The Adventures of Photognome... ([info]photognome) wrote,
2009-09-20 17:58:00
  • Mood: annoyed

WTF AWA?








So my friend Alisa went to Anime Weekend Atlanta this weekend with her Lum costume. Shortly after putting on the costume and walking around the con, she was approached by a con security staffer and informed that her costume was "indecent" and that "lingerie is not a costume". When Alisa informed him that she was wearing the costume of an anime character that has been around for 30 years, security pointed out a girl in a schoolgirl outfit and stockings and said "see, you can be sexy without showing that much". She was then ordered to leave the con floor.


This is a picture of Alisa in the costume she was wearing...




This is a screenshot from AWA's own website outlining the rules for costuming...




Can anyone tell me why she was ordered to leave while wearing a costume that is specifially mentioned in the rules as being allowed?


Edit: two postscripts...

1) A couple people have asked if the back of the bottom is a thong, it is not. Its a full back, in keeping with the accuracy of the costume.

2) She wasnt given the option of speaking to a director, as the security staff brought a rent-a-cop along with him to escort her away.

Post, Postscript
AWA directors have contacted Alisa, have apologized, and are handling things on their end. Turning off further comments. Thanks all.

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[info]mokitty

September 20 2009, 22:54:40 UTC 2 years ago

Heh.

Asstards.

[info]wiredwizard

September 20 2009, 22:58:00 UTC 2 years ago

Pretty simple - someone didn't make the sure the security doofus had actually *read the rules before unleashing him on the con-going public.

[info]ex_twilosta

September 20 2009, 23:02:54 UTC 2 years ago

that is pretty weird, unless that outfit is a thong in the back it looks pretty much like a swimsuit with leggings, which by their rules appears to be ok.

And yet shirtless men are allowed, thats much more revealing than this outfit.

[info]chardarkminion

September 20 2009, 23:12:37 UTC 2 years ago

Explicitly allowed as per the rules, eh? Fuck all authority. Death to all rule-makers.

[info]clayfoot

September 20 2009, 23:22:16 UTC 2 years ago

The people who volunteer to do things aren't always the people we would choose for the job.

[info]violatekate

September 20 2009, 23:41:43 UTC 2 years ago

They didn't recognize Lum!? Seriously? She was one of the first anime characters I was ever familiar with. Alisa looks adorable as her, too. Seems like they broke their own rules kicking her out.

[info]photognome

September 20 2009, 23:58:11 UTC 2 years ago

Yeah, you would think someone chosen to be security at an Anime Con would have at least passing familiarity with the subject matter...

[info]orangecone

2 years ago

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[info]vortex

2 years ago

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[info]andrian6

September 20 2009, 23:42:23 UTC 2 years ago

Gods, this is a generation gap, pure and simple. No one's seen Lum, so they think it's just a bikini. *sigh* Heaven help anyone who wears an old-school Dirty Pair costume.

[info]photognome

September 20 2009, 23:59:18 UTC 2 years ago

A. Yeah its really sad they don't know who Lum is.

B. Even if it was a bikini, it would be allowed per the rules...

[info]mirrorofagirl

September 20 2009, 23:44:39 UTC 2 years ago

She should have asked for a Director. The security people are just volunteers, and the directors make the final call.

[info]photognome

September 21 2009, 00:04:25 UTC 2 years ago

See postscript.

[info]dark_blade

September 20 2009, 23:53:31 UTC 2 years ago

Guy must not have known what he was doing. Suggested action in the future is to either grab a program and point out the rules, politely insist on going to the security main office or find one of the directors. As you noted, Lum is specifically in the guidelines and people have been attending AWA as Lum for a decade.

[info]sabrina_pandora

September 20 2009, 23:57:28 UTC 2 years ago

My first reaction is the same one I have when getting lousy customer service"

"I understand. May I speak to your supervisor now, please?"

Were I her I would have fought and argued this politely but firmly. As you point out, it is cited in their rules as an example of what IS acceptable. It is a classic anime character whose presence, as it were, would be welcome at any convention, let alone a specifically anime convention. And last but not least, none of those quotes sound particularly polite, which is what every security personnel at a convention should be, volunteer or not. Apparently only directors are allowed to make such judgments, and so this particular staffer crossed the line in more ways than one.

On behalf of fans of classic anime, please pass along to Alisa that she does the character marvelous justice, and that the convention should have welcomed her with open arms and thanks. And that she should damn well expect a full apology for the asinine behavior of that security staffer from the convention organizers, and soon.

Sabrina no like injustice against pretty girl in Lum costume. Sabrina make phone call.

[info]n3m3sis42

September 21 2009, 01:25:15 UTC 2 years ago

Oh, and I agree with you that she did the character great justice (and my husband who loves this character agrees too).

[info]spiritchaser1

September 21 2009, 00:08:54 UTC 2 years ago

Did she get the badge name of the guy on AWA staff who kicked her out? The directors need to know about this.

[info]misoranomegami

September 21 2009, 00:59:20 UTC 2 years ago

Agreed. If they don't know this is going on they can't do anything about it. I vote she raises a fuss so that next year's con volunteer class includes a photographic lesson with "This costume is acceptable" vs "This costume is not acceptable".

[info]alladinsane

September 21 2009, 00:11:19 UTC 2 years ago

argh!

The Cobb County locale is finally infecting the security...

[info]redwitch

September 21 2009, 00:21:02 UTC 2 years ago

It is skimpy, but a rent a cop, really, for an animal print bikini??? That's a tad much. Even if it is within the rules, I'd probably look at it a tad askance if she was walking around at noon when all the little kids are out, but if it was her evening/nighttime apparel, not so much.

I run an adult convention and I look kinda strangely at some of the stuff that comes out before dark at Dragon, and it's a family friendly show and all.

I know jack and shit about anime, and I'm sure she's to the letter, but this is mostly an after dark costume in any family friendly environment.

BTW, did you invite her to Frolicon??? It'd be a great brunch ensemble. :-)

[info]vortex

2 years ago

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[info]wiebke

September 21 2009, 00:43:15 UTC 2 years ago

Wow. Clearly that security staffer hasn't seen some of the outfits at D*C. This costume, I agree, meets the rules. It's just a bikini. With full coverage boots!

[info]obscurredstar

September 21 2009, 00:50:11 UTC 2 years ago

I completely agree with you. the costumes at d-con are far skimpier (even when the kids are around...though it does generally get even more risque once the lights go down). and do get all pissy about a Lum costume is just retarded and a half. It's a freaking bathing suit! If you can walk down the street and not get arrested for it, than they sure as fuck shouldn't have said anything to her.

I really despise idiots and assholes

[info]ojiikun

September 21 2009, 00:45:58 UTC 2 years ago

And 5 or 6 years ago when they started advertising as a "family-friendly" con, those of us that read it as saying "fan-unfriendly" saw this coming. :( Makes me especially sad because AWA was my core con in '00 - '03, and it was on the road to becoming really awesome.

[info]dark_blade

September 21 2009, 01:28:43 UTC 2 years ago

Hell, AWA lost a lot of my ability to do business when they pushed it so close to DragonCon. When I was still local, it meant I had a lot less money to spend with fewer weeks in between the two. Now, it means that I'm not going to trek down to Atlanta again in less than a month's time for a smaller convention with a second hotel stay.

[info]obscurredstar

September 21 2009, 00:48:22 UTC 2 years ago

that is fucking retarded! I have no words to describe how absolutely assinine that is. Is she going to bring up charges or do anything to make the dumbasses pay for what they did? I wish she had demaded to speak to a director immediately.

This is one of the things I hate about cons in general. The staff and rented people aren't familiar enough with the poicies and end up doing stupid shit like this.
grrrrr

[info]dwivian

September 21 2009, 00:50:13 UTC 2 years ago

So, maybe not a thong, but was any of her 'rear [not] covered'? If so, that's what they may have been acting on.

Even so -- it's in the rules explicitly as the character to be allowed if covered up.... so, what's this look like from the back?

I agree she should have pulled in a director, or this security person's boss.

[info]kiantewench

September 21 2009, 02:35:19 UTC 2 years ago

having seen this costume many a time, it completely covers her butt. IT is in fact a full bottomed bikini type bottom.

[info]nsingman

September 21 2009, 01:03:48 UTC 2 years ago

Ridiculous. I've seen smaller full-coverage bikinis than what that young lady is wearing. What foolish prudes!

[info]twinklebat

September 21 2009, 01:07:10 UTC 2 years ago

I think sometimes individual staffers just get really uppity and go on little power trips. A few years ago at AWA I met a girl in the contest while she was dressed as Naga from Slayers and she'd gotten harassed for similar reasons too. That's a very similarly covered costume that even has a cape so no one could even see her butt. And when there was a Spartan at the con, can't remember exactly when but sometime in the last couple years, he was also made to cover up his chest. He ended up wrapping himself with a sort of medical bandage. However the cosplay director for AWA is really nice and helpful, and really puts a lot of effort into the con. I can't imagine him being happy if he were to hear about something like a nice Lum cosplayer getting harassed like that.

[info]lorigami

September 21 2009, 13:41:25 UTC 2 years ago

"sometimes individual staffers just get really uppity and go on little power trips."

THIS.
She's really beautiful and looks absolutely stunning in that costume. SOmeone just got their jealous panties in a wad about it. Glad to see the security staffer below taking an interest, and hopefully the offending jerk will be made to apologize publicly.

(says the girl who was once thrown out of the Chamber for wearing liquid latex, even tho the door-cop said I was legal)

[info]auryn29a

September 21 2009, 01:10:54 UTC 2 years ago

Wow! She makes a great Lum!

[info]arcstone

September 21 2009, 01:20:39 UTC 2 years ago

Joe, I'm with AWA Security and have been for 10+ years. I had not heard of this. I called our director and will be sending him this link. We'll look into it. Please extend my apologies to your friend, and trust me when I say we'll handle it on our end. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

If you can have her email me with a detail of whom she spoke with, cause I can tell you right now it wasn't any of us usual folks, as I have allowed plenty of Lums at AWA many, many times over. Thanks again.

[info]paradisacorbasi

September 21 2009, 12:26:36 UTC 2 years ago

Awesome response!

[info]alisachan

2 years ago

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[info]arcstone

2 years ago

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[info]sadistic_apollo

2 years ago

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[info]n3m3sis42

September 21 2009, 01:22:01 UTC 2 years ago

Dude, that is FUCKED UP. :(

[info]tequilazaire

September 21 2009, 01:58:55 UTC 2 years ago

Lame. Lum is such an iconic character in Anime and comics as a whole...she looks STUNNING as that character and one of the best I have seen. For this to happen at an Anime convention is just plain stupid.

Also Anime and PG-13 don't belong together...it's just not possible. Seems like odd rules to have for a convention like this.

[info]soundwave106

September 21 2009, 14:36:21 UTC 2 years ago

Nah, anime and "PG-13 costumes" can go together.

What's puzzling to me is people who think that the above costume is anything above "PG".

(Yes, what Japan thinks is appropriate for kids is a bit different than here... but Urusei Yatsura appears to have been targeting teen or tween boys. Where does this security guard think he is? Saudi Arabia?)

[info]gigglingwizard

September 21 2009, 05:43:52 UTC 2 years ago

This breaks my heart. You might as well have written about an art museum employee vandalizing the paintings. How can someone feel so threatened by beauty that they have to punish it?

[info]catwoman69y2k.insanejournal.com

September 21 2009, 06:15:20 UTC 2 years ago

As I messaged Alisa earlier today....

I call shennanigans.

Just like her, I had this happen to me in an outfit that I wore one year with no problem. 2 years later, I wore it again and security asked me to get rid of the outfit. When I dressed in something else, I went down to security and tried to get clarification from someone higher up. The head of security politely informed me that if it cant be worn on the street, it cannot be worn at the convention. The outfit in question was even more covering than Alisa's and I do not possess the same kind of beauty that Alisa does.

I doubt it was anything against her personally, but all it takes is one complaint and con security will act on it. My theory? Maybe someone felt threatened by her & made a complaint. I guarantee that had she approached security about the claim and politely asked where the complaint came from, they would clam up regarding the identity of the person who complained.

[info]chu_hi

September 21 2009, 10:02:36 UTC 2 years ago

Indecent? That poor guy must lose his mind with rage anytime he turns on Fox News... or goes to a family friendly beach, for that matter.

Aside: Beautiful girl, beautiful costume. :^)
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