After The Dust Has Settled From ToyCon 2015...

.:Didja Miss Me?:.

Well, I missed you.

I haven't blogged in months, and it's easy to understand why, what with all the places I'm writing for professionally. Recently saw my work not just in the 8List, but even in UNO, my consultancy, and a few other places I didn't expect to end up writing for. It's been a whirlwind. A whirlwind that went undocumented like a huge gap in my life or something, but a whirlwind I really have to be thankful for, regardless.

Toycon 2015 is pretty much the perfect point for me to (try) jumping back on the blogging wagon, because it was definitely a great experience hosting Toycon after being out of circulation in the cons circles for a while. And what a way to come right back! First off, I was paired with a debuting host in Rence David, who is a natural onstage!

Something about this year's Toycon was just so positive, so smooth-sailing, that it really felt so easy to just jump onstage and do our thing this year. The audience was unbelievably hot even after Alodia and the cosplay competitions were already long done, which is something I don't think I've ever experienced before.

On top of that, the segments really did bring the goods to the crowd! You had something as simple as the Minions showing up onstage causing an immediate feeding frenzy...

Banana.

You also had the dance number by Doraemon, and the rambunctious Damulag...

The mascots were pretty huge.

Then you had, of course, the cosplay competition(s), and even I got in on the fun, for once...

Follow the buzzards, 'Arry.

Considering that this was Toycon's swan song in Megatrade Hall, it was pretty clear sir Cholo, sir Vic, Az, and the rest really pulled out all the stops to make it a very memorable event. It was pretty fun when Alodia even went and challenged the audience to beat her in Mortal Kombat X at her booth. I would've taken her up on the challenge, but alack and alas, hosting duties were in the way.

And, oh, a couple of fun facts:

1. Ashley's "Thinking Out Loud" cover was played a total of 12 times on Saturday and Sunday. This was still significantly less than the amount of times you would hear the Ed Sheeran original on the air during its peak.

2. "Watch Me Nae Nae" was used onstage for skits and performances a total of 7 times in two days. I learned to hate the song about the second time in, although the metal version almost makes up for it. Too bad nobody used that.

It was a great time reconnecting with old friend and even making a few new ones. It's also fun to note that #TitoJokes were all the rage over the weekend, and pretty much anything we did during Saturday and Sunday went over well with the crowd. Heck, I even went back to basics and did some magic for that evening.

But my personal highlight that didn't involve cosplay at all? It must have been when the boys from Philippine Wrestling Revolution showed up.

Ken Warren has better things to do than pose for the camera.

So yeah, it was definitely a great ToyCon, and something I'm very proud of, as far as hosting gigs go. I'm really grateful for the opportunity, and catching up with old friends like Kristell (who gave me an awesome Superman Hoodie!) and Lizette really only made things even better.

.:And The Rest?:.

It feels like I'm in a state of flux, what with my consultancy wrapping up, and having people question me after years upon years of consistent behavior. I would laugh if it weren't so pathetic.

There's so much going on behind the scenes in my life lately. It's hard to sit down and write about it all, if only for the fact that over the years, I've learned to keep more to myself, but I've also decided not to really care about my Livejournal nearly as much while doing it. There's a whole host of things to look forward to, and the future is bright. Ultimately, if people are going to burden me while I reach for the stars, then I would only find it easier for me to just unburden myself of the people and things holding me back.

For now, I'll leave it at that. It's a wonder I even got to blog at all this month, so that's something to be grateful for, at least.

On Trademarking The Word "Cosplay" And Double Standards

.:On Trademarking The Word "Cosplay" And Double Standards:.

And here comes this issue just after I do my Project 52 for the week. And it's not like I can hold off on writing about this until next week, considering how much discussion the issue has engendered. I see that Gameops has written about this already, but what the hey. May as well get my two cents in.

But first, let me show you what I'm talking about.

The legalese had me going for a while, too. Click to enlarge.

In the interest of disclosure, if I actually had a horse in this battle (And I don't.), it would actually be the one who filed for the trademark, Tanya Bairan. I have had nothing but pleasant experiences with her through my dealings with cosplay.ph, and if somebody had to own the trademark of the word "cosplay," then I wouldn't mind it at all if it were them.

Buuuut I don't really know if anyone has to own the word "cosplay," in the first place. At least, not on a legal basis.

This isn't an ethical or moral issue, so the fact that it was Mike Abundo who brought this "issue" (Notice the air quotes, because I personally don't think it is one. Yet.) to light isn't exactly the favorite person of the cosplay community is irrelevant. Nobody is beyond scrutiny, after all, regardless of how much we like or dislike the person in question. This is a purely legal matter, and since I'm not a lawyer, the implications of the trademark, as well as its merits, completely escape me.

I have seen similar efforts happen before. A few years back, someone tried to form a National Bloggers' Association without consulting bloggers nationally. What a novel concept! A group that seeks to represent bloggers completely ignores the very people it represents?

What next? Will the CBCP trademark the word "Catholic" now? Oh, wait.

It's okay, Abante fell for it, too.

That being said, I categorically don't approve of assuming the worst of cosplay.ph and their intentions, because whatever the case may be, her side deserves to be heard before we even try to cast judgment on this issue.

Yes, the timing of the issue cropping up is suspect: Cosplaymania is coming up on September 29, yet the trademark was filed in 2011. Why now? Is it an attempt to stir up controversy to discredit the event? Well, I can't assume anything about Mike's intentions, either. I think it's unfair of me to do so since I haven't spoken to him about it yet.

Furthermore, if that were really the intent, well, expect it to backfire, because if anything, this kind of "issue" would only spur more people to attend Cosplaymania. As you should. The event has a pretty good track record in the past few years it's been running.

It's tempting to sneak in a plug about the cosplay event I'm hosting this weekend right here, but I will resist the urge to tell you that Best Of Anime is happening this weekend in SMX. I'm above shameless self-promotion like that.

;)

Aside from "cosplay," the phrase "cosplay Philippines" and the website plus logo for cosplay.ph were also trademarked.

I am willing to go by the doctrine of charity and assume the best of intentions and the lack of any ill will in what cosplay.ph has done, but I am alarmed by the double standards some have employed to blindly defend them from being so much as questioned about this. True, cosplay.ph has a good reputation established over the years. True, I think highly of them. But if, after careful consideration, it is established that nobody should own the trademark to the word "cosplay" (Which has yet to happen, might I say.), then we can't look the other way just because we like the people involved. Nobody is beyond reproach or question. Especially not when we criticize PNoy for supposedly doing just that with Rico Puno.

This hypocrisy alarms me, because some of my closest friends have been subjected to these double standards, not to mention the rampant slut-shaming I see prevalent in the cosplay community whenever a pretty cosplayer gains some measure of popularity. No, wearing skimpy clothing doesn't make her a "slut," nor does accepting money for being a cosplayer/model at an event make her a "whore." Especially if we turn around and praise people we happen to like for doing the exact same thing, when given the chance.

And yes, I'm talking about people like Alodia or Chienna or Myrtle (Who I don't even personally know.). It seems like to certain people, these people can do nothing right, no matter what costume they wear, or whatever they say or do. Always something wrong with the costume. Always clamoring for attention. Always getting the character wrong. Always misrepresenting cosplay. Huh.

Some people would even go as far as to say they're not cosplayers because cosplay should never be about money (Which clearly contradicts the trademark, based on the text.), because the word "play" is in the term.

Yet the NBA is home to some of the highest-paid basketball players in the world, and nobody bats an eyelash at that "injustice?" For shame!

To some people, the overall message is that because these cosplayers are now actresses or models or whatever else, they no longer "deserve" to be called "cosplayers."

Why not?

Who sets these standards?

Who elected these people to set these standards?

What checks and balances are in place to assure that these standards are fair and properly observed?

I ask, because if these so-called defenders of the "purity" of the "art form" merely appointed themselves, then such a practice is specious at best, and downright discriminatory at worst.

I also ask, because the exact same reasoning was given by someone who defended the trademarking of the term "cosplay": to protect the word from misuse by douchebags. If we were to listen to the people speaking for Tanya and the rest of the cosplay.ph, you'd think that these actions are to "save" cosplay from the evil clutches of the "dastardly" Mike Abundo. A little overdramatic now, aren't we? Besides, what is up with that Messianic complex?

Nearly the same questions apply.

How is the word misused by douchebags?

Who are these douchebags?

Who determines when something is misused? Who determines who are douchebags? Are these going to be the same people?

Who elected these people to set these standards?

What checks and balances are in place to assure that these standards are fair and properly observed?

Yet again, that's merely someone speaking ahead of Tanya's turn, so for all we know, that reasoning may not even be applicable at all.

That being said, I refuse to talk about whether or not she has any merit to the trademark claim until she has aired her side, and as of my call to her earlier this afternoon, she promised that she will issue an official statement soon enough. I believe she is due the respect and accord to air her side, so for that, I will hold my piece, especially since my stake in this matter is limited at best.

Aside from the whole hoopla over the trademark itself, I really wanted to write this to decry the double standards being demonstrated by certain people within the community. It's been getting to me for years already, because even some of the people I'm closest to seem to just have a logic block when it comes to these standards. To a guy like me, who's mainly outside looking in, it feels petty and vindictive to apply one set of standards to an Alodia Gosiengfiao and to apply a completely different set of standards to a Jin Joson, solely because they like one and hate the other. These are people, too, and they deserve to be treated as such. They are not whores. They are not sluts. They are not your property. And they certainly do not exist for your amusement alone.

For now, I am vouching for Tanya's integrity, and eagerly await the official announcement, because it will definitely clear up a lot of things. As useless as it may seem, this fence-sitter hopes both sides won't resort to mudslinging and rumor-mongering at this point, because it's a disservice to a community that has grown by the leaps and bounds that cosplay has in the past few years.

P.S. I'm glad I'm hosting Best Of Anime this weekend, and not Best Of Cosplay. Wala lang.

For the addendum post made after the official statement came out, please go here.

Just Another Magic Monday: Alodia's Fantasy And Then Some

.:Just Another Magic Monday: An Enchanting Weekend:.

This weekend was marked by three straight gigs to my name, which, of course, I have no complaints about whatsoever.

No complaints, whatsoever. Photo from source as indicated by logo.

So yeah, it was pretty enjoyable, to say the least. Tack on the fact that on each gig, I managed to perform a bit of magic doesn't hurt my chances of writing about it and passing it all off for Just Another Magic Monday. So sue me, this year hasn't had nearly as much magic as 2010, obviously, so I'm less inclined to flat out do reviews of magic videos and the like, but that's all right.

In any case, opening for Mike Unson is one thing, and performing in Wack Wack Country Club is another, but ultimately, being a part of history, being the host of the first ever interactive cosplay show, Alodia's Fantasy, is just on a whole different level. Yup, that's the title, and no, I have no idea what else it could possibly mean.

A lot of preparation went into the show, truth be told. Weeks upon weeks of rehearsals, pre-screenings, and pre-production meetings. On the day itself, rehearsals were being rigorously conducted just to make sure that everything was in proper order. To say that all the cosplayers and performers really pulled out all the stops would be the understatement of the year, although I guess Alodia would be more capable of discussing all the work that went into the show than I personally would.

Technical glitches aside, there was one glaring sore spot throughout the night, but the less said about it, the more likely we'd forget about these unremarkable and unsavorable factors. Someday. Maybe. One can dream, after all.

That being said, once we went live on Flippish, we were greeted by hundreds of people all online at the same time, just wanting to catch a piece of history, as the show fired on all cylinders, with everyone just putting on the best show that they can. If you wanted details about the results, you could check out Fritz's Photo Recap, but all I can say is that the rehearsals before the show was hilarious because all the side comments I promised myself to put a lid on, I brought out in full force while the cameras were off.

It was pretty interesting as well that I managed to bring up people like Kring and Mike Abundo with his lady companion Itel (Of Best Of Anime fame.) for impromptu interviews that night. They did have some awesome stuff to share, not to mention the fact that there were a whole bunch of people in the audience that made me feel right at home. The chatbox for the event was burning up, though, because there was no reading a full sentence before it would end up scrolling out of the screen. I had to ad lib my way through the entire thing.

Seeing as this wasn't the first time I co-hosted an event with Alodia, we had our banter just down to pat already. I pretty much knew when to toss her softballs and when to toss her curveballs, and I was impressed at her ability to keep up with me. Looks like her stint in L.O.L. has really given her the chance to step up as a host, and I, for one, am proud.

As usual, I paid tribute to Zack Ryder during my closing spiel. Woo woo woo, you know it.

Ashley's performances were splendid, as always, and it was pretty cool to finally meet Eric Salamat. I joked that I stopped watching ADMU games because ADMU seemed to lose everytime I did. I also mentioned I stopped watching ADMU games for the past four years, so maybe there's something to that theory.

Seeing Ranulf at the event also gave me a nice surge of confidence, but it still paled in comparison to my true highlight of the night...

Cookie and Pancakes 2011!

Backstage, Alodia was poking fun at me when a different picture had the three of us together. She told me that she pretty much photo-bombed a couple pic and I'd probably crop her out the first chance I got. She might be on to something. Heh.

The after-party was fun, too. I met Karen, Joy Bordador's sister, for the second time ever, as Chris Tan proudly introduced her to us. At some point in the night, I ended up doing my signature psychokinesis act. So yeah, despite not doing a single routine onscreen throughout the night, enough people still remembered that I am a mentalist.

In any case, it was an awesome event, and I cannot thank the people of Flippish, the Gosiengfiao's, the cosplayers, the performers, the bloggers, Pancakes, and everyone else who made that event possible, and for asking me to be a part of it. It was one of my proudest moments to see a very good friend, someone who's practically family to me, Alodia, do so well and flourish in something she passionately believes in.

Just Another Magic Monday: Because I Keep Having Gigs Over The Weekend

.:Just Another Magic Monday: Because I Keep Having Gigs Over The Weekend:.

And the world can't erase this fantasy...

So yeah, aside from treating myself to an X-Box Kinect, I had a working weekend, hosting for the Alodia's Fantasy pre-screening event, and then Kathy's wedding. Overall, a pretty crazy hectic weekend, but one thing recently turned up that I'm pretty happy about...

... My De Ring is improving ever since I bought that awesome ring from Cosmania a week ago.

I haven't really been doing De Ring much beyond the normal ring-on moves, but now, with the new ring I got, I feel more and more inclined to show off, and I've been improving by leaps and bounds in that department.

I know, I know. Not much of a JAMM update, but really, it's been a crazy weekend, and magic isn't that high up on my priority list at the moment, I'm just glad I still managed to figure out how to talk about magic today, in fact. :P

Logical Fallacies 101 (Part 6 Of 6): A Special Bonus Feature On The Entitlement Complex

.:Logical Fallacies 101 (Part 6 Of 6)Bonus Feature: The Entitlement Complex:.

Because I totally have every right to demand her to go to all those conventions so I can stalk her whenever I feel like it, goddammit!!!