Identity, curated branding, and the star cosplayer's pursuit of Instagram fame

Fiona Katie Haborak

doi:10.3983/twc.2020.1949

Identity, curated branding, and the star cosplayer's pursuit of Instagram fame

Fiona Katie Haborak Independent Scholar

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3983/twc.2020.1949

Keywords: Creative praxis, Fandom, Identity brand, Influencer culture, Online culture, Online monetization, Social influencer, Social media

Abstract

In response to the digital landscape, the nature of cosplay, in which the cosplayer constructs an identity complementary to the character via costuming, has changed from a performative expression of fandom appreciation to a desire to achieve viral fame. As a signifier of popular culture, such so-called star cosplayers commodify their bodies to market a social identity through the curatorial process of displaying work on Instagram. A creative project, ".//wired: TRENDING," promotes the aesthetic value and function of cosplay while utilizing social media to create an identity brand for endorsement.

HTML

Published

2020-09-15

Issue

Vol 34 (2020): General

Section

Praxis

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

TWC Nos. 25 onward are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. For an explanation of the journal's reasoning, see the editorial, Copyright and Open Access.

TWC Nos. 1 through 24 are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 Unported License with TWC, not the author, retaining copyright. For more information, see the Copyright Section.