Are gamers really that pathetic?

[WizarDru]

I don't hate CPM, I just hate being around him. And you know what? I was nice to Cat Piss Boy in High School. About six months later after trying to scrape him off my leg, I was able to remove the parasite that he instantly became.

Oh, sure, I'll be polite to CPM. I'm reasonably polite to most people anyway, especially when I first meet them. But I'm not going to go there again.

W0rd.

Seriously, I try to be polite to most folks in general, as it benefits you more to be polite and cordial unless someone earns your ire. That's just good manners. But I don't have enough hours in the day to deal with cat-piss-anyone. Never mind the whole parenting issues involved.

 

[Desdichado]

I had the same experiences with some folks in Junior High. You showed them kindness and a similar interest and boom, you are their new best friend. It took me a while to learn. On a different note the real cat piss boy shared my last name, which was mortifying. But he was really just very, very obnoxious and rude rather than smelly.

Well, yeah, that particular Cat Piss Boy ironically did everthing Cat Pissy except smell like cats. I don't particularly remember him smelling at all, to be honest with you. And I don't think his hygiene was particularly bad. But all the other hallmarks of the CPM Syndrome he had nailed down perfectly. He was a pretty disturbed individual.

But that's the thing; few people fits the stereotype perfectly on every front, but the Syndrome still exists. I had another guy; used to be a friend of mine as a kid, who later in life fit the stereotype perfectly except he was rail thin. He didn't live in his parents basement only because nobody has basements in Texas; I think he still lives in the same bedroom he did as a child, though. Ironically, he was the one who "introduced" me to RPGs. I did play some Basic earlier with another kid who was more my type, but I was much more interested in playing with his Star Wars action figure collection, which was quite extensive, than I was in listening to him blab on about 10x10 rooms and the like...

 

[Nisarg]

3) insist on wearing TV/Movie/ancient culture costumes to special occasions/official functions as if they were suits or military uniforms. THEY AREN'T. And, despite the brilliant recreation of a Samurai's garb, you are a teenaged white guy in Texas, not an actual Samurai, so removing your REPLICA Katana from its scabbard does NOT mean you have to draw blood- if you honestly think it does and you keep saying that, you'll be under arrest VERY soon, if only for a 24-hour psych evaluation.

Ah yes.. nothing quite so pathetic as the guy who feels its his "duty" as a "starfleet officer" to wear his uniform to the museum opening, new years party, or private party.

(its one thing to wear it at a con, then you're just a loser, but wearing it to public events unrelated to ST is truly dysfunctional)

But the furthest extremes of pathetic that I encountered was the guy who wore his starfleet uniform during Rememberance day (the Canadian equivalent of memorial day, for you yankees). That went from pathetic to downright offensive: I'm not a great fan of the military-industrial complex, but those joes gained the RIGHT to wear their uniforms on that day because they were in life-threatening battles, whether fighting for something they believed in or because they were innocent dupes of the government war propaganda, but in either case they paid for it in blood. The pathetic mouth-breather who feels the need to sully that by wearing a FAKE uniform from a FICTIONAL series, and refer to himself as an officer, and pretend he knows how they feel because he's a "military man" too, is someone who merits a well-earned beating from the local Infantry Battalion.

Nisarg

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

The worst I've seen down here in the USA was the one who went to jury duty in the Starfleet costume.

You may have seen that one on CNN...

The judge allowed the juror to serve for several days before dismissing him (or was it a her- I honestly don't recall) from service.

Had it been my courtroom, I would have yanked that one from box personally for a 24 hour evalutation, ESPECIALLY after the CNN interview in which the misguided soul stated that "this is my uniform, and since it is a uniform, it is appropriate to wear for all formal or dress occasions."

My entire game group groaned as we watched this. Even the booger-flicker thought the guy was an embarrasment.

 

[Desdichado]

Had it been my courtroom, I would have yanked that one from box personally for a 24 hour evalutation, ESPECIALLY after the CNN interview in which the misguided soul stated that "this is my uniform, and since it is a uniform, it is appropriate to wear for all formal or dress occasions."

Which was probably the point. I'm sure it was all a clever ploy to get out of jury duty. Too bad it didn't exactly work.

 

[Arnwyn]

The reasons for why I might have had more experience than others could have to do with regional issues (maybe western canada has a much higher degree of socially dysfunctional individuals joining RPG activities than other regions of north america?)

Not likely.

or it could have to do with the mere fact that I've always made a point to be as active as possible in gaming at the local community level, and so I've been active in the places where CPM show up and become a problem (stores, clubs, and cons).

Much more likely. Reading through this entire thread and noting your many rather absurd examples, I'd say it's more likely you (as in, you seem to have a penchant for hanging around places where these weirdos are likely to congregate, or you do something that attracts them). Star Fleet uniform at Remembrance Day? In Canada? Uh-huh.

Needless to say, I have never, ever, experienced anything you have.

 

[Tinker Gnome]

If they want to wear some costume in public then let them. It is not like they are bothering you or anything and if if they enjoy doing that then there is nothing wrong with it.

 

[jester47]

Man, this thread is getting too big...

But anyways,

Josh- actually I do not think that the woman that was featured on CNN in the jury duty thing was trying to get out of it. She is also in the documentary Trekkies and in that she shows up at work in the uniform. She makes people call her by her rank (commander) and apparently is a good manager of a print shop. Now why does she think she has the right to wear this outfit and go by the name commander? Well, apparently she is also the "commander" of the local chapter of some Star Trek fan club, which designates its chapters by ship number. Apparently she takes it too seriously...

Galeros- Sure they can wear a costume in public, so long as it is appropriate. When it becomes inappropritae is when it starts to bother other people. And there are cases when they can wear a costume and it will bother people. Like at jury duty. Say I am a defendant or plaintif. I see some nut in a starfleet uniform in the jury box. It makes me worry cause I question her judgement. I don't wear my rowing uniform to formal occasions. Its a one piece spandex outfit. Its only appropritate when I am in the boat. Wearing it anywhere else will probably offend someone. In that case I AM bothering them. Walking to a con in your samurai costume is appropriate. Going to the opening of a non-sci-fi meuseum, or the symphony in your Bobba Fett costume is not. And that bothers people. And depending on the context it does hurt people, in that people that associate with that person are treated like that person. This is best seen in reactions to Leprosy. CPM/costume mans presence causes a leper reaction from the rest of the population. This reaction can be damaging: economicly (CPM and the game store) socially (trekker making a dubious jury) and physically (somtimes serious germs or fear of them). While the fear may seem irrational, its rooted in the rational. Simply put bad smells and strange dress signify danger in the animal kingdom. So how do you solve the problem? Go and try to convice large ammounts of people that their evolutionary instincts are wrong? Or convince CPM/costume man that his evolutionary instincts are right and he should listen to them? One is a whole lot less then 7 billion or whatever we are at now.

Aaron.

 

[jester47]

There is a fine line between clever and stupid. Go to a con or costume party as the Fett, you rule. Go to the symphony as the Fett, you suck. The movie Don Juan De Marco points out that one will be much happier if one learns when to be romantic (wear the don juan costume) and when to be serious (convince the doctors the drugs are working). Someone who is into it all the time is stale. Its a matter of knowing when certain things are appropriate and when they are not.

Aaron.

 

[Tinker Gnome]

I suppose I can see your point Jester. I am just saying do not judge them for what they wear and enjoy. Someone wearing a Boba Fett costume everywhere they go would not bother me, but I admit I do not let many things bother me.