'They're singing Zip-a-Dee Doo Dah??' '... guys, Kara's eating her hand.' by Kara
Thursday, February 22, 2007 at 7:16 AM

I have a long, angry rant. And that long, angry rant involves not caring about mentioning health issues. So gasp and sigh and let out unnecessary pity (or just shrug and go on, as should be done) as desired.

First point. I love the masquerade at cons. I do. I generally enjoy the dance, as long as there's decent music -- you know, anime music at an anime con. (Which isn't the topic of my rant, actually.) I will go to these no matter what, and I don't see why not. It's fun. I also find the pissing contest between the emcee and tech crew pretty damn funny -- not everyone does, but I just like seeing Co-Writer getting abused in front of several thousand people.

Second point. I also love Howl-O-Scream. The Co-Writer with the Bluest Liver has a love/hate (or maybe just hate) relationship with it. Pretty much all the haunted houses employ strobes for one room. Thus, like any other rides or attractions with strobes, there is a notice out front. I enjoy the haunted houses and a lot of these rides ... so I don't ignore the warnings. Rather, I am glad of the warning and keep a trustworthy friend with me who's willing to play Strobe Police (which involves holding my head down and not letting me look up 'til they're gone). Because why? Because I enjoy those attractions, and also because I don't think strobes shouldn't exist. Used properly, they're an awesome effect, and used sparsely they're not going to really affect me.

Now then. I expect them at dances. I often go anyway, because I know to expect them. And unless the tech crew decides to leave the strobes on for the entire dance even though, oh, say, they even ignore a new emcee when he asks them to kill the strobes for his set so his friend can come dance for five minutes, I can enjoy myself with occasional breaks out in the hallway. Occasionally, whether they use them for the entire dance or not, there's a sign outside. And like theme park rides, I'm rather happy for the warning so I can decide how I'm feeling.

I may express general grumbling annoyance at their overuse, but it's not like I think they should be killed in fire. Hell, I used to play in strobe light when I was little. It was my acting troupe's reward from Chris the Tech Guy for a good rehearsal (although looking back, I recall our Dorothy having to sit out from the fun after Wizard of Oz rehearsals).

Okay.

Lemme just say that the Katsu masquerade was awesome. The majority of the skits were kickass, the in-between stuff was funny, and while I didn't manage to stay past about the first half of the halftime game, I looked up the winners on Fansview Sunday night and was happy with most of them.

BUT WHAT THE FUCK WAS WITH THE CONSTANT STROBES???? WHY????

Maybe there was a sign on the door that was up and that I missed, in which case I take back a decent chunk of this rant. But I was told by a friend with me that there was not. Again, I don't begrudge people the use of them. But tech crew was setting them off like they got a piece of cheese every time they did.

Let me give you some stats. 1% of the adult population of the United States has epilepsy. Sounds like a small number, but that means there's the possibility of one epileptic per every hundred. A con like Katsu holds several thousand people. Do the math. And maybe those few dozen, assuming they're there, either aren't affected (because not everything affects everyone -- I can ride roller coasters and go through haunted mazes, for instance) or just don't like the masquerade. Also, 2-3% of the adult population, and a larger percent of the children, are prone to seizures anyway. Oh, I know it's funny after Pokemon to make fun of 'seizure monsters' and 'seizure robots.' I do it, too, because apparently among people who like Japanese things it's an undying joke.

Nonetheless ... tech crew:

If you are equipped with any kind of shiny tech toys, I know you will use them all in the course of an evening. Because you guys are fucking nuts. But we don't know what's at your table. You do. If the dance can post a warning, so can you. Don't not use them (hell, if it's to pick on Co-Writer, flash away). But if you think there might be a chance that the statistics hold a bit of truth and a few dozen people besides me (and if you don't, then have your fun) might be affected, let them know. Just take a sharpie and a couple pieces of paper and a roll of duct tape and say so.

I understand it was done for the concerts, but I think they're legally obligated to. Congoers may not sue (at least I hope not, because that's retarded), but they may end up necessitating the presence of medical crew, and that would interrupt the masquerade. And that would not only draw attention from the show ... I know I told my friend not to call medical crew no matter what because I would be embarrassed to be Seizure Girl Who Stopped the Show.

It takes no change in behaviour, unless say, a person in charge requests a few minutes without it. If you want to play with your strobes, at least have a minor amount of consideration. If a theme park that can't even respect one of my best friends' position as a valuable employee can do it, so can you.

If you have been, listen up.