What's with all the Homestuck hate?

Started by kookiekween99, May 28, 2013, 12:08:26 AM

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kookiekween99

I thought we, as a fandom, were very well behaved this year.

But I keep seeing posts about how Homestuck ruined Fanime for them or people saying something along the lines of, "Well, other non-anime fandoms like Doctor Who and My Little Pony are okay, but those damn Homestucks need to get out of my con!"

What, exactly, is so terrible about Homestuck? Sure, there are a few... eccentric members of the fandom, but hey, any fandom has its crazies. And like I said, as far as general behavior and sealing paint/makeup went, I think we did a pretty good job.

So other than the fact that Homestuck is not from Japan and it's not an anime, how has it ruined your con? Why does this one fandom get singled out more than any other?
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PinkHairSasuke

Now, I'm not a Homestuck fan(I've never read it or taken an interest in it, just know what it is from this girl I met) but I brought up this exact point in another thread. I believe the hate is unwarranted. If MLP and Dr. Who can be accepted, why not Homestuck? I've seen the criticism come from the fact that the cosplays are "simple and lazy" and because it isn't anywhere close to Fanime in terms of being relevant due to it only being a web comic. My argument for the "too simple" excuse is cosplaying Vincent Brooks from Catherine. All he wears is pink polka dot boxers along with having horns when he's in the nightmares. It's similar to a Homestuck cosplay but never draws heat. All this hate is giving everyone the label of being a "Homestuck hater."

djmonolith

Maybe I will take a stab at this because I heard a LOT of chatter about non anime cosplay this year.  I really think it comes down to the fact that there is so much non Anime related cosplay at an Anime Convention. 

Homestuck gets singled out because there are SO MANY of you!!  Sure there are a lot of Dr. Whos, super heroes, cartoons, Disney, whatever... but Homestuck costumes were e-very-where.

I have to say that there were a few of you that had beautiful costumes and amazing makeup and I really appreciated it.  And I agree that, compared to previous years, you all seemed more "well behaved" as you put it.  But the bottom line is that it is an Anime themed convention... and I think a lot of people just want to see Anime themed things.

Which brings up an interesting point... Lolita, jpop, gothic fairytale... these things seem to be OK even though they are not "anime" - interesting??
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Stormfalcon

The thing is, conventions that stuck purely on theme have been a rarity for quite a long time now, and anime conventions themselves grew out of sci-fi/fantasy conventions long ago.  Any fellow old-timers remember TimeCon?  That was a Doctor Who convention back in the 80's, and there have been some anime-related stuff, including cosplay, back then.  Some of us old-timers might also remember picking up the seminal BayCon anime guide back in that time period, which introduced us to series that would be considered old-school today.

The point?  If the general sci-fi/fantasy and series-specific conventions of yesteryear were as intolerant then as some anime fans are towards other fandoms in their conventions today, anime fandom would be in a whole other place altogether, if at all.  For anime fandom to say that other fandoms have no place in their conventions would be to forget the very roots of anime fandom.

Another point to consider: it is indeed possible for fans to be fans of multiple genres and shows.  A fan who cosplays may decide one day to cosplay an anime or game character, and then turn around and cosplay something from a whole other genre at the same convention.  There's just so much crossover in terms of interests these days that trying to keep conventions thematically pure is just impossible at this point.  Further blurring the lines is some of that "other" stuff crossing over into anime (or at least Japanese airwaves).  There have been Marvel-based anime and manga at this point.  MLP is currently being shown in Japan.  Not sure how much of a dent Homestuck would ever make with Japanese audiences, but stranger things have happened.

The point being is that, while Fanime may be an anime/manga-themed convention, the motto has always been By Fans For Fans.  If the fans are into other stuff besides anime and manga and want to show their love for those things at the same convention, who really has the right to say otherwise?  All it comes down to is some fans indulging in nerdrage and drawing lines that really shouldn't be there, since all they do is divide fans against each other.
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PinkHairSasuke

Quote from: djmonolith on May 28, 2013, 12:28:25 AM
Maybe I will take a stab at this because I heard a LOT of chatter about non anime cosplay this year.  I really think it comes down to the fact that there is so much non Anime related cosplay at an Anime Convention. 

Homestuck gets singled out because there are SO MANY of you!!  Sure there are a lot of Dr. Whos, super heroes, cartoons, Disney, whatever... but Homestuck costumes were e-very-where.

I have to say that there were a few of you that had beautiful costumes and amazing makeup and I really appreciated it.  And I agree that, compared to previous years, you all seemed more "well behaved" as you put it.  But the bottom line is that it is an Anime themed convention... and I think a lot of people just want to see Anime themed things.

Which brings up an interesting point... Lolita, jpop, gothic fairytale... these things seem to be OK even though they are not "anime" - interesting??

1st bold: I agree with that. I know in the Dealer's Hall, there was a booth that had a sign about saving what "little anime" is left there.

2nd bold: I did not even think about things like that in the "anime only" chatter concerning Fanime. Those things are seen as pretty normal for Fanime but aren't questioned. Really got me thinking about. Mind. Blown.

TC X0 Lt 0X

Um really I hate a lot of fandoms.

Before Homestuck, it was the Naruto/Bleach/Kingdom Hearts Fans.
For me, it just because these groups tend to be made up of the most annoying, obnoxious teenagers I can imagine.


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Naiagu

I really might be an odd ball but I really dislike Homestuck, not because of the series itself, but because one specific acquaintance in my life was a very annoying fan of a lot of things who simply spoiled a lot for me.  Even with all my dislike... I honestly had no issues with the Homestuck fandom. If anything they were more behaved this year than last year, sure there were a lot of them in numbers but they like their series what are we going to do about it?

If we stop Homestuck from attending fanime we stop other series from coming too like Doctor Who, The Avengers, The Legend of Korra, Xmen, etc etc. The homestucks didn't bother me at all this year, if anything they were pretty damn polite with their huge number of fans.
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Avairrianna

Ok I better get into these discussions about Homestuck.

Being the Pinkie Pie that was asked to help moderate the 500+ gathering in the park I have to say that I was VERY PLEASED about everyone's behavior at the gathering. I am not into Homestuck but I had no opinions about the fandom before con. I was asked by the cosplay department to help them moderate the gathering seeing as I also am the organizer for Valve and My Little Pony (Yes, let your hate fly towards me for organizing 2 non-anime gatherings) which also can get 100+ in attendees. I was very happy that everyone at Homestuck listened to us and that there were no incidences to my knowledge. Maybe last year there was worst behavior coming from the fandom but I was pleased by it this year. Around con I didn't have any bad experiences with the Homestucks so I am glad to have there here ^^
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VicksMagnolia

Quote from: Stormfalcon on May 28, 2013, 12:45:49 AM

The point being is that, while Fanime may be an anime/manga-themed convention, the motto has always been By Fans For Fans.  If the fans are into other stuff besides anime and manga and want to show their love for those things at the same convention, who really has the right to say otherwise?  All it comes down to is some fans indulging in nerdrage and drawing lines that really shouldn't be there, since all they do is divide fans against each other.

This. So much this.

Been going to Fanime for five years now and its never felt like an "Anime only" thing. Sure, its the majority, but the most memorable cosplays I've seen have been non-anime. Last year there were a couple ginormous Transformers costumes that completely rocked and the Mushroom Kingdom SWAT Team kicked all kinds of ass. It's a convention whose underpinnings are definitely more "Fan" than "Anime", but even still, anime cosplay and culture still dominates.

To that end, the Homestuck hatred doesn't seem to be a matter of fandom, but a matter of quantity. The fandom is super popular, so it has a lot more people which means it contains, by rule of numbers, more difficult fans as well. Not to mention that the sheer number of the fans can sometimes create a "Mob mentality", which is where I think most of the Homestuck distaste comes from.

It really is the flavor of the month, though. Once Homestuck starts to lose popularity or end it will fall into place with the other fandoms and people will forget about all this. It happened to the Naruto fans, it happened to the Bronies, and now its happening to you.

You have my sympathies, but rest assured, the discrimination will weather with time. I wouldn't be surprised if the Homestucks got much more respect next year.

Xanreo

I really do not think at all it's a 'not Anime' problem.

I think the problem lies in the fact that there are so many and many just happen to be these very loud and untactful young attendees.
Also, a reason why we're accepting of cosplay such as Marvel or cosplay from video games is because they're great.

I'm not saying Homestuck cosplay isn't good, it's just uninspired.

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amre1204

Quote from: Xanreo on May 28, 2013, 08:29:08 PM
I think the problem lies in the fact that there are so many and many just happen to be these very loud and untactful young attendees.

This^. I have never read Homestuck but nearly every person I have encountered dressed up as Homestuck has been rude, disrespectful, and overall some of the loudest attendees I have ever encountered. I'm not saying all Homestuck cosplayers / fans are like this but from the many I have encountered, it has just been disaster.

Jesse Uppercut

Quote from: Stormfalcon on May 28, 2013, 12:45:49 AM
The point being is that, while Fanime may be an anime/manga-themed convention, the motto has always been By Fans For Fans.  If the fans are into other stuff besides anime and manga and want to show their love for those things at the same convention, who really has the right to say otherwise?  All it comes down to is some fans indulging in nerdrage and drawing lines that really shouldn't be there, since all they do is divide fans against each other.

I couldn't agree more! We as a fan based community should strive for tolerance and acceptance, regardless of the group or culture. I firmly believe that if one wants to see more "anime" or any particular genre related cosplay, media, etc, then take the initiative and create it! We are all capable of creating greatness, why depend on someone else for it?
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Quote from: amre1204 on May 28, 2013, 08:35:25 PM
Quote from: Xanreo on May 28, 2013, 08:29:08 PM
I think the problem lies in the fact that there are so many and many just happen to be these very loud and untactful young attendees.

This^. I have never read Homestuck but nearly every person I have encountered dressed up as Homestuck has been rude, disrespectful, and overall some of the loudest attendees I have ever encountered. I'm not saying all Homestuck cosplayers / fans are like this but from the many I have encountered, it has just been disaster.
this is why i dislike them, nearly all of my encounters with homestuck has been annoying and makes me wanna hit them with a pan. i went to AoD earlier this year and the ones i encountered were annoying as fuck. i was surprised none this year at fanime were annoying but i still just didnt like the huge number of them is all

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MikanCos

 Homestuck is very simple in terms of cosplay and most don't like it because there can be ama cosplay that took a long time to create but gets less attention than the mainstream homestuck.
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djmonolith

Quote from: 01 on May 28, 2013, 09:52:05 PM
Homestuck is very simple in terms of cosplay and most don't like it because there can be ama cosplay that took a long time to create but gets less attention than the mainstream homestuck.

This is a good comment but I don't see "mainstream homestuck" getting more attention than amazing cosplay.  Not at all!  What makes you think that homestuck gets more attention than amazing cosplay?  Is it "negative" attention? 

I want to add that really brilliant cosplayers may feel that they don't get as much attention because they are so spectacular that many people may feel a bit in awe.  You stand there while hoards of people climb over each other to get a photo but no one really talks to you.  While most homestuckers don't really have that problem... they just hang out.

I don't know... I am just rambling here.  Bored.  I am in post-fanime come down.  :(

Next year my Princess Jellyfish and Perona costumes will put me in the "less attention" category.
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MikanCos

^as in "mainstream " i meant this year's top cosplay listing score (sorry if mainstream  sounded bad) . The top listing score had 1.Homestuck 2.soul eater 3.madoka 4.Pokemon 5.legend of Korra.
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djmonolith

Quote from: 01 on May 28, 2013, 10:13:29 PM
^as in "mainstream " i meant this year's top cosplay listing score (sorry if mainstream  sounded bad) . The top listing score had 1.Homestuck 2.soul eater 3.madoka 4.Pokemon 5.legend of Korra.

hmmm... yeah, i understand now!

*enlightened
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hikanteki

I have nothing against Homestuck, or any group of cosplayers/non-cosplayers for that matter. Even if they're not that much into anime or Japanese culture, I would think that since they have an open enough mind to go to an anime convention, they might end up finding something about it they really like.

Saki Usagishi

My husband is a photographer and he got really upset this year because Homestuck was everywhere! They had the hugest gathering in the park, two huge panels, and within a one foot radius was one Homestuck character everywhere we went. ( I joke not about that)
Personally I don't mind, but I admit it kind of over shadows the anime aspect of FanimeCon. But like our con's motto " By Fans For Fans", all aspects of anime,cartoons, and series culture are invited.
I think eventually the Homestuck Phenomenon will eventually die down in a few years, or perhaps not *insert Dr. Who *
With that being said we have no right to judge what people decide to cosplay as. I don't like Homestuck at all, but I give them props for even taking the time to dress up. As long as they treat others with respect that's great.
Maybe they can make their own con :P

PinkHairSasuke

Quote from: 01 on May 28, 2013, 10:13:29 PM
^as in "mainstream " i meant this year's top cosplay listing score (sorry if mainstream  sounded bad) . The top listing score had 1.Homestuck 2.soul eater 3.madoka 4.Pokemon 5.legend of Korra.

This just made me cringe. My darling Naruto has dropped down substantially  :'(