The Thrill of Costume

Steve Schofield photographs British science fiction fans who like to dress up.

I rather like the images, the discomfort and the hint of tragicomedy. But I’m less convinced by the predictable spiel about “globalisation and America’s ongoing ability to infiltrate all cultures via various channels of media.” Are we supposed to believe that these people are in some way being oppressed by international mass culture? Why don’t artists fret quite so much about the globalisation of, say, Chinese restaurants? Or doesn’t that count? And why does no-one want to dress up as Naomi Klein?

Via Coudal.

Comments

[JuliaM]

"...America’s ongoing ability to infiltrate all cultures via various channels of media..."

So, it's be better if these people dressed up as Dr Who or manga characters..? I don't think so somehow.

[Anna]

Re the bottom centre photo – I wonder who first started the dressing up thing. Was it the kid or his mum? It looks like she's got trill spots. That's hardcore.

[David]

Heh. I’m betting mum’s the instigator. And it does make me wonder how one raises the subject in the first place. “Erm, Billy, on Tuesday afternoon do you… er, fancy dressing up as a Jedi…?”

[andym]

Its life Jim, but not as we know it.

[Anna]

I bet mum reads slash fiction.

[David]

I bet mum writes slash fiction.

[Sue R]

Surely the third picture on the bottom row is a lady in a burqua?

[David]

It’s more of a niqab, really. Or possibly a hazmat suit. Just the thing for ladies who wish to be inconspicuous.

[John D]

Is wearing a burqua less weird than dressing up as a klingon?

[AntiCitizenOne]

I think that emulting your heroes through a little sci-fi escapism is FAR less damaging than people emulating Bridget Jones and other "Chick-Lit" heroines (debt, paranoia and looks & feeling over thinking).

[David]

A couple of years ago, just before Christmas, the local Waitrose had a promotion of some kind with music and lots of staff in fancy dress. The main entrance was teeming with elves, wizards and hobbits, complete with sweets and enormous foam feet. And right in the middle of this festive milieu was a Muslim customer in a forbidding black niqab, floating along like some kind of bewildered phantom. It was one of the more surreal things I’ve seen on a shopping trip.

[Hauk]

I've got friends in the San Diego, CA area that dress as Klingons and go to local sporting events. Mainly Hockey, since that has a good Klingon vibe to it, and isn't that expensive. It is a little strange to see a pack of Klingons in the stands.

But I'm not much to talk, I dress as a Viking to go camping on occasion with the Society for Creative Anachronism.

[Mark E]

Not sure that the Starwarish can be said to be in sci-fi costume. Something like 1% of the English population listed their religious affiliation as Jedi in the last census if I remember correctly.