Cosplay is the act of citing or referencing a text from popular culture, by dressing up and embodying a certain character. It is a fan practice that is popular all over t in he world, though0020de3originally it emerged from intersecting cultural influences from Japan and the United States. Conventions which are dedicated to comic books and genres from popular culture have acted as a cultivating force in the world of cosplay, allowing for the practice to become a serious business. The costumes and attire have become more elaborate, cosplayers putting in a significant amount of effort in order to portray their interpretation of the text and character they are referencing. Because of how much effort goes into their costumes, props, hair and makeup, cosplayers feel that gaining some sort of fan capital would be desirable. This is where cosphotography comes in, as this is a way for cosplayers to capture their practice for the personal value of the photography, but also potentially gain fan capital as their photos are displayed within the cosplay community. “ Being photographed and videoed, as long as it is not of the invasive variety, can thus provide cosers not only with tokens of private value but fan capital that circulates within wider, largely online networks of exchange operating in the cosphere. Understanding the photograph as a token of ‘subcultural or fan capital’ or ‘hipness’ allows us to better scrutinize this economy of desire, and frame some of the polarizing issues that surround cosphotography.” (Mountfort, p.:47)
According to Lameriches, there are four crucial components which define cosplay, and these can be interpreted in a global sense. There is a source text or narrative, which the cosplayer will be referencing through their physical body and costume, then the costume or clothing itself, performance in front of an audience, and the cosplayer/subject. A fifth element can be added to this list, which is cosphotography. Photography is an integral part of cosplay, as it helps shape the practice and define its artistic meaning. The performance that is associated with cosplay is different to other types of performing arts, as it is much more fleeting and relies on its true essence being something that can be captured in the moment.
The different types of cosphotography range from formal and informal photography practices. Some of the most famous or most circulated photographs are simply taken inside the convention’s venue, or outside in a predetermined setting like a park or forest. Another setting for cosphotography are specific fashion shows dedicated to showcasing cosplayers and their elaborate costumes. Because of the purely visual nature of cosplay that includes the attention of spectators and photographers alike, there is a common occurrence of cosplayers, , who are subjugated to unwanted or unwelcomed gazes. “Conflated in the popular imagination with fetish and other kinky behaviors , cosplayers, especially female are also frequently objectified by the male gaze, reducing the multivalency of cosplay performance to a clutch of normative cliches about girls in sexy outfits.” (Mountfort, p.: 63)
This issue can arise from the notion that certain cosplayers are simply embracing and embodying a character who has already been sexualized within their source text, this means that cosplayer themselves aren’t attempting to subjugate themselves to hypersexualization, rather that they are referencing their text in an accurate way. Certain genres, such as manga, anime, and comic books, include characters who are caricatured in a way, and this can also lead to hypersexualized interpretations by fans. Those who are not apart of the cosplay world may not understand the complexities of the source text that is being portrayed, or the act and process of referencing as being the defining feature of the fan practice. While many photographers are also apart of the cosphere and harbor intentions which are indicative to cultivating fan capital, it is important for cosplayers to know of other photographers who have the intention of exploitation. Like in any other public situation, cosplayers, males and females, deserve the same amount of respect, and the notion must be understood that no matter what the nature of someone’s costume is, they are not to be subjugated to inappropriate comments or sexualization.
References : Mountfort, P. Pierson, Smith, A. Geczy, A. (2018) Planet Cosplay Intellect Books. Chapter 2
Pop Genres 2020 