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lowkey13
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Gatekeepin' it real: On the natural condition of fandom
A very good post. I would add that part of gatekeeping is a self defense measure born out of insecurity: this thing is important to me but others feel it is invalid, so I will INVALIDATE THEM! Bwahahah. That sort of thing.
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 don't think that's something we want -- gatekeeping so we can continue to feel special for liking something for which we were mocked -- but I think it is there and is to some extent understandable. At the aame time, among my Gen-X non-geek friends, I am the D&D Guy and so one friend came to me when her daughter (a sociially high ranked cheerleader type, and very sweet young lady) started a D&D group with a bunch of her cool friends.
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 don't think that's something we want -- gatekeeping so we can continue to feel special for liking something for which we were mocked -- but I think it is there and is to some extent understandable. At the aame time, among my Gen-X non-geek friends, I am the D&D Guy and so one friend came to me when her daughter (a sociially high ranked cheerleader type, and very sweet young lady) started a D&D group with a bunch of her cool friends.
Esker
Hero
Ah, Acme Satan Soulless Megabrand Walmart Arena. Or as I like to call it, ASS-MWA.
He says, name-dropping Robert April.
Seriously though, good post.
Yup, great post. Something else that plays specifically into the gatekeeping that seems to be a unavoidable part of nerd culture is the extent to which, previous to this golden age of mass popularity, admitting that you were a gamer was a bad thing for your social acceptance. Gamers were 'weird', and very much outsiders. As a marginalized social group it's perhaps natural that some gate keeping dropped into place to help define the space occupied by that group. Some version of defining yourself in terms of the other. "I have this specialized knowledge that those jocks wouldn't understand even if I use small words", or something to that effect. The hobby has really moved far past that outsider status, but the gatekeeping remains as part of the subculture, and for all the reasons listed above, continues to be an issue.
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lowkey13
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I think you've made a solid case for human nature. Not so much about nerd culture/TTRPGs. When every other subculture you list also shows the phenomenon, it isn't specific to geeks.
Well you are. We are basically bonobos with cellphones.
And no sexy time, let's not lose sight of that.
Esker
Hero
And more patriarchy
And no sexy time, let's not lose sight of that.
Well, if you got off your darned cell phone....
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lowkey13
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