I’m not a fan of cosplay.
However, I own complete replicas of both the Indiana Jones and Han Solo costumes. In fact, one of my favorite pastimes is to see how many costume pieces I can sneak into my everyday wardrobe without anyone noticing. With few exceptions, though, I think dressing up in the full costume all at once is stupid.
To me it comes down to the distinction of “being” vs. “being like“.
You see, Han and Indy have been heroes of mine my entire life. Because despite being adventurers who save the day, both characters are also big ol’ doofuses, in way over their heads, who do a decent amount of falling on their faces on their way to saving the day. For a young doofus falling on his face a lot growing up, they gave me hope. Hope that despite being a dorky kid now, one day I could be the hero of my own story, have swagger, get the girl and save the day too.
I’m drawn to these characters because in some ways they remind me of who I am, and in other ways they remind me of who I want to become. They’re both relatable and aspirational. There’s a problem, though. I can never become Han Solo or Indiana Jones. I can only become more like them.
That’s why I like secretly incorporating parts of the Han Solo or Indiana Jones costumes into my daily wardrobe. These articles of clothing are talismans for heroic qualities I want to possess within myself, while still remaining… myself. If I can dress like Indy or Han, maybe I can be a little more like Indy or Han. Basically, this is a really dorky way of trying to manifest my own bravery and coolness into existence. And the thing is, it is possible to be successful at this. As a person, I can cultivate new strengths, abilities, or aspects of my personality. I can’t escape my own skin and become somebody else.
Even if it looks really cool to be Han Solo and pilot the Millennium Falcon a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, I’m still going to be Alex, riding the subway, right now, so I might as well make the most of it.
When you dress up in the full costume, what people notice is the ways that you’re different than the hero you’re imitating. You have the right clothes, but you’re shorter, or scrawnier, or older, or shyer. By attempting a complete transformation, you invite other people to take an inventory of the ways you’ve succeeded and fallen short in resembling your idol. And since transforming into a fictional character played by Harrison Ford 40 years ago is an impossible endeavor, you are bound to fall short.
Instead of failing at being someone else, then, I use costume pieces to become a more expansive version of myself. I try to absorb my heroes into me, rather than me trying to be them. I enjoy the adventures of my heroes, but keep my focus on the adventure story I get to write and experience in real time – my own life.