Cosplaying as seen on TV!

As luck would have it, I ended up watching an episode of that "Heroes of Cosplay" show on Space. I've been curious about that show for awhile now. Having seen only one episode of the series, at the end of the season no less, I can no way make a proper critique of the show but....

1. The people they were showing do really have some excellent skills. What's the best way to get that salt water look? Swim in the frigid ocean, of course! Cosplayer logic.

2. That convention ranking system was.... odd. Do they not follow ICG guidelines and just have place finishes, or was that part cut out? It really didn't help to showcase how a novice cosplayer can even break the top with that kind of system. I'm just so used to FanExpo's system, (and I guess by extension, Animenorth) that it seems... weird. Not that having a champion wrestling belt wouldn't be hilarious to bring home. "MOM! DAD! I GOT A THINGIE!!!"

3. Those cosplayer looked too fancy! (I am well aware it's part of the film process) But, man, anytime I'm working on something and have to emerge back into The World Around Us, I feel like some sort of freak of nature, complete with squinting eyes, hair frizz that looks like it's trying to free itself from my skull, and battle damage in the form of pin stabs, glue gun burns and who knows what else. Maybe the ability to look fancy while constructing comes with time and experience? Probably wouldn't make good tv though if they looked like me.

Interviewer: Ma'am, how do you feel about your current project?
Me: *foaming at the mouth* WHERE'S MA METAL TOOL THINGIE???
Interviewer: Oh. God.
Me: I want tea. Can you make me some tea? I just want tea..... *bursts into tears*
Interviewer: Get a Priest. Get the whole Vatican.
Me: I made a dress. It's a pretty dress. Please love my pretty dress.
Interviewer: *flees*

Other something to that respect. Ah, well. I wonder what the non-cosplayers out there think of our charming little hobby. Are we more well adjusted people than they thought, or bigger freaks than they could imagine?

It does give me a bit of a desire to get to work on my own things. That artisan rank ain't going to break in itself.

*sets music to dramatic*