Body Image in the Geek Community

Posted on August 27, 2013 by Alice Vega

Photo from livescience.com

Hey everyone! Happy Monday!

So to keep this momentum going from my last post about Fake Geek Girls and the Heroes of Cosplay controversy, I want to address another issue that the show has brought up: body image.

So in the show, Becky discusses her insecurity about gaining weight. Her issue in the last episode was about looking and feeling confident in her Merida (from Disney’s Brave) cosplay. This issue is so relevant in the geek and cosplay community because as fellow geeks, most of our hobbies, such as playing video games, reading comic books, watching anime, etc. doesn’t really require us to be super active. Therefore, we tend to be less in shape. (And just as a disclaimer: This isn’t a scientific fact so don’t quote me on this. This is just from my experience as a fellow geek.) Now that cosplay is such a huge part of the geek fandom, it presents this oxymoron of the sorts. You spend all your time playing a video game (not being active or exercising) and then you want to cosplay a character with a tiny waist, perky boobs, and a nice ass. Well, that’s lovely and all but you just finished an entire box of Hot Pockets. Having six-pack abs definitely wasn’t on your mind as you were finishing the game.

Let me just put it out there that I DEFINITELY know these feels. I have always and currently struggle with body image issues because I dance. And dancer bodies are HOT! It can be such a struggle to keep up with the masses. Not to mention the amount of pressure and stress it can be on a person to have to look a certain way in order for society to deem as acceptable and successful. The internet can be a very scary place. People are ruthless behind their keyboards and they won’t hesitate to point out your stretch marks or love handles in your latest cosplay pic.

But I’m here to tell you to face your insecurities head on. Don’t run away from the problem or just be depressed about it. First of all, be PROUD of your body type. I’m slowly learning to love my curves and I find myself becoming more confident when taking pictures. I know it can be such a “foreign” concept, but we all have different body types! Say what?! You mean, we’re not all supposed to be those stick skinny girls on the magazine covers?!

NO! And don’t give into that crap. Love your body and love where you came from. That’s step 1. Step 2, if you do find yourself wanting to change something, then go do it! Do it at your own pace. If you haven’t worked out in 10 years, don’t jump into P90x today. Be realistic and set some realistic goals for yourself. Even if it’s once or twice a week, just take a walk in the park. As long as you’re moving, you’re being active and you’re working those muscles.

And on the other side of that spectrum, if you have a thin body type, don’t worry! There’s always room to bulk up and get that nice, toned booty! People tend to shun naturally thin girls and tell them they have it easy because society deems thin as acceptable. But on the contrary, thin girls can feel just as insecure. It doesn’t matter what body type you are, advertising companies are gonna drill this idea in your head that YOU will never be good enough. And don’t let them. You’re better than that.

And I didn’t forget my handsome fellas reading this! Don’t get caught up in the whole “bulking up, protein shakes all day everyday” culture. If you genuinely enjoy that lifestyle, then by all means, go do it! But just because your friends are all doing it doesn’t mean you have to as well. Same idea here: love and accept your body. Then if you want to make some changes, then go make some changes. Even if it’s just pledging to cut down on junk food or just doing some simple at home conditioning – every step counts. Do it at your own pace. You owe yourself that.

Cosplay can be this amazing motivational tool to help you get into shape. But don’t just strive to have Psylocke’s body or Wolverine’s biceps. Strive to have YOUR best body. Work out because you want to be a better you. Not just to look like a certain character. Trust me, you’ll feel a whole lot happier in the long run.

Body image will sadly always be an ongoing issue in our culture, but we can’t succumb to those negative thoughts. Positive energy is contagious and I encourage you to own it and spread that shit all over!

… That sounded weird and awkward. But you get my point. I hope.

‘Til next time, my loves.

-Alice

The Fake Geek Girl & Heroes of Cosplay Controversy

Posted on August 21, 2013 by Alice Vega

Photo from albinwonderland

Hey everyone! Happy Wednesday!

So I’ve been wanting to chime in on this topic for a very long time now, but I’ve just been waiting until the right moment. The reason I think this moment is the right one is because of what’s currently happening in our community right now. As some of you may or may not know, the SyFy reality show Heroes of Cosplay is turning our community into utter chaos. How this show is relevant to this topic… well, just stick with me.

First off, a Fake Geek Girl is defined as a female of any age faking it in the geek culture, i.e. cosplaying characters she doesn’t know, saying she’s a gamer but has never touched a Playstation, etc. You might have seen some of these girls or know some yourself. But here’s a newsflash: Who the fuck cares?

A girl cosplaying for attention? Oh my gosh, who would do such a thing?! It’s not like anyone, male or female, dresses up in these costumes to get attention or anything! It’s not like your standing out from the crowd by wearing something different, right? Who cosplays for attention nowadays anyway?!

If you’re cosplaying, then you’re obviously trying to get noticed. I mean, THINK ABOUT IT. If you don’t want to get noticed, wouldn’t you wear clothing that doesn’t make you stand out? Let me break that down even more. If you’re trying to get noticed, you’re trying to get people’s attention. So by the transitive property that we all learned in high school, ANYONE cosplaying is trying to seek attention.

And why is that a bad thing? People make that out to be a terrible, vain factor of cosplay. If you poured blood, sweat, and tears into your costume as well as months and months of paychecks, you totally deserve to show that shit off and get recognition for your hard work. Cosplaying for attention isn’t a bad thing. It’s actually the norm. So get that out of your head that we females are doing this to get attention.

If you’re thinking more in terms with the fact that females who wear revealing outfits are trying to get attention, then so be it! Maybe they are, maybe they’re not. Again, who the fuck cares? Is it ruining your life? Is it deterring your will to live? No, so stop making it a big deal. If they’re confident in themselves to model a sexy cosplay, then let them do it! If you’re more on the conservative side and don’t really like sexy cosplay, then don’t do sexy cosplay. There’s no rule book on how to cosplay. Photographers are going to flock to sexy cosplays whether you like it or not. This is how the world works, unfortunately, but don’t let that get you down. Don’t let other people’s opinions morph your view of yourself. Strut your stuff, and be proud of whoever you’re cosplaying as.

So let me state the obvious here: most of the content creators in our geek culture, i.e. comic book writers, artists, manga artists, etc, are STILL mostly men. Therefore, they will most of the time have a patriarchal perspective on most things. If you’re wondering why most female super heroes are dressed that way, that wasn’t a coincidence.

But hello, welcome to the year 2013. Females like this shit too. I know, crazy, right? Females like anime, video games, and comic books. Some females are aspiring directors and filmmakers. Some females want to make their own comic books. If you’re sitting here reading this like this is a new concept, then again, welcome to the year 2013. Sorry your distant planet didn’t have concepts like this.

This is no longer a Boys Only club, and it never should have been. There’s plenty of strong females who are content creators and it’s only a matter of time before their work can be seen by millions of people. Call me idealistic, but I have faith.

So let’s stop feeding this outdated idea to young girls that they have to grow up and be a secretary and like Barbie. If they want to be a secretary and like Barbie, that’s totally cool! But if they aspire to be the President and like Iron Man, then that’s pretty damn cool too.

And the next time you see a girl “faking” it, just remember, we all had to start somewhere. You didn’t come into this culture being a fcking expert at Call of Duty. Let these new fans explore their interests and don’t be an asshole about it.

And how does this tie into the current Cosplay crisis? Well, a lot of fans are upset at how the show is portraying cosplayers. Apparently, the show is showcasing a very catty, egotistical, dog-eat-dog world of cosplay. While I agree with these fans that this is an inaccurate portrayal of the cosplay world, I’d also like to remind everyone that this is TELEVISION. Hi, Welcome to the year 2013 again. TV is fake and sometimes scripted. Oh my gosh, no way!! You mean the Bachelorette doesn’t really find true love at the end?!?

The producers of the show are going to edit the B-Roll as they see fit. What makes it into the show is whatever makes it into the show. A TV show or movie or any sort of film is STORYTELLING at the very core. You need a plot, you need characters, and you need a conflict. Otherwise you might as well show a live stream of a convention. And as we all know, that’s definitely not gonna get any TV show good ratings.

To me, it’s also an issue of new fans vs. old fans. Also known as elitists vs. noobs. Now these people who don’t know what the hell anime or comic books are are gonna start cosplaying and acting like they know shit. Raise your hand if you heard this argument before.

Let me repeat myself. Let these new fans explore their new interests. If a new fan discovers cosplay through this show, that’s great. Share your craft. And see this as an opportunity to be someone’s senpai.

So fellow Internet friends, what have we learned today? I hope you’ve taken something away from this, and that I’ve challenged you to think a little differently.

Leave a comment and let them feels out.

-Alice

Heroes of Cosplay

Posted on August 13, 2013 by Alice Vega

Photo from legedarium.mymiddleearth.com

Hey everyone! Happy Trolling Tuesday!

So any geek in this fandom knows what cosplaying is. They’ve either done it before or take pictures of people who do it. Cosplaying is not only just playing “dress up” to some… it really is a lifestyle. Whether people do it for fun, to network, or to really advance their career, cosplay is something that we geeks hold dear to ourselves.

In case you were unaware, the SyFy network has a new show their premiering tonight called Heroes of Cosplay. It’s a reality show that features 9 talented cosplayers, all ranging in different levels of skill, and the process of how they make these amazing outfits and compete in them.

The only cosplayer I know from the cast (not personally, but I wish!) is the legend herself, Yaya Han. If you don’t know who Yaya Han is, shame on you! To put it simply, she’s an amazing cosplayer with remarkable skill that has created her own career JUST cosplaying. She’s seriously living the Nerdy American dream.

Yeah, she retweeted me. I fangirled for about five minutes.

Anyways, for some reason, there’s been a lot of controversy surrounding the show. Some fans think that the show will portray cosplaying in a bad light. If you’re one of those fans, please enlighten me, because I really don’t see any reason why they would.

If fans are worried about the “drama” that’s on the show, well, isn’t that realistic? Especially if you’re competing?! When I was 12-years-old, my friends and I competed in a masquerade. We just did a skit, but nonetheless it was still a competition. The entire day before the masquerade began was hectic beyond belief. I was only a kid at the time so I didn’t really comprehend a lot of things, but looking back, I can honestly say I’m grateful for the experience and I commend ANYONE who does this. Because yeah… it is stressful as fuck.

Overall, I am SUPER excited for the premiere tonight. It’s about time the mainstream media learns about what we do. I feel this show will be a great gateway for new fans to come into the community and even try cosplaying out.

And isn’t that what it’s all about? Sharing our knowledge of the craft?

-Alice

Throwback Thursday: The Era of Pokemon

Posted on August 9, 2013 by Alice Vega

Hello everyone! Happy Thursday!

Photo from fanpop.com

So if you’re a 90’s kid like myself, you should have a special place in your heart for this anime. So what if the artwork and graphics aren’t top notch or that the story line isn’t original?! Whether you were a fan of the phenomenon or not, you can’t deny that Pokemon is one of the most successful and globally known anime from Japan.

I remember I was in the 3rd grade when I watched my first episode. Like many other youngins’, I watched it on Kids WB (which is now the CW). I was so infatuated by these cute little creatures that had these kickass powers, that I wanted MORE of it. So I collected the trading cards, I played the video games (for Gameboy AND Nintendo 64), I collected the VHS tapes, I collected each soundtrack, I went to the premiere of the first movie, and the list goes on and on. I know I’m not the only one who did this, so you better be basking in your childhood too as you read this.

The crazy thing about Pokemon is that the series IS STILL GOING ON til today. That’s insane! If you think about it, most anime shows only last an average of 20-ish episodes per season. If I watched this in 3rd grade, that means this show has been around for more than a decade. Wow. How many shows can you think of that can do the same thing? WITH constant video games coming out, soundtracks, movies, manga, etc? I’d like to argue, not a whole lot.

To me, Pokemon doesn’t only bring out nostalgic memories for me… it represents this culture of nerdy fandom. I’m not ashamed to admit I still play the video games, I cosplay from the series, and I have a bunch of Pikachu plushies. There’s just something about it that doesn’t get old. I’m not a huge fan of all these new pokemon and these new series (I like to keep it old school) but I will always get excited and feel happy whenever I watch an episode from the Indigo or Johto Leagues. Or if I’m playing Pokemon Red/Blue/Yellow. Oh and just so you know… I’m down to battle if you are. I trained my Blastoise well.

So what’s my point in all this? My point is that this anime is not just a kids’ show… it’s LIFE and anyone regardless of their age should be able to enjoy it. I remember when I was really getting into anime. I was around 9 or 10-years-old and my mom would just tell my dad, “She’ll grow out of it one day.”

Haha… oh Mother. That’s cute. You couldn’t be anymore wrong.

My feelings toward Pokemon are still the same as my 3rd grade self. I ain’t afraid to say I am a TRUE pokemon fan and I will be a pokemon master someday.

Hopefully it won’t take over 10 years like it has for Ash, but hey, to each their own!

-Alice

Day 18: Plans/Dreams/Goals You Have

Posted on August 7, 2013 by Alice Vega

Hey guys! Happy Wednesday!

Hope your Geek Week is lovely! I know I’m totally basking in all these awesome geeky Youtube videos. I apologize for the delay in the Blog Challenge. It’s proving to be a difficult task pumping out 2 posts a day, especially when I work every night. But no worries, I promise to do better! Believe in me, senpai!

(Yeah… things just got weird again. I just have a natural instinct to make things weird.)

Before I get into the main topic of the post, I’d just like to note how freaky it is that the Blog Challenges have actually been on point with different events in my life. It’s like it knows what I’m doing… Did we just enter the Twilight Zone?

Anyways, this summer has been one of the most eventful and life changing experiences in my short life. A lot of new things are happening… chapters closing, new doors opening. As much as I’m sad about the past, I’m just really excited for the future. Have you ever had that feeling? It’s so weird… like, how the hell am I supposed to feel? Sad? Happy? Both? How the hell do you feel both sad and happy at the same time?!

With that being said, I have a couple goals I’m working toward in this very moment. One being this blog. Like I’ve said in previous posts, I’m not doing this for any monetary compensation. I’m blogging because I love to write and I love to make new friends who appreciate my work. It’s been an amazing 2 months so far, and I know things will only get better from here on out. I know I post stuff sporadically throughout the day, but I appreciate you still reading the content on this blog… whether you’re reading it at 3 AM or 3 PM.

Which brings me to my second goal which I’m super excited to talk about… my Youtube channel! SO I know I currently only have 2 videos up (both of which are vlogs) but I finally decided a focus for the channel. If you follow my Twitter, I tweeted something about it earlier this evening. I’m meeting up with a friend tomorrow to start discussing the plans for this new endeavor, so just sit tight! I am planning to rock the shit out of your computer screen. It’s gonna be epic. Or so I hope.

Third goal… Boogiezone! As I’ve said in previous posts, I’m really happy to be interning here. I’m actually planning on doing a lot for all the social media networks as well as editing content for the Youtube channel. I know.. it’s like, right up my alley, right?! AND I get to take classes for free. It’s a total win-win situation. By the way, if you’re a dancer and you happen to be free on Thursday nights, come take the Boogiezone Community Class at 9 PM! 🙂 We feature different choreographers every week so it’s always a new style to try. Come get down with us.

Fourth goal… Maid Cafe! I know Anime Expo just ended, but I already have some awesome ideas for next year. I can’t tell you guys too much, but just know that these ideas will hopefully be approved and we’re just gonna come back stronger than ever in 2014. Yeah, you best be ready to buy some tickets to our shows.

As for general plans, I’m going into my VERY LAST SEMESTER OF COLLEGE EVER! I cannot wait for this shit to be done with. I just have 3 classes and I’m done forever! Just gotta beast mode it.

I’m also planning on attending some conventions! As of this moment, I will be at Comikaze AND Pacific Media Expo. I know I’m hella n00b and a bit rusty, but I AM planning to cosplay.

WHAAAAT?! Ally cosplays?!

Yes, I do. I’m not like a pro at it or anything, but I do. I just haven’t been cosplaying in recent years because well… all of my time and efforts went to my sorority and Maid Cafe. But I miss dressing up! If you’re planning on attending either convention, don’t be afraid to say hi to me! 🙂

As for what my DREAM is… well… I’m still kinda figuring that out. All I know is that I’m really happy where my life is right now. Blogging, vlogging, and dancing are what makes me happy. I’ll try to see if I can make a career out of that. If all else fails, I can always join the circus.

-Alice

OH and if you’re wondering why I put a Nyan Cat gif in this post… there’s no reason. I just love Nyan Cat. Happy Geek Week! 😉