COSPLAY WORLD WAR?

Lately, news has reached me that some foreign Cosplay groups began to criticize our local Cosplaying scene.  They tell that Filipinos suck at cosplaying, and that we are a disgrace to the Cosplay community worldwide.  Alodia is just plain goddess’ shit, and monkeys are much better in cosplaying than we are.  If true, then the blog of GamerTotoy and his friends would be justified.

Well, the question is, is it really true?

I know those who found the time (and endurance) to read this would react violently.  Or go ballistic.  Heck, who could blame them?  We Filipinos are very nationalistic; one innocuous joke about our race would provoke an outrage that could even lead to the Philippine Congress declaring the offending party persona non grata here!

But then, on a second thought—without the nationalistic prejudices involved—are those criticisms justified?

Let me tell you the current scene of the cosplay community here in the Philippines.  Ever since Alodia Gosengfiao came to the spotlight and is bestowed the title ‘Cosplay Goddess’, the word ‘Cosplay’ became the byword of everyone who wants to grab their own 15-MINUTES OF FAME.  From a relatively obscure hobby to a mainstream madness, people from every walk of life found a new way to stardom.

Which is exactly a far cry from what it had been, years ago.

Never mind the cardboard props, or the soft, jingly rubber suits, Philippine Cosplay community today is plague by people who wanted to become popular or make money.  Attitude has all but disappeared from the participants.  Some cosplayers don’t even know the character they are cosplaying!  And look, when they had their fill of their 15-minute fame, they act as if they’re the best among the elite cosplayers in the world!

Cosplay is a combination of two words:  Costume and Play.  Costume, in this case, means a set of clothes that is unique to a person or a character.  Play here is translated as a dramatic performance.  So in other words, Cosplay means dressing yourself after your favorite character and then giving out a performance.  And when it says performance, it’s not just your typical sword-swinging, low-jumping, Indian-like screaming you see in most cosplayers nowadays.  TRUE COSPLAY IS ALL ABOUT GIVING LIFE TO YOUR FAVORITE CHARACTER and not that character breathing life to your own pathetic existence.

In others words, YOU DON’T COSPLAY BECAUSE IT IS YOUR GATEWAY TO STARDOM OR GIRLS, BUT IT IS BECAUSE OF YOUR ‘LOVE’ FOR THAT PARTICULAR CHARACTER THAT GIVES YOU THE COURAGE TO DON THAT COSTUME.

Unfortunately, however, instead of using those scathing comments as a ticket to improvement, many chose to become reactionary.  They chose the path to idiocy; declaring a ‘COSPLAY WORLD WAR’ even though they haven’t got any idea of how the hell on earth will they wage that kind of war!  For them, the quality of Filipino cosplay is all about cardboard props, rubber suits, and the worst of all—HALF-ASSED ATTITUDE ABOUT COSPLAY ITSELF.

Are you still wondering why those foreigners scoff at our cosplay?

A NATION OF HYPOCRITES

First of let’s be clear about myself.  I’m a Filipino.  My parents, though my mother had a quarter of Spanish blood, are both Filipinos.  My siblings are Filipinos, too.  So therefore, you can conclude that our family is a family of Filipinos—no matter how much I speak English in this article.

With that said, have you noticed the title ‘A Nation of Hypocrites’?  Do you know this particular ‘Nation’ I’m referring to?  For those who had a hunch, you’re absolutely correct.  I’m referring about us, Filipinos.

Yes we are hypocrites.  I am a hypocrite.  You are a hypocrite.  Everyone else in our race is a hypocrite.  Why did I say so?  First off, you’re reading my article in English.  Let me tell you again, I’m a Filipino, not an Englishman or American.  Heck, even our Constitution is an evidence of us being hypocrites.  One line even states ‘THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT IS FILIPINO’.  If possible, we would kill others who speak in ‘ridiculous, error-filled grammar’ in English.  Even some universities, which are supposed to cultivate love for the nation, would penalize students who’d speak Filipino, boasting that they’re ‘English-only’ campuses.  Now how’s that for being ‘PROUD TO BE PINOY’?

Oh and not only that, there’s this issue of corruption, which is, if you listen or watch our daily news programs here you would think that this country wouldn’t live if you take it out of its government.  But hey, corruption is not only a culture in our government, it is also OUR culture.  Let me give you an example.  Picture yourself in front of a pedestrian crossing.  Now you see that the pedestrian light is red.  However, the street is clean of vehicles.  Now what do you do?  Your head would turn left and right and, seeing there’s no vehicle in sight, cross the pedestrian crossing even if the light isn’t green.  You justify your action with ‘No one’s watching’ or ‘The road is empty’, so you can go around the rules.  And now you cry ‘DOWN WITH CORRUPTION’.

Another thing is, we Filipinos like being clean.  One proof of that is we always take a bath everyday.  We clean our houses everyday.  We let loose our dogs to dump their wastes on our neighbor’s yard everyday.  We take the wrappers or plastic cups that we used and throw it either outside the jeepney window or in the sidewalk everyday.  Yes, we like being clean, and to hell with the others and the environment.  The important thing is, WE ARE CLEAN.

Watch the news and you would hear the acronym ‘KKK’, which means ‘Kaklase, Kabarilan, Kaibigan’, or to make things short, NEPOTISM.  We say that’s a big evil; we act like we’re so holy we can’t tolerate it.  But is that the truth?  When you go to the cashier to pay the things that you’re going to buy and you see your friend, what would you do?  Isn’t it you would call him or her and tell that person that he or she can go before you, this so-called ‘singit’ mentality?  Or when in other places like in abroad, isn’t it that you’re willing to give preferential treatment to your own ‘KKK’, your ‘Kapitbahay, Kapatid, Kaprobinsya’?  And yet, we shout ‘DOWN WITH NEPOTISM’.

So now, with all those things said, are you still wondering why you shouldn’t be called a hypocrite?  Do you think you have the right to act like that but the people in the government should be shot in the back?  Remember that the government is the product of its people.  And rules are rules, which can’t be broken—to break it (or go around it), look at another person’s wrong conduct, and claim that you’re the most ‘holy’, ‘intelligent’ and ‘clean’ individual in the world is stupid, ridiculous and hypocritical…which most Filipinos like you and me are.

If you’re so religious then you must remember that God’s attitude towards hypocrites is much worse than his stance towards the so-called ‘bad people’.  Funny thing is, we are a ‘proud Catholic nation’…and yet we act like the Pharisees—the very group of individuals Jesus loathed for being hypocrites.

How to Deliver a Bad News

Shoji here, just want to share you a story:

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KUMIRIRING ang telepono nang madaling araw....

"Hello, Master Carlos? Si Arnaldo po ito, 'yung

katiwala niyo sa bahay-bakasyunan niyo."

"O, Arnaldo, ikaw pala. Ano't napatawag ka? May

problema ba?

"Um, napatawag lang po ako para abisuhan kayo na

namatay ang alaga niyong parrot."

'Yung parrot kong si Pikoy, patay? 'Yung nanalo sa

bird show?

"Opo, Master Carlos, 'yun na nga po."

"Putris ... sayang! Ang laki pa naman ng nagastos ko

sa ibong 'yon.

Hay, buhay! Teka, ano nga ba ang ikinamatay niya?"

"E, kumain po kasi ng bulok na karne...."

"Bulok na karne? At sino namang salbaheng tao ang

nagpakain sa kanya ng bulok na karne?"

"W-Wala po. Nanginain po siya ng karne ng isang patay

na kabayo."

"Patay na kabayo? Anong patay na kabayo, Arnaldo?"

"E, 'yun pung mga thoroughbred horses niyo, Sir.

Namatay po kasi lahat sila sa pagod, kahihila ng

kariton ng tubig."

"Nasisiraan ka na ba ng bait? Anong kariton ng

tubbbiiiiggggg?"

"'Yun pong pinampatay namin ng sunog."

"Diyos ko po! Anong sunog naman 'yang pinagsasasabi

mo?"

"'Yun pong halos tumupok sa bahay niyo.... Tumumba po

'yung isang nakasinding kandila, tapos nagliyab 'yung

kurtina at mabilis na kumalat ang apoy...."

"Ano? Puuut*#*@?!@.... E, may kuryente naman diyan sa

bahay-bakasyunan, a.

Para saan 'yung kandila?"

"Para sa burol po."

"Ano? Kaninong burol?

"Sa nanay n'yo po, Sir. Bigla kasi siya dumating dito

nu'ng isang gabi, walang kaabi-abiso. Lampas

hatinggabi na. Akala ko po magnanakaw. Binaril ko."

Tumatanda ka na 'tol by Shoji

Pardon me for posting this in Tagalog but I'll post an english version of this soon:

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Tumatanda ka na, tol.

Nasa Friday Magic Madness na yung mga
paborito mong kanta.

Parang botika na ang cabinet mo. May
multivitamins, vitamin E, vitamin
C, royal jelly, tsaka ginko biloba.

Dati, laging may inuman. Ngayon,
nagkukumpulan na lang kayo ng mga
kasama mo sa Starbucks at order ng tea.

Wala na ang mga kaibigan mo noon. Ang
dating masasayang tawanan ng
barkada sa canteen, napalitan na ng
walang katapusang pagrereklamo
tungkol sa kumpanya ninyo. Wala na ang
best friend mo na lagi mong
pinupuntahan kapag may problema ka. Ang
lagi mo na lang kausap ngayon
e ang kaopisina mong hindi ka sigurado
kung binebenta ka sa iba pag
nakatalikod ka. Ang hirap nang
magtiwala.

Dati halos mamilipit ka sa upuan tuwing
nakikita mo crush mo. Lalo na
kung kissable lips at nakakatunaw ang
katawan. Ilang beses ka nang
sinita ng professor mo, pero tuloy ka
pa
rin sa hallucination mong
kinakausap ka ng crush mo. Pero ngayon
galit ka na sa kanila.
Feeling mo lahat sila manloloko.
Feeling mo wala sa kanilang
seseryoso sayo. Gusto mo na lang ng
anak ayaw mo na ng asawa.

Mahirap nang makahanap ng totoong
kaibigan. Hindi mo kayang
pagkatiwalaan ang kasama mo araw-araw
sa
opisina (Not all the time,
pero kadalasan). Kung
sabagay,nagkakilala lang kayo dahil
gusto
ninyong kumita ng pera at umakyat sa
tinatawag nilang "corporate
ladder". Anumang pagkakaibigang
umusbong
galing sa pera at ambisyon ay
hindi talaga totoong pagkakaibigan.
Pera
din at ambisyon ang sisira sa
inyong dalawa.

Pera. Pera na ang nagpapatakbo ng buhay
mo. Alipin ka na ng Meralco,
PLDT, SkyCable, Globe,Smart, at Sun.
Alipin ka ng Midnight Madness.
Alipin ka ng tollgate sa expressway.
Alipin ka ng credit card mo.
Alipin ka ng ATM. Alipin ka ng BIR.

Dati-rati masaya ka na sa isang platong
instant pancit canton..
Ngayon,dapat may kasamang italian
chicken ang fettucine alfredo mo.
Masaya ka na noon pag
nakakapag-ober-da-bakod kayo para
makapagswimming.

Ngayon,ayaw mong lumangoy kung hindi
Boracay o Puerto Galera ang
lugar. Nasa bakasyon ka pa lang,
iniisip
mo na na next time out of the
country naman: Thailand, tapos around
the Europe tapos Mediterranean
Cruise!

Dati, sulit na sulit na sa yo ang gin
pomelo. Ngayon,pagkatapos ng
ilang bote ng red wine, maghahanap ka
ng
San Mig Light o Vodka
Cruiser.

Wala ka nang magawa. Sumasabay ang
lifestyle mo sa income mo.
Nagtataka ka kung bakit hindi ka pa rin
nakakaipon kahit tumataas ang
sweldo mo. Yung mga bagay na gusto mong
bilhin dati na sinasabi mong
hindi mo kailangan, abot-kamay mo na.
Pero kahit nasa iyo na ang mga
gusto mong bilhin, hindi ka pa rin
makuntento.

Ang problema kasi sayo,
nakikipagsabayan
ka sa ibang tao. Feeling mo
dahil lang na-achieve na nila ang isang
bagay, kailangan ikaw din.
Masyado ka kasing insecure. Naiinggit
ka sa kanila. Gusto mong maging
katulad ng kuya mo, gusto mong
makipagsabayan sa kaibigan mo.
Nabubulag ka sa ilusyon na pinapakita
nila. Bakit? Sigurado ka ba
talagang mas masarap ang buhay nila?
Baka nga mas masaya ka pa e.

Saan ka ba papunta? Tol, gumising ka.
Hindi ka nabuhay sa mundong ito
para maging isa lang sa mga baterya ng
mga machines sa Matrix. Hanapin
mo ang dahilan kung bakit nilagay ka
rito. Kung ang buhay mo ngayon ay
uulit-ulit lang hanggang maging
singkwenta anyos ka na,magsisisi ka.

Lumingon ka kung paano ka nagsimula. Sa
totoo lang madali lang namang
lumigaya sa mundong ito. Ikaw lang ang
nagpapakomplikado - ang dami
mo kasing gusto. Tigilan mo na yang mga
reklamo mo.

Ikaw ang nagbago, hindi ang mundo...