Thread by @MinistryofOtaku

On March 1st 2020 was the day the Wuhan Flu arrived in the United States. On March 11th most States lockdown their economies and society driven by media hysteria and political pressure.

It was the day that America and the anime convention scene died.

#LockdownMemorialWeek

These lockdowns, lockdown restrictions, media hysteria, and health mandates have caused a irreversible change and decline in not only the U.S. but also the anime convention scene and cosplay scene.

#LockdownMemorialWeek.

Along with the school closures of March 13th 2023, this has caused a irrversable loss of learning and social skills and future prospects of children across the U.S. Which society for the most part refuses to address.

These lockdowns and later self-imposed restrictions have caused a culture change that has destroyed the cosplay community and anime convention industry, which they have little to no interest to addressing and examining the damage caused

#LockdownMemorialweek

I've originally supposed to start this event on March 11th 2022, the third anniversary of The Great Lockdowns, but due to circumstances beyond my control I'm starting this event tonight and will last all week until next sunday.

#LockdownMemorialweek

Throughout this week I will show and tweet about how The Great Lockdowns: Government Policy and Culture Changed has permanently affected the U.S., Society, and the Anime Convention Scene, Industry and Cosplay community.

#LockdownMemorialWeek

How and why the anime convention scene and greater society emabraced the lockdowns and supported it despite overwheling evidence that governments overreacrted intentionally.

How it affected people like me and others.

#LockdownMemorialWeek

I'm personally affected by the Great Lockdowns because I was part of the DC anime convention scene since 2007 as a cosplay photographer. I'm known and still known as Jkid.

I was planning to start a grand year with most of the DC local conventions including MikuExpo 2020.

All of those plans went up in smoke with the lockdowns. But many cosplayers and attendees has and will keep blaming the Wuhan Flu instead of government policy and media hysteria.

#LockdownMemorialWeek

Most cosplayers and attendees have drunken the propaganda by a barrelful because they're hooked on social media: Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for news. This has gotten hysteria fried in their minds.

#LockdownMemorialWeek

Anime Conventions quickly turned into Virtual conventions, which are nothing more than glorified events on Zoom. Basically none of the fun and excitement of being in a real covnention.

#LockdownMemorialWeek

And when conventions returned they imposed mandates out of fear of being canceled by their own attendee base and many cases self-imposed due to the political monoculture of the anime convention scene and cosplay scene.

#LockdownMemorialWeek

It's due to these health restrictions, many of them self-imposed instead of pushing back is what drove a some of the attendee base incl'd me, some left wing, some apolitical, and some right-wing to walk away from the convention scene and cosplay community.

#LockdownMemorialWeek.

But it's more than that: favoriate resturants and stores are gone forever due to the media hysteria, overbearing restrictions imposed by state governments, constant extending lockdowns, and vax and mask mandates.

#LockdownMemorialweek

This is on top of the great awokening of 2020 - The Minneapolis Riots of 2020 that has caused a permanent culture change in the cosplay community that has caused a rapid escalation of cancel culture to anyone that even hints of dissenting

#LockdownMemorialWeek

Especially anyone perceived as "Trump", regardless of voting record or skin color. People who could have spoke up could not because they would be canceled almost immediately if they criticized the riots.

#LockdownMemorialWeek

Those are what drove me to walk away from the DC anime convention scene because the community has permanently changed. Most anime convention scenes in most areas of the US have permanently changed.

#LockdownMemorialWeek

The real reason why I stopped going to my local conventions since they reopened in 2021 is because of the culture change, decline in quality post lockdown, and the imposed mandates that prevent me from going.

#LockdownMemorialWeek

I can not wear masks for long periods of time due to face sensitively issues form having autism spectrum disorder, and as part of the black american community we have a high vax hestiency rate of any vaccine due to the Tuskegee experiments.

#LockdownMemorialWeek

Another reason is that so many anime conventions had proven that there was no real incentive to get vaccinated from the Wuhan Flu because many of the still imposed masks even if you're in a state that went back to normal in 2021.

#LockdownMemorialWeek

As such the atmosphere of the anime conventions has been destroyed and reduced to a glofified shopping mall and culture conference.

People paying $100 dollars to wear a face mask all day.

A actual vacation while cosplaying would be more enjoyable...

#LockdownMemorialWeek

As a result of the hysteria: Only few anime conventions was willing to operate as normal in 2021, those were hellbent: One of them was Anime Matsuri in texas and the two others were Tsubasacon and Colossalcon Texas.

#LockdownMemorialWeek

I was the only "journalist" to cover these events, except for Tsubasacon (which was a convention) I never heard of until 2023

#LockdownMemorialWeek

But anyway. For me there is no real point in attending anime conventions nowadays for me because there is little effort in making them better because the quality and the customer service has gotten worse post lockdown in a variety of ways.

#LockdownMemorialweek

But there are too much I want to unload throught out all this week, so I will stop for now.

If you have stories of your own even personal about how The Great Lockdowns have effectived you and the cosplay scene, feel free to drop a DM.

#LockdownMemorialWeek

And throughout this week, my pfp and banner have changed. The three missing stars represent the three years lost due to lockdowns, lockdown restrictions, and post-lockdown restrictions.

#LockdownMemorialWeek

My hope is to fight against societal amnesia and ongoning lockdown denialism that is active amoung the community, society, and the media.

And they're already writing the history books. Unless you are willing to speak up now.

#LockdownMemorialWeek.

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