Now you might assume I am using this blog post to showcase a group of pretty hot women dressed in next to nothing. You would of course be wrong. These women, all attractive to be sure, are dressed in the pinnacle of geek cosplay costumes, the slave Leia outfit. This is of course a real favorite of mine and millions and millions of other geeks just like me. The outfit works, what can I say. Back to the business at hand, the reason for the above image has entirely to do with a very well written blog post by one of my favorite entertainment bloggers out there, Devin Faraci. The link to his original post can be found here..
In the post, Mr. Faraci tackles the issue of cosplay girls and specifically addresses comments made by comic book artist Tony Harris on his Twitter account, ones which attack girls that wear outfits to cons like the lovely ladies above. Mr. Harris believes that women who dress in skimpy character outfits are not true geeks and they are just cock teases, for lack of a better word, preying on the male geek masses. He believes these girls are just desperate for attention and only come to the various cons in order get said attention wearing whatever character costume is the most sexy. Now I will not certainly avoid the obvious here and will concede that of course the women who dress in sexy skimpy cosplay outfits are doing it for the attention. Why wouldn't they? But does that also mean these same women are not true geeks and does it give Mr. Harris the right to imply they are whores?
The answer to both of those questions is no. It seems rather presumptive for Mr. Harris to assume that when a woman dresses in a sexy cosplay outfit that she is not also a fan of the character she is dressing up as. Many people I know who go to cons say that the women they meet there in costume often know a great deal about the character they are dressed as and have been fans of that character for some time. This seems reasonable to me. Let me put it this way: I can understand why a reasonable attractive woman would want to dress up in a cosplay outfit of her favorite character, 1) it gets her attention from the geeks there, as well as photographers for websites and major media outlets, and 2) it allows her a way to express her love for that character, world, or property. I just feel it is wrong to assume these ladies who dress up as they do are not fans of the character they are dressed as. Sure there are those who just want the attention, but they are truly the minority.
Lets see if I can't look at the second part of my question above regarding the nature of Mr. Harris' comments, specifically in relation to the true intentions and moral character of these women. Now first let me clarify that I abhor the word whore. It is such a viscous term and one that comes with such horrible social stigma. It is also a very sexist term and one that really underlines the very real difference on how sexual activity is viewed depending on the gender of the person in question. It is associated with a viewpoint that is unfair to women without a doubt and can encourage a double standard of very devastating proportions. Mr. Harris of course doesn't use the word whore in his comments. But it is certainly implied.
Do I feel as Mr. Harris does? Of course not. I think it is hard to accuse these women of being sexually promiscuous due solely on the fact that they dress sexy to a comics convention. Let us also remember that the look of these characters was created in the comics in the first place. Particularly in the modern era of comics, 1980's to now, female characters have been depicted in a very sexual nature, with proportions that could only be attained through the miracles of plastic surgery. In addition most comics, not all, are drawn by male artists.
So these male artists render the women in comics as overtly sexual in appearance, with lines and curves that are pretty impossible to really exist. These artists create these images of sexualized female characters in comics in order generate interest for said character or the book they are in, thereby increasing sales to their largely male readership. I totally understand that, comics are a visual medium first, content second. So from a profit standpoint I understand why female characters in comics look the way they do.
However, these sexualized depictions of female comic characters create a perceived accepted image of women in comics. One that is wrong on many counts. But what is more, any woman who wishes to dress up as said character needs to do so in a way similar to that character in the comics. Which means if the character in question has a very revealing outfit (most do), then whomever dresses like that character needs to have the same revealing outfit. Quite simply, the male comics artists set the rules and female cosplayers abide by them.
If looked at through the above lens, it is fairly obvious that the manner of dress of these sexy cosplayers is not something that they should be harshly judged for. Nor should blanket judgements be made about the character of these same cosplayers based on the limited facts Mr. Harris uses, which are these women dress sexy and they get attention for it. I doubt Mr. Harris has spent any time questioning some of these sexy cosplayers as to their knowledge and interest in the character they are dressed as or the comics world the character may come from.
But even if Mr. Harris did ask some of these women about the character they are dressed as, the criteria which he is using to declare them a true geek is deeply flawed. Mr. Harris believes that a true geek should know everything about the character they are dressed as at the con they attend. Moreso, they should also know a great deal about the overall comic book world, it's writers and artist, underground, etc.
In truth, I find myself deeply troubled by Mr. Harris' view on what it means to be a true, validated, geek. Not just for the sexy cosplayers, but also for anyone who has an appreciation for a comics character or universe. Mr. Harris' scope on true geekdom is so tragically limited and just wrong. It makes me a bit defensive to see him feel justified to limit the parameters of what it takes to be accepted in geek culture, specifically when related to comic book characters.
As some who read this blog know I am a pretty big Batman fan. I started reading Batman comics at the age of 12. Every week I would go to the local comic shop, which was like three blocks from my house, and pick up the latest Batman comic. I read all the truly great runs ; Death in the Family, The Dark Knight Returns, Batman-Year One, The Long Halloween, and of course Knightfall. I knew the world of Batman and loved it. I devoured Batman- The Animated Series and watched, then owned, all of the Batman films (yes even Batman and Robin).
As an adult, I own Batman-The Animated Series, All of the Batman films (minus The Dark Knight Rises). I have some of the action figures and of course all of the comics I bought as a kid. In short, I have spent alot of money on Batman related products over the years. I have also spent alot of time reading and watching Batman stories and I hope to share those same stories with my two boys when they are ready. In short, I have shown my love and appreciate for Batman with my time and my wallet.
Now according to Mr. Harris' definition, I would not be a true geek as I don't know every exhaustive detail about Batman in comics. It is true that I could not tell you who all the writers and artists who worked on Batman for DC comics were. Nor could I tell you obscure details about Batman creator Bob Kane. But to me that isn't important. My personal gauge of someone being a "true" geek is the passion they show for the character or world, not the amount of knowledge they have about that character or world.
When I have the chance to go to a comics convention, I often will talk to some of the people there and ask them what brings them to that convention. I also ask them what is their favorite character is or what comic book world most excites them and is the one they love the most. The answers vary of course, but I can always tell that most of the people I talk to do show honest excitement when they answer my questions. To me that is the litmus test of their geek worthiness. I don't care if they know what secondary character died and in what issue number or title they died in. No, if the person can show an emotional interest, in the way they talk about that character or world, then I am sold on them being a geek.
Geek is very chic right now and I am generally ok with that. Others, like I suspect Mr. Harris, are not. Their right of course. The world of comic book geeks started out as a small subculture in America and it has since grew and grew. But even now, I still consider it a subculture in the greater cultural landscape of America. What makes a subculture thrive and endure are two things: inclusion and acceptance. Only with those two traits in place can a subculture attract new people to its ranks while also keeping those already in them. The subculture of comic book geeks should be open to anyone with a legitimate interest in a comic character or world, no matter which one they choose. It should also accept that not everyone needs to have an insane knowledge of comic book history in order to be a true accepted member.
In the end, Mr. Harris' comments on his twitter account paint him to be a sexist, elitist individual. These sexy cosplayers have done nothing directly to you Mr. Harris. They are not ruining comic conventions, they are not destroying the subculture of comic book geeks either. No, they are having fun and getting alittle attention as well. Most are showing their love for a character by dressing as they do. That should be looked at in a positive light and taken as a compliment to the creator of that character. But most importantly, Mr. Harris should thank these sexy cosplayers. Without them, there would not be as much mainstream media attention to these conventions and there would certainly not be as many casual fans of comics coming out either. In the case of both of these facts, they both drive more profits into the hands of the comic book companies and more importantly their talented writers and artists.
Sex sells. Sexy Cosplay is here to stay for awhile and that is something I am ok with. My hope is that Mr. Harris can come to accept that and try to understand these women before making such harsh judgements about them. To be a comic book geek in my opinion only requires just a lover or appreciation of a comic character or world. There will be no written test to determine your personal worthiness to be considered a geek. Geekdom is broad and accepting, but also unique. It is filled with people of all kinds of interest level, from casual to absolutely devoted. It also proudly includes women who dress sexy at comic conventions. Mr. Harris needs to broaden his mind and let geekdom remain inclusive and accepting, not sexist and judgemental.
Girls, you go ahead and keep dressing sexy at conventions and all you people out there who love a comic character or world, keep your head up as you will always be considered a geek. Being a geek is something to be proud of and I hope it can remain that way for some time to come.
Long Live the Geeks!
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