D&D Social Stigma

[Endur]

I think the Social Stigma is going going gone

Seriously, I think the stigma is going away.

My evidence?

Lord of the Rings was a billion dollar movie series. Comic book movies are all the rage.

Video games are everywhere.

Fantasy terms are being used in every day life.

I know people who use the term "Patent Trolls" in a court of law (to refer to bad guys who act like Trolls under a bridge and charge a toll).

I was at a conference last week where someone made a joke about learning, "First you are a neophyte when you know nothing ... then you learn something and you become a troglydyte because you are still living in a cave."

Oh, and yes, I have experienced the stigma over the years. But I do think it is lessening greatly.

 

[fusangite]

It is natural for a passtime that structures social relations to be more appealing to people less able to function within less structured social dynamics. While the hobby has other qualities that appeal to people at all levels of social acumen, they provide a special benefit to people lacking in social intuition. Like S&M, the SCA and other activities with highly ritualized, clearly documented methods of engaging in social contact with the other human beings, people who can't just "guess" how to react socially will naturally gravitate to RPGs.

 

[Thundering_Dragon]

I'm only twenty one, but I have yet to encounter anyone who viewed D&D as a strange or uncomfortable subject/recreational activity. Just about everyone is either curious, or apathetic. I think the idea the game has a horrific social stigma is a myth, as my own experience has not shown me anything of the sort.

 

[Ed Cha]

I don't mind being ribbed about playing D&D when it's based on actual fact. I do spend a lot of my time on RPGs when I could be watching sports -- it's true!

Unfortunately, what a lot of us experience is stigmatization based mostly on faulty stereotypes (the Comic Book Guy), misinformation (the RPG/worshipping Satan connection), faulty causality logic (any murder or suicide that was "caused by" RPGs), and unfair double standards (RPGs are a "child's game" but fantasy football is a "normal hobby"). When someone treats me like a fat, obsessed, Satan-worshipping homicidal maniac who plays a child's game and actively avoids being normal, I guess it falls to me to try to chip away at these falacies and point out the problems with these incorrect assumptions. You can't always do so with strangers, but you can start to chip away at them with friends, family, and co-workers if the situation comes up.

Yet another reason why I admire you, Eric. We really need to get more people to carefully explain the appeal of RPGs and that it's a perfectly normal (and very fun) hobby. I think the vast majority of people would enjoy playing an RPG if they just had an open mind and a good GM.

 

[Ranger REG]

Oh, and yes, I have experienced the stigma over the years. But I do think it is lessening greatly.

That's what I'm afraid of: desegregation. What's next? Jocks playing RPGs? Why can't they stay on their side with neanderthal-grade athletics sports and we pursue our mensa-type RPGs? Gawd, I hate it when mainstream cross over and start telling us what they want to see as opposed to the opinions of the proficient genre fans.



What's next? Jocks inviting us geeks to play murderball?

 

[Mark Hope]

That's what I'm afraid of: desegregation. What's next? Jocks playing RPGs? Why can't they stay on their side with neanderthal-grade athletics sports and we pursue our mensa-type RPGs? Gawd, I hate it when mainstream cross over and start telling us what they want to see as opposed to the opinions of the proficient genre fans.



What's next? Jocks inviting us geeks to play murderball?

Heh heh heh. The two jocks in my high-school game were interesting players. One played a paladin who thought it was unethical to use weapons against weaker opponents, so he was forever pummeling or overbearing them (back in 1e, this was). The other played some kind of fighter who was thrilled with the idea that he could buy 200 chickens with his spare change and always wanted to bring them on adventures with him....

 

[BlackSilver]

Will gamers ever break the stereotype of the overweight, goatee-wearing, 30-year-old virgin who works at a comic book store, wears a t-shirt that says "Han shot first!", reads erotic Sailor Moon fan fiction, and still lives in his parent's basement? It's possible, but not likely; it seems like for every 1 gamer who breaks the stereotype, there are many more who reinforce it.

Emm- Sailor Moon. Aside from that- I have never been any of those. Though I did have a SW Tee Shirt for a long time.

 

[Storyteller01]

Probably not, but more than a few gamers have their own stereotyping faults to overcome.

*EEP -- wrong website. HIDE THE CARDS!!!*

 

[Teflon Billy]

I used to think that the Geek Squad at my highschool were indicative of the standard RPG Group. then I moved to the "Big City" and joined a group that was just packed with cool people. We actually had to turn away people who I legitimately wanted to hang out with for lack of room.

I thought to myself "Damn, that highschool group in Chilliwack was an anomaly! D&D is for cool people!"

Then I went to Gen Con in Milwaukee.

that made it pretty clear that my "Big City" group was the anomaly.

But on the topic of this thread: generalized opinions about Social Groups for around a kernel of truth. they aren't accurate 100% of the time, but they are more often accurate than they aren't or--simply by observation of enough contrary examples--the Steretype will change.

What I'm saying is that, in my experience, for the most part groups earn their stigmas.

 

[Professor Phobos]

Unless the masses reach total enlightenment, I don't see the stigmatas going away.

I sure wish they would. I lose a lot of shirts to bloodstains. Plus, half the Catholic population of my town thinks I have the gift of prophecy.

Anyway, quite frankly, if you aren't a weirdo about your hobby, I find few people will treat you like a weirdo. Just be open and frank: "Yeah, every other Saturday I play D&D."

Only jerks will take issue, and, well, if you're ashamed enough of a mere hobby to care what jerks think, you've got more problems than the mere existence of jerks.

Ultimately, it's just a hobby. No different from bass fishing, football or NASCAR. It has a bit of strangeness surrounding it because it isn't something that appeals to a large number of people, a small number of geeks truly deserve the reputation they have, and there's that whole leftover satanism business from the 80's, but it isn't too big of a deal.