#PlayboyPrinces with anti-harassment message

The #PlayboyPrinces are turning heads and drawing attention to an anti-harassment message. Produced by interactive storytelling and performance art group, “The Adventure Effect,” this tongue-in-cheek cosplay is designed to raise awareness about harassment in the pop culture convention community.

The Adventure Effect launched a video and photo series that encourages awareness and peaceful protest of harassment. In the video, Tinker Bell, the Hugh Hefner of the group, encourages cosplayers who face harassment to “glitter bomb” their aggressors with “pixie dust” in order to alert others to their inappropriate behavior.

“We wanted to highlight sexual harassment as a gender-neutral issue. Women are the primary targets of harassment in the convention community, but all cosplayers experience it. There’s a culture of sexy cosplays on women, and we wanted to create an homage to those projects that would also spark conversation,” Adventure Effect co-founder Sara Katz-Scher said. Why the pixie dust? “We got the idea from a group that combats street harassers in Mexico City with confetti guns. Ultimately, we just want to spread awareness.”

The costumes were designed by The Adventure Effect’s co-founder, Neil A. Williams II and produced collectively by Neil and many of the cosplayers involved in the project. 

Many of the cosplayers in the group have never worn a corset before. “This is also an opportunity for our male cosplayers to experience the physical and emotional challenges that are ‘standard’ for many female cosplayers,” Sara explained. Neil said, “I felt pretty awkward when we got out of the car. I’ve worn cat suits before, but I’m showing a lot more skin.”

The complete project is available at The Adventure Effect’s FACEBOOK or INSTAGRAM.