Feelin' Blue

A month ago, I attended Supanova for the first time (basically an Aussie version of Comic-con) and decided to Cosplay as one of my favourite super villains, Mystique. 

For those of you who don’t know Mystique, she’s best known for playing a popular part in the X-men universe. She’s a villain with shape-shifting abilities and is recognized for having electric blue skin and reptilian-like scales over her body. 

 I wore a blue G-string and nipple covers and covered my body in paint, sprayed my already short hair red and wore bright yellow contacts. The whole process took 8 hours (I was up at 4am!)

When my group and I finally arrived, I was honestly nervous. I didn’t know what to expect. So when I was looked at with adoring eyes and big smiles, I eased into the friendly environment in no time at all. Those who approached me to compliment the hard work put into the costume made my first con very enjoyable. 

 It took almost two hours just to get inside because people kept stopping me for photos. You can imagine how crazy it got once I was inside!

I felt like a celebrity.  It was great fun!

Photo Credit: Peter Georges

But there is a slight twist in this story...

After the convention weekend ended, everyone uploaded their photos online; tagging new friends they'd met and sharing their albums with each other. I was advised by a fellow Cosplayer that someone shared a photo of me as Mystique and complained about how inappropriate my costume was and how children shouldn’t have to see this.

....WHAT?

I don't have the firmest bum or the flattest tummy. But this has nothing to do with my feelings being insulted, which they are NOT. 

What I'm about to state is much more in depth than that.

1 # Mystique is a fictional character and in the movie she is virtually naked. Her ‘private’ parts are practically covered up, just like mine were. Her butt was on display, just like mine. X-men came out in 2000, I would have been 6 at the time. When I first watched it, I didn’t question why Mystique was naked, I questioned how one could be so bloody awesome.

2 # Sooooo many kids recognized my character and most of them wanted a photo. I had kids tell me I was their favourite and not once did they shy away from me. Why? Because kids don’t think of that shit! Kids don’t look at a tall blue painted lady and think “Oh how awful, this woman is naked, I’m so offended!” They just think “Wow that’s cool.” And at the very worst, a kid would probably ask “Mommy, why can I see the ladies bum bum?"
     

3 # Why are we speaking for the children? Let them speak for themselves! I didn’t force myself in any child’s face. I didn’t walk around and act promiscuously. Like everyone else, I was in character. And if your child knows who Mystique is, that means they’ve seen X-men, which means they know Mystique, which means they know she's blue and partially nude. Logic. Get some.

And for those who were at Supanova in Sydney on Saturday the 14th of June, I wore a brown coat when I wasn’t taking photos so I was still very aware of the people around me.

Look, I completely and utterly understand how and why some people were up in arms about my costume. Everyone has the right to say what they feel, even if we don't see eye to eye. It's inevitable in life that these situations happen, where someone is offended. But if I lived my life dodging everybody's fears and hates, I wouldn't be developing as a human being.

      But I need to have a say in the matter as well, and I need space to grow too. Mistakes to learn from, people to seek advice from, chances to take, criticism to cop etc. 

I am proud of my efforts in becoming Mystique. Cosplay is expensive, time consuming and a hobby. It’s an interest shared by people all over the world and the last thing we need is to be bullied, especially by one another and especially for someone like me who is brand new to this incredibly colourful  universe.

 So next time you see a girl walking around as a character at a convention that’s quite daring, give her props and make her feel like a Goddess. She deserves recognition. Not hate. 

At least that's another thing ticked off my bucket list. Cosplay as Mystique - Check!

Photo Credit: Peter Georges (www.petergeorges.com.au)

      Peace and Love

      Lyndsey Fay x