*GASP* An update that is not at the very end of the day and is actually the next day for East Coasters? What is happening to the world?!?! Though, to be honest, this is a list update instead of an Extended Thoughts, but fuck you, it’s my blog, at least it’s two on-time updates in a row, and sometimes you need some humour for your Wednesday (especially if it’s a Wednesday when a Twilight movie comes out). So, today I’m doing things a little differently – this list is in response to this week’s Question Tuesday over at the ‘Pedia – the question being “What’s your favorite thing about cons?” Of course, me being the negative-purely-for-the-sake-of-being-negative-because-I-really-don’t-like-wizard-rock person that I am, I had to also include a con for every pro I listed. So, without further ado, my list of the pros and cons of attending a Wizard Rock/Harry Potter convention!
- Pro: The thrill of getting to meet all your favorite Wrockers up close and personal
- Con: The disappointment of finding out that they’re real people pretending to be Harry Potter characters
- Pro: The excitement of being in a small area with hundreds of geeks
- Con: The smell of being in a small area with hundreds of geeks
- Pro: Finding out “Accio Bodyguard!” really works
- Con: Finding out they aren’t your bodyguards
- Pro: No matter how minor a character you dress up as, people will know who you are
- Con: No matter how minor a character you dress up as, someone will dress up as a character even more minor
- Pro: The guy who dressed like Voldemort after he was reborn
- Con: The guy who “dressed” like Voldemort right after he was reborn
- Pro: Paul and Joe flailing around on stage
- Con: Paul and Joe doing the inevitable and finally kicking someone in the face
- Pro: The mosh pits
- Con: The guy with the Sword of Gryffindor
- Pro: The booths campaigning to “Save the Trees!”
- Con: The booths campaigning to “Save the Harry/Hermione shippers!”
- Pro: Wand duels in the hall of your hotel
- Con: Poking out the manager’s eye
- Pro: Meeting Whompy
- Con: Getting Whomped
- Pro: When the band throws out t-shirts into the crowd
- Con: When the band throws out books into the crowd
- Pro: Going looking for trouble
- Con: Finding it
- Pro: Registering yourself as a member of the Death Eater Party – Voldemort in ‘12!
- Con: The realization, come November, that your registration was valid
- Pro: Arriving in the airport to see someone holding a sign with your screen name on it
- Con: When the person holding the sign doesn’t believe you’re you
- Pro: Meeting new friends
- Con: Saying goodbye (obligatory penultimate serious one)
- Pro: Getting the inspiration to make lists like this
- Con: Not getting enough inspiration to finish them (obligatory cop-out)
You got anymore like these? I’d love to hear ’em. See y’all on Friday – Wrock Snob out.
The Wrock Snob 
“Con: Paul and Joe doing the inevitable and finally kicking someone in the face”
This actually happened to one of my friends in… 2008? Joe’s show flew off while he dancing at his keyboard, and it hit her head.
If I may add one:
Pro: Getting hugged by your favorite wrock stars.
Con: Getting hugged by VERY sweaty wrock star.
Oh man, no way! Wow, did she keep the shoe? And yeah, anti-perspirant is a good thing, but hey, sometimes you just have to wrock too hard for muggle deodorant.
I’m going to argue that sweaty wizard rock rock stars give the best hugs.
“Pro: Registering yourself as a member of the Death Eater Party – Voldemort in ‘12!
Con: The realization, come November, that your registration was valid”
WIN.
This was cute, but not terribly factual in my experience. But then again, I am usually working in some capacity at conventions and have untold amounts of inside information regarding fandom events in general.
I guess I was expecting more critical, hard-hitting analysis. 😀
My pros: Seeing friends I rarely get to see, meeting new people, eating out in a new city.
My cons: not getting enough sleep, knee & hip pain from walking and standing all the time, spending a lot of money on food, becoming an emotional mess after 2 days because I don’t deal well with large groups of people and since I haven’t slept and have been only eating donuts cuz they’re cheap… I usually have a minor nervous breakdown by day 3, then get terribly homesick and mopey until I leave.
Except at Wrockstock. Cause that’s when I am the most “home”. Cheezy, yes. Trying to push an agenda, no. It’s just true.
Probably cuz of the endless bacon. I just thought of that. Yeah. The food at Wrockstock makes a big difference to me. But then again, I’m a fat kid who loves her some cake. Funfetti cake, to be specific.
I SMELL GREAT.
Pro: Being one of the few straight guys at the convention.
Con: Not being 22 and single.
Pro: Having someone create an item of clothing based on one of your songs
Con: That song is Gray Underpants, or Voldemort Made me Crap my Pants. Why can’t it be “Shoelace”…
I bet you have the not-believing-you’re-you problem a lot- especially when people hold up the “Wrock Snob” sign at the airport. (No, I am not one of the ones who knows your identity.)
There is nothing witty I can add to your list. Here is why:
Pro: EVERYTHING
Con: I have not been to a con of any kind yet.
(BUT I AM SUPER MEGA STOKED FOR INFINITUS.)
(AND WROCKSTOCK.)
(But not how nearly-broke I am all the time now.)
I’m late to the party as always, but here’s mine:
Pro: giggly drunken make out sessions with your hot geeky friends
Con: The week of tissues, antibiotics, cough drops, and bedrest that follows.
Pro: Awesome parties in cozy hotel rooms
Con: Realizing that there was an even cooler party going on right before you passed out or went to bed because the hotels are too big/rooms are too far apart to be able to find where the next party is. (This is why Wrockstock is my favorite; when its a few cabins and we’ve taken over the whole place, you can generally follow the smell of vodka and the sound of fun and find a wizard party)