"Flabby Superheroes?" Screw you, Men's Fitness

This isn't exactly a review, but it is about an article which I read, so it's relevant. That's my excuse, at least, but whatever gives me a chance to rant.

So, who here has read the "article" by Men's Fitness titled "NY Comic Con: Flabby Versions of Your Favorite Superheroes?" I did, and I'm pissed off. If you want a link to the article, as well as a place to read what other people are saying about it and where to post your own comments to them, you can see their link on Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/mensfitness/posts/10150336909913227 But in case you'd rather not read it and rage, let me give you a summary:

That article posts pictures of cosplayers who they deem looking "close to death" for being too fat, or even too thin, along with little captions mocking them. That's all. It doesn't give any tips for getting into better shape, or showing any muscular cosplayers, it just exists solely to mock the out-of-shape ones.

So where do I begin? How about: What the fuck? Who does this Jordan Burchette think he is, mocking these people? Where does he get the nerve or the right to criticize people who worked hard on their costumes and want to enjoy a weekend among fellow geeks?

Fellow nerds, we are used to being mocked. We've all been insulted by the jocks, or given odd looks for our hobbies. But conventions are a place to meet with fellow people who share our interests, not to be bashed and insulted by a fitness magazine.

Oh, and if you'll look at the photos, I'm willing to bet he didn't even ask many of the cosplayers for permission to take their pictures. Batman is looking away from the camera, the Spartan is just walking by (his face isn't even in the frame), and Cloak and Dagger have their backs turned to him. As anyone who cosplays or photographs cosplayers knows, you don't just snap someone's photo as they're walking by. You ask for permission so they have time to strike a pose and prepare their props; taking candid pictures to mock is beyond rude.

And just to make things a little bit worse, they then accuse us, the people they attack and mock, of not having a sense of humor. Where's the joke? I don't get it. That's not being funny, that's pointing at people you disapprove of and telling us to laugh at them. Well I'm not laughing, Mr. Burchette.

I'm a cosplayer. I try to stay in shape, especially for costumes with open-shirts, but I know it's not easy. I have friends in the cosplay community who are in amazing shape, and others who aren't. Many of them from all categories work hard to get in shape for their costumes, and I still respect those who are fine with how they are for the great work they do on their costumes. Cosplay is a hobby, it's something we do for fun, no matter what sort of condition we're in. I, for one, respect cosplayers no matter of their condition for having the courage to go out in the amazing costumes they've made.

I've also seen some really motivational stories of cosplayers who began working out like mad to get that perfect body type for their costume. Why not report on them? That would be so much better for a Fitness magazine. They could recount their stories, give tips and advice, and encourage other people to work out more. Simply bashing, mocking, and insulting cosplayers who are not in shape doesn't encourage anyone to improve, it's simply bullying, plain and simple. This Burchette guy is no better than the bullies we've had to deal with at high school, and I'd expect so much better from a supposedly respected publication.

In short, if the rest of this was tl;dr, here's what I'm trying to get at: these cosplayers are 1000x better people than whoever wrote this article will ever be. Men's Fitness, you have lost all credibility and failed completely.