What do you think of guns and tactical gear cosplays at pony conventions?

[SolidTwilight 383]

So I went to bronycon this weekend (awsome time if you ever get the change to go) and there were a lot of people in full tactical with airsoft gun. there was also some people in black trench coat and masks with airsoft guns that looked like they were cosplaying as Eric and Dylan from the columbine shooting.‎ It just seem really kind of inappropriate and here is why. first I just don't see how ether of these cosplyas are a reference to MLP or anything related to it. the other is that a pony convention is a place to go where you get to take a brake form being masculine. part of the fun is to step a bit out of your comfort zone of being manly all the time and just enjoy the softer things in life for a weekend.

I bit of background about me just so you know where I coming from.

Me at an airsoft game a few years ago.

I am a fairly masculine man. not to put on a show but because that is just who I am. I climb mountains, have jumped out of plains, drive motorcycles,  own guns, workout, and I have a jeep that has no ruff, doors, top, windshield, power searing, power brakes, heat or any safety fetchers of any kind that I have been know to drive any time of the year. The list goes on but also note that I own lots of tactical stuff and I have been on airsoft teams and I have cosplyed at comic-con with tac gear and airsoft guns so I know where you guys are coming from on this and why its fun to do.

 

also one last thing to anyone that may have been there.

TAKE YOUR DAM FINGERS OFF THE TRIGGER!!! A lot (but not all) of the gun handling skills were terrifying bad. People really need to learn and use proper gun safety even with airsoft guns because they feel just like real guns and when your muscle memory is learned on a toy, when you pick up a real gun that is the same size, shape and wait your going to end up shooting your self your some one else! and if you do, no is going to care how sorry you were or how much you did not mean to to it. 

when a 10 year old that was kidnapped from his parents, did not go to school, watched action movies like Rambo every night, and is probability high on some kind of drug has better trigger discipline then you. its a sad day. 

Edited August 10, 2015 by SolidTwilight

[Steel Accord 6,660]

I think it depends on what the cosplayer is going for. Like a Wonderbolt military outfit or just a plain royal guard but with modern equipment. I mean there are plenty of military bronies out there so them dressing up in show themed combat gear could almost be seen as an attempted reconciliation of the apparently incongruous parts of their identity. (And they would be the ones to know to keep their fingers of the damn trigger.)

[Gearbox10mm 794]

There are a lot of internet commandos, aka mall ninjas, out there. You can't learn proper handling of a weapon by playing a first person shooter game, and it shows in real life. Their hearts might be in the right place but they really should learn proper safety before picking up even an airsoft gun which is still not a toy and can be dangerous if misused. 

 

I just don't see what guns or tacticool gear has to do with ponies. That is, unless we someday see the EQG military/law enforcement equivalent of the royal guard. Then I could see someone cosplaying as that with weapons and all.

 

There does seem to be a fair number of military bronies and just plain gun enthusiasts in the fandom (myself included with the latter), so clearly the two are not mutually exclusive. But as far as drawing some connection between guns and ponies at an MLP convention, I'm not seeing it.         

[Steel Accord 6,660]

But as far as drawing some connection between guns and ponies at an MLP convention, I'm not seeing it.

 

Well it's cosplay, it doesn't necessarily have to make sense and that is by far the weirdest thing in it. I was at a Bronycon where a guy was wearing a beat for beat perfect Nolan trilogy Batman costume . . . but was wearing that horse head mask with the bulgy eyes.

 

Plus there are connections to be made. Military ponies such as the Royal Guard and Wonderbolts, and anything from Fallout Equestria would fit guns.

Edited August 10, 2015 by Steel Accord

[SolidTwilight 383]

 

 

Plus there are connections to be made. Military ponies such as the Royal Guard and Wonderbolts, and anything from Fallout Equestria would fit guns.

I did see a lot of people doing that kind of cospay. they are not the ones I am talking about.

[Gearbox10mm 794]

I've never been but from what I've seen, conventions seem to flush out some of the more, shall we say, flamboyant members of the fan bases. 

 

In the end, it's just a bunch of folks having fun in their own way so It's all cool. Even if it sometimes makes you scratch your head. 

[[NULL] 907]

I don't really have a problem with it. Some people don't have that many opportunities to go to conventions and cosplay as whoever they want. If someone wants to cosplay as one of the Colonial Marines from Aliens and bring a pulse rifle, I say go for it.

 

But I can see why it would be perplexing to dress up as some generic grunt. I don't see what the appeal would be, other than looking (as Gearbox put it) "tacticool".

Edited August 10, 2015 by SpaceOnion

[Commissar Alexer 764]

Is what happened there? People got scared from the toy guns and called the police?

[Luna_tic 120]

I think it is alright in certain situations.  But in any kind of MLP related setting, I think it is distasteful and an idiotic plea for attention.  I have guns, enjoy shooting, and support the second amendment.  I don't, however, think that blatantly trying to cause trouble just so you can play the victim is ever justified.  You should always be respectful of the tone and theme of where you are going.

[SolidTwilight 383]

I think it is alright in certain situations. But in any kind of MLP related setting, I think it is distasteful and an idiotic plea for attention. I have guns, enjoy shooting, and support the second amendment. I don't, however, think that blatantly trying to cause trouble just so you can play the victim is ever justified. You should always be respectful of the tone and theme of where you are going.

I agree with you but I just want to clarify. no one was cause trouble or making any kinds of problems buy doing this kind of cospay. I am not so much saying that "they should not be able to do this". I am more saying "I think they should really look at what there doing and think about why they were doing it. are they doing it for because of there love of MLP or just because they want to do it"

[GuyNamedEarl 1,332]

I have never seen guns in the show (but bullets are canon, so you never know),  so I don't know why they would need to be there.

[SolidTwilight 383]

I have never seen guns in the show (but bullets are canon, so you never know), so I don't know why they would need to be there.

when where there bullets?

[GuyNamedEarl 1,332]

when where there bullets?

They were mentioned in the pet song from season 2 when Rainbow Dash sang "I need something that's fast like a bullet to keep up with me." So I guess they weren't seen but they do exist in that world and characters do know about them sort of. (I know way to much about the show than I probably should)

[Solid 1,327]

While I do agree that there is a substantial amount of people cosplaying with tactical gear or airsoft weaponry, which I saw during my time at this year's Bronycon. I believe it is the massive majority of others cosplaying in less-militant outfits that makes the cosplayers in militant gear stand out.

Edited August 10, 2015 by Solid Scorpion