"...like Dungeons and Dragons."

Bill Door · Jan 19, 2002

A2Z said:
The thing of it is, this guy isn't a fellow hobbiest. The article never mentioned him playing D&D. The comment had no place in the article. Exactly what does 'like dungeons and dragons' mean anyway?

aH. forGivE mY igNoraNCe.
i haVe buT onLY onE gOOd eYe.

smiRK.

aT leaSt "dunGEonS anD dRagoNs" haS beCoME paRT
oF thE cuLTuraL lexiCoN, yeS? a simPLe meTaPHoR sHouLD noT
caUSe sO muCH unResT!

thiNK abouT thE nuMBeR oF tiMes yoU aND youR pEErs
haVe usED siMiLar coMPariSoNs iN a caSUaL waY.

it iS simpLy laNGuaGe, anD reFLecTs thE oPiNioN oF itS wriTEr.

caLm.

Wolfspider · Jan 19, 2002

But....

I understand your wish for us to remain calm; it's admirable.

thiNK abouT thE nuMBeR oF tiMes yoU aND youR pEErs
haVe usED siMiLar coMPariSoNs iN a caSUaL waY.

it iS simpLy laNGuaGe, anD reFLecTs thE oPiNioN oF itS wriTEr.

The problem is that the writer is a journalist, and this is a new story, not an editorial. Therefore the writer's opinion should not play a part in it. He may have thought it was a nice, evocative snippet to include in the article, but it really does misrepresent the game.

Imagine if someone were beaten to death with a frying pan and the news story reporting the incident said that the suspect had gotten all "Emeril" on the victim. Tasteless example, I know, but it's roughly the equivalent to calling a basement full of firearms and martial arts weapons "like Dungeons and Dragons." In other words, both descriptions are WRONG. I'm sure Emeril would not take favorably to such a comparison, and neither should WotC, actually, although like someone said earlier, if WotC actually did make an issue out of this incident, it would probably just hurt the hobby.

Like my email to the author said, I'm not outraged about the article. I'm actually pretty calm. And isn't that just a little bit pitiful--having one of my favorite hobbies bashed and misrepresented is such an ordinary thing that it fails to even rouse me anymore.

Maybe I SHOULD get angry....

Jarval · Jan 19, 2002

Good work

Just chipping in to say I thought your letter was very well written and thought out. I don't think any of us would discribe ourselves as "outraged" by the article, so your approach was just right.

Wolfspider · Jan 20, 2002

Thanks...but someone on rpg.net just pointed out that I probably shouldn't have mentioned Buffy in my letter...that I may have just ended up putting that show under the microscope.

Darn. You just can win....

Fayredeth · Jan 20, 2002

In this case, I don't think that the reference is anything to be really concerned about. The author of the article is indeed quoting what a police officer had said; there is no real connection to the game or being bad, it's just a connection between the archaic weapons and the game. Now, if the author tried to tie in more connections with Dungeons and Dragons by hinting that, because this man played our game (which apparently he does not, but the author could "speculate," which would just make it much worse), then there would be a problem.
However, since there was a connection made between the crime, this nut, and our game, it does add a little more to the stigma against Dungeons and Dragons. It isn't a direct link, but there is some association being made there (crazy nut uses archaic weapons which are prominent in Dungeons and Dragons), and any association towards negative events is bad. It goes into pyschological elements; negative associations are bad if you want something to be good.
I don't believe that this will be much of a problem, and I don't think anyone should be concerned with it. It is a very mild association with the game we all love, and it won't have much publicity. But, if you choose to take action, make sure that you are extremely polite and nice about it so we don't have even more of those negative associations.

Agamon · Jan 20, 2002

So, that's what Dungeons and Dragons looks like. I was wondering, you know.

dvvega · Jan 20, 2002

Is anyone writing to this person about her article?

Just want to know if there is "support" out there if I write to her. Many emails are better than one email.

Emiricol · Jan 20, 2002

I was going to, but Wolfspider wrote such an excellent letter that I figured me writing one would just be counterproductive.

But, that's just me

dvvega · Jan 20, 2002

Wolf's was a great letter, however more people need to write to get the attention.

ThomasBJJ · Jan 20, 2002

I just finished a FBI book about profiling serial killers, etc. and one chapter dealt with the evidence in the JonBenet Ramsey case. Part of the ransom note that was left threatened to "behead" JonBenet if the ransom was not paid. The profiler said that the concept of "beheading" is not something someone would normally come up with unless they were into Dungeons & Drangons type games or possible watched Zena and Hercules TV shows.