Star Wars: 10 Things I Learnt At My First Celebration
The highs, the lows, the lack of sleep.
Well, that was fun. The past weekend was Star Wars Celebration, the now-annual Star Wars convention where fans (how is there still not a name?) unite for three days of relentless galactic fun. There was new information about upcoming films, a bunch of exciting panels with long-standing stars and a near-endless selection of stalls boasting merchandise, art pieces and more to explore. And I was right there in the middle of it!
This was my first ever Celebration (in fact, first convention full stop) and like any first time (especially when you're covering it as a member of the press) it was an interchangeably exhilarating and exhausting experience. I learnt a lot rushing from panel to media room to floor to panel again, and here's the ten biggest lessons from it all.
10. Cosplay Was Noticeably Unsexualised
This wasn't something I noticed until after the event when discussing the various goings on with WhatCulture's Simon Gallagher, but the cosplay at Star Wars Celebration is considerably less sexualised than what you typically expect of fan conventions. There were a few skimpy costumes, sure, but for the most part the focus was on recreation and accuracy.
Of course you have the 501st Legion, the fan group dedicated to making various Stormtrooper armours, variants and more, but even those just putting together a costume for the event gave their all. Part of this will be that it's a lot hardy to make Star Wars sexy compared to, say, Harley Quinn. And, on that note, Celebration is just a different event to San Diego Comic-Con, with less outside focus, a more straight fandom focus and less of a tradition of alluring get-ups.
One of the nicest things was seeing the sheer amount of Reys out there; Mary Sue or no, there's no denying the scavenger-cum-Jedi's inspirational presence in the Star Wars saga. There were also a lot of is male Leias (one even got picked up on in the Carrie Fisher panel). Takes all sorts.