What's So Wrong with Sexy Cosplay?

8/22/2017

There has been a lot of hate and scoffing at the boudoir world of cosplay that's become more and more popular this year. With the surge of cosplay patreons, and the fight to gain patrons, a lot of female cosplayers have turned to the exclusive sexy content to entice users to pledge. Read all my thoughts below.

Of course it's the dream of many to be able to craft full time, and model all day. But without some serious hard work, this really isn't realistic. Not to mention that at least 99% of cosplay Patreon creators probably aren't claiming their income on their taxes... but that's another matter all together.

There will always be haters, and there will always be people who push the limits of their creativity and boundaries set by society. We've already seen trends like #FreeTheNipple and other feminist movements, and I believe that #Cosdoir can be the next inspiring trend, we just need to move past the haters.

When I first got into cosplay I was so inspired by the community. Everyone was so inviting and friendly. Everyone encouraged each other no matter the skill level. In the past couple of years we've seen a spike in the interest of cosplay and the haters have found their way into the community, spreading rude comments and unfair judgements along the way. Haters have always been around, and they won't magically be getting souls anytime soon.

The spike in cosplayers, also created a plateau in the follower game. Now there's triple the costumers fighting for the same followers. Sexy cosplay was an easy answer to bring in some new followers. A character re-design that included a low cut shirt, or skirt, or skin tight material. This innovative "creativity" of a re-designed character would bring in a good handful of followers without seeming like a desperate ploy. Now with the exclusive, paid membership of Patreon, cosplayers are getting even more risque.

If patrons are paying to see lewd content from people in costume themed lingerie, where do we cross the line of pornography? The answer is: who gives a fuck? What someone does with their own time is their own business. How someone chooses to run and operate their patreon or social media content is their own choice. As an individual, you have the choice to follow them or not. If you don't like, or you're uncomfortable with the content, keep on scrolling. No one will miss your rude or hateful comments, and they never asked for them in the first place.

This should literally apply to any and all content, but if we come back to the theme of cosplay, the definition of the word is "costume play." AKA - it's just for fun. There should be no criticism or judging here. People should be free to express their love for a character any way they like. Every gender, size, or color is free to express their love of a fandom. Cosplay is the biggest ice breaker to meet new friends and come out of your shell and learn a new hobby! If bras and panties is your thing, then rock it, boo!

Another problem I have with the sexy cosplay shaming is the fact that as a woman, when I did my first boudoir theme shoot I felt extremely liberated and beautiful. The shots turned out absolutely stunning and I felt strong and invincible. The fact that women only get to feel like that once in a while is so depressing. And then when these images are shared with our fans, we get shamed for feeling beautiful and strong. Everyone - women and men alike - should be allowed to show off their body and feel proud.

The last thing I want to bring up is that Patreon is a safe place. In this world of hate and judgement, Patreon is a place for cosplayers to feel comfortable sharing their sexy creations, sharing their body, without feeling judged. The people who choose to pledge to these cosplayers appreciate them for who they are and love to support their work. It is a legitimate place for these cosplayers to get sexy and feel safe. I 100% support that.

I support sexy cosplay and cosdouir. I support the right to have fun and celebrate fandoms and characters. I support showing off your body and being able to love yourself in your own skin. And I DEFINITELY support feeling safe in a no-rules community full of supporters who love everything you do.

DO YOU.

15 Comments

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Chris

8/22/2017 01:27:21 am

I agree that hate doesn't belong in the cosplay community but I can't see it leaving anytime soon. The only thing that kind of bugs me about sexy cosplay is that it overshadows the work some cosplayers put into their work. There are some amazing cosplayers who don't do any sexy cosplay and they don't get as many followers or likes as someone who does something similar but shows more skin. I just wish everyone could appreciate cosplays equally no matter how much skin is shown.

8/22/2017 07:47:44 am

Oh I agree. equality would be damn nice. But the followers and likes are still just numbers. and unfortunately that seems to rule the internet. I think if a person chooses to stay modest and focus on detailed builds, likes and follows probably don't matter as much to them anyways. Which is great. they've found a way to avoid the haters and doing cosplay for the wrong reasons. =)

Cheryl link

8/22/2017 08:27:10 am

I agree that there are amazing cosplayers out there frustrated because they can't get a foothold without making sexy content. It's a truth of the times (and has been for decades) that sex sells. It doesn't undercut the talent of others--it's something else entirely. That being said, some people are just more intelligent about marketing themselves than others. There are plenty of famous/well-known cosplayers known for their craft rather than their body. It's all in how you connect with the community, get involved in things, and market yourself.

That being said, I'm all for sexy cosplay and do it myself. The only thing that concerns me is the potential negative impact it can have on representations of ourselves in society. For example, I'm a businesswoman. I'm a manager of a company. Will it reflect negatively on me that lewd pictures exist on the internet? I'm constantly fighting for a woman's right to be sexy AND be intelligent and be treated with respect no matter how we choose to embrace our sexuality, but is there a line we inevitably cross as the content gets more lewd? Can we be taken seriously as smart, intellectual women if our butt is all over the internet?

Personally, I think we should be. But we have a lot of ground to pave before this is universally accepted. If openly sexualizing ourselves and being comfortable with our bodies comes at the extent of harming our careers, is it truly worth it? Or should we refuse to work at such close-minded businesses?

Sorry for the rant--it's a topic that I struggle with daily (as you know). At this point, I'm mostly speculating. But I'd be curious to hear your (and others') thoughts!

8/22/2017 11:34:30 am

I agree with you, sex does sell. And you are correct there are some that just focus on the craft. It shouldn't matter to society if a cosplayer does lewd photos, and I hope more people can start seeing it that way

8/22/2017 03:36:38 pm

I see where you struggle. It's something everyone has to consider - if their hobbies will reflect negatively on their career choices. But I really don't think it should. If you can keep the two separate, I believe coworkers and others who associate you through your work should acknowledge your cosplay as a hobby.
We use aliases to keep our identities separate from our real lives. Both for privacy and safety. I think that is also something that keeps our worlds apart and allows us to enjoy the hobby and share as much or as little of our bodies as we wish.

luke

3/13/2018 10:07:30 am

its called dressing with some class and not looking like porn star. this lewd crap deff will not get the respect it wants

Cheryl

3/13/2018 10:14:41 am

Luke, if you solely base your respect for women on their outward appearance, then you are a part of the problem.

3/13/2018 12:10:26 pm

As women, we shouldn't have to dress to impress to get respect. we already deserve respect, and the clothes we choose to wear or not wear should never dictate the amount of respect owed.

Matt

3/13/2018 02:31:08 pm

I agree with Luke pple that dress like that should know better. I'm a Christian by the way

3/13/2018 03:05:50 pm

As a Christian, you should know better than to shame others. Please don't use your religion as an excuse to not respect women and their choices.

Garry

8/22/2017 10:07:38 am

I 100% agree and disagree at the same time. I am on board with the body positive aspect of your post. I think the haters are always going to be a blight on the cosplay community, but those haters are going to comment no matter what. I agree with Chris that it won't be going away anytime soon. Really there will always be haters, maybe we will call them something different, but in our culture they are entitled to their free speech, and they only have power if we listen to them. Yeah easier said than done but cosplay and nerd/geek acceptance is winning so maybe someday their hurtful words will get drowned out.

I do not have any issue with sexy cosplay. I think it is just another take on how to present a character. I also feel it is a legitimate direction to take given the course of character development in popular media over the past 20 years. Video game characters, comic book characters, the movies etc, have all relied on an increasing sexuality to draw in audiences. There has been attempts to balance scantily clad female warriors with kick ass skills but lets face facts most female costumes are impractical unless you are ready to pose for a calendar. The point is that popular culture has done a lot to carve out a path for cosplayers.

If we take away the concept of sexy cosplay for a minute, and everyone cosplayed pure to the original, sexy cosplay would still exist. Red Sonja is basically naked. Harley Quinn even in the original jester costume is parading around in a skin tight outfit that leaves very little to the imagination. Heck Power Girl, who is as tough as they come has her peek-a-boo cleavage outfit and we don't think twice. So yeah sexy cosplay is not going away. I think if done properly it is really cool and interesting.

Having spent many years in the photo industry I can say with authority that we need to be careful with the word Boudoir. The implication is that it is sexy and is designed to empower the subject. Yes there may be some nudity, but therein lies the problem. The nudity implied in boudoir exists on a very thin line. The line is defined by the audience. In essence a woman or man may commission boudoir photos for a loved one. They may be brave enough to push the envelope but they know the audience is small. That really doesn't cross the line because of the "private" intentions involved. However when similar photos are for mass consumption we aren't nearly as clear cut in definition.

When it comes to Patreon it really is a double edged sword. Is there a difference between cosplaying a sexy character vs. making a character sexy? I know that there would be a lot of people that would say Joanie Brosas as Vampirella would be wholly inappropriate however she is being true to the character she is portraying. I have seen on many cosplay feeds ladies in their lingerie with simply a single prop in their hands, or hot girls in batman panties and nothing else show up in cosplay feeds.

So I think the fundamental problem is that people are going to view things differently. It is very confusing. That confusion needs to be cleared up and those doing cosdouir need to do as much as they can to connect to the characters. Going from a sexy version of a cosplay to basically lingerie or nudes is a big leap that steps away from cosplay too much. At that point those upper Patreon tiers really are access to explicit content that actually has nothing to do with cosplay. So the trick is about how to make those sexy photos still about the cosplay while upping the ante to gain supporters.

I personally don't like those that feel the need to "prostitute" themselves to gain followers and support. At that point I think we are walking on thin ice and some people are going to misinterpret things. Cosplay is not Consent. Of course it is not, but when cosplayers are selling soft core porn on their sites there are those that will take that to be an implicit statement on the "loose-ness" of the cosplayer. I am not saying it is right, I am not saying that there is any implied consent as their isn't any. The point is you can't control everyone and what they think.

So the next question is, are we serious about integrity or are we looking to make a big buck? I agree that the community is getting way more competitive so yes there is a need to push the limit to stay on top.

My opinion? Empower yourself, be confident and be creative. Just understand that when you look at the haters out there, remember that there are a set of expectations by the haters and the creeps that don't see the line very clearly. There is a message that is sent and people will read it differently. There is nothing wrong with cosdouir as long as it isn't boudoir if that makes sense. You also have to take into account that the person who pays for access to your sexy shots may have very little interest in cosplay or your craft.

All in all, perhaps I am just jealous because no one would want to see a picture of me...which of course brings up is

8/22/2017 10:15:54 am

Yes. I think the most important thing here is that we must retain some integrity. You hit the nail on the head.

8/22/2017 03:46:47 pm

I completely respect your thoughts and you definitely put out some great points! I just feel that to say we need to have integrity is saying porn is wrong or taboo or unacceptable. If a cosplayer wishes to cross that line, then they should still be allowed to and be able to avoid judgement. Like you said, you don't like those who prostitute for followers - and that's a huge point with anyone - if you don't like what you see, keep moving.
I think it all comes down to the individual. What they're comfortable doing, and how their choices will affect them, their career, or others in their life. There's definitely no set guidelines or rules for people to follow, only people saying you can't and the will, the need, to prove them wrong.

8/22/2017 04:41:29 pm

Yes, this is what I wanted to say but couldn't find the words! Everyone sets their own line and knows how far they want to go. I just hope that everyone does what they feel comfortable with and not doing it just to increase followers.

8/22/2017 10:00:53 pm

Sorry, by integrity I mean towards cosplay as a pure art in and of itself. I have no intention on creating a morality issue. There is no fundamental issue with whatever lines are crossed so as long as the person crossing the lines are doing so in full awareness of their choices. Same goes for porn, you want to do porn and are comfortable...go ahead there is always an audience ready and willing to pay. I think the main aspect is just be aware there will always be judgement some people handle it better than others. I don't think people should FEEL they need to prostitute themselves for followers. If they do so on their own accord more power to you...it's just a very slippery slope.