UlasanAnime.com – A couple of years prior, Otakon introduced a policy regulating the use and display of signs by attendees. This policy is particularly amusing when considered without knowledge of Otakon’s past practices, and even more so if one is familiar with them.
For the most part, this is a matter of trivial, passing interest.
This fleeting interest resurfaced when I read about a US Supreme Court oral argument transcript concerning signs at a school. The case gained local media attention recently, revolving around a student who displayed a 14-foot banner reading “Bong Hits 4 Jesus” during a school assembly intended to watch the Olympic torch pass through Alaska.
During the oral arguments, the Supreme Court Justices posed hypothetical scenarios to support their points about managing students in schools, First Amendment rights, and to test the potential ruling they were considering. As expected, some of these hypotheticals were quite insightful. Justice Scalia’s “bong sign” comment arguably stands out, but it struck me that these signs, depending on their context, can be incredibly funny. They serve as a non-digital representation of a humorous image, printed on a physical medium.
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It was then that Otakon came to mind. Otakon 2004, if memory serves, was when the sign usage became particularly widespread. Walking through the main exhibit hall corridors at a peak time on Saturday would likely expose you to a hundred signs, many of them small and crudely made, plastered on walls or held by people milling about. Most of these signs conveyed rather simplistic messages about the nature of fandom and what it means to be a fangirl or fanboy, often referencing popular tropes like “no pocky” or “glomping.” Whatever the case, that year Otakon’s attendance exceeded 20,000, and the situation had clearly gotten a bit out of hand.
But does this infringe upon free speech? Naturally, the Baltimore Convention Center (BCC) and most other convention hosts operate on private property. Therefore, US laws generally permit these private organizations to establish and enforce rules regarding sign usage within their premises, unlike public schools.
Nonetheless, free speech remains a relevant issue. While perhaps not a grave concern, many anime conventions in the US still screen fansubs, and panelists and attendees alike express a wide range of opinions that may not align with the hosting organizations. The expression of ideas through signs is mostly harmless, but it can become a public nuisance if it poses fire hazards or contributes to litter. Still, if one genuinely wishes to be glomped, there’s no inherent reason to prevent them from letting others know about it, in my opinion. As much as I might regret saying it, signs, when used responsibly, exhibit individuality and personality, significantly enhancing the convention experience. They add flavor, much like cosplayers and impromptu performances in the halls do. Perhaps the question of whether signs can be used responsibly, and what that entails, is a story for another time.
To me, anime conventions are valuable as a platform for the exhibition and expression of fandom. Beyond being a consumerist frenzy for niche retail products and a major networking opportunity, they represent a precious freedom of speech and the freedom for individuals to be who they want to be. While it’s true that disruptive behavior by attendees might need to be managed by convention organizers, there is a significant loss when such expressions are curtailed.
