An apology if this is in the wrong section, I prefer to comment directly on your site rather than GI. I recently became aware of your ongoing harassment after reading GI’s post on the topic and my inner nerd told me to write something about it.

I feel that aiming your reticule of threat and discrimination at fellow gamers contradicts the very spirit of gaming. Whether seeking to elicit emotions of excitement, fear, or pure bliss, fun is what dominates the genetic structure of all games, digital or real-world.

Holding a controller, manipulating a mouse and keyboard, gripping a softball bat, or palming a pair of dice are all very different in terms of physical action yet nearly identical in terms of pleasure extraction. It doesn’t matter if you’re wearing cleats and a glove or sporting a robe and wizard’s hat; it’s all about enjoying yourself.

If you aren’t having fun, in games or life in general, then something is amiss and it’s time to take a step back and ask yourself why. Put yourself in your own analytical crosshairs. Distressing others with unprovoked insults is not a valid deposit into your personal fun-bank; it’s a doubly levied fine that forces your balance to greatly diminish.

Flip the Reality Switch

Like you, I enjoy videogames as an escape from life’s daily pressure-cooker situations. Games such as Gran Turismo bore me to no end because they recreate events that already occur in the real world. I prefer altered gravity, swerving into the wrong lane on a motorcycle to pop wheelies over oncoming traffic, triple-jumping across inexplicably placed chasms, and instant access to a full repository of weaponry that couldn’t possibly squeeze into my invisible knapsack, replete with near-unlimited ammo.

While meant to be fun, great videogames also have a tendency to briefly dominate your existence. After spending countless hours immersed within an imaginary realm you start to feel a very strong connection to it. You commit to memory its landscape, enemy patterns, highly specialized rules of gameplay, and can sometimes recognize by sound alone that trouble is imminent. And if both the game and your connection to it are deep enough you’ll long to revisit its world whenever life’s countless distractions finally stop impeding your return.

Boors Will be Boors

Working in an office with more than 50 consorts has repeatedly proven that some people simply lack filters within their brain. Title or rank have no bearing on this behavior, they just blurt out whatever comes to mind without regard for how their comments affect the people they’re speaking to and others within earshot. Combine those unfiltered outbursts with the male psyche’s intrinsic desire to recognize and announce beauty—sometimes exacerbated by alcohol or other inhibition-shedding substances—and you’re brewing a recipe for offense.

This is how I imagine internal monologue within unfiltered gray matter: Bayonetta’s skintight hair-suit and furious gun-boots are incredibly sexy. There’s a girl over there dressed just like her! How did she know about my affinity? She must’ve dressed like that just for dudes like me. I bet something positive will happen if I go tell her how much her rack resembles the ‘real’ thing. How could that possibly go wrong? That’s exactly why she’s here at the show, isn’t it?

Unfortunately, these antics will always exist. Every single industry has a dark side because it’s nigh impossible to escape the douche bottles that somehow find employment within the ranks of stand-up citizens. The occurrence of random encounters greatly increases when commingling with the general public, as you’ve experienced firsthand. Major accolades are due for assuming your role as crusader of justice and exposing the offenders as all-too-common trolls.

Although initially unsettled by that infamously graceless CEO’s oafish comment and the recent incident at PAX East, you’ve seriously leveled up your life’s experience meter by pressing on and treating those unfortunate situations as mere obstacles on your road to success. A partial measure of true success, and doubly important, happiness, is one’s ability to quickly rebound from setbacks. Knowing who you are, what you stand for, and not being afraid to put yourself out there for the world to inevitably judge are highly commendable traits that require abundant courage. I doubt either of those cretins can demonstrate a tenth of your valor and are still searching for the inner tranquility you’ve obviously discovered.

Applause for Cos

I fully understand how an artist could be compelled to dress up as their favorite character. If the aforementioned connection is strong enough and you possess the innumerable skills required to grant real-world access to a fantasy-world individual, what’s to stop you? It’s so very easy, right? Just mix moxie and mettle, fortitude and heart, lots of patience with even more perseverance, then pile on spunk and boundless creativity to make it all form like Voltron.

Pouring your enthusiasm for an entertainment medium into such a complex craft goes far beyond a love of games and comics. I think if more outside observers realize the full scope of dedication and resources that go into each and every one of your professional projects there’d be far fewer haters.

Many have failed in showing appreciation for the positive influence cosplayers have on conventions. All in attendance should consider themselves lucky to score an up-close glimpse at cosplayers’ custom-crafted creations. How else are our favorite characters going to walk among us? We need cosplayers like you to make them truly breathe.

I was going to suggest a Wonder Woman project as a metaphor for your triumph over oppression but a quick Google search revealed you’ve already donned that suit. It most certainly fits you well.

Warmest regards,

Jon