The guys need to step it up - Denmark

(I wish that more guys would participate along side me in the cosplayshows in Denmark.)

The performance in cosplay in Denmark consists of about 98% women and the remaining 2% are the guys. Converted into an amount of persons, we got about 2-3 guys making an appearance on stage in a cosplay competition.


My question to the male part of the cosplay community is, why is that?


I would love to see some more guys unfold into the art, in acts with fights and things alike.

What I get from observing the presented cosplay communities at the conventions here, are that the guys simply aren’t interested in performing on stage. Can this be the truht?

I’ve seen and been in awe of homemade costumes being displayed at the Danish conventions, and the male cosplayers wearing the costumes has done an awesome job both wear and constructing them. There are so much potential just being wasted on Hall cosplay.. Why not put this awesomeness on stage?


Social cosplayer theory
In this current world of cosplay, I’ve developed a bunch of typical profiles that most of cosplayers can be labeled with. One of these are the ‘social cosplayer’ profile, which I from only observating male cosplayers at the popular conventions here in Denmark will state, is the most common amongst male cosplayers here.
Whether we like it or not, our clothes is a communicator, and cosplay makes a great tool for this. Put simply, cosplay is being used as an indicator for people to make easy contact with others alike.
I could go on and on about theories, but what I am trying to defend here, is a theory that males mostly use cosplay as a social tool. (I'll be writting a separate post about the stereo typical cosplay personas that I think there is find in the different cosplay communities)


It’s an artform - put it on the stage!
As a male cosplayer myself, I find that cosplay easily makes contact with other fans of a particular series possible. Putting the ‘social tool / communicator’ aside, in my mind and world, I strive to portrait cosplay as a visual- and performance art, where portraying a characters true self is the highest priority. Not saying this can’t be done off the stage, but is most nicely done before an audience. So fellow male cosplayers, please do consider bringing your newly polished cosplay boots to the stage and interact with the audience.


What would it take for the guys to step it up?  
Sadly I don’t have an answer to this question, which I would love to have.
What I’ve tried to do was creating a platform for both female and male cosplayers to brighten their horizons with. The Danish cosplay magazine ‘CosMag.dk’, which I’m the Editor in chief for, was started in 2008, with the goal of raising the interest in cosplayers creating their own costumes and illuminate what parts of the popculture and news that is relevant to keep up with the trends, construction and the social part of the cosplay community.


Taking a look at the typical reader of the magazine, one finds that the typical reader ofcourse is female, which could be that it (by it meaning the magazine) simply doesn’t appeal to the male audience, since it’s layout and content intent isn’t targetet towards females 100%.  


What I’ll be trying to do about this
At the next couple of conventions happening here in Denmark, I’ll try to talk with these kind of male cosplayers and incourage them to take the leap and join their female counterparts on stage.

Besides incourage them, I’ll try and analyse their answers and bring it in a later blogentry some time in the feature.