D&D 5E Dungeons and Dragons and the RPG Stigma

Bayonet · Apr 30, 2015

I think a lot of people just have stereotype quick notes embedded in their head, and file people accordingly. D&D is something that immediately connects with "weird guy in basement", I guess, and people aren't really great at dealing with cognitive dissonance.

I'm a pretty traditional huntin' and fishin' kinda guy, a gun nut, a combat vet, and a fighting sport hobbyist. There are times that I've mentioned liking D&D and gotten told that I'm " not that type of guy, at least..." People sometimes refuse to believe me, and assume I'm joking, as if they can't separate the hobby from the stereotype.

People are weird and irrational, and there's not much we can do to prevent them from being so.

'em.

Edited to add: I've actually used the stigma as a "sales point" when talking about D&D. I point out the fact that the game is so enjoyable, that for decades people willingly subjected themselves to the stereotypes and social exclusion that might come from it. That usually gets people interested, in a 'what am I missing?' kind of way.

Viking Bastard · Apr 30, 2015

I don't think I've ever had an overly negative reaction to me D&Ding, although I'm sure to be forgetting something from way back. Not that I would advertise it when I was younger, out of fear of invoking bad attitude, but I think it was mostly in my head.

I'd say that around 1 in 4 will show interest (with maybe 1 in 16 being current or ex-gamers), 1 in 4 will react with bafflement, and the remaining 2 in 4 will be indifferent.

Bayonet · Apr 30, 2015

Here's a relevant quote I want to pass along

"Critics who treat adult as a term of approval, instead of as a merely descriptive term, cannot be adult themselves. To be concerned about being grown up, to admire the grown up because it is grown up, to blush at the suspicion of being childish; these things are the marks of childhood and adolescence. And in childhood and adolescence they are, in moderation, healthy symptoms. Young things ought to want to grow. But to carry on into middle life or even into early manhood this concern about being adult is a mark of really arrested development. When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up."
C.S Lewis.

fuindordm · Apr 30, 2015

I've always loved that quote.

Ahrimon · Apr 30, 2015

Turn him into human resources for harassment. It doesn't matter what the subject was. The fact that he was treating you that way is inexcusable.

Grainger · Apr 30, 2015

S'mon said:
No, not recently - I did get a slagging off from a security guard while visiting the Imperial War Museum a few years ago when he found my D&D stuff in my bag.

Wow, what did he say?

Edit: tags messed up, and I attributed the quote to the wrong person; now fixed; sorry to both posters involved.

Mercule · Apr 30, 2015

Greatwyrm said:
and a pro-wrestling fan

Wow. That's dorky.

(Said only in the spirit of thread irony. No actual insult intended.)

The thing is, you can never really tell what will set off somebody like that. For example, I was once asked directly in an interview if I was a Green Bay Packers fan. I'm pretty sure I missed out on that job just by admitting I wasn't really into football, despite living less than an hour's drive from Lambeau Field.

I live in eastern Iowa and we have a number of Wisconsin immigrants. The Packers don't really have a fan base so much as a cult. For those not in the area, I'm not really kidding. I'd put money on that question being a litmus test for the job.

Warmaster Horus · Apr 30, 2015

Medical Doctors are a an exclusive clique with their own sets of prejudices. You will be expected to conform to those expectations both professionally and personally.

Tellerian Hawke · Apr 30, 2015

I agree with Bayonet, worrying about whether or not something is "adult" is simply foolish. I proudly admit to the fact that I love to sit down and watch Curious George with my three-year-old, and not only that, I find it funny and highly entertaining; Curious George is a riot!

I'm going to the sneak-peak-preview of Age of Ultron tonight with my 8-year-old. I proudly admit that, as well.

Of course, I have an advantage in my particular situation; I am the boss at work (I am the library director for an academic library) and although I have a boss over me (dean of academic affairs) I rarely ever even see him, and most of our communication is through email. Thus, for most of the day, I am alone in my batcave, writing reports and assessments, with Facebook and EN World on the second and third tabs, for perusal during my coffee-swigging, caffeine-a-paloozas---err, coffee breaks.

I have rarely been challenged about my love for RPGs and comics; but on those rare occasions where it does happen, I go all "academic" on a person!

And when I get philosophical, most people's eyes glaze over, and they shut up really quick, because they don't want to listen to a boring lecture, ha ha!

Like Bayonet, I too am an outdoorsy guy as well; I love to fish, and I am very passionate about airguns. And I can recite the ballistic co-efficient of a 14.2 grain pellet from memory!

My favorite airgun is the German-made Feinwerkbau. As Ralphie from "A Christmas Story" puts it, it's a "blue steel beauty!"

And that's what gets me sometimes; human beings are capable of a WIDE RANGE of interests, so why can't most people wrap their brains around RPGs? And even allowing for those who "just don't get it," why can't they see that each person has things that he or she enjoys, and allow each person to follow his or her own passion without judgment? It boggles my mind.

SkidAce · Apr 30, 2015

Talmek said:
Unfortunately not so where I live...

Here in the "Bible belt" of the U.S.A. admission of D&D playing is tantamount to satan-worship, even today. I've had people literally walk away hurriedly and never, EVER under any circumstances would I bring that up at work for fear of losing my job.

Yes, my nerd-friends, hatred for D&D and anyone who doesn't fit the mold is still alive and well, much to the sadness of my friends and I. Posting a want ad for a new game anywhere other than within the safety of the one (of two) gaming stores within a 50 mile radius will most definitely have the redneck Gestapo arriving for a chat.

I'm 51. It's a lot easier now to discuss D&D openly, but easier doesn't mean totally safe. In 1988, when I was in the military as an E2, my supervisor put me in for a certification that only E3 and above normally were allowed to work. I completed the training and only needed to take the test. My Flight Sgt saw some of my D&D notes next to my other papers in the Entry Control point I was working and asked about. When he found out it was D&D, my certification was cancelled, as I wasn't "reliable".

Now I'm retired and work part time for fun, beer and gas money at Barnes and Noble. I can talk about D&D there, along with video games etc. But before I got that job (which is very stress free I might add), I wouldn't even consider mentioning my hobbies to the government services that wanted to hire me, or the corporate managers that offered stuff.

It really depends on your environment, sadly. Some environments, its just not worth the hassle to mention, so you don't discuss it at work. That's just the way it is. Some you can.