D&D Jihad: People Who Are Unwell

[Belen]

One anecdotal point for me:

In the 1990s, I was a member of a gaming group for about 4 years, and didn’t figure out one guy was a militia member (IOW, probably into white Christian Nationalism) until right before I moved out of town.

He was never rude to me, but he was also never friendly. I didn’t have a problem with him, so I didn’t force anything. We had an unspoken truce for reasons I didn’t fully comprehend until we’d never meet again.

The hardcore Christians I grew up around would never have touched D&D. I learned about D&D from this Christian kid who presented an 8th grade English paper about how it was evil, I had to try it.

I grew up near Camp Lejeune so I gamed with a lot of Marines when I was younger and always have at least one former military person in my groups.

I have never needed to kick someone for poor behavior although I did quit 1 group due to a guy that screamed at his wife and sent her crying to the bathroom.

 

[dbolack]

There are some deeply unwell people on X. I mean that seriously: there are men--all men--who are nutzo about BROSR. I mean...it's hard to describe the vitriol these dudes spew about anyone who doesn't agree with them. We are talking Christian, far right-wing looney tunes in the game space. There is an entire ecosystem of deeply malignant actors who have an interconnected web of X accounts, podcasts, and Youtube channels seemily all dedicated to spreading hatred about role playing games. Role playing games! All of the horrors of the world going on, and these dude are spreading pools clotted midnight about people pretending they are elves.

Brethren, I am astonished. What a toxic hellscape.

Are you that surprised about a domain that's a dogwhistle?

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

The hardcore Christians I grew up around would never have touched D&D.

How they reacted to D&D depends heavily on the flavor of Christian. The core of the fuss was in the American Evangelical movement.

Me? I’m a lifelong Roman Catholic & and an Army Brat who entered the gaming hobby in 1977-78. During The Satanic Panic, I was attending a Catholic HS (run by monks) in Texas- though not quite in the “buckle” of the Bible Belt.

1) my parents, though concerned by what they heard in media about D&D- and heavy metal- trusted me to figure it out for myself and/or come to them.

2) the monks actually let me start an RPG club at the school.

3) the ONLY people who gave me any guff about metal or gaming were my godmother (who was schizophrenic and had converted to several religions over time) and my art teacher who became born again between my freshman and sophomore years.

None of the other Catholics or Protestants who gamed ever reported any major issues from family, either. At least, not faith-based objections. Like many, they caught more flack for being NERDS than anything else.

 

[Jahydin]

I refuse to engage with X for a similar reason to why others won't use AI, even when it would be useful.

It's too bad so many journalists/writers/thinkers...many of whom rail against Elon Musk...think they have no choice, professionally, but to use it.

Can't recommend this book enough on the subject:

https://www.amazon.com/Trust-Me-Lying-Confessions-Manipulator/dp/1591846285

Ryan goes into great detail about how easy it is to use social media to manipulate others, especially since journalists are stressed and just want quick and easy stories to post about.

 

[Jahydin]

It is much easier for them than actual research and reporting. Social media is the original AI slop.

Easy to tell too, just look for articles that start with:
Some are saying...
The internet is buzzing with...
There are those that are claiming...
One theory posted by KlingonButt1414 is...
Etc...

It all boils down to "this is probably bogus, but I want to write about it anyway with zero accountability."

 

[Belen]

Easy to tell too, just look for articles that start with:
Some are saying...
The internet is buzzing with...
There are those that are claiming...
One theory posted by KlingonButt1414 is...
Etc...

It all boils down to "this is probably bogus, but I want to write about it anyway with zero accountability."

Yes!

It is maddening and often used to support biased interpretations.

 

[Bill Zebub]

One anecdotal point for me:

In the 1990s, I was a member of a gaming group for about 4 years, and didn’t figure out one guy was a militia member (IOW, probably into white Christian Nationalism) until right before I moved out of town.

He was never rude to me, but he was also never friendly. I didn’t have a problem with him, so I didn’t force anything. We had an unspoken truce for reasons I didn’t fully comprehend until we’d never meet again.

Bet he would have gotten kicked out of his militia if his cosplay buddies had realized he played RPGs with you...

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Ayyyyyyup.