Cosplay

[Sarah]

Literally Costume Play. Dressing up and pretending to be a fictional character (usually a sci-fi, comic book, or anime character).

[Britney]

Cosplay:
It is a word that has its root in costume play. It is both a noun and a verb. Cosplay can mean the actual costume, as well as the action of wearing it
Contrary to popular belief, many cosplayers (well over 98%) do not believe they are the characters they are cosplaying as. Cosplays are typically worn to [anime conventions]. Cosplays are made for the following reasons..
1.) To recreate a 2 dimensional art form into 3-D.
2.) To challenge ones self to create a cosplay. Many of which dont seem possible to physically create, but somehow are.
3.) To show appreciation and/or interest in a certain anime/manga/videogame.
4.) To take pride in a cosplay that looks well done.
5.) Because normal cloth that is shitted out for everyone via mass factories and little kids in china are dull. Cosplays are much more interesting to wear. And each cosplay is one of a kind unique considering the wearer most likely made it him/herself.
6.)Its a Hobby
Reasons why cosplays are worn:
1.) To take pride in ones own creation
2.) To wear something out of the ordinary (societies restrictions on what is allowable to be worn everyday is bland)
3.) To show support and/or interest in an anime/manga/videogame
4.) Self expression. Often the character that is choosen to be cosplayed mirrors the actual person wearing the cosplay. The persons personality is like the character Not the other way around (the person wants to be the character).
5.) To get into the spirit of the son
6.) To have fun
Cosplayers cosplay for the same reasons that...
1.)Sports fans wear jersies and paint themselves for games.
2.)Goths wear all black, punk wear punk cloth, Preps wear tight cloth, gangstas wear baggy cloth....
But for cosplayers....A cosplay is worn for 1-3 days out of the year. A limited and restrained form of self expression.
Cosplay is a HOBBY. Much like a model builder builds models, a person modifies their car, a hunter hunts (when they can buy food instead), a gamer plays games, a sports fan watches sports. A cosplayer cosplays (makes costumes).
For every 7 good cosplays there is one that someone did without putting any effort into. Those crappy cosplays are the ones that are shown on message boards and posted around everywhere. These shit cosplays are what give the rest of the cosplayers a bad name.
(this applies to American cosplay)

[Couch Potatoe]

When you dress up like Bill Cosby then drug and assault younger women.

[Becky]

Wearing a costume. Not exactly a new concept. The word, though, projects a new concept. It is a gen X/Y concept, related to just saying. Gen X/Y hate to be held accountable for actions; they consider it an act of violence. So, they have language that says, Im doing this, but act like Im not because that will make me feel better about doing it. Just saying means, Im going to make a point, but act like I didnt. That way I can have my say, but not have any negative consequences. Cosplay is the same idea. If we still said, wearing a costume, one might well, and often, ask, Why are you wearing a costume? Hoy! Thats about me! Uh, uh, uh...I have to give a rationale for my behavior. I never do that! Cant we pretend its not about me??? So we have cosplay, the activity takes on the responsibility for the actor. Why are you doing that? Because its cosplay! If one responded thats stupid, they can say, Oh, youre not down with cosplay. If they had said, Im wearing a costume and you said, thats stupid, it would be about them. And they would feel bad. And never upsetting anyone is what weve taught our vermin so we can shove a few more into the same space without them killing each other.

[Britney]

A measurement of looks, photoshop skills, number of likes, and race. An overall contest.

[Sarah]

[kos-pley]
n. The habitual act of dressing up like comic book or cartoon characters favored by enthusiasts, nerds, and batshit weirdos with a loose grip on reality.

[Dave Paprocki]

[kos-pley]
n. The habitual act of dressing up like comic book or cartoon characters favored by enthusiasts, nerds, and batshit weirdos with a loose grip on reality.

[Britney]

Cos- [costume]
Play- [roleplay]

Cosplay- costume roleplay

Cosplay is [dressing] up as a character from a film or book

[Raeanne Dimick]

When 70% [fatass] people dress like anime characters, and 30% pretty [asss] dress [like really] cute/nice anime charcters

[Mark Zuckerberg]

There are two realms of Cosplay~
1.) [Japanese girls] (sometimes attractive) who dress up as anime characters. not that [big of a deal].
2.) [Fatass] nasty acne ridden American social retards who dress up as anime characters except they look nothing like them because their fat ass is pouring out of the back. And YOU ARE NOT JAPANESE, YOU WILL NEVER BE. Gross.

[Julene]

The practice of dressing up as a character from a movie, book, or video game.

[Julian]

the hobby of dressing as and pretending to be a character from a film, TV programme, comic book , etc.: