a letter to anime fans

This was written by my (male) best friend and posted on the forums. I felt I should post it around so it can be more widely read as it is something that really needs to be addressed.

,

Despite having a great time at this year’s Katsucon, there were two primary things that got in the way of myself and anyone else having a truly wonderful and annoyance-free time.

The first was the con staff; there is already a thread about them, so I’ll refrain from getting into that (despite the size of the problem).

The second, was the actual people attending Katsucon. Yes, I am talking to a great deal of you. There is nothing wrong with congregating in a centralized location with people who have the same specific interests as you. Talking to a group of people about how cool the last episode of Cowboy Bebop was or admiring a girl who’s cosplaying a perfect Serenity is fantastic.

But there is something that a GREAT number of people at the convention forgot, something that was such a major problem that it truly ruined what could have been a perfect convention: etiquette.

What happened to manners? If there was a single word to describe the fans at this year’s Katsucon, it would be rude. There were so many people who were lacking in any social graces that I often wondered if I should label myself as an “Anime Fan” anymore, if these are the type of people who identify themselves as such.

What happened to social conscience? Do people even think about how to treat others anymore, about what’s polite and civil?

Let me relate some events that led me to question my identity as an “Anime Fan.” I may not be able to speak for all the fans who attended (since it would be RUDE to do so), and I certainly do not indict the entire community as a whole. I just seem to have seen a majority of behaviors that were wrong for any one, in any culture and in any social situation.

So, here goes.

1. My friend and I were sitting at a restaurant (key note: RESTAURANT, not McDonald’s, not Wendy’s, a restaurant). We had waited for our table, and sat down and looked at menus. There were other people in the restaurant, and we kept our conversation down to a low level so we could converse normally and not disturb those around us. You know, like you do at a restaurant. Well, a group of con-goers came in, and without hesitation, sat themselves down at a table and began talking in raised tones. I don’t mean loudly, I mean shouting to each other. They pulled chairs from other tables to their own table and proceeded to ask why they didn’t have menus yet. The entire time my friend and I ate there, we could barely hear ourselves talk. Eventually, the obnoxious table left. Oh, and without leaving a tip, of course. Forgetting of course that people besides the con-goers were there, just people who go to this restaurant in the D.C. area. I was just glad we weren’t in cosplay anymore, so we weren’t associated with them (not that wearing cosplay around is bad, far from it. Ours just didn’t lend itself to going out in the cold).

2. Cosplayers certainly do it for the attention, to show off their handiwork and be proud at how close they could come to their favorite characters. However, they are NOT at the Con to entertain you or be at your complete beck and call. We enjoy getting our pictures taken, as that is one of the reasons we’re there in Cosplay. But understand that we ARE at the Con as human beings; there are things we want to do, panels we want to go to, movies we want to watch, etc. We will not drop everything we are doing to satisfy what YOU want. Have some courtesy.

Example: I was eating a hot dog and had removed a good deal of my armor, especially the gauntlets since I can’t actually hold anything in them. I was obviously eating food, and not in full cosplay at the time. I was taking a break from walking around for a good number of hours. Someone came up and asked if they could take my picture, so I told them I was eating currently and not fully dressed up, but if they would wait a moment I could finish and put everything back on. I was then told, “Never mind, you {eff}ing {a}-hole (expletives deleted, because I don’t know the Katsucon boards policy on swearing).” Apparently, since I could not obey his whims entirely at the moment, it was my fault. I’m the jerk here, for existing outside of his amusement. I wish I could say this was a singular time, but my friend and I both were in inconvenient situations where a photo was asked for and we asked for a little time and were both sworn at and attacked verbally. I know others who had the same occur to them.

My friend had her costume pulled on, breaking a bra strap in the process. I had my butt-cape-skirt thingy stepped on. I had my gauntlets sat on. People pulled, tugged, grabbed without restraint. People rubbed my tattoo without asking, wondering why it didn’t come off.

Someone slapped my {butt}. Ran by and just hit me. Who thinks this is proper behavior? I know I was wearing low-cut pleathery pants. I know I was very naked. Does that mean you can do whatever you want to me?

Ask people. Ask to do these things. Have some decency and respect people’s right for you to treat them well and not disrespect them in such ways.

Though, to be fair there were some truly understanding individuals. When my friend was getting money out of the ATM, someone waited patiently by until she was done to take a picture and we thanked her after for being so patient.

3. Certain panels do not lend themselves to people shouting things out. In fact, no panel, despite the levity some have, should have people just shouting whatever they want out. Almost all the time, it is either not related to anything that has been said or a quote from a show, or comic, or anime that is being said in an attempt to be funny. Let me get this out of the way first:

You are NOT funny. Quoting a line from the Simpsons loudly at a panel, giving your opinion on a matter or reminiscing with the guests as if you were old friends is NOT appropriate.

That’s another thing. Being friendly with the guests like the webcomic artists is all well and good. I doubt very much they want to be raised on a pedestal and worshipped, but they are guests and there is a certain respect you give guests. When you shout something out and there is an awkward silence as the guests wonder how to respond, that should be your clue that people have not come to hear YOU at the panel.

This is especially annoying at the Webcomic panels. You can joke around with them all you want in the Artists’ Alley, but if they are doing a panel specifically to let people know how the comic is drawn, ideas behind it, etc. do NOT ask things like, “What’s your favorite game now? What server do you play on in WoW? Have you played Half-Life 2, ‘cause it’s really sweet and the physics engine is great and-” At the MacHall panel, I had actual questions I wanted to ask Matt and Ian. I wondered about background art and how he gets rid of his line-work, but heaven forbid I ask actual questions relating to the panel and learn something from it. No, I have to deal with people interrupting me to shout out “ALL PRAISE TO CTHULHU!” or “SHOW US YOUR CITY OF VILLAINS CHARACTER!” Maybe if that was the name of the panel, “Shout Inane Bull-{crap} At Your Favorite Webcomic Artist!” then it would be understandable. As things stand, maybe you listen to what they say, or be polite and refrain from thinking your inane and random comments matter.

4. To go along on that note, have a little respect during the movies. I realize you want to get a good seat for whatever movie you want to see, but PLEASE do not come into the end of movies. You’re obviously not there to watch the movie, but if you do come in, please do not ruin it for others.

I was watching Lady Snowblood, a movie I had been meaning to see for a long time. Towards the end, people began filtering in to get good seats for SARS Wars. Never mind that people were still watching a movie. Past that, an entire group of people sat DIRECTLY in front of me. I am not tall by any stretch of the imagination, and had to bob and weave my head around to attempt to see what was happening. If that wasn’t enough, everyone coming in for SARS Wars felt it was fine to talk in loud voices to each other about anything they wanted, since obviously if they were not watching the movie, no one else was. Past that, people even began to shout things at the movie, making fun of it and ruining the ending for about the 40 people that had come to see Lady Snowblood.

This is a SEVERE lack of respect. I had been seated for an hour and twenty minutes, not knowing how the movie ended and completely engrossed in it. And then I had to have it spoiled for me by inconsiderate fans, who thought of nothing but themselves. Do not laugh at the movies I watch, do not yell your stupid and inane comments at it, giving yourself some small laughs while people around you have completely been offended you could think so little of the rights of others.

5. There are trash cans. USE THEM. Do not throw your Pocky Boxes on the Dealer’s Room floor simply because you can not find one immediately upon opening it. I had to wade through garbage practically to get to someone’s table. Also, crap just lay around the hotel. Be respectful to the staff please, they’re allowing us to be in their hotel and we should be courteous.

6. Along those lines, do not plop yourself down wherever you want. If you are tired, find a place off to the side to rest. If someone is talking to you, move aside so people can get by. The stairs are NOT a place to sit, no matter how much they lend themselves to that. Sitting wherever you want is disrespectful to anyone who may be trying to get somewhere. Avoid places of high traffic or places people might need to get to. Sitting in front of the ATMs is not recommended. Nor in a hallway. Nor in a chair in the game room, because you’re tired DESPITE someone maybe wanting to play the game you are sitting at while you watch your friend.

7. If you are on the second floor, walk. Unless you are overly large or have cosplay that is detrimental to lifting your legs (like mine was. Stupid armor. And I still walked from the 7th) then take the stairs. The elevators at the hotel weren’t very good and were very small, so they became a real problem. If someone is running late to the Masquerade, do not press the floor below them if you are capable of walking down the stairs a floor to make life easier for someone else.

That’s about all the big concerns I could notice. And since I’ve been going on for quite a while, they must have been some PRETTY big ones. There’s probably some other things that people might elaborate on further from here, but these are the things I noticed.

What happened Anime Fans? Are we really this bad? Can we not still be polite, courteous human beings or do we only think of ourselves, live only for the now and care not for what others do? This Con has really lowered my opinion quite a bit, and I am a bit embittered for it. We SHOULDN’T gather bad reputations, we shouldn’t make it so that hotels do not want to host us. If these pathetic actions are all that Anime Fans can muster, then I am truly saddened for us all.

cross posted at my personal journal and dear_stupid