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First: I want to apologize for my absence on the blog. I've discovered that a lot of my posts resemble Aki's almost exactly, so it is kind of pointless for me to post them. I'm sure you don't want to read the same thing twice :)
Alright, now for my review of AARC. My letter grade for this event? D-! My reasoning?
Confession.
Before I explain what put me off so bad about AARC, it is very important for me to confess to the followers on Ani-Maze-Me that Heiwa (me) is a Type 1 Diabetic. I have been dealing with this disease for most of my life, as I was diagnosed when I was only 10 months old. I never felt the need to bring this up before, because it was never made an issue. (If you want to follow a separate blog that deals with diabetes, please check out diabetically speaking,)
First Impressions.
There were a lot of cosplayers! The convention opened at 10am, but we were there at 9:30 to get our tickets. There was a ton of people in cosplay, and cosplayers got a big discount on the tickets.
With that being said, at every other convention I have been to the cosplays were mostly hand-made and the cosplayers were very proud of the amount of time spent on their outfits. At AARC, a lot of the "cosplays" that I saw were fandom merch. The cosplays were not hand-made, and the cosplayers were mostly showing off their stuff. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, it just isn't what I am used to. I would rather hand make my cosplay, personally, because I have more pride in it when it is mine.
In most of the cons I've attended, the fandom was very social especially while waiting in line. At AARC, everyone kept to themselves and it was awkwardly quiet and solitary while we waited.
Offended Heiwa.
I get that their had to be bag checks. It's Asheville. I understand and appreciate security, especially high security! However, I was extremely put off by the "security" at AARC.
Before entering the building, you have to have a bag check. Once again, that's fine. It's not like I've never encountered those before. What I haven't encountered before was the attitude regarding my medical needs. She checked my snack bag (in the event of a low blood sugar, I have to have something to eat to bring it up so I won't die) and told me that I was not allowed to keep ANY of the stuff that was in that bag. I remembered right then to inform her that I was a diabetic. To my surprise, the woman still insisted that I could not take the food in with me.
I said "I have to have that with me. I'm a diabetic. It's in case my sugar goes low."
She responded: "I don't know what to tell you, you're not taking it in."
So I got mad. My response? Before I could stop myself: "I don't know what to tell you, yes I am."
About that time, two other cosplayers jumped to my aid and informed her about my hippa rights.
Let me tell you how much that offended me...
It is extremely embarrassing being called out on my disease in front of a huge crowd. It is almost worse when someone else has to come to my aid. I wasn't breaking any rules. I wasn't saying I was above the rules. I do not want to have to explain my disease to prove that I am obeying the rules. That is discrimination, and it is humiliating.
She went to ask someone if I could keep the bag of food, and they told her not to argue with me. That was when it got worse. Because she then had to search my usual diabetes bag/purse before I could enter the building. She found my glucagon emergency kit (a large needle that injects glucose in case I go too low and pass out), and had to ask me what it was. I told her, and she responded with "well I guess I'll let you take that in. Since you're a diabetic." She repeated that comment when she found my apple juice, the quickest carb I had. That was very rude.
I've been bag checked before. Even if you question me, do not question me like that. I have never felt so disrespected at ANY convention before! I've been to Yama Con, a much bigger 3-day convention in Tennessee, and the security was amazing! They made you feel like they were on your side, and that was much different from the feeling I got at AARC.
Outcome of my Offendedness
Because of the way they made me feel at the entrance, my blood sugar bottomed out shortly after we left the dealers room. We were leaving the convention hall before 11 am to get something to sustain me. From what I remember, the feel of the entire con was very different. It felt very cliqued and isolated. Every other con I have ever been to has felt like a gathering of friends or family, but AARC was nothing like that.
I wouldn't recommend AARC to anyone in the fandom unless it isn't out of their way to get there. It was fun, but it wasn't worth the travel to get there. I would recommend that the people producing AARC learn the difference between "guilty until proven innocent" and "innocent until proven guilty." They need to know how to treat their guests like we are all on the same side, and then it wont feel so cliquey or isolated.
I love the fact that they gave cosplayers a discount, though. That was a great idea! I also love how they had a gaming section of the vender/dealers room. That was something I hadn't seen anywhere except for Yama-Con. I like that. That was about it, though.
Sorry for such a bad review, but I had to share my thoughts!
Thanks for your patience in dealing with me :)
~ Heiwa Kibo Hane
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