week 9

In what ways can cosphotography be understood as a form of “fan capital

Cosphotography is the act of photographing and videoing someone who is taking part in the act of “cosplay”. Fans of anime and manga cosplay in order to show their appreciation for the craft, cosphotography is similar, by taking pictures of cosplayers these photographers can share and distribute the photos on online message boards increasing chances of popularizing the cosplayer. For a fan of either the cosplayer or the text the character originated from, taking pictures of, and with the cosplayers can show how much dedication into the “fandom”, you are putting in, much like buying merchandise of the character shows how much of a fan you are. 

People usually take cosphotography at conventions, like Comicon and Armageddon, where cosplay is encouraged, and taking photos is allowed. Many cosplayers make builds especially for these conventions, and try to take as many pictures, so as to boost their social media followings, and try to become more popular. Anime fans especially, love to take pictures and interact with cosplayers, as they are the bridge that connects the 2d world to our world, making it possible to interact and talk with their beloved characters. However, there is lots of outcry from the cosplay community of sexual harassment, like inappropriate touching, mainly from female cosplayers. Because a lot of fictional characters (especially female) wear sexually suggestive clothing, some fans think that it’s okay to touch inappropriately because they are, “asking for it”.

“Fan service”, is something used in all media where women wear and do suggestive things in order to gain more attention from viewers, so through cos photography, fans can fulfil their fantasies, and have a tangible record of it happening.