Cosplay & the geek: the tension between creativity, inclusion, & gatekeeping in cosplay. What types of gatekeeping do cosplayers experience?
type: CreativeWork
description: In 2014, social media was taken over by #gamergate, a hashtag synonymous with misogynistic discrimination within the game development industry. Soon after this an avalanche of other hashtags highlighting sexism and sexual harassment (e.g., #metoo; #comicgate; #times up) within male-controlled entertainment industries began to emerge. This study investigates whether hegemonic masculinity has any influence on gatekeeping practices witnessed within the cosplay community, both online and in convention settings. Nine cosplayers from the Scottish cosplay scene took part in online semi-structured interviews which were thematically analysed using NVivo software. The findings suggest that, however inclusive and accepting the cosplay community is, it does encounter prejudiced harassment from those outside it, who may identify with the wider geek subculture.
abstract: In 2014, social media was taken over by #gamergate, a hashtag synonymous with misogynistic discrimination within the game development industry. Soon after this an avalanche of other hashtags highlighting sexism and sexual harassment (e.g., #metoo; #comicgate; #times up) within male-controlled entertainment industries began to emerge. This study investigates whether hegemonic masculinity has any influence on gatekeeping practices witnessed within the cosplay community, both online and in convention settings. Nine cosplayers from the Scottish cosplay scene took part in online semi-structured interviews which were thematically analysed using NVivo software. The findings suggest that, however inclusive and accepting the cosplay community is, it does encounter prejudiced harassment from those outside it, who may identify with the wider geek subculture.
author: Steel, Rebecca
language: eng
keywords: Fandom gatekeeping, Hegemonic masculinity, Gatekeeping, Cosplay, Canonically correct cosplay, Cosplayers, Geek, Nerd
date published: 2022-4-26
date modified: 2026-07-24T00:50:29Z
provider: Abertay University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Abertay University