Cosplay
Cosplay Subculture
Rachael Driver
Bowling Green Technical College
Abstract This paper will be discussing the cosplay, or costume play, subculture. In this paper, it will also go over who makes up this particular subculture, what it takes to be a cosplayer, what this subculture does for society, how society sees those who participate in it, how and when it came to be, most famous cosplay costumes, and what this subculture provides for those who take part in it. Keywords: Cosplay, Costume Play, Sociology, Subculture, Japanese cosplay, costumes, cosplay conventions
Cosplay, short for "costume play", is a type of performance art in which the participants make and wear costumes and accessories to represent a specific character or idea. This is also considered a type of role playing. Favorite sources for these costumes include manga , anime, books, TV shows, comic books, video games, and films. In cosplay, even inanimate objects are given life and personalities, and it is not unusual to see genders switched, with women playing male characters and vice versa. This is called crossplaying. There is also a group of cosplay culture centered around sex appeal, with cosplayers specifically choosing characters that are known for their attractiveness and/or revealing costumes. Often cosplay is most remembered for this because of all of the skimpy female outfits, but really there is so much more to cosplay than that. (Cosplay, 2012) Cosplay has been called many things over the years: a hobby, an art form, a youth clique, a fashion movement, a social event, a designing process, a detachment from society, or even just something to do out of pure boredom. All of these things can be considered true, in some way, depending on the situation, but the essence of cosplay is that it is a form of expression for young people in the subcultures that practice it. (What is Cosplay? Understanding
Rachael Driver
Bowling Green Technical College
Abstract This paper will be discussing the cosplay, or costume play, subculture. In this paper, it will also go over who makes up this particular subculture, what it takes to be a cosplayer, what this subculture does for society, how society sees those who participate in it, how and when it came to be, most famous cosplay costumes, and what this subculture provides for those who take part in it. Keywords: Cosplay, Costume Play, Sociology, Subculture, Japanese cosplay, costumes, cosplay conventions
Cosplay, short for "costume play", is a type of performance art in which the participants make and wear costumes and accessories to represent a specific character or idea. This is also considered a type of role playing. Favorite sources for these costumes include manga , anime, books, TV shows, comic books, video games, and films. In cosplay, even inanimate objects are given life and personalities, and it is not unusual to see genders switched, with women playing male characters and vice versa. This is called crossplaying. There is also a group of cosplay culture centered around sex appeal, with cosplayers specifically choosing characters that are known for their attractiveness and/or revealing costumes. Often cosplay is most remembered for this because of all of the skimpy female outfits, but really there is so much more to cosplay than that. (Cosplay, 2012) Cosplay has been called many things over the years: a hobby, an art form, a youth clique, a fashion movement, a social event, a designing process, a detachment from society, or even just something to do out of pure boredom. All of these things can be considered true, in some way, depending on the situation, but the essence of cosplay is that it is a form of expression for young people in the subcultures that practice it. (What is Cosplay? Understanding
Cited: What is Cosplay? Understanding Cosplay and its many definitions. (2007). Retrieved september 26, 2012, from thecosplayproject.com: http://www.thecosplayproject.com/what-is-cosplay.html Top films and television shows that inspire cosplay. (2010, August 31). Retrieved September 26, 2012, from citypages.com: http://blogs.citypages.com/dressingroom/2010/08/top_films_and_t.php?page=2 Cosplay in Japan. (2011, Nember 15). Retrieved September 26, 2012, from allinjapan.org: http://www.allinjapan.org/cosplay-in-japan/ Cosplay. (2012, september 24). Retrieved september 24, 2012, from Wikipedia the free encyclopedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosplay