they’re coming from. I love cosplay, but they appear to be less a multimedia event than they are what they advertise themselves to be- a collectibles show. They want the focus on the collectibles and the dealers. There are literally hundreds of shows where cosplayers can show off their work. Some of those shows are even specifically cosplay cons. I don’t see an issue with an event that wants to focus on just the one thing asking that the event not be turned into something that pulls attention away from and off of their primary focus.
“I can sort of understand where they’re coming from.”
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Just “sort of”? As you go on to acknowledge, cosplay isn’t the type of show they want to be.
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Clearly you “get’ it and don’t have a problem with what they’re doing. But it was the “sort of” that struck me as indicative of the types of challenges cons and organizations face when they say that they want to do something that isn’t what some particular fan wants. Even those fans who claim to be OK with that only “sort of” understand it.
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As you say, there are literally hundreds of cons where cosplayers are welcomed and encouraged. This one con isn’t one of those. Folks should absolutely understand that.
Dude, notch down the anal attitude a bit. I was largely typing like I speak and think- fairly casual language. I’ve also been defending their POV in more places than just here.
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When you have to whine about someone’s wording in the manner you did rather than their actual point, you’re pretty much just whining for the sake of whining.
Dude, notch down the defensiveness and attitude several notches. I specifically noted that you weren’t intending the attitude that I was taking issue with.
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And that attitude was very much part of what PAD originally wrote about.
If you have a convention with cosplayers, you have people coming to cosplay… and people coming to watch and take pictures of cosplayers. Neither of these groups BUY anything, unless it is related to (what else) cosplaying. At a venue with limited space, they would just make less available for people who would want to actually interact with the vendors. They can RenFaire to their hearts content a half-mile away.
Um, gonna stop you there. I agree with this convention having a right to do whatever they want. But cosplayers DO spend money. Lots of money. I’m speaking as someone who chaired a decent sized local convention for a decade. You just don’t SEE them spend money, because they don’t do it in costume, typically. When they’re in costume they don’t tend to carry wallets and purses and bags of merchandise. But before they dress and after they get out of their costume? They spend plenty. And not just cosplay stuff. Toys, comics, books, collectibles, artwork, and more. And folks in costume bring out fans, and those fans spend money.
Now space concerns, can be a whole different thing (although I always believed in 10ft aisles in the exhibitor hall.
You’re missing key details from this story. They posted their no cosplay policy multiple times before, and like the rest of their posts received little attention.
It wasn’t until they posted a cosplayer’s photo, without their permission, and wrote the words “No cosplay allowed” on the photo. This post went viral because it was seen by many as shaming cosplayers and was anything but “reasonably polite”. On top of that, because of the event’s name, people interpreted this as being elitist and exclusionary.
The page has now deleted the post that originally went semi-viral.
My feeling is 99% (or more) of the people planning on “boycotting” the con probably weren’t planning on going anyway. My opinion is their con, their rules. They don’t want cosplay… that’s their decision. And I bet there will be several people trying to sneak in masks or whatnot…
Most of the backlash I’ve seen has been more related to the nature and general “attitude” of the event. No media, no guests, no events, just a marketplace of collectibles, and supposedly all “high-end” items. Making it more of a “rich geek flea market” in some people’s eyes, not a “convention.”
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Add to that the air of vague superiority – not impolite, but language that seems very much to be “talking down” to people – and a lot of people have taken away the sense of a bunch of “Rich Uncle Pennybags” nerds strutting around, showing off their collections, buying each other’s stuff, and blocking out the peasantry. Not saying that’s accurate at all, but it’s left a bad taste in people’s mouth.
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I’m largely indifferent to the whole thing. On the one hand, I think they could have gotten better PR if they’d gone with a name that doesn’t have the connotations that the words “Elite Con” carry – “Elite” having a recent negative “pretentious” vibe, and “Con” evoking a pretty universal SDCC image for most people. On the flip side, they say no publicity is bad publicity, and having gone viral, their attendance numbers seem to be up, so maybe the backlash has an unintended benefit.
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I just personally think it would be HILARIOUS if someone showed up as the Punisher villain “Elite” (who wears a white three-piece suit with a white mask), removes the mask before they enter, and just walks around, perusing the collectibles and daring them to throw him out for wearing a white suit.
I think most of that is purely people wanting to be offended. I went to their Facebook page and read their posts. I went to their website and read the description of themselves. Sorry, didn’t do a thing to me anywhere near along the lines of feeling an air of vague superiority, being talked down to, or leaving with a bad taste in my mouth. It simply came across- and I say this as someone who loves first and foremost fan cons and multi-media cons -as a group of collectors who are tired of being squeezed out of their passion at other cons and have decided to put together a con devoted to collectors.
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In some cases, if nothing else, a few posts and comments on their part came across as people who were tired of being talked down to.
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I have been hearing for years now the complaints by a segment of fandom that the modern comic convention has pushed out comic books in the way they were once there and collectors who are after more than the items you can find in every dealer room at every con. You hear guys talk about how SDCC- the last two Cs standing for “Comic Con” -has gotten to the point where 99.9% of the focus is on everything except the actual comic books that started it all and the dealers selling old comics can be fit into a space smaller than the original SDCCs filled. I have been hearing for years now many in the rest of fandom tell them that, tough, but things change and evolve and “we” want the big, shiny cons.
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I sympathize with them.
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I don’t do collectibles, but I know people who do. They’re burning out on shelling out to go to a 3,000, 5,000, 10,000 or more person event- even if for only one day -to end up standing in lines, having to stop and wait in walkways as photos are taken, walking through large to giant dealer areas in search of something, and typically coming up largely empty.
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For them, having one convention set aside that is being tailor–made for their passions probably seems fantastic. They may even like going to other cons during other parts of the year to pursue other loves they have in fandom, but this probably sounds like an oasis in the collector con desert to them. Higher end collectibles, feedback to tailor the dealer selection and what the dealers may bring with them, no other distractions, nothing taking the focus or the time in the day away from the collectibles. Gotta seem pretty nice.
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We’ve got ours, they’ve got theirs, and, again, we have way more convention options than they do if it comes to cosplay vs no cosplay.
And that is all fair. Like I said, I’m indifferent to the whole thing. How their language does or does not offend ones sensibilities is, of course entirely subjective. I was just explaining the perspective I’m hearing from people I know that were PO’d about the whole thing. From reading only one or two of the con admins’ statements, I found nothing insulting personally, but I can imagine people taking it the wrong way. As stated in my previous, maybe it could have been handled better, maybe adjusting the message slightly, but as an authority on unintentionally insulting people through text, I assure you I can’t imagine how. *chuckles*
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Either way, I don’t have a dog in this fight. Being a rather financially limited fan myself, I never get to go to ANY con, and was likewise not headed to this one. I’d simply heard from some friends who are regulars on the circuit that this thing was happening and they were calling shenanigans. Not surprised the might be overreacting, but fan passion and all that. *shrugs*
A great idea and it could actually lead to an ongoing practice of “stealth cosplay”— people dressed as Elite, Rorschach, The Question, Punisher, Professor X, Dr. Nemesis, Bruce Banner, etc. All characters that are dressed either entirely like regular people, or who have one tiny part of their costume that indicates the character of their choice, perhaps one that can be easily discarded or hidden when security shows up. I don’t disagree that it’s Elite’s right to have the con of their choosing, but I still find this scenario kinda amusing.
Not a great idea at all, really, but one I’ve unfortunately seen voiced in more places than just here.
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One con- one single convention out of hundreds in the US -is saying they want to focus more on collectables and tailor their con to those collectors. As a part of tailoring their experience to a specific part of fandom they asked that attendees not cosplay at this con.
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And members of fandom freaked out.
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And members of fandom complained.
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And members of fandom shrieked and screamed.
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And members of fandom (who likely wouldn’t buy a thing if they went) started talking about how cool it would be to sneak cosplays in that don’t look like the typical, more elaborate cosplays in order to create issues if they’re asked to leave.
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Seriously, can the sense of childish entitlement by some in fandom not get any more stupid here?
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One convention out of dozens in that region of the country, one out of hundreds across the United States, asked that it be allowed to not cater to one aspect of modern fandom, and there are people in fandom that act like they simply cannot allow it.
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Jesus, people, grow up and get a grip already. You’re not entitled to have everything cater to all of your wants at all times. Sometimes other people are allowed to say no to you. Sometimes people are allowed to have something that’s there for them that might not be your thing as well.
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Don’t like the idea of a convention that doesn’t want cosplay at the event? Simple solution. Don’t go.
Well Jerry, not speaking for all those other people who so callously expressed their opinions, and had the sheer audacity to not agree with you (da noive!), I was making a joke. As evidenced by the phrase “I just personally think it would be HILARIOUS.”
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So was, I would posit, Luigi Novi, as could be surmised by his subsequent response of “I don’t disagree that it’s Elite’s right to have the con of their choosing, but I still find this scenario kinda amusing,” I believe.
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I was making a specific play on words about a character called “Elite” and noting his rather mundane costume, and not ACTUALLY advocating the practice of “stealth cosplay,” – which actually does sound like an interesting activity that could be explored and organized at some event in the future – but to re-emphasize the (apparently REPEATEDLY missed) point, I don’t have any actual interest in that kind of protest against the con staff or concept, since I have little opinion and no conflict with this event.
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However, seeing as the entire scenario has personally offended you on such a deep level, I suppose I should apologize for my stupid, childish, entitled, and it would seem ENTIRELY inappropriate and unacceptable commentary on the matter, and I should encourage any others who have expressed their bemusement, dissent, or dissatisfaction to do the same.
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I should, but I think we all know that’s not going to happen. Still, as is clear and implicit in your message, it is the thought, and ONLY that, that counts. And just as the thought that “stealth cosplay” would be a fun subversion of the rules is tantamount to unhinged, immature behavior and an affront to your polite and level-headed perspective, so then will the thought that I MIGHT apologize be sufficient to appease your offended sensibilities and be taken as sincere and well-intended.
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Further, please feel free to imagine whatever polite facial expression or friendly hand gesture to accompany this apology as you deem fit. I will defer to your superior judgement in that matter, as perhaps we all should have done from the start.
As you wrote, it IS their con to do with as they please.
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Doubt that I’d attend. Not a boycott, but the Dealers’ Room has typically been the least interesting part of a convention for me so I can’t see going out of my way for one which is pretty much nothing but from the sounds of it. Give me panels, presentations, costume ball and late night room parties.
There are shows very similar to this in Toronto, run by a few different organizations. In total, there’s 1-2 every month, and they call themselves “shows”, not “cons”. They don’t have a no-cosplay rule, but they are dealers only, largely for toys.
In general, less than 5% of the people who show up are in cosplay, plus the occasional parents who bring their kids in store-bought, low-quality costumes. Everyone who shows is there to buy or sell.
I think if they just replaced the “con” in their name, it would solve a lot of problems…”show”, “market”, “fair” is more descriptive of what they’re trying to accomplish anyways.