DISCUSSION: Anyone else tired of Sexy Apple Jack Cosplays?

[Katai]

(PS: Katai, your cosplay outfit is adorable! That shirt and vest are so perfectly fitting for AJ. )

Aww thank you! It  was my first cosplay ever :3 My friend did a wonderful Twilight Sparkle, shes more seasoned than I however.:

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 Next for me is Padme from Episode 3, the brown outfit where she meets Anakin on the lava planet. I'm pregnant so it will be a fun, comfortable outfit. I was going to re-do AJ for Bay area Brony Spectacular, but..well I may need to modify it since I'll be 5 months. I don't have time to come up with a new costume.

[Ivaness]

I'm all for folks' freedom of expression, and there can be really lovely, well-done and tasteful 'sexy' cosplays done ... but a lot of the ones I see are beyond the realm of sexy and into really, um, borderline-illegal? I'm talking about stuff you see at the Renaissance Faire, with people literally spilling out of their too-small tops and such.

Sorry for the off topic-ness here in my reply. Snap, I do renn faires, am a huge history buff when it comes to the period clothing and the history in general. (I'm completely obsessed with the Tudors and that era.) I DO believe that, yes, back in that time, it was COMPLETELY appropriate to basically have your goods on display as a female. To have a neckline that was cut off right above the nipples was considered appropriate and sexy. *But to have your ankles show meant you were a trollop.*

While that neckline is historical accurate, it has NO place in this time, even at renn faires. The renn faire in Lancaster, PA is family friendly and I see young women pushing the boundary even further every time I go. I cringe at it.  Young girls see this and I don't believe it sends a good message, but on the other hand, it's also a good lesson parents could pick up on to show their young daughters appropriate and inappropriate.

This view stands for cosplay as well. I just don't cosplay, but I do dress up for renn faires. (As seen below. My boyfriend, in his kilt, is much more scandalous than I!!))

Spoiler

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[SaelaVe]

(PS: Katai, your cosplay outfit is adorable! That shirt and vest are so perfectly fitting for AJ. )

Aww thank you! It  was my first cosplay ever :3 My friend did a wonderful Twilight Sparkle, shes more seasoned than I however.:

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 Next for me is Padme from Episode 3, the brown outfit where she meets Anakin on the lava planet. I'm pregnant so it will be a fun, comfortable outfit. I was going to re-do AJ for Bay area Brony Spectacular, but..well I may need to modify it since I'll be 5 months. I don't have time to come up with a new costume.

Oh wow! I love the lavender contact lens. I would have never thought of that. That's attention to details.
And the plaid skirt is so perfect!

Oh a pregnant Ep. III Padme would be amazing! I would love to see photos of that when you do it.


Okay, sorry. Back on topic now.

[CupidStrikes]

To be honest, whilst some "sexy" cosplays might not be appropriate to the character, so long as the cosplayer is having fun and not bothering anyone else, I have no issue with it. There are way more problems in the cosplay community related to drama, men harassing female cosplayers elitists, etc, that someone not staying true to their character (though it does make me wonder why they picked that character in particular but who am I to judge? xD). If they entered into a competition where one of the requirements was accuracy then I'd maybe wonder what they were thinking but, eh, live and let live.

[Vintergatan]

Honestly while I would never do "sexy" cosplay, I feel that if someone wants to its their choice. I feel a bigger issue is guys that feel entitled to harass these women based on what they wear.

This is how I feel as well. I personally have no issues with women showing as much skin as they want (after all, if men get to do it, why can't women?) as I don't think our bodies are anything to be ashamed of.
I also agree that these issues don't exist in a vacuum, but that shouldn't be the cosplayers' fault, though here I would be going way off topic regarding entitlement.

Either way, I also much prefer tasteful cosplays, but at the end of the day, it is their choice and I'm not sure that going around setting double standards for how women can and can't cosplay is the right thing to do

[Al-1701]

I think the bigger problem is the "sexy" cosplayers tend to get more attention that the tasteful ones.  It's a shame that someone who takes a lot of time and care to make a costume that represents the character gets less attention than someone who basically wears streetwalker clothes and with pony ears, but it tells you which head many guys think with when comes to pony cosplayers.

[hathorcat]

Honestly while I would never do "sexy" cosplay, I feel that if someone wants to its their choice. I feel a bigger issue is guys that feel entitled to harass these women based on what they wear.

This is how I feel as well. I personally have no issues with women showing as much skin as they want (after all, if men get to do it, why can't women?) as I don't think our bodies are anything to be ashamed of.
I also agree that these issues don't exist in a vacuum, but that shouldn't be the cosplayers' fault, though here I would be going way off topic regarding entitlement.

Either way, I also much prefer tasteful cosplays, but at the end of the day, it is their choice and I'm not sure that going around setting double standards for how women can and can't cosplay is the right thing to do

Pretty much all of this for me too.

I believe something like cosplay is an interpretation [especially when you are humanising an animal - who is all naked to start with anyway ] and that interpretation can be made in any way a person prefers. If someone wants to show flesh and dress in a minimalist cosplay outfit, then fair enough to them; its their interpretation and as long as they dont expect everyone to like it then I think no harm done.

Do I like the way FiM has largely brought a much more adult feel to ponies, along with the sexualisation of a childrens toy and cartoon? Nope, its my biggest hate of the moment and something which makes me bemoan the general popularity of MLP and the direction a section of fans have taken it. However, I dont think that such a course is due to sexy cosplay - sexy cosplay of even the most non sexualised characters exists in every fandom not just MLP. Unfortunately I think when you look at the demographic of a lot of G4 fans now, their preferences and perhaps the other fandoms they are coming from was always going to put this rather unpleasant [for me] spin on ponies.

[claricesponies]

Here my AJ cosplay:

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This is Awesome!

Post Merge: December 25, 2013, 12:13:37 AM

(PS: Katai, your cosplay outfit is adorable! That shirt and vest are so perfectly fitting for AJ. )

Aww thank you! It  was my first cosplay ever :3 My friend did a wonderful Twilight Sparkle, shes more seasoned than I however.:

visitors can't see pics , please register or login


 Next for me is Padme from Episode 3, the brown outfit where she meets Anakin on the lava planet. I'm pregnant so it will be a fun, comfortable outfit. I was going to re-do AJ for Bay area Brony Spectacular, but..well I may need to modify it since I'll be 5 months. I don't have time to come up with a new costume.

Very Well Done

[Corona]

I'm a cosplayer and if I didn't have self esteem issues about the big dent in my chest, I'd do cosplays that show a little skin. My original plan for Rainbow Dash was somethig sporty, no skimpier than say, a jogger in the summer. Ended up not doing it.

I say if you're gonna do sexy cosplay of ponies, two things. One; mind your audience. Your more seductive Rarity may be a hit at a big convention where there are adult themes (if you are so inclined) like Anime Expo, but would be in really really poor taste at the MLP Fair.

Two; don't shove it in anyone's face or break public indecency laws. There is such thing as too much.

I'm just really not against sexy cosplay if you don't break those two things and you choose to do it. I really do agree that people (not just men! I've actually been grabbed more by women) grabbing cosplayers is a bigger deal.

[reanna-mator]

I do like the picture you posted, but it doesn't bother me how other people choose to cosplay. It's all for fun, and I've done some ridiculous cosplay in my time too (I once went to an anime con as the heroine from an adult anime), so I don't really have a right to judge.

[Dragonflitter]

The over-sexiness in all costuming in our society right now is annoying and it is disappointing--but not surprising at all--that it spread to MLP cosplays as well. I mean, just look at this blog post pointing out the issues that every Halloween costume series currently has:

http://theworstthingsforsale.com/2013/10/28/cookie-monster-costumes/

"Boys can dress up like Cookie Monster, and girls can dress up like a dress."

(Remember in Equestria Girls all six of the Mane 6 wore skirts, even RD. Girls = dress, because dress = sexy)

[Vintergatan]

Dragonflitter, I LOVE the comment on that page! Great point

[Silver_mirror46]

I think they have the same problem as genderbent characters like Goku, Mario and Ezio they get really skimpy outfits when they probably shouldn't be if staying truly in character (kinda like the "female armor" issue)

Take Mario for example, I don't think I've ever seen a chubby cosplayer plus the long-pant overalls and not showing off her cleavage

Now compare it to the designs Nintendo gave Peach, Daisy and Rosalina: they have long dresses and show little skin... they seem respectful enough to me (the princess stereotype is another whole issue) and you know why?

Same as MLP... they're CHILDREN'S icons, a sexy Twilight  is disrespectful because she is originally marketed towards young girls who have nothing to do in a miniskirt, it's turning the innocence of a CUTE HORSE into something "adult"

[Katai]

The over-sexiness in all costuming in our society right now is annoying and it is disappointing--but not surprising at all--that it spread to MLP cosplays as well. I mean, just look at this blog post pointing out the issues that every Halloween costume series currently has:

http://theworstthingsforsale.com/2013/10/28/cookie-monster-costumes/

"Boys can dress up like Cookie Monster, and girls can dress up like a dress."

(Remember in Equestria Girls all six of the Mane 6 wore skirts, even RD. Girls = dress, because dress = sexy)

Well going towards EGirls lets compare them to Monster High and even Ever After High. Those are WORSE. To me, Equestria Girls did a good job. The girls were not dressed skimpy and respectable and not in sky high anatomy defying heels. Monster High is just..dear god. I never got into it mainly because of how the characters were dressed and portrayed. Ever After High I like better, they are more covered up and modern, but I still take issue with the sky high heels.

There is nothing wrong with Skirts and Dresses unless they are taken to a place where it isn't respectable. EX: Clawdeen

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Super tiny skirt, Sky high heels, midrift showing. I saw a kids outfit for halloween of this and just shuttered because it person the skirt was just as tiny.

Compare to Ever after high:

Heres a link. It won't show otherwise for some reason. :


http://images6.fanpop.com/image/photos/35000000/Characters-ever-after-high-35090341-960-540.jpg

Notice the sky high heels are there but there is a significant difference in how covered up they are. I know that they are both produced by the same company, but you get a different feel from the two in just how the characters are dressed and portrayed.

BTW Thank you ya'll for your compliments on my friend's and I's cosplays. That AJ was my first one and I really wanted to do something that stuck true to the character and was a fun first cosplay.

[lovesbabysquirmy]

Honestly while I would never do "sexy" cosplay, I feel that if someone wants to its their choice. I feel a bigger issue is guys that feel entitled to harass these women based on what they wear.

This is how I feel as well. I personally have no issues with women showing as much skin as they want (after all, if men get to do it, why can't women?) as I don't think our bodies are anything to be ashamed of.

Either way, I also much prefer tasteful cosplays, but at the end of the day, it is their choice and I'm not sure that going around setting double standards for how women can and can't cosplay is the right thing to do

AGREED!  Seriously-  it's just a human body, just admire them silently.  Don't be a jerk and make noises and take pics without permission and make comments or gestures and whatnot.  And if you don't enjoy admiring the human body, move along, there's clearly nothing to see here that's of interest to you... ;D 

It is partially true that cos-play is a particular niche of wearing a costume where you are expected to act like the character, and inappropriate behavior is not part of the spirit of the character.  Whether that is in a "sexy" way or because Mario is jumping around making Yoshi noises.  :-p

But how should we define that one is just wearing a MLP costume or "interpretation", and where someone is "cosplaying a MLP character"?  That's a pretty thin line...  especially when you have all ages of people wearing costumes!