Gatekeepin' it real: On the natural condition of fandom

[Oofta]

From an article which talks about this topic that explains what I was trying (and failing) to say:

A perfect storm of factors come together to engender the rudeness and aggression seen in the comments' sections of Web pages, Markman said. First, commenters are often virtually anonymous, and thus, unaccountable for their rudeness. Second, they are at a distance from the target of their anger — be it the article they're commenting on or another comment on that article — and people tend to antagonize distant abstractions more easily than living, breathing interlocutors. Third, it's easier to be nasty in writing than in speech, hence the now somewhat outmoded practice of leaving angry notes (back when people used paper), Markman said.​

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My only real reason to respond to this thread was to poke fun at paladin and gnome haters. Speaking of which, we just got this from an old D&D buddy:

 

[Reynard]

Nobody likes gnomes. Nobody worth talking to, anyway.

 

[Beleriphon]

Are these unreasonable expectations? Ought you to expect to be a member of a supporters group if you have no intention of doing any of these things? Do you think you should just have front row access in the supporters section if you dress for a game in a random t-shirt and blue jeans? Is that fair? Do you think that you should be fully approved for access to the supporters section if you show up wearing red and white when we play Toronto or NYRB (or really at any game)? Or do you think the groups and the team have a reasonable expectation that they can determine whether or not you are a "real fan" based on your behavior?

I think issue based on what you described is that you're a fan of a team, and then have chosen to join an exclusive club related to said team. Your process is more akin to me liking D&D, and then starting a local club that requires membership dues, secret handshakes, and other signs of membership. I would expect as an exclusive member ship I would be able to choose who joins and under what conditions they maintain membership.

However, what is being discussed isn't exclusive membership, or as you point out later employment by a professional soccer team. Would you say that I wasn't a soccer fan if I never went to a game, and only watched the World Cup final match every four years? Would you say that I wasn't a fan of your favourite team if I only listened to one game a year on the radio (is that even still thing?), or only check the scores on the official website once a month? I'm unlikely to join your exclusive club in those circumstances, but that doesn't make my fandom any less valid than yours its just different.

The idea of gatekeeping fandom is you saying to me, "You're fake fan of the Columbus Crew, unless relevant stats for all of the players for the last however many years." If I wanted to join your exclusive club, yes I would expect that I should participate in the accepted manner, but then if I wanted to join your exclusive club I'm probably already inclined to do those things anyways.

 

[Fenris-77]

My son's first character was a Forest Gnome Lore Bard who had a squirrel friend and a bubble pipe.

 

[Oofta]

My son's first character was a Forest Gnome Lore Bard who had a squirrel friend and a bubble pipe.

Yoink! Next character idea stolen!

 

[Bravesteel25]

I don't remember the name of the film, and I never saw it, but maybe 5 or more years ago there I recall a trailer circulating for a D&D based drama where the main thrust of the plot seemed to be that a good looking,likable "hipster douchebag" was stealing the nerdy DM's players away from him. This was in the early days of "acceptance" -- when D&D With Pornstars was a blog and just a couple B-listers and maybe Robin Williams had come out as gamers. It's a good illustration of some of what we are seeing now: a reaction against the mainstreaming and "coolifying" of the hobby that was a nerd badge of honor for so long.

I think you are referring to Zero Charisma. Not a bad film.

 

[MichaelSomething]

What can men do against such darkness?

 

[Fenris-77]

Yoink! Next character idea stolen!

My two year-old generally won't leave the group alone while nwe're playing, so he ended up 'playing' the squirrel friend. If the Bard wanted the squirrel to do something my older boy had to convince the toddler to do something similar. You know, go get X for scouting, roll these dice for an action, that sort of thing - if the little guy wouldn't cooperate neither would the squirrel. Toddlers are a great prop.

 

[GameOgre]

Gnome Paladins are on the rise!

 

[Azzy]

What can men do against such darkness?

Attack it.