The local cosplay scene first got a taste of big conventions way back in 2000. At the time, there was no template on how to hold cosplay events. Organizers were free to do as they pleased, and if the system worked it was reused and refined, otherwise it was sent to the scrap heap.
Many of the perks that cosplayers enjoy today were conceived during those heady days of exploration and experimentation. However, this does not change the fact that cosplay — while fulfilling and rewarding for its enthusiasts, is essentially a thankless job.
Many cosplayers — including the most celebrated and dedicated among them, will tell you that cosplaying is full of sacrifice. Students nearly starve themselves saving their allowances to pay for tailoring fees. Professionals risk the wrath of their bosses asking for leaves to make their costumes or attend events. All cosplayers competing in catwalk events may have had to deal with extended periods of heat, thirst, hunger, and no bathroom breaks in at least one point in their careers.
However, cosplay veterans still enjoy what they do — problematic as it were. As a result many of them are doubly thrilled when they discover that the event they will be attending has a full list of perks for them. Anything from private dressing rooms to full meals have been offered for free by events of varying shapes, sizes, and budgets — boosting the drive and enthusiasm of the people behind the hobby.
Unfortunately, this trend has had its down side as well. Several cosplayers — most of them very new (they have been into cosplay for less than two years) have begun to demand these perks as rights and not privileges. In a local cosplay forum I found one user who sent a public message to the admins demanding that dressing rooms, lounges, seating, and meals must be provided for all cosplayers during events because they are, in his words, “the light of the show” (although I think he meant “life” and not “light”).
This entitlement complex displayed by a disturbingly large segment of the local cosplay community is, according to one enthusiast, “the cancer that is killing the scene”. Many new cosplayers are under the mistaken impression that the organizers have to pander to their whims. They do not seem to realize that the organizers are not obliging them to join their competitions. If they are not happy with what the event can provide, then they can simply choose not to attend — it’s as simple as that.
Personally, I find these new cosplayers and their ilk as undeserving of the label “cosplayer”, as they seem to think of cosplay as a way to get perks, privileges, attention — even money, without having to work too hard for it. If that were the case then they should’ve gone the showbiz route — at least there, if you prove to be successful your home network (Kapuso or Kapamilya?) will provide you with an entourage of personal assistants, make-up artists, and stylists to pamper you every step of the way.
In the end, all this boils down to is personal accountability. It is your choice as a free individual to join a cosplay competition, so it is your responsibility to look after your own needs as best you can. Organizers may choose to provide you with small perks as they see fit, but if they are unable to satisfy your expectations then you are free to go elsewhere. Being a cosplayer does not give you the right to demand a list of things from event organizers, and the sooner these over-indulged, whiny little brats learn that, the better it will be for the rest of the scene.
Continued in The Fine Line Between Cosplayer and Clown
JPOP Manila 
Word.
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Bravo on this article, albeit replacing instances of the word “cosplayer” with “bloggers” and “convention” with “blogger event” conveys a similarly sad message about my corner of the woods.
Still, I do hope more people read this post and understand your point: they’re lucky they have these perks, but to demand it is rather presumptuous of them.
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@JM oh lol u 😀
@marcelle you want something that’s the stuff of nightmares? try a whiny primadonna cosplayer who disses events at her blogs because they didn’t provider her with her god-given perks >.>
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Lol. They do know that if they don’t like the setup of an event, they don’t have to attend it to “label” themselves as cosplayers.
Meron isang nag message sa group na “URGENT! HELP ME!!1!1!00!” Tapos, nung tiningnan ko message, “sino icocosplay ko?”
…Yeah… it’s posts like these that make me question the poster’s intentions for cosplaying.
Also, I find it silly that some believe cosplay organizers can’t organize other events other than those revolving around Japanese entertainment.
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Kanya-kanyang diskarte na lang kasi dapat yan eh. Pag pupunta ka ng event,di ba dapat handa ka? Geez. If they can’t handle the weight of the costume, then they should think of other characters with more lightweight costume, bring something to hydrate them, a cardboard fan to cool them down, etc. Ganun naman di ba?
Sure, cosplayers are part of the reason why people go to cons. I guess it just makes me sad to think that they should be instant celebrities (with perks) because they cosplay. ~_~
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There was a time where one of the major intention of wearing a costume of a certain fandom is to go the convention to meet others who also love that particular fandom. Wearing a costume makes it easier for others to identify with you. Acting out one gives proof of your knowledge of the character, and others would often help out by pointing out character quirks to improve your performance.
Cosplaying was all about the geek in us. Now, well, its seems to be mainly a social thing.
@RiCah
Good lord, you have no idea how sad it feels to see anyone ask publicly what cosplay suits them best. I had my share of bouts with peeps like them, and i always tell them to go cosplay their favorite character! No one should tell them that, nor ask for it!
Others even make polls. “Which one do you think fits me best?” or “What character would you like me to cosplay next?” Its basically pandering to their established fan base. Its no longer about your appreciation of the character, just the appreciation for the sake of someone else’s.
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Gah.
People who ask others who they should cosplay should not cosplay at all. I believe it’s a must for any cosplayer to decide on which character he/she wants to portray. He/She wouldn’t be at 100% if the character he/she dresses up as isn’t his/her own choice.
As for the perks and stuff, I daresay only VIPs can demand them. Cosplayers are not VIPs, unless they are considered so.
This made me think: can you really sign up for a VIP treatment?
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as far as i’m concerned, only the event organizers can decide who does or does not VIP treatment. for a cosplayer to demand it just because he or she cosplays is going over the line of basic human courtesy and social graces.
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Wow, interesting how the cosplay scene is in the Philippines.
As a balikbayan from the States, going to cons and cosplaying for seven years, I never asked for perks or anything like that. Of course, there are few American cosplayers think so, but most of the time, we do for the fun and the craziness.
And I agree that I sacrifice my food allowance to go to cons and purchase items for my costume, but in the end, I do it just because..even what I do can be a little extreme. lol
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hi franco — nice to hear about things on the other side of the pond 🙂 and yes, it’s unfortunate that hear about local cosplayers asking for all sorts of perks and other nonsense
let’s at least hope that they learn their lessons and change their ways too 
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