BlerdCon 2022: Saturday - Adult Swim
Joseph Watkins Da Watcha
BlerdCon on saturday was similar to when Iron Man (Tony Stark) snapped his fingers in Avengers: Endgame. We were all thrilled when he finally beat Thanos (the second time), but was sad to see the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first lead actor of the series perish (did you see that funeral?). We were ecstatic when it started, heartbroken when it ended.
Friday’s vibe kicked off a great start, but Saturday was for the history books. The cosplay soared, the panels were amazing, but always, I was limited to what I could watch and do as the amount of events drew my interests throughout the day. This usually makes people mad, yet this is also what makes cons remarkable; an annual event, with a once in a lifetime opportunity to hear pop culture professionals speak, especially from the Blerd perspective.
This time, however, I decided to journey into the “Adult Side” of BlerdCon; the wild, infamous, and raunchy. I wanted to look at the NSFW discussions. The raw, behind the closed door convos. Yes, this is a journey into the late night, almost X-Rated, Bomb-Ba-Zee of BlerdCon; The Leave Your Kids at Home Edition. But still, I had to navigate the day to get to the night.
Nerdlesque - Friday Night
Part of the X-Rated experience started Friday night when I was able to see the famed “Blerd-burlesque” show by M3Events. Featuring a star-studded cast of cosplayers and exhibitionists, the event took place on the Chesapeake rooftop lounge of the Hyatt. Due to confidentiality, photos were not taken, yet the nimbleness of the performers was what was amazing. The sheer power of their movements; their bodies as they flexed, bent, and moved in ways that were memorable. Respecting the code, I didn’t get any shots, yet I can describe the night’s events:
Sun Worshippers
Amazing Colors and Choreographed Movements
Hypnotizing
Clothes Dropped, Pastels were MVP
Diverse Dancers
Shoutout to all the participants of that event. It was a fun experience and their secret is safe with me as those memories will be forever imprinted on both the crowd and myself.
Satur[Day]
Saturday’s events were filled with memorable experiences, but what really set the tone was the energy of the artists, cosplayers, and panelists. For Saturday, it was the annual “Blerd Show-Out” as Black creatives showcased their abilities and merch for the fans and each other. Think Player’s Ball, but for Black Creatives. It was that serious.
Blerd.
A Black nerd owned media and apparel company. BLERD’S brand is to bring about inclusion, positivity, and quality products to watch and wear. As soon as you entered the vendor halls, they were right there, ready to greet every patron with an amazing “BLERD Backdrop” for fans to take a picture of themselves in all their “Blerd Glory”. That’s love right there; Respect. We’re all Blerds: The elders, the young ones, those in-between. BlerdCon’s approach to making this event more inclusive starts with imagery, and BLERD provided us with that magic that made us feel both powerful and accepted.
I was so amazed by it, I even took a selfie, because after all, I’m a Blerd too.
Nerd Sq. Clothing
A Serious Flex. This company made sure their presence was known as they incorporated a 10 x 10 indoor tent in one of the conference halls and pushed a very influential product. Known as Nerd Sq. Clothing, their fashion highlights and promotes diversity and representation within the Blerd ecosystem. When I saw the “N2RD T-shirt” I, immediately recognized, and supported their vision, 100%.
Their clothing is more than just fabric, it’s a movement. This clothing is a line of positivity that helps each one of us recognize the power in our nerd like abilities. It’s also a nexus that unconsciously brings us together in this “Blerd Ecosystem”, and lets us know that our thoughts and beliefs as Blerds, “shapes our expectations for ourselves and each other”.
Maid Café: Entertainment Restaurant
At first glimpse, I thought it was the promotion of a manga or some form of fan art. Jandora’s Maid Café is a Black owned entertainment restaurant, which focuses on maid themed services to patrons. Being new to this arena, Maid Cafés are establishments in which women dress as maid-like waitresses to serve the customer, who is considered the “master” or “goshujinsama” of the establishment. From what I’ve seen here, it looks like a wonderful experience, and I hope to find an event like this in the future.
IDK Gravity & Orlando Jones
IDK Gravity; horror critic, fellow Blerd creative and “NYC’s spookiest emcee” had the pleasure of interviewing Orlando Jones, lounge seat style, as they discussed film, art, life and Blackness in the media. A memorable experience, this one was for the record books as Orlando J. and IDKGravity laid the foundation for, what’s hopefully, the future for major guests and up and coming Black Creatives in the BlerdCon atmosphere.
Cosplay2
The best way I can describe the cosplay fashion at BlerdCon? Surrounded by so many creatives, Saturday’s cosplay had everyone flexing their best and brightest. From the nerdiest to the sexiest, they showed out to let the world know, for just this weekend, who their favorite characters were in the comics, manga, movie, anime, and video game universe.
Saturday: Adult Swim
HNIC
As night approached, the adults came out to play, inspire and show themselves out as one panel provided that Blerd, Nerd, Hood Energy. HNIC aka the Head Nerds in Charge came out and the energy they provided had all of us laughing, and questioning the state of Blackness within the media. (Panelists: L to R: King Curt -Teffanie “Merjawn” Wharton - Oni Sassy - Gawdess of the Odd)
Philly’s #1 Blerd Talk, Web Show, and Podcast, the HNIC blessed BlerdCon and they held nothing back as they discussed their purpose and why they are considered the GOATs in the Industry. They are powerful, amazing, socially conscious and lit as they discussed topics ranging from Black consciousness, pop culture, and the streets. Don’t sleep on em, their shows are amazing as they entertain, throw shade (to those that deserve it), with you learning along the way. For example, during the panel, two contestants battled against each other as they debated which phenomenal Black sitcom had the best content.... with the participants’ knowledge as the ammunition (see below).
Round 1
Round 2
As we absorbed their energy, the HNIC panel had us dying from laughter as we felt their vibe and learned in the process. Think Dave Chappelle and his standup, that type of energy. I also want to give a shoutout to The Gawdess of the Odd. Her cosplay was amazing, and I look forward to taking a pic of her again in the near future.
Gawdess of the Odd from HNIC
“S” Work
(L to R): Kasumi Nee - Meshell Moon - Ahqua.Marine - Klassy Muse
I’ve never seen a panel like this. “So You Think You Know Sex Work” was the name and their focus: Sex Work in the media space. This genre has evolved to unimaginable heights. Pornhub, of course, laid some standard for online content, yet for those who grew up in the age of the “little black box” of cable, one’s power to see X-rated material was limited to the distorted screens of Playboy, Hustler, and Cinemax after dark. Unless, of course, the box was “jailbroked”. Now, with the push of a key, and a swipe, tech has brought about OnlyFans, Twitch, and a host of other streaming media channels that have found a way to show and display lewd content (see Twitter for an example), making “S Work” evolve from the typical porn stars to gamers in bikinis with blow up pools, ostentatious sounds that parallel fellatio and cunnilingus, Big Boob cosplay, big bulge cosplay, silhouettes, naked pole dancing (not the regular one, it’s an exercise), people dressed up as avatars (them Blue Cats), various cosplayers and to top it off, you have to pay a subscription fee for content that has the really good stuff…..Respect to these creators on their monetization.
Sex work in pop culture goes beyond the traditional norms of the stripper and the champagne room. Here, it’s tech driven, and as the participants of this panel discussed the norms, the good and evils of the business, they were also informative, providing an introspective look into their occupation. What really drew my attention was the advice when dating ‘S’ workers in the industry:
“I’m honest. Alright. ‘Hi, I’m a sex worker’, I told him, ‘This is what I do to pay my bills and frankly, if you’re not paying my bills, please stop talking to me. Because I understand that I may be very attractive, alluring, everything you think you want, but, like we said in the beginning, we’re humans, we have our own ideas, thoughts, emotions, goals, aspirations, and I think it’s important. If you are not ready to see your partner, basically be objectified, lusted after, all of that, you know, don’t hop in a relationship with a sex worker, because we have to utilize our “assets” to get the things we need, to get shyt done. I think it’s important to be honest and open with your communication and also learning that you cannot have control or reign over any individual and this goes for all relationships, not just relationships with sex workers. It’s respecting someone else as a human being. It’s about being honest with what you’re getting into with one another.....it’s about hard boundaries.” - Kasumi
Facts, and as the cosplayer, Kasumi Nee provided the ultimate advice for pursuing a relationship with a sex worker, I was mesmerized by the panelists. Each person, confident in their sexuality, expressed their worldviews, their opinions about the craft, and what was deemed necessary for the best monetization of content for themselves. I applaud them. This panel was both informative and offered a different perspective in becoming a creative within the industry.
Final Thoughts
Blerdcon 2022 had a different vibe this year. It was more than just to mesmerize and astound, it really was a homecoming in which familial faces came together to celebrate their Blackness, Blerdness, nerd knowledge and reconnect. It was an opportunity for folks to meet up and create authentic opportunities to be themselves, to create, and make some unbelievable memories. I also have to give a shoutout to these wonderful cosplayers:
Wolverine: @mikedastardly87
Cyclops: @hellspawned_cosplay
Jean Grey: @nursejbecky
Bishop: @mrtetriscosplay
Their epic cosplay pic, edited by @felgnox and taken by @msnikiarenee, was one of the most talked about images of the event.
This is what makes Blerdcon amazing. As like minded people come together, to show out what it’s like to be a Blerd, BlerdCon continues to be, in my opinion, one of the safest spaces for Black creatives, both old and young to express themselves. Until Next Year BlerdCon, continue to make us proud. I also have to also say this: It was a learning experience I would have never received at a con during regular hours and I’m forever grateful for the exposure.
