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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Abuse while in costume- ever happen to you?

Discussion in 'Costuming and Props' started by Amanita, Jul 21, 2005.

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  1. master-Corran-horn

    master-Corran-horn Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Sep 4, 2005
    :eek: You told her there was no santa????? How do you make her behave through the year then?[face_thinking] My little girl is 8, and i still tell her santa won't come if she's bad. ---But she does look at me like this:rolleyes: when i do that come to think of it.:)
     
  2. Neimhaille

    Neimhaille Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    May 12, 2002
    Heh, we were poor when I was that little so to say Santa won't leave presents if I was naughty was just down right wrong.. there were going to be no presents anyway!

    Mum had to come up with a convaluted story to explain how even though I was a darling girl (and fighteningly enough I actually was) I was going to end up with no pressies;) I learnt about how money works pretty quickly;)

    As far as abuse goes...

    In NZ there is still a feeling that Cosplay is only Japanese animated inspired costumes. So I was hassled for winning a cosplay contest with my Satine costume. No matter what their beliefs were, the rules stated I could.\

    And I've had the odd weird look. Generally from those heavily influenced by peer pressure. That is, much younger than me and trying to find "who they are" in this world.
     
  3. electrakitty

    electrakitty Jedi Master star 2

    Registered:
    Apr 27, 2005
    Actually when I asked, my mom said that Santa was real, he was just inside everyone. . .I thought that was a good way to put it. She refused to lie, but she was also very careful to retain my childlike-ness [/hijack]
     
  4. master-Corran-horn

    master-Corran-horn Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Sep 4, 2005
    oh man, I like that, now i've got an excuse for my expanding waist line, that doesn't include "too much work and not enough exercise. Are you sure about that? Because my wife will want proof.[face_laugh]
     
  5. Ktala

    Ktala Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Sep 7, 2002
    WOW!

    Reading these stories is just wild.

    I have attended Dragon*Con for many years. As a Klingon, and as Jedi, and a few others. I notice I get NO flack...when Im in klingon garb...ever. I dont give em a chance.

    Jedi is another story however. yeah..i get the folks who stomp on yer cloak and look at you, like its your fault. And when I was a twi'lek, folks would come up and tugg on the lekku. Since they were TIGHTLY attached on my head, my neck didnt appreciate that. I turned rather sithy at that point, and the touching stopped.

    I have also walked around at 3am..and had no one bother me. Lucikly. But I have noticed when you have a helmet or mask on..there is something that just makes folks want to touch you more. hehe.. But since I can RUN pretty good in my gear, most back of quickly, if I move quick. But yes, having a handler is the BEST thing to have. I can imagine poor wookiess having folks plow into you legs being NOT fun. I know one time, i caught some teen, when I was at an event, trying to light the part of someones costume with a lighter. My polearm I was carrying, ended up in his face..about an inch away.

    He decided now was a good time to leave.

     
  6. Amanita

    Amanita Jedi Youngling star 2

    Registered:
    May 12, 2003
    Unbelievable. Just WHAT is it with teenagers and lighting stuff on fire? Within the past couple of weeks, we had a group of teenage brats going around our neighborhood with lighters, lighting signs and other small things on fire. Maybe if we're lucky, the little pyros will blow their fingers off with fireworks before they really do some damage.

    And the idiot trying to light somebody's costume on fire? Good for you for intimidating that waste of flesh. I just don't get people whose sole mission in life seems to be destroying or ***pping all over somebody else's hard work, just because they feel like it or they can.
     
  7. Jauhzmynn

    Jauhzmynn Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 16, 2002
    Ekk Some fool tried to LIGHT someone's clothing on fire??? Ya' know, I'd have made 'em EAT that lighter. }:( That's pretty dumb for folks to damage another person's hard work.This year at D*C I went cloakless and was glad I did. Too many people and too warm for it.
    Ktala, I agree. People have to use their head and give respect to those in helmented/masked and stilted costumes. This year, ithinkI'd seen at least 6 stilled guys.(Three wookies, an Ent, Jack(Nightmare before christmas- I think) and a imposssing critter in black.)
     
  8. Amanita

    Amanita Jedi Youngling star 2

    Registered:
    May 12, 2003
    Sadly, respect is in short supply these days. To many young people, it's all about looking and being "cool", and unfortunately acting like an A-hole to others is seen as cooler than being nice.

    I don't know why. Maybe it's because of entertainment where we glorify people who act like pr*cks- Simon Cowell and the host of "weakest link" come to mind. People see this rude behavior presented as cool and emulate it. Or maybe it's massive entitlement. I remember being ruthlessly harrassed in school, and one of the harrassers justifying it to a teacher as "We're just having fun!". These types want to have their fun, even if that fun involves hurting somebody, damaging their property, or worse. And how dare you have anything to say about it, or try to stop them? After all, they have rights, don't you know?

    Maybe helmetted and masked types get it worse because the perpetrators can't see their faces and tend to forget that there's a real person under there. Or maybe these idiots just feel that by being different, you "ask" for abuse, that your being in a costume gives them the right to be jerks to you. I've seen kids who looked old enough to know better kick and punch at a guy in a bagel costume while their father just stood there. Now, the kids were just playing and not hitting hard, but I still feel that their father should have called them off.

    As for my rant that started this thread, I still can't get over the attitude of that stroller pushing teen. MY fault for wearing my robe in public? MY fault that she and her friend ran into me? Funny thing- I always thought that when you were pushing or carrying something large or awkward through a crowd, the onus was mostly on you to make sure you watch where you're going and don't become a nuisance. Of course, if somebody runs into you, that's different, but you are the one with the large object, it's up to you to make sure you don't ram people with it, and apolagize if you do. I've taken my katana out of my belt and carried it vertically while walking through crowded SCA events to avoid any accidental scabbord pokings or trippings. Is it really that hard to show some common sense and courtesy?
     
  9. master-Corran-horn

    master-Corran-horn Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Sep 4, 2005
    Amanita, first let me send you an apology on behalf of those jerks who harassed you in school. I know how you felt. Imagine a boy in the 7th grade who weighted 70 pounds and stood 4'6. Had no coordination, and had a mother who was a mean subsitute teacher. Even the nerds, both male and female, picked on me. But oddly enough, as bad as it hurt from both the mental and physical abuse i suffered on a daily basis. Was watching it happen to other people who couldn't defend themselves either. I would run when i could from people who were after me. but my most vicious fights that somehow???? i never lost were when i saw someone smaller than me getting picked on. My daughter is 8 now, and i have spent a huge amount of my time teaching her how to defend herself, and to NOT do or say anything to anybody that she wouldn't like done to her. She's seen me come unglued on occasions when i've seen people treated unfairly. My wife is from the philippines, and i've spent ...well 10 years helping her with her english. Not trying to change the way she speaks, (I love her accent, and even her broken and fractured sentences) but helping her to understand what people are saying to her. We live in alabama so sometimes for her It's impossible[face_laugh] . I guess because of this i'm very sensitive for other people who have a hard time with english. Once we were in a chinese resturant, and the guy two tables down started yelling at the waitress that "that wasn't what he said to her, whats wrong with her, "are you stupid". when the woman tried to say she was sorry, in her broken english, he told her that yes she WAS sorry, and stupid and she had better get his order right!!! When I saw the womans tears start to fall, I lost it. I exploded. I went to his table grabbed his water and pored it on his lap, then burst the glass infront of him. When he started to stand I jabbed my fingers into his throut, shoved him back into his chair and told him that if he wanted his son to see him get his *** ripped open just say one more word to the woman. He should be ashamed at the example he just set for his son,
    and I'd put him in the hospital if he didn't apologise to her. The patrons started clapping, and he told her he was sorry. The waitress, and manager said later that our meal was on the house [face_dancing] My daughter asked why i did that. I told her that there are some things in this world that you cannot just set back and ignore, and let happen. This shows where some kids get their attitudes of respect, The mean people and bullys grow up and have kids also. I hope if I can just get one thing right in bringing up my daughter, its to respect and treat others right.
     
  10. Koohii

    Koohii Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    May 30, 2003
    I hate to say it, but in my observation, people with prams are the worst. They seem to be under the impression that just because they're pushing their offspring in a pram that everyone else should have to adjust and move arround them or out of their way. (Gross over-generalization, but sadly, like most stereotypes, it seems to hold.) They are frequently rude to the point of being obnoxious. Every time I've been to Disneyland, for example, in the last 15 years, I've had my foot run over at least once. Granted, I have big feet. Like many people milling in a crowd, they stop for no reason in the middle of the path. With the carriage, however, they take up 4x as much room.

    "Common Sense" and "common courtesy" are misnomers. They are not common. Neither is "common descency."

    Living in alabama? The natives don't manage to speak proper English. Where do they get off lecturing someone else?
     
  11. Forcebewitya

    Forcebewitya Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 7, 2002
    I have to say master-corran-horn, you are awesome! I have a lot of respect for someone like you who would do something like that for a complete stranger. I wish I could do something like that but I hate confrontations. Thats highly respectable, and I just wanted to mention that.

    Forcebewitya.
     
  12. master-Corran-horn

    master-Corran-horn Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Sep 4, 2005
    I agree with you about common sense and courtsy koohii. Now to prove I'm from alabama... Whats a pram? :confused: About the natives, I've got tons of stories there. My friend was just now talking how he was spied on in wal--- you know when he was picking up items because of his skin color. It reminded me of all the junk I had to stop happening around my wife when I first got her here to the states. We lived in a small town in Al. and caught alot of flack for "not marrying a woman who was from here, who already had children, and mostly who was not white" . I was 24, she 26 and she was just stunned with things here. We had gone into a local store and she was walking through picking up items, and holding them up to her or admiring them and returning them to their place. (She had been here less than a week.) Well I noticed the older woman who tended the store was following us around. Then I noticed she was picking up all the items my wife had touched and was wiping them off with a small rag.:mad: My wife had just picked up shirt and held it up to herself and placed it back in the rack. When the woman picked this item up to "clean", I went back and jerked it out of her hands and threw it in the floor, stepped on it and said "Now you've got a reason". Err... well I did have an adjective and pronoun in there also[face_blush] . She actually called my Mom??? and told her how I was rude to her and demanded an apology!!![face_shame_on_you] ??? After I said "[face_devil]no" and explained why, my mom called her back and preceeded to make Saint Peter blush. [face_dancing] This was just one of many reasons why we moved away from there when we could afford to.

    Thanks Forcebewitya. Actually I never really though it was that big a deal. I was ashamed I had lost my temper and lost control like that. .... OH who am I kidding, I enjoyed making the jerk squirm. He was bigger then me so I considered it fair (9 years of martial arts training). And I liked the smile I brought to the young lady's face. [face_peace]
     
  13. Amanita

    Amanita Jedi Youngling star 2

    Registered:
    May 12, 2003
    Way to go for standing up to that jerk who was harrassing that poor Chinese waitress!
    And an even bigger one for teaching your daughter to stand up for herself and others! Nice to see parents encouraging their children to do what's right instead of just grabbing all the entitlements they can for themselves.

    And yes, strollers can be a huge pain. You would think that these "parents of the year" would think twice before using the container their offspring is in as a battering ram! Really, though. What if one of the people they rammed happened to fall over and take the stroller out with them? It's been known to happen. Had that teenage brat actually made a move to deliberately hit me with that stroller, not only would I have called the police over and had her charged with uttering threats, assault, and battery, but I also would have suggested child endangerment charges. Saying that she did not seem to be terribly concerned that using her stroller as a weapon might endanger the safety of the child, or that in the fight that might well ensue after such an act, the child and stroller could well become collateral damage.
     
  14. Xanthe_ShHarr

    Xanthe_ShHarr Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    May 29, 2003
    Ive never been made fun of atleast directly. Like at school everyone thinks my hobby is awesome and they encourage me to wear a costume to school.. but sadly the principles dont like the idea. But one halloween two years ago, i dressed as a jedi, and me and a friend were walking by ourselves and two kids came up and said is that a lightsaber or a %#$*!... They were kinda joking about it but it was still innapropriate.
     
  15. jedichic07

    jedichic07 Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 28, 2002
    As a stroller pusher myself, I have to say I try to be considerate to others when taking it out. But there are just places it does not work. For one, I would never take my baby to a con-
    A. Hyatt elevators - nuff said on that.
    B. they don't like being strapped in that thing all day, why chould I torture them?

    I try to make having the stroller as convient as I can, without being a nusience. It's a necessary evil with tiny ones!

    Now, on the subject of standing up for one's self. Cheers to taking that woman's side. Be her Chinese or not- waitresses need more people on their side. It seems that most people think server=servent and they can treat you like trash. Thanks for the inspiration!
     
  16. Benae_Quee

    Benae_Quee Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 15, 2002
    My mother was in the restaurant business for almost 30 years - she told me one simple thing...

    'Don't become a waitress unless you have no other choice!'

    She got good money, but hated the hours and treatment. Her VERY first night waitressing she was put on the graveyard shift... she had lied and said she had experience waitressing (how hard could it be after all). A man came into the diner and sat in the back, ordered a cup of coffee and a donught. When my mother came back - he was COMPLETELY exposed :eek: ! Her first instinct was to pour the WHOLE pot of piping hot coffee into his lap=D= ! They later found the guy when he checked himself into a nearby hospital for the burns LMAO.:oops:

    Okay, so it wasn't costume related, but I thought I'd share a waitressing story :)
     
  17. Darth_Ravenger

    Darth_Ravenger Jedi Master star 1

    Registered:
    Oct 29, 2002
    I'm new to the game at this hobby and have witnessed this crap from onlookers at C3 waiting in line and it really does suck to see some pathetic teenagers riding in their daddies car/drinking on a Friday night shouting obscenities from their safe rolled down car windows. I waited in line close to 9 hours in the freezing cold with rain to see the Lucas presentation where he spoke. I didn't even have a camping chair until about 2 to 3 hours being stiff in pain but me and the other first 250 people or so (some in costumes and even some in regular clothes were mouthed off at a dozen times that night so disrespectfully. They seem to feel we have some kind of stigma because we're standing here you know enjoying ourselves/doing what we love best. I mean so what if you don't like sw then fine but don't whine to me about it. I'm 27 and from Alabama (born and raised). I would hope that people wouldn't stereotype everyone from this state in that fashion because those kind of trashy people are everywhere and I'm not the kind to act in that that inappropriate way. When I have seen/been around costuming in person I personally thought it was awsome because I myself as a child up until now wish everyday was Halloween. Well in a way I do. I am in awe of people will's to create these magnificent creations because they love something so much that they are willing to get a tattoo, spend numerous long hours making a costume or sit out in the ice chilled wet cold to see the events creator,..etc. That just speaks volumes to me personally because their aren't many things like that in this world that people would go to such great lengths to experience. Regular folks just don't know what their missing and the bigmouths have nothing that they love that much that they would sacrifice themselves to. It's like a hidden treasure/pleasure to be a fan. Things like that make me feel proud to be a sw fan. I hope that one day I'll be able to become efficient enough/talented to create awsome pieces and costumes like the rest of you.
     
  18. oliviagoddess

    oliviagoddess Jedi Youngling

    Registered:
    Sep 7, 2005
    I'm the woman who sewed a nursing accessible StarFleet uniform (Alas, I never got the chance to put little Klingon ridges on my sweetie...). I believe babies should be with their mothers/fathers in a sling. Who needs strollers? Ask any baby and they would much rather be in a sling with all that bouncy fun and napping on parent they all like to do. Keeps them remarkably quiet and relaxed. I saw Ep III concept art of Padme in the snow bunny outfit with the twins in a sling on her back (a la Sachajaweia) so obviously it's a SW thing to do as far as costuning is concerned. so take your baby with you to cons!

    Sometimes I feel cons are a little (how do I say this without offending, ok, I can't, so I'll just say it) mysogynistic at worst and family unfriendly at best. As if SF was just for loosers who would never actually like their mate & offspring enough to take them out of the house and be seen in public together. All my life (since I was 8 and now I'm 33) I had to deal with the crap that guys would give me because they didn't think I was a real fan -- comics, D&D & SF stuff was for boys. After the baby I would get the very distinct impression from other fans that I had no business being in their presence with child, so I should make myself scarce.

    HOPEFULLY DIsney SW weekend will be different. I keep thinking back to Toy Story when Woody says to Buzz: "You're a child's plaything!" Disney's all about the kids so they like to keep up the show. While it is a great hobby/lifestyle pursit, lets not loose sight of the fact that we were all little once and obsessed with SW. Remember when you were 8 and had your RC Jawa Sand crawler and you would load all your figures into it and try to run over the cat (or was that just me?). I buy play toys for my daughter and collection toys for mommy's closet. I have taken Carbonite Han Solo out of his box and given it to her to play with (after all Slave Leia needed a friend to play with).

    We need to breed more fans, or the movement will die off! My daughter is 4 1/2 and could probably give most adult fans a run for their money when it comes to costuming and trivia on the Clone Wars. I think she belongs at cons and took her when she was only a baby. It's one thing to have specific "adult only" events, but not every event should be just about the adult fans. But then people would say the movement sold out and went mainstream (as if that didn't already happen in the 80's ;-)

    Ok, I'm done with my soapbox.
    Except to say I still bring it up to my parents every chance I get that they gave away my Sandcrawler http://photos.sirstevesguide.com/showphoto.php?photo=8877&cat=3392 and Transformers, particularly Tripticon http://www.tfarchive.com/cartoons/generationone/profiles/g1trypticon.php, a big T-Rex that turned into a city.
     
  19. Cher2a

    Cher2a Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Sep 23, 2005
    Wow... All these stories! Some of them are hard to believe, there just so darned rude!!!
    I'm a little concerned about next weekend (C8), actually - all but one of my Costumes are, er... Shall we say female? Lolz.
     
  20. Sakara

    Sakara Jedi Youngling star 2

    Registered:
    Jun 8, 2005
    Dont worry darl, just ignore any stupid comments because they come from stupid people and they are the ones showing themselves up.
    if anything beyond comments happens let somebody you know(like me) and ill let Showmasters know.
    They hold the event in a shopping mall, they need to understand there are public who are not interested in scifi/cosplay etc.
     
  21. AnakinSkywlkr

    AnakinSkywlkr Jedi Youngling

    Registered:
    Sep 18, 2005
    Never had that bad of stuff happen to me before...but I did have some not so curteous comments.

    I had a bunch of friends with me, maybe 15 or so. We were all dressed up as Lord of the Rings characters. Then, some little brats came by us and were laughing and were like, "Lord of the Geeks! Lord of the Geeks!" I was so ticked off after that. Ha ha! Especially from some young boys who have nothing better to do. Oh well...

    And another one, we went to the Two Towers premier in our costumes again. And a bunch a teenagers were like laughing and one of them told us, "Hey! Don't you know halloween is over?" I wanted to turn around and say, "Hey really? Because I really like your costume!" But, of course I didn't do such a thing. Ha ha! But, after that, we went into the theater and got a round of applause. So, to me, it doesn't really matter what people say. As long as I'm having fun with my friends. It's all good. :cool:
     
  22. Amanita

    Amanita Jedi Youngling star 2

    Registered:
    May 12, 2003
    Arghhh..edited to remove double post
     
  23. Amanita

    Amanita Jedi Youngling star 2

    Registered:
    May 12, 2003
    In regards to the comment about events in shopping malls, and how some people aren't interested in what we do, that's all fine and dandy. They don't have to like it.

    But there's a big difference between simply not being interested and going out of one's way to be rude to somebody. So those people don't like star wars or LOTR, or what-have-you. But what gives them the right to be abusive to somebody else who DOES like those things?
    I'm not into cheerleading, but you're not going to see me making nasty comments to cheerleaders when I see them doing the occasional mall or other public performance. I'm not a sports fan, but I'm not going to make fun of sports teams when I see them out fundraising or doing public events, while wearing team uniforms. Nor am I going to be nasty to fans who dress up and wear facepaint to attend games.

    And in regard to the issue of babies/children- I think the reason why some people get annoyed when they see kids at cons may have something to do with some of the parenting I've seen. Sadly, some parents just don't discipline their kids- lots of evidence of that in this thread. After seeing enough bratty kid behavior, it's understandable that some people may not be too thrilled when they see kids around- their first thought might be something like "Oh #$%, not again!"
    This whole thing is unfortunate- the bad kids and parents ruin it for the ones who are trying to do right by their kids and everyone else.
     
  24. Jaren_Valnor

    Jaren_Valnor Jedi Master star 2

    Registered:
    Sep 19, 2004
    This isn't really related to costuming, but I did have an experience with an I-Have-A-Stroller-I-Rule-The-World person at a football game Friday night. A mother with a stroller was practically running people over to get to the concession stand. I had to get past her and said, "Excuse me", and she complained that I should have given some sign that I was going in front of her stroller!
     
  25. Cher2a

    Cher2a Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Sep 23, 2005
    Aw, thanks hun :)
    Admittedly, I'm still nervous - but I know I'll be with some great people, like you, so I'm not as concerned. Think positive, right? Think William Shatner! [face_laugh]
     
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