Are hobby shops like porn shops?

[Pielorinho]

Cerebral Hemorage might suit your gallows humor, be less offensive and easier to say than The I Have No Girlfriend Store...

Uhh...not to take this into terra verboten, but how is Cerebral Palsy an offensive name? Would it be offensive to call a double cheeseburger a Cardiac Arrest, or to call Baskin Robbin's the Diabetic Xpress, or to call Taco Bell Toxic Hell, or to call Dairy Queen Milk -

-er, forget that last one.

We had a habit of coming up with crude names for businesses and products, as a way to amuse ourselves. It never occurred to me that people would find the time to be offended by it.

Daniel

 

[alsih2o]

Anyone know if Cerebral Palsy is still like that?

Daniel

careful there, Cerebral Palsy is actually the name of a nationwide group of adult day centers. i used to be an art therapist for them.

oh, yeah, be tasteful too.

 

[Gothmog]

This is a funny topic. In Columbia, the better local game store is owned and run by a pretty redhead and her husband, and the store is very female-gamer friendly. In fact, there are several female gamer employees, and many times when I go in, there are several female customers. My girlfriend (a recent gamer convert) loves the store, and doesn't feel uncomfortable at all. They use plain red plastic bags for their products, but the store is located beneath a mexican restaurant.

The local porn store is a huge building that is brightly lit, and people are constantly joking around in it. I had never been in it before my girlfriend got me started going with her, but the fat, old, bearded guys are still to be found there. Their bags are floral print paper bags, but there isn't much of a stigma attached to going there, so nobody reall cares. Heck, I've even seen professors from the university there!

 

[Sir Edgar]

What started out as a cheesy topic has led me to think about ways to bring in more female gamers into the hobby.

Perhaps if there were more loans available to women who wanted to start a hobby shop that would help bring more female gamers in. The same should apply for women trying to start up new d20 companies. Products from a women's perspective could really help enlargen the market. I'm curious to more things written by women and see if they are any different from those done by men.

Female gamers could be a source of growth for the gaming industry. I mean they comprise over 50% of the population and yet less than 20% of the gaming population. I think that if more role-playing and good plot ideas in gaming products was included with a lot of suspense and intrigue (kind of like daytime soap operas), then that could attract more female gamers. There should definitely be more of a balance between hack-n-slash and romance/intrigue in d20 products.

 

[Aeolius]

It never occurred to me that people would find the time to be offended by it

I am always offended by those who belittle the disabled.

 

[Pielorinho]

I am always offended by those who belittle the disabled.

I do not mean to offend, certainly; but neither do I think that disease names are sacred. And though this might be a hairsplitting distinction, our nickname refers to a disease, not to those afflicted by the disease. I might call Baskin Robbins the diabetes Xpress, but I wouldn't call it Fatman Central, if you catch the difference.

It just occurred to me that you might think I'm implying the people in the store are "spazzes". If so, please know that I'm not; it's a simple play on words is all. It never occurred to me before now that there might be any subjective connection between the store's inhabitants and our nickname for it.

If you think diseases are sacred and should never be the topic of jokes, we'll need to agree to disagree. In any case, that's probably the best option, so that we don't further drag this off-track. My apologies for any discomfort my use of the nickname caused you, and I'll try not to use it around here any more.

Daniel

 

[mythago]

a woman commented that her husband plays warhammer, but she isn't "allowed" to join, despite her building all his terrain

I can't feel too sorry for anyone who puts up with this, really.

You know, at least at a porn shop, nobody will try to tell you about their latest character!

 

[Enchantress]

umm my experiance with women and straight male gamers has been different. I play in all straight groups and everytime a woman joins or come into the game store it's like a pack of dogs following a bone. She could be dressed as a clown on crake and they'll still fawn over her as the starving for women animals they are . Sad . so sad .

I would first of all like to tell you all how very much I feel as though i have entered a male only conversation but anyway, thought I'd add my two sense.
I think, unless you're happily married, that you are speaking from experience, and that male gamers usaully don't do that. I am living proof for I cannot seem to get a date...*sniff*
I was watching a sitcom on t.v. where a teenage girl was working at a copy store. She was the only female among 12 other male teens. I laughed my head off when she said that if she played D&D and went to comic book conventions she'd be their queen.

 

[Aeolius]

...neither do I think that disease names are sacred...

You might do well to look before you leap. CP is not a disease, it refers to a brain injury. My son has CP, thus my insensitivity to those who are ignorant, regarding cerebral palsy.

 

[Templetroll]

Hmm, This post might be OT, but it struck me as odd that so many seem to buy into the anti-female gamer/loser geek stereotype.

I met my wife at a game of D&D. At the same game I met a fellow who introduced me to a future employer by bringing the guy to my game. I also have had several nice relationships with women who gamed because they enjoyed gaming. These have tended to last more than a year in each case with the exception of an entertaining one-night stand.

Now, it may be relevant that I started playing D&D when I was 23, after I got out of the Navy.

Interestingly enough, most of my gaming groups have had women gamers in them. In one, at least three marriages occured amongst couples who met at the gaming table and one couple divorced followed by a marriage of the ex-wife to a fellow player.

I've also gamed with a fellow who claimed "it's easy to get laid but a great game of D&D.... that's tough to find!" He didn't understand why we all laughed at him.

Everyone has it within themselves to be a better person because of gaming; the game kinda fosters working and playing well with others, after all.