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At This Point Heroes of Cosplay Is Just Flat Out Lying

The first half of Heroes of Cosplay’s two part finale for “Season 1.5” aired last night on Syfy. Both episodes will feature Wizard World’s New Orleans Comic Con, and the first of these contained probably the biggest flat out lie the show has ever tried to sell.

And it’s downright puzzling.

You see, Yaya Han (or as we call her around here, Sentient Lumber) states that the con has two cosplay contests on two different days. One is a contest for groups, the other for individuals. There’s just one problem with that:

This con only had one contest. And there are literally hundreds of witnesses who can attest to this.

I first learned about this from an ask on my personal Tumblr, but I’ve since verified this to be true independently. The event took from four to six hours, and at one point, likely to sell the illusion of it being two different events, Yaya Han took an extended costume change for forty-five minutes.

I’ve also heard reports that “90% of the group people were not allowed skits, or had music, etc played over them, aside from cast,” but I’ll wait to make more comments on that after the next episode airs… although a comment on this article corroborates that.

Edit: I’ve been hearing conflicting reports about that bit – importantly from Heroes of Cosplay cast member Jessica Merizan. I’m going to try to dig a bit more before I necessarily say anything on that with certainty.

The real question is “Why lie?” I mean, it’s not like it isn’t easy to verify that there was only a single contest at this con. I don’t understand how they thought they wouldn’t get caught.

I’ll likely have more to say when the season wraps next week, and we’ll talk about this more on the next Podcast after that.

Additional Source: Archive.org version of Wizard World New Orleans Programming Schedule

Update 7/2: I’ve put out a follow up piece to this reviewing the entire season.

Trae Dorn

Trae Dorn has been staffing conventions for over twenty-five years. They also wrote and drew the now completed webcomic UnCONventional, and produce the podcasts BS-Free Witchcraft, On This Day With Trae, Stormwood & Associates, The Meatgrinder, and The Nerd & Tie Podcast. This leads many to ask how the heck they have the time to get it all done. Trae says they have the time because they “do it all quite poorly.”

2 thoughts on “At This Point Heroes of Cosplay Is Just Flat Out Lying

  • Nyterayne

    Perhaps, before you cross out your information and sit back and listen to the people that were actually there and not plastered in the spot light, to understand that there were many… many people in the audience and those “Competing” that they were there from when the contest happened to the point of coming back to their hotel at 2am in the morning.

    The many people who left because they couldn’t stand to stand there a while longer for Syfy’s (lack of better words) bullshit. I woke up at 6 am in the morning to help my hotel room mate get into his costume. He wore armor, athletic tape, a wig under a helm, and carried around a heavy sword that is just as tall as he is. Over 12 hours in a single costume, in hot weather (yes it is hot here in Louisiana in January). I am unsure if he ate or if he even took a break or two. Yet, he and many others, stood waiting for the contest only to be screwed over by the cast. Coming back to the room pissed off, tired, moody, to where all he did was ate what we had ordered to the room, showered, and passed out on the floor/bed mat.

    Would you believe one person who was part of the cast and believed what they are meant to believe or the over 200 people and multiple accounts of people who were there? Some with kids, some being in heavy hot costumes all day long, some who put more stress on their body then should be?

    Reply
    • Hi Nyterane, when I write something, I like to independently confirm anything I publish – preferrably from primary sources. But I wrote that bit off of secondary sources — anonymous tips and people I hadn’t confirmed were actually there yet.

      When Merizan wrote her response, I was left with a dilema: either add a note that I needed to confirm my information, or take the time to do the confirmation right then and there. As it was time I did not have, I chose the former option.

      You can talk about hundreds being there (and there were), but for me to know fact from rumor I need to be able to confirm that people were physically present and not just repeating hearsay (even if it’s true).

      Now I’m still digging – I intend to write a follow up to this after the finale airs – and since writing this I’ve spoken with a few people I’ve been able to verify were at Wizard World New Orleans and present at the event (one of whom was a participant in the actual cosplay contest). But you need to understand that it would be irresponsible for me to stand behind a statement that I hadn’t verified.

      There’s a quote I’ve always loved: “The enemy of truth is not the lie, but the mistaken passing of half truths between honest men.”

      Reply

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