Convention Etiquette: Discussion and Advice on Do's and Don'ts

[Arctic Goddess]

How would you suggest that children should avoid taking unfair advantage when entering a costume contest? I can't think that they are doing it deliberately.

This couple had their child in the costume contest two years in a row. The child won both years. Should we then maybe tell people who have put in so much effort to their costumes, "Hey, don't waste your time, so and so's kid is entered and will win again this year"? Suppose I was awesome as a model builder and kept winning the centerpiece contest time after time? Shouldn't I, in fairness to others, bow out so someone else has a chance? To me, using a method that gives you an unfair advantage is not playing fair.

But then, maybe I could make a costume, pay some friends parents $20.00 and take their little one to the con and enter him/her. I bet my little person would win.

[Madeleine]

What should the child then do though? Are you seriously saying that this child shouldn't enter in case she wins?

I'm not sure what to make of your comment of borrowing someone else's sprog. I know you don't seriously think there's a parallel between being a child and dressing up and entering a fun contest, and being an adult with such a childish mentality that you'd sink to low depths to win a meaningless accolade; but I'm not sure what you are saying

There's a woman who's amazingly skilled who wins three out of every four costume contests that she enters at particular UK cons; and she's been runner-up when she hasn't won. Should she be told to withdraw also in case she wins?

Any sane adult who enters the contest does it for the fun, not for the prize. Any sane adult who enters knows that they're more likely to lose than to win; they enter it anyway. I think you're worrying too much about the potential wounded pride of entrants who have probably not even noticed they've been wounded, and wouldn't care if they did. If you ever do enter a contest, I bet you'll have such fun dressing up and meeting new people who admire you and want to be pictured with you, that I bet you wouldn't mind at all who the winner was

[Arctic Goddess]

What should the child then do though? Are you seriously saying that this child shouldn't enter in case she wins?

I'm not sure what to make of your comment of borrowing someone else's sprog. I know you don't seriously think there's a parallel between being a child and dressing up and entering a fun contest, and being an adult with such a childish mentality that you'd sink to low depths to win a meaningless accolade; but I'm not sure what you are saying

There's a woman who's amazingly skilled who wins three out of every four costume contests that she enters at particular UK cons; and she's been runner-up when she hasn't won. Should she be told to withdraw also in case she wins?

Any sane adult who enters the contest does it for the fun, not for the prize. Any sane adult who enters knows that they're more likely to lose than to win; they enter it anyway. I think you're worrying too much about the potential wounded pride of entrants who have probably not even noticed they've been wounded, and wouldn't care if they did. If you ever do enter a contest, I bet you'll have such fun dressing up and meeting new people who admire you and want to be pictured with you, that I bet you wouldn't mind at all who the winner was

I'm being sarcastic. Maybe it comes from seeing many contests where cheating is a normal practice. Perhaps a simple rule such as you can enter as often as you want, but you only win once so others have a chance, would be a better idea.

Personally, I do not dress up in costumes for contests or any other reason. If other people enjoy that, it's fine. But it's not something that I find interesting. And, I am talking about perception here. I have seen people use their kids to get close to actors. Never mind that the child's antics are annoying other fans. The parents of the child consider the kids behaviour as cute, and the actor is cooing at the child. What are the other fans going to do? They can't exactly say, "sorry, Actor XYZ, this kid is a brat". They are stuck putting up with the child. That happened at Gatecon. My point is, not everyone thinks your child is as adorable as you do. If an actor loves little ones, and you are taking advantage of that for more attention, perhaps you should rethink your motives. Using your child when they are a baby or a toddler, when the child really doesn't care what he or she is wearing, to win prizes, is also not playing fair, in my opinion. I'm not talking about a 5 year old who wants to dress up. I'm talking about parents who dress their child up and enter them specifically to win.

[Madeleine]

[B][COLOR="Blue"]Maybe it comes from seeing many contests where cheating is a normal practice.

Things must be really different where you come from; at the cons I've been to I don't think people care who wins, they just want to be in lots of photos with other people who dressed up

But I'm utterly confounded as to how anyone could cheat in a costume contest, short of actual sabotage...

[Skydiver]

i think i know who you're talking about, and yeah, if i were a contester in costume contests i'd get frusterated. this one person does a wonderful job and creates fantastic costumes. she truly is skilled.

it's very obvious that she spends weeks/months working on her costumes and i don't begrudge her the win.

but.....from teh pov of a person that does it for fun??? which is about 90% of the participants, it gets to be no fun at all when year after year this one single person wins all the time because they have the skill and time to do complex and intricate costumes and you don't.

it just gets to be 'eh, why bother entering, so and so will just win....like she has the past 3 years'

I'ts less cheating than it is the professional grade costumer pretty much pushing the amateurs out of the running and then the random amateurs say 'eh, why bother even trying, so and so is gonna be there, she'll win, i'll just save room in my suitcase'

And that's what happened with some costume contests, one person's 'ownership' of the contest - through no fault of their own at all - pretty much shut down the competition because it's no fun to enter and know you don't stand a chance in hades.

[Kett1701]

At Shore Leave we have our Costume Contest as a major part of our Saturday night programming. Our set-up prevents some of the problems that are being discussed.

First of all - the younger kids have their own category so they're only competing against each other. We also schedule them first so that they can have the excitement of being in the contest, but they're done in time for bedtimes. While we do award a "Best", we also make sure that every one of the children receives a prize so that they're all winners and there are no losers.

As for perpetual winners - a Masters category is a good idea. That way the Masters compete against each other and others can still be recognized in the more general categories.

[Skydiver]

or, in the case of 'so and so enters and wins every year' have the winner of one year be the judge of the next year, or have a peoples choice or something to even things out a bit.

the 'masters class' is a good idea, but only if you have 2-3 of the pro grade costumers that perpetually come. When its only one that's kinda hard.

Ultimately, there's not a 'fix' always needed, and you can't accomodate everyone's feelings. But sometimes when you're setting up something like this the set up needs to be done with a cynical eye to try and 'share the love' as evenly as possible so that as many as possible can have fun

[~Sarah~]

This couple had their child in the costume contest two years in a row. The child won both years. Should we then maybe tell people who have put in so much effort to their costumes, "Hey, don't waste your time, so and so's kid is entered and will win again this year"? Suppose I was awesome as a model builder and kept winning the centerpiece contest time after time? Shouldn't I, in fairness to others, bow out so someone else has a chance? To me, using a method that gives you an unfair advantage is not playing fair.

But then, maybe I could make a costume, pay some friends parents $20.00 and take their little one to the con and enter him/her. I bet my little person would win.

At Shore Leave we have our Costume Contest as a major part of our Saturday night programming. Our set-up prevents some of the problems that are being discussed.

First of all - the younger kids have their own category so they're only competing against each other. We also schedule them first so that they can have the excitement of being in the contest, but they're done in time for bedtimes. While we do award a "Best", we also make sure that every one of the children receives a prize so that they're all winners and there are no losers.

As for perpetual winners - a Masters category is a good idea. That way the Masters compete against each other and others can still be recognized in the more general categories.

That's how it is at Creation.... Really, they just give the little ones a prize just for entering.... Two years ago in Chicago there was this little blonde girl who couldn't have been older than 4.... she was a little blonde Carter lookalike, and at first I was like: "Really, does she even know what she's dressing up as?"
But she was just soooo adorable... and then, I saw her a few minutes later after the contest was over, pointing to pictures that she wanted to buy with her new money.... she knew what she wanted....
Right after the kids get their "prize" for entering, the adults have their contest, and that's where the real contest is.... I have to say that using your child for attention during the time when the talent is speaking is not really cool IMHO, but showing off the little cutie during the costume contest is okay...
Especially because the adults are that seperate category... As someone who has entered, and placed, I have to say that I don't feel the little tot takes away from my hard work towards my costume....
If they put everyone in the same category, then that is in theory a different story....

[pip2]

ok i have a question it might have been asked before and i was trying to read through all the posts in here but there are so many!

i'm going to my first con in February in Bedford, if you were to talk to the actors would you call them by their first name? or Mr/Mrs/Miss (insert actors surname) i've always been taught if you don't know someone it should be Mr/Mrs/Miss but i saw a video of someone saying to DH "Mr Hewlett..." and he was like "who am i? your dad?"

so what do the actor prefer do you think?

[Switch42]

ok i have a question it might have been asked before and i was trying to read through all the posts in here but there are so many!

i'm going to my first con in February in Bedford, if you were to talk to the actors would you call them by their first name? or Mr/Mrs/Miss (insert actors surname) i've always been taught if you don't know someone it should be Mr/Mrs/Miss but i saw a video of someone saying to DH "Mr Hewlett..." and he was like "who am i? your dad?"

so what do the actor prefer do you think?

For me, I always go with Mr/Miss/Mrs until they then say something like "Please call me David" or whatever. But that might just be me cos I do that with everyone.

[Arctic Goddess]

For me, I always go with Mr/Miss/Mrs until they then say something like "Please call me David" or whatever. But that might just be me cos I do that with everyone.

LOL! You didn't call me Mrs. Goddess, you fibber!

[Switch42]

LOL! You didn't call me Mrs. Goddess, you fibber!

Well, that's cos I know you, ya nitwit!

[Skydiver]

personally? i call them by their first names....just don't EVER call them by the character names please

rather embarrassing for all involved (and i've seen fans do that)

I think it's whatever you feel comfortable with. if mister/ms feels better to you, then do that, if you're cool with the first name, then do that.

but, in all the q&a's that i've been to, 90% of the time people use the actor's first name

[pip2]

thanks very much for all the answers, and yes i'll be very sure to not call them by character names, although i can see how it can be an easy mistake to make especially if your nervous just hope i dont make a fool of myself

[Arctic Goddess]

well, that's cos i know you, ya nitwit! :d

lol!!!