D&D General Thaco the angry clown... really?

[abirdcall]

Okay. Explain to me how being offended is harmful.

Made my point. Edited to remove triggers.

 

[overgeeked]

Here's the problem: You're claiming sole ownership of a definiton

No, I'm not.

on a slang term that doesn't have an "official" definition in common parlance

It's a phrase derived from comedy. It has a definition. The one I presented. It's not that I "own" it, just that I happen to know it because I spend an inordinate amount of time in that space. If you were to jump onto a comedy forum and spotted someone using a gaming term wrong, would you be "claiming sole ownership" or simply pointing people to the right definition.

though it appears to in academic fields.

And comedy.

It's not necessary to be combative on this.

I'm not being combative. Are you?

 

[overgeeked]

Imagine you're a transperson in a comedy club.

Now the audience just spent the last 10 minutes laughing and cheering a comedian who made jokes about how transpeople aren't human, they're a danger to society, and they need to be murdered.

Do you think you might be worried about going to your car?

So rather than doing a comedy routine they're engaging in stochastic terrorism. Got it.

Being offended isn't 'they said a mean thing and now I'm sad'.

Not quite, but basically, yeah, it is.

It's 'I'm persecuted and afraid for my life and people who make these jokes having a platform and being supported on that platform is an indicator that my life is in danger. Also, the crowd has just been incited to violence against me."

This is what people mean by 'privilege'.

That's not being offended. That's being persecuted and afraid for your life after a stochastic terrorist attack. They're different things. Words have meanings. Don't muddle them up.

It's your privilege that you don't have that experience so you don't see the harm in jokes.

That's your privilege in assuming a whole lot of things about me that you really shouldn't.

That's why people are 'offended' and aren't okay with people making harmful jokes.

Jokes aren't harmful. They're jokes. If you define "joke" as stochastic terrorism, that's on you. Not the jokes.

This, Thac0 the clown, this isn't it.

Agreed. THAC0 the Clown is both hilarious an completely not-harmful.

 

[J.Quondam]

It's a phrase derived from comedy. It has a definition. The one I presented. It's not that I "own" it, just that I happen to know it because I spend an inordinate amount of time in that space. If you were to jump onto a comedy forum and spotted someone using a gaming term wrong, would you be "claiming sole ownership" or simply pointing people to the right definition.

Your "right definition." For a term that's long since escaped comedy.

I'm not being combative. Are you?

Maybe.

 

[overgeeked]

Maybe.

Good. Are you gonna run?

 

[Azzy]

I think some people have a clear distaste and resentment for grogs. I hate that.

that said, I don’t think it’s WOTC for the most part. And after reading what Chris Perkins said about Easter eggs from older editions in Witchlight, I am pretty convinced THACO is just…a joke.

They also talk about Warduke and Kelek. As a former LJN action figure owner, I am similarly not feeling the hate, sorry.

it’s a joke/reference about an old game mechanic. It’s almost FOR older gamers not to persecute them.

The negative stuff is out there for sure. Just not thinking this is that.

This, all of this!!!!!

 

[Ogre Mage]

Seeing THAC0 the clown felt like when I was reading Entertainment Weekly and the writer described the Captain Marvel movie as "a period piece set in the 1990s." Or when I told a younger person the Spice Girls were terrible and she said, "Who are the Spice Girls?"

 

[Hussar]

So you think the old grogs are in a similar position of power (within this micro community) as the writers on staff at Wizards of the Coast? Okay. That's certainly a take. Can't imagine how you got there, but whatevs.

Well, considering a group of them split off from the fanbase, twice, creating competing communities with OSR and Pathfinder, and had a definite hand in the failure of 4e, I'm not sure how you think they don't have power.

 

[billd91]

Well, considering a group of them split off from the fanbase, twice, creating competing communities with OSR and Pathfinder, and had a definite hand in the failure of 4e, I'm not sure how you think they don't have power.

They probably kidnapped the Lindbergh baby too.

 

[overgeeked]

Well, considering a group of them split off from the fanbase, twice, creating competing communities with OSR and Pathfinder, and had a definite hand in the failure of 4e, I'm not sure how you think they don't have power.

Good thing I never said they had no power. They clearly have less power than WotC. Since punching up or down is only about relative power, that's all that matters.