Under Construction @ Keele Vol. IV (1) | Page 30

Wonder (Wo)man: Examining Gendered Identities and Gender Bending Through [the art of] Cosplay Daniel Skentelbery | MRes in Film Studies Gender bending cosplay has often been understood in relation to drag theory, yet some existing writings offer a prescriptive and critical outlook on drag as restrictive and conformative to heterosexual norms. With specific reference to the works of Judith Butler, this paper seeks to examine the diversity that exists within gender bending cosplay. With specific reference to male cosplays of DC’s Wonder Woman, following the success of the recent film Wonder Woman (2017), it is possible to argue that firstly, gender can be multiple and the individual can transcend cultural norms, and secondly, gender bending cosplay can and should be treated as a serious from of social transformation. Keywords| cosplay, drag, gender bending, identity, Wonder Woman. Amongst the cosplay subculture, cosplays of DC’s Wonder Woman have become increasingly popular, particularly following the success of the film Wonder Woman 1 . Cosplay, an abbreviation of “costume play”, is the practice of dressing up as characters from popular media and embodying their characteristics, often in the contexts of fan conventions. A subsection of this community includes gender bending cosplay, which is the cosplay of a character of the opposite gender to that of the cosplayer. Gender bending cosplay has been documented by several writers, including Joel Gn, Suzanne Scott, Jason Bainbridge and Craig Norris all of whom understand cosplay as existing within queer frameworks 2 . This paper intends to develop these studies by examining specific male cosplays of Wonder Woman, to highlight the diverse forms that gender bending cosplay can take, and the subsequent discourses they create. The cosplays referenced throughout this paper have been made publicly available by the cosplayers online; and, whilst there is a focus upon the recent Wonder Woman film, certain cosplayers referenced depict the earlier Wonder Woman television series 3 , encouraging Wonder Woman to be understood as a cultural icon whose cultural significance has re- Wonder Woman, [Film] Directed by Patty Jenkins (USA: Warner Bros., 2017). According to Los Angeles Times the film is the highest grossing film within the DC Cinematic Universe. (‘‘Wonder Woman’ is officially DC’s domestic box office goddess’ by Libby Hill on latimes.com (2017)). 2 Joel Gn, ‘Queer Simulation: The Practice, performance and pleasure of cosplay’, Continuum: Journal of Media & Cultural Studies 25:4 (2011): 583-593; Suzanne Scott, ‘‘Cosplay is Serious Business’: Gendering Material Fan Labour on Heroes of Cosplay’, Cinema Journal 54:3 (2015): 146-154; Jason Bainbridge and Craig Norris, ‘Posthuman Drag: Understanding Cosplay as Social Networking in a Material Culture’, Intersections: Gender and Sexuality in Asia and the Pacific. 32 (2013). 3 Wonder Woman, [Television series], Created by William M. Marston and Stanley R. Ross (USA: Bruce Lansbury Productions, 1975-79). 1 23