[Kasin]

I was reading a magazine a few months back when I wasn't on the forums. It was the new letter part of the magazine.

A previous month, the editor had used narutard in reply to a letter about some one loving naruto so much, that they cosplay in school on Fridays with one friend.

They did note as well, that there Anime club was that day.

So many people started sending in letters defending themselves. However, the magazine had an issue with the letters.

They were willing to apologize for the narutard comment, but majority of the letters were stating that it was normal, not nerdy, and completely okay to cosplay any where, and any time.

The editor did apologize for the letter, but said "make no mistake, if you cosplay at a school for fun, you're a nerd". He also said that there was nothing wrong with being a nerd, but you are one.

Be it from some one who loves to cosplay. I know there is a time, and place. Many people can get mad, or offended by where you cosplay. Also, if the club is after school, then change before it. School is not the time to cosplay in my opinion.

I now i'm a nerd, and i'm proud of it. I think we all are a bit, wether punk, goth, or etc.

So my question is:

Is it normal to cosplay any where, at any time, or does it make you nerdy?

This post has been edited by Kasin: 26 May 2010 - 02:49 AM

[Exezer]

Well they are using wrong terminology it would be Otaku or Geek...nerd refers more a technological Obsession.

[wrexness]

Nerdy, no doubt. And this particular case is one of those situations where it makes the community at large look a little off. There's a time and place for everything, and school is not a place for cosplay. If nothing else it would be very distracting to the other students, and I would take issue with that even if they are part of my fandom of choice.

Exezer, on May 25 2010, 07:06 AM, said:

Well they are using wrong terminology it would be Otaku or Geek...nerd refers more a technological Obsession.

Depends on who you ask. I had come across a nice lil table on urban dictionary that explains the difference between terminology, and it happens to match how I view things. Since I don't want to access that site from work, I'll sum up: the difference between a geek and a nerd is social competence, that's it. A nerd is socially awkward, a geek isn't, but their obsessions can overlap.

This post has been edited by wrexness: 25 May 2010 - 06:16 AM

[TekoMuto]

cosplaying and wearing clothing are different, imo.

cosplaying = acting whilst wearing certain clothes

wearing certain clothes = see name

[MOMO2]

I have to say Geek also. Nerd has number skills. I do not.

[wrexness]

MOMO2, on May 25 2010, 09:32 AM, said:

I have to say Geek also. Nerd has number skills. I do not.

Well I do have number skills and I'd still call myself a geek - not a nerd. *shrug*

[kenkendazo]

I personally don't think its okay to cosplay anywhere. At times it is highly inappropriate.

[tatterpillar]

Kasin, on May 25 2010, 02:12 AM, said:

Is it normal to cosplay any where, at any time, or does it make you nerdy?

TekoMuto, on May 25 2010, 09:45 AM, said:

cosplaying and wearing clothing are different, imo.

cosplaying = acting whilst wearing certain clothes

wearing certain clothes = see name

Hmm, interesting topic. I consider myself a huge nerd/geek/whatever I use the terms interchangeably, and I see nothing wrong with it. However, I must say there is indeed a time and place for cosplay. Anime club day at school is grounds for dressing up, as TekoMuto has pointed out, but notsomuch for cosplaying unless within the confines of the club. Plenty of schools have spirit week or something similar in which students dress differently to show school pride. I think this is a similar case.

What if I wear jeans, a Naruto jacket like from Hot Topic, and a Naruto headband? That could be considered nothing more but an everyday outfit. But I wouldn't act like Naruto or any other anime character in school. That being said, I won't call people who do that derrogatory names. I'd describe them with something more like "misguided, but probably harmless"

There is nothing wrong with being nerdy/geeky unless you have poor hygiene or you let your obsessions take over your everyday life like work, school, and relationships with friends and family in my opinion.

[Kaay-chan]

I think there's a time and a place for cosplay, and generally speaking, school isn't one of them.

Now, there are exceptions, like if it's Halloween and everyone is dressing up, or something, but on just any old day, no. If it's for anime club, run to the bathroom real quick after your last class, get changed, and then run over to club. It'll not only prevent you from becoming a social stigma, it'll also preserve the reputation of your club as well.

[Stkbayfield]

At my college, we have a cosplay club and one of the key rules of cosplay club is "you can bring your stuff to work on, we encourage that, but don't cosplay TO cosplay club. We have two days a year for photoshoots. Save it for them".

If a club which has the sole purpose of cosplay is mature enough to recognize that normal school days are not for cosplay, then any anime club, fans and such should have the same level of maturity.

I don't think it's a bad thing to cosplay where and when you want. Some of my best days in London were flashmobbing the streets as Organization Thirty, but if it becomes an everyday occurance, it loses it's special vibe. Save cosplay for events. All that hard work and sacrifice put into the outfits pays off so much more when it's saved for the occassion.

It's the same principal as formal dresses and tuxedos. I have the option of wearing them any day I chose, but when it's busted out you know it's a special day

[redx1]

I feel that many times and places are appropriate for cosplay. There are also many times that cosplay is inappropriate.

I feel cosplay should be treated like candy. You eat it on occasion and it's delicious. You eat it all the time, it can make you sick.

If you cosplay on normal occasions, it's like dressing up for halloween in July. Not only are people going to think there is something wrong with you, but it takes the fun away from it. Just like candy, if you cosplay all the time, it becomes agonizing rather than a fun thing to do on occasion.

[TaiyakiOni]

There is a time and place for it, not in open public on a regular basis...

If you want to cosplay, have fun doing it at home. The only time I think it's ok to cosplay in public is at a Convention or if you happen to be in Akihabara you'll fit right in with certain crowds.

I've seen kids walking down the mall hallways in cat ears, tails and with their leather collars and leashes on, keep that stuff out of public or you lose all right to defend yourself against judgment by other people.

If you Quack like a nerd, walk like a nerd and act like a nerd, then by all means, YOU ARE A NERD.

I consider myself a geek though since my academic abilities are only high in English and History, I SUCK at numbers and formulas.

[Dark Stranger]

I guess it depends on how much detailed of a cosplay are we talking about. For example some breezy summer days I still go out wearing my captains jacket from bleach on over my clothes. I wouldn't call that cosplaying I just like wearing it. However if these kids are in complete naruto cosplays with wigs and everything, Then yeah that's kinda weird unless of course it was for a party or something.
also, geeks are smart, nerds are not. Basic example: Geek = Tech guy Nerd = me.

[Kii]

NERDZ.

[sentinel28a]

I don't think it's nerdy. I think it's stupid.

I quantify cosplaying at school with some guy I saw yesterday, loping down the street with his hat turned sideways, pants halfway down his butt, baggy pants that MC Hammer would be ashamed of, throwing what I supposed was gang signs at passerby. Dude, you live in Montana. A gang up here is a couple of rednecks with eight sixpacks, four shotguns and two Ford F-150s potshotting signs at 3 AM. That crap would look stupid in Chicago, but in Montana it looks doubly idiotic. Plus he got Weird Al's "White and Nerdy" stuck in my head for about three hours, which I had to cleanse with copious amounts of Nightwish and Rush.

It's dumb. It's even dumber if you act like Naruto. That's fine if you're in grade school, but in high school? Thanks for making anime fans' already dismal reputation worse, buddyscrewer.

Ben Da Mad Irishman
"As if Mall Cops wasn't bad enough"

[Trini]

As everyone has already said, there's a time and place. Spirit week at school=OK. During geometry=Wrong. A photoshoot in the park=OK. A school playground=Wrong. My college had a club expo at the beginning of last semester that I said I'd dress up for. I didn't wear my kigu all day. I changed when I got there. When I was in high school, I wore manba make a few times. After what people were saying those times, no way would I wear a fullblown cosplay. However, I will say this since people will do whatever they want despite if it makes them look nerdy/geeky/whatever or if it's inappropriate, be prepared for whatever looks you get or whathaveyou because it isn't "normal" to dress like a cartoon character for the heck of it.

[Voxx]

sentinel28a, on May 25 2010, 04:49 PM, said:

which I had to cleanse with copious amounts of Nightwish and Rush.

I'm sorry but I have to comment on this. ^ AMAZING. I thought I was the only one that had both of those bands on my playlist

With the cosplay discussion, we have had this talk before when people would bring up Mitsuwa. Like sooo many people have said before, there is a time and place for cosplay. That is what makes it special. If you wear it everyday it turns into clothing/fashion instead of a costume...

[Lina]

Nightwish isn't the same without Tarja. ; 3;

[Voxx]

Lina, on May 26 2010, 12:03 AM, said:

Nightwish isn't the same without Tarja. ; 3;

I know!!! But supposedly she was a big prima donna and the band kicked her out albeit her voice is amazing! The new girl isnt as good (but still talented) but I do like some of their new songs only because I ♥ Marco.

[Lina]

That's what I heard too. The new girl sounds too much like a pop-singer. I saw them back in '07 and I got a guitar pick and I got to kiss Tuomas on the cheek. You should listen to Marco's other band, Tarot if you don't already. I bought their "Crows Fly Black" CD when I went to see Nightwish and it's so awesome!

Also, if you put the i between the l and the last a in his name, you get hetalia. lol I noticed that when I looked at his last name, which is Hietala.

[sentinel28a]

Lina, on May 26 2010, 06:20 AM, said:

That's what I heard too. The new girl sounds too much like a pop-singer. I saw them back in '07 and I got a guitar pick and I got to kiss Tuomas on the cheek. You should listen to Marco's other band, Tarot if you don't already. I bought their "Crows Fly Black" CD when I went to see Nightwish and it's so awesome!

Also, if you put the i between the l and the last a in his name, you get hetalia. lol I noticed that when I looked at his last name, which is Hietala.

Not to threadjack further, but Tarja had a tendency to overdrive her voice. I'm new to Nightwish and like the new girl better. Heresy, I know.

Ben Da Mad Irishman
"We now return you to 'Narutards,' already in progress"

[Kasin]

tatterpillar, on May 25 2010, 12:06 PM, said:

Hmm, interesting topic. I consider myself a huge nerd/geek/whatever I use the terms interchangeably, and I see nothing wrong with it. However, I must say there is indeed a time and place for cosplay. Anime club day at school is grounds for dressing up, as TekoMuto has pointed out, but notsomuch for cosplaying unless within the confines of the club. Plenty of schools have spirit week or something similar in which students dress differently to show school pride. I think this is a similar case.

What if I wear jeans, a Naruto jacket like from Hot Topic, and a Naruto headband? That could be considered nothing more but an everyday outfit. But I wouldn't act like Naruto or any other anime character in school. That being said, I won't call people who do that derrogatory names. I'd describe them with something more like "misguided, but probably harmless"

There is nothing wrong with being nerdy/geeky unless you have poor hygiene or you let your obsessions take over your everyday life like work, school, and relationships with friends and family in my opinion.

I completely agree with this! And many other replies, but this is almost exactly how I would post my opinion.

Just like my anderson garden meet up soon....>_> shameless plug!

Also, nerds are smart, revenge of the nerds showed this.

Remember the 80's-90's, and save by the bell.

Nerds were brainy. Geeks were in to scifi, and comic, and acted spazzy, or dweeby.

Screech was both a nerd, and geek.

[Sir Viver]

It's a geek move. Nerds would be too smart to actually do crap like this... And anyone who really loves anime wouldn't do this, since it basically makes anime fans everywhere look bad. (remember that no-talent blob on American Idol who said she was "Fashionese" and murdered a Janis Joplin song? Yeah, delicious tears were delicious...)

[Krystal]

In my opinion, cosplay is for cosplay meetups/cons. NOT school or the workplace.

[Neko_master_Luna]

First off, I happily admit I am a nerd. I see nothing wrong with it. Even if I didn't cosplay, I do see some places as inappropriate to cosplay too. I do like Naruto, I have since before it was popular in the States, but I am not a Narutard. I think it falls under the same title as weeaboo, but for specifically Naruto. How do you define Narutard? Is it some one who is a mainstream fan only, some one who will out grow anime, or some one who thinks there is nothing greater than Naruto out there? I am just wondering, because as much as I like the series, (I like it even less when they killed off my favorite character)I still no that it is not the greatest series out there.

[wrexness]

Neko_master_Luna, on May 26 2010, 12:29 PM, said:

First off, I happily admit I am a nerd. I see nothing wrong with it. Even if I didn't cosplay, I do see some places as inappropriate to cosplay too. I do like Naruto, I have since before it was popular in the States, but I am not a Narutard. I think it falls under the same title as weeaboo, but for specifically Naruto. How do you define Narutard? Is it some one who is a mainstream fan only, some one who will out grow anime, or some one who thinks there is nothing greater than Naruto out there? I am just wondering, because as much as I like the series, (I like it even less when they killed off my favorite character)I still no that it is not the greatest series out there.

Seconded. I can enjoy the (non-filler) story of Naruto, but I recognize it for what it is: a simple shounen show. No greater or worse than Bleach or DBZ (the gold standard for that style of show). If I were to compile a list of my favorite anime it'd be near the bottom, but I can still watch it.

[Dark Stranger]

A narutard is anyone that still likes the show in it's current form, still cosplays from the show, or owns more naruto products then any other anime. Bleach hit the ridiculous mark in it's story much later then naruto has. And as far as DBZ goes, at least they are finally making amends for everything they did to the show by making Kai.

[sentinel28a]

Dark Stranger, on May 26 2010, 09:28 PM, said:

A narutard is anyone that still likes the show in it's current form, still cosplays from the show, or owns more naruto products then any other anime. Bleach hit the ridiculous mark in it's story much later then naruto has. And as far as DBZ goes, at least they are finally making amends for everything they did to the show by making Kai.

I disagree. Someone can still like Naruto, cosplay as Naruto, and own a lot of Naruto products, and not be a Narutard. Saying "Well, if you like Naruto in its current form, you're not a true fan" actually sounds more like a weeaboo than not, and if people want to cosplay as Naruto, what's wrong with that, as long as the cosplay is good? (If two guys can cosplay as the Mythbuster guys and have it be awesome, Naruto is no sweat.)

For instance, I liked Inu-Yasha even when it became The Inu-Yasha Filler Show (mainly because the fillers were often better than the actual storyline). I cosplay as Gendo Ikari, from a show that, until the recent reboot, had been off the air for almost a decade. And finally, I own more Inu-Yasha stuff than any other anime--though Eva is rapidly catching up--because I like the show and I find Sango and Kagura rather fetching for two-dimensional cel artwork.

None of that makes me an Eva-tard or an Inu-tard. I don't teach even my anime class in full Gendo cosplay, nor do I walk around all day barefoot because Inuyasha does it. I don't think I'm the evil Daddy Dearest of NERV and act accordingly, and I don't claim to be a hanyou. One reason is because I grew out of that about 22 years ago, but the main reason is because I am a fan of Evangelion and Inu-Yasha...not a fanatic.

And that's what a Narutard is--they're fanatics. These are the people who will flame you forevermore if you criticize anything about the series, or leave nasty reviews on Fanfiction.net because you wrote a Naruto story where Sakura got pregnant from Oromachi or something. They wear their Naruto ninja headgear everywhere, and try to master the hand gestures just right, and wildly criticize anyone who dares disagree with them. Nor is this restricted to Naruto...as anyone who watches Keith Olbermann or Glenn Beck can attest to.

Ben Da Mad Irishman
"At least they don't kill people"

[Aizen_sama]

sentinel28a, on May 26 2010, 05:16 PM, said:

And that's what a Narutard is--they're fanatics. These are the people who will flame you forevermore if you criticize anything about the series, or leave nasty reviews on Fanfiction.net because you wrote a Naruto story where Sakura got pregnant from Oromachi or something. They wear their Naruto ninja headgear everywhere, and try to master the hand gestures just right, and wildly criticize anyone who dares disagree with them. Nor is this restricted to Naruto...as anyone who watches Keith Olbermann or Glenn Beck can attest to.

Ben Da Mad Irishman
"At least they don't kill people"

Fanatics till the very end.

But i definitely agree that cosplay is made to be worn on occasion, maintenance can be a bitch on some costumes.

I don't want these pansies turning our great occasions into a daily style of clothing!

[sweetbeanpaste]

I think they were just fishing for attention.