Most people assume cosplay is a relatively new concept. Made popular by the advent of comics and TV shows. But Cosplay has been a staple part of the culture of humanity dating back to some of the most ancient civilizations. For those that don’t know, cosplay is the practice of dressing up as a character from a work of fiction. Every Halloween millions of people embrace the idea.
But cosplay is more than just a once a year occurrence for a lot of people. Millions of modern influencers have made a career out of cosplay. And, in the past, cosplay was an integral part of many cultures’ ceremonies and festivals. Cosplay has been a huge driving force in the popular culture of human civilization for centuries. And today we are going to be unpacking what exactly makes it so important.
Ancient Cosplay
The term cosplay is a very modern one. It didn’t really appear until the early 1900’s, But the practice itself can be seen in many ancient cultures such as the Greeks, Japanese, and Egyptians.
There are many artistic recordings of rituals and ceremonies from these cultures depicting people dressing up as various monsters and characters of mythological fame. The Lion Dance is a great example of this. Often performed during Chinese new year celebrations, the dance is conducted by a group of dancers inside a giant lion costume. Their individual movements create a fluid motion of the lion as it parades through the towns.
The purpose of this dance was to bring good luck and to ward away bad spirits. The idea being that taking on the mantle of this creature would involve its power. And this was also a common practice in many cultures on a smaller scale. People in ancient China would wear animal masks to ward off evil spirits or to seek various blessings for their families and home.
This highlights the cultural power of cosplay. These practices were so vital to their cultures that they still survive to this day. But now they are more a vibrant celebration of a shared history and a time to bring people together.
Modern Cosplay
Modern cosplay is far more focused on pop culture than superstitions. People spend hours creating lavish costumes to become the characters they love the most. The first Star Trek conventions are what really brought cosplay into the public eye. Hundreds of devoted fans would don Starfleet uniforms or turn themselves into Klingons.
Over the years cosplay has evolved from a fringe hobby for dedicated fans into a thriving industry. Some of the best content creator costumes even rival those seen within big budget movies and TV shows. So much so that a lot of prominent cosplayers have ended up working in the costume department for various studios.
A lot of cosplayers now use platforms such as Patreon or Onlyfans to make their passion into a career. Providing tutorials, behind the scenes looks at costume progress, and spending time talking about cosplaying with their fans.
The Power Of Cosplay
So why is cosplay so important in our culture? And why do people gravitate towards it?
One of the most obvious reasons people gravitate towards cosplay is because of the escapism it offers. We have all dreamed about becoming someone else. Being Superman, flying above the earth. Or being the Doctor and traveling through time and space in a TARDIS. Cosplay allows people to get one step closer to living that fantasy.
Culturally speaking cosplay has become more of a community than just a hobby. Anime and comic conventions become social hubs for cosplayers to meet up and socialize. To be with their chosen family. But it has also become a platform for people to use in regards to making real social change.
Racial and sexual representation in modern media has always been very one sided. Cosplaying has been a huge way for people to show the world that people of any color, sexuality, or religion can see themselves in the characters they love. And the knock-on effect of this is that a lot more TV shows and movies are improving the diversity we see on our screens. A lot of people find that, when they are in costume, they feel empowered. They feel better able to stand up to injustice and say what needs to be said.
And this idea of invoking the characteristics of the characters you dress at comes full circle back to the ancient practices. Much like how the Chinese would wear masks to invoke the powers of animal spirits. So too can cosplayers invoke the power of their costume.
