D&D Reference on NPR Last Night

[Garnfellow]

Did anyone catch commentator Paul Ford's radio piece, "Be Proud of Guilty Pleasures?" on All Things Considered last night? Ford talks about the strange shame felt by closeted geeks everywhere. (Having been outed by a coworker as a gamer a few months back, I can sort of identify.)

It's a humorous bit with a playful and somewhat disparaging poke at D&Ders.

 

[HiLiphNY]

The Importance of Being. . . .Ummm

Great topic, and a great soundbyte!


I work on Wall St., as a trader, and let's just say that I'm not open about my gaming habits at all at work. Now, most of my good friends, and my wife, know that Tuesday is blocked-off as my regular D&D night, so I'm really never concerned about hiding/mentioning anything gaming related. When it comes to the workplace though, I am undercover. It's not that I think that anyone knowing I was a games would actually injure my career in any way, or prevent me from collecting a large cheque at the end of each year. I think it's just more about my workplace identity. It's important that I present a professional venier, and somehow, I just see D&D gaming as muddying that a bit too much.

That said,

GAME ON! Hoody Hoo!

 

[JonnyReb]

That was a great piece, I'm sorry I missed it on the commute home.

Ironically I don't have a professional problem as a gamer - I'm the ASM of a video game store.

My problem is with my wife's family. We live in the mountains of western North Carolina (as I like to tell my friends, it's the "buckle" of the bible belt.) We moved here from Tacoma WA to be closer to her family, but I went from being manager of a WoTC store to being around a group of people that think the game is satanic, pure and simple.

To make things more fun, I'm a Baptist, and a member of a (more or less fundamental) Baptist church down here.

I don't speak much about gaming to her folks, and no-one knows about it at church except my pastor - who's actually o.k. with it. If it weren't for who he is - position wise - I think he might actually like to try it, truth to tell.

As difficult as it is not to be more open about my gaming, I think the hardest thing around here (especially compared to WA) is the "caliber" of gamers I do find. I am not currently running a game because most of the gamers around here do it more to be "bad boys (and girls)" then for real enjoyment of the game. Most are teens or barely past, or have some weird Wicca/DnD/Hippy child thing going. Finding mature, involved, dedicated gamers - difficult in any area - seems magnitudes moreso here.

That's why I'm working on the wife to move "home" ASAP

 

[xbrokenxswordx]

That was a great piece, I'm sorry I missed it on the commute home.

Ironically I don't have a professional problem as a gamer - I'm the ASM of a video game store.

My problem is with my wife's family. We live in the mountains of western North Carolina (as I like to tell my friends, it's the "buckle" of the bible belt.) We moved here from Tacoma WA to be closer to her family, but I went from being manager of a WoTC store to being around a group of people that think the game is satanic, pure and simple.

To make things more fun, I'm a Baptist, and a member of a (more or less fundamental) Baptist church down here.

I don't speak much about gaming to her folks, and no-one knows about it at church except my pastor - who's actually o.k. with it. If it weren't for who he is - position wise - I think he might actually like to try it, truth to tell.

As difficult as it is not to be more open about my gaming, I think the hardest thing around here (especially compared to WA) is the "caliber" of gamers I do find. I am not currently running a game because most of the gamers around here do it more to be "bad boys (and girls)" then for real enjoyment of the game. Most are teens or barely past, or have some weird Wicca/DnD/Hippy child thing going. Finding mature, involved, dedicated gamers - difficult in any area - seems magnitudes moreso here.

That's why I'm working on the wife to move "home" ASAP

But Western NC is such a fun and diverse place. I'm pretty open about being a gamer to most people I know. My friends at school all know and most of them are interested, and I go to a little southern baptist college.

 

[Barendd Nobeard]

It's a humorous bit with a playful and somewhat disparaging poke at D&Ders.

'Somewhat disparaging' is playful? I think the final line of the commentary:

"I never played Dungeons and Dragons. Even I have some standards."

is pretty insulting. If the author was attempting irony, the commentary was sorely lacking in said quality.

 

[DonaldRumsfeldsTofu]

I found it humorous. It was a lighthearted jab. No need to be too terribly jingoistic.

NPR and D&D are like my blood though, so combining them's a little weird.

 

[Trainz]

'Somewhat disparaging' is playful? I think the final line of the commentary:

"I never played Dungeons and Dragons. Even I have some standards."

is pretty insulting. If the author was attempting irony, the commentary was sorely lacking in said quality.

Yeah... that said, I don't mind much. There will always be jokes about RP'ers, and if you ain't worth a laugh, you ain't worth a lot.

To the wall street dude with the coming out fear:

By acting like RPG's is a stygma, you're not helping RPG's becoming a widely accepted social venue. Also, by not hiding your gaming, you might find out you're not the only suit wearing critter that plays !