I'm Getting Too Old for This Nonsense
Feb. 26th, 2019 09:30 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rynlingTwo weekends ago I gave a panel at Katsucon, a large-ish anime convention held just outside of DC in National Harbor, Maryland. It was a fun panel, and I gave it in a packed room with more than 150 people in attendance. The con staff later told me that they turned away more than 200 people at the door after the panel started. I did not expect that sort of reception, but I put a ton of work into the panel, and I'm happy it paid off.
I also got a free badge for myself and a friend, which is the most important thing. Katsucon is one of my favorite cons, and some of my favorite people come to town for it, and we all had a lot of fun this year.
I care more about drinking and tabletop gaming and appreciating cosplay and saying hello to artists I follow online and having interesting conversations with strangers than I do about going to panels (or about anime itself, tbh), so I didn't notice this myself, but one of my friends pointed out that Katsucon has a programming track that bills itself as the "Japanese Culture Institute." Unlike a peasant such a myself, these panelists get their profiles and pictures printed in the convention program, which is how I know that most of them are white. When I started asking people about this, I also learned that they get paid.
So why is it that, in one of the most racially and ethnically diverse geographic locations in the entire United States, where white people are a minority, the people getting paid to give panels about Japanese and East Asian culture at the second largest anime convention in the region are predominantly white? I know one of the people involved in this personally, so I asked them, and they told me that it's an issue that needs addressing, but that it's also important to have the most qualified people on the educational programming track. I didn't go to any of these panels, so I can't attest to their quality, but I kind of wanted to be like, Since when does having a blog and a Twitter account make anyone "qualified" to do anything? Something I also noticed, once I started paying attention, is that most of the upper-level con staff were white as well.
I would be interested to find out what's going on here, but I don't want to step into that particular pit of quicksand. Also - and I think fandom ageism is stupid, don't get me wrong - but I feel like I'm getting too old for anime cons.
In other news, Blerdcon is now entering its third year, and it's quickly becoming a big deal. The first year was small and tentative, but last summer saw a huge boost in attendance, and this year they've already started to get a lot of media and corporate attention. If nothing else, their social media game is excellent, and I'm excited to see where they go and how they get there.
I also got a free badge for myself and a friend, which is the most important thing. Katsucon is one of my favorite cons, and some of my favorite people come to town for it, and we all had a lot of fun this year.
I care more about drinking and tabletop gaming and appreciating cosplay and saying hello to artists I follow online and having interesting conversations with strangers than I do about going to panels (or about anime itself, tbh), so I didn't notice this myself, but one of my friends pointed out that Katsucon has a programming track that bills itself as the "Japanese Culture Institute." Unlike a peasant such a myself, these panelists get their profiles and pictures printed in the convention program, which is how I know that most of them are white. When I started asking people about this, I also learned that they get paid.
So why is it that, in one of the most racially and ethnically diverse geographic locations in the entire United States, where white people are a minority, the people getting paid to give panels about Japanese and East Asian culture at the second largest anime convention in the region are predominantly white? I know one of the people involved in this personally, so I asked them, and they told me that it's an issue that needs addressing, but that it's also important to have the most qualified people on the educational programming track. I didn't go to any of these panels, so I can't attest to their quality, but I kind of wanted to be like, Since when does having a blog and a Twitter account make anyone "qualified" to do anything? Something I also noticed, once I started paying attention, is that most of the upper-level con staff were white as well.
I would be interested to find out what's going on here, but I don't want to step into that particular pit of quicksand. Also - and I think fandom ageism is stupid, don't get me wrong - but I feel like I'm getting too old for anime cons.
In other news, Blerdcon is now entering its third year, and it's quickly becoming a big deal. The first year was small and tentative, but last summer saw a huge boost in attendance, and this year they've already started to get a lot of media and corporate attention. If nothing else, their social media game is excellent, and I'm excited to see where they go and how they get there.
no subject
Date: 2019-02-27 01:14 pm (UTC)I've noticed the lack of diversity in terms of upper-level staff with Anime Boston, as well. It's really unfortunate. Panels in general are so hit and miss for me. I tend to like the silly and fun panels, like cosplay games and stuff, because the informational-ish panels are massively hit or miss. It's either given by someone who is Actually Qualified By Degrees and Shit or a college freshman reading off of a tvtropes page. I don't want to waste my time with the latter.
Also feel you on being too old for anime cons. I had a chat with one of my friends about this a month ago - coexisting with pure bred anime fans over the course of a long weekend isn't how I want to spend my free time. Gaming conventions? Pure pop culture nerdery? Hell yeah. Anime cons? Eh... not really. This will be the first year I'm going to AB without cosplaying (I might bring one. I don't know. I'm really not feeling it) and I'm curious to see if I'll enjoy it sans dress up.
no subject
Date: 2019-03-24 05:32 pm (UTC)I prefer Otakon, especially now that it's right in downtown DC. They also moved it from the sweaty crotch of August to mid-July, so the city is green and beautiful and the weather is perfect. I'm friends with two of the people who organize the artist alley, and they put a lot of care and attention into making sure that they have a diverse group of people every year. They've also started to do character checks on their shortlist so that they can weed out the anti-fandom crowd, which I appreciate.
Unfortunately, the big local gaming convention in DC, MAGFest, is... idk, "a lot of dudes and a lot of drinking" is probably the best way to describe it. I hear it's gotten less gross, so maybe I'll give it another shot next year? I know you like PAX East, and I'd love to be able to go. One day! I hope you have a great time this year!!!
Btw, your cosplay photos are consistently amazing. Just in case you need to hear that from another person. I can't even begin to imagine how much effort goes into those projects, but I am always blown away.
no subject
Date: 2019-03-25 08:27 pm (UTC)I absolutely love PAX East! I can easily spend half of that con just in the indie mega booth area. All the devs are there to talk about their games and they're so chill, too. I've found some awesome games that way. I know back in 2017 my boyfriend got to talk with the writers for Divinity: Original Sin 2 while we were in line waiting to play the demo. It's really such an amazing experience. Plus the tabletop freeplay area is open until midnight, so that's always a blast. And there are a handful of quality panels, too. There's one about writing for RPGs this year that I will literally flip tables to make sure I get in. And plenty of queer gamer panels! If you ever swing on up here for PAX East one year, let me know!
Awwwww thank you! :D :D cosplay hasn't really been on my mind lately with my health and trying to focus on things that don't stress me out, like cosplay. Like I love the day of cosplaying and walking around in costume and talking to people who love the thing I also love, but man, prep up until that can be stressful as hell. I'm sure I'll get back into it and it will be good. I know there's been talks of revamping our Legend of Zelda cosplays with my friends. Midna needs a new cloak! Thank you as always for the support!