werecorpse
Adventurer
I have just finished watching Stranger things 3, which I thoroughly enjoyed, and reading the recent article about increasing sales of D&D and found myself being slightly concerned about the portrayal of D&D in the latest season - if such things matter to the industry, which the article suggested they do.
In season 1 of Stranger Things D&D seemed to me to be portrayed as this fun kinda nerdy game the smart kids played in the basement but which helped them understand things like the upside down, helped them consider themselves and their friends as a party who looked after each other so they went into danger to help a lost friend. So pretty much positive.
In Season 2 it wasn’t mentioned much, it was more in the background.
In Season 3 it seemed to me to be portrayed as the thing that shows the one kid who still wants to play (Will) is out of touch with his friends, who have girlfriends & have very much moved on. He dresses up in a wizards cape and hat to try and get his friends to play and they have to explain to him that of course now that they have girlfriends they are not going to keep playing much D&D. In the end as he is moving house he throws away his D&D stuff.
To me the portrayal reinforced a lot of the bad old tropes that exist about the game and game culture. Only for kids who are out of touch with “normal kid stuff”, dorky hat and cape dress up to play, something that is not for girls (this is the one that bothers me the most) and once girls arrive it’s something you ditch. (There was a slight possibly positive in that it was suggested that the nerd hating annoying younger sister Erica was actually a bit nerdy so might like D&D, but I’m not sure how that would play as it still leans into D&D is for kiddies trope).
I don’t know if I’m right but if I was in WOTC marketing department I would be reaching out to the makers of Stranger Things (The Duffer Brothers) and asking them to in season 4 have some of the boys and girls playing the game together and have it again be portrayed in the positive light from season 1 - fun entertainment, encouraging left field thought, teaching teamwork, still enjoyed by older kids etc. & most importantly for all this that girls can play & enjoy.
Maybe I’m overthinking it.
In season 1 of Stranger Things D&D seemed to me to be portrayed as this fun kinda nerdy game the smart kids played in the basement but which helped them understand things like the upside down, helped them consider themselves and their friends as a party who looked after each other so they went into danger to help a lost friend. So pretty much positive.
In Season 2 it wasn’t mentioned much, it was more in the background.
In Season 3 it seemed to me to be portrayed as the thing that shows the one kid who still wants to play (Will) is out of touch with his friends, who have girlfriends & have very much moved on. He dresses up in a wizards cape and hat to try and get his friends to play and they have to explain to him that of course now that they have girlfriends they are not going to keep playing much D&D. In the end as he is moving house he throws away his D&D stuff.
To me the portrayal reinforced a lot of the bad old tropes that exist about the game and game culture. Only for kids who are out of touch with “normal kid stuff”, dorky hat and cape dress up to play, something that is not for girls (this is the one that bothers me the most) and once girls arrive it’s something you ditch. (There was a slight possibly positive in that it was suggested that the nerd hating annoying younger sister Erica was actually a bit nerdy so might like D&D, but I’m not sure how that would play as it still leans into D&D is for kiddies trope).
I don’t know if I’m right but if I was in WOTC marketing department I would be reaching out to the makers of Stranger Things (The Duffer Brothers) and asking them to in season 4 have some of the boys and girls playing the game together and have it again be portrayed in the positive light from season 1 - fun entertainment, encouraging left field thought, teaching teamwork, still enjoyed by older kids etc. & most importantly for all this that girls can play & enjoy.
Maybe I’m overthinking it.