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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Pseudopsyche" data-source="post: 4422220" data-attributes="member: 54600">I believe that much of the scorn heaped on role-playing games stems precisely from the perception that they are for adolescents, not grownups.  For better or for worse, I suspect that the best hope for change will come on the coattails of larger industries, such as video games, which have the potential to convince people that games in general are not just for children.  If nothing else, I can now read video-game reviews in the New York Times, in the same section as the movie and book reviews.  The influx of "Euro games," which demonstrates that board games aren't just for playing with the kids, may also help.I wonder if the bigger problem isn't the role-playing half of the equation.  Sure, we have professional actors playing roles in movies, television, and on the stage, but most people outside our hobby undoubtedly see what we do as closer to playing cops and robbers than acting out a piece of art.  In this sphere, I don't see as clear a route to social acceptance.  I enjoy improv theater, but outside of the occasional television show, this art form is still little appreciated.  Those murder mystery dinner parties might have exposed other grownups to role-playing, but to my knowledge they never really caught on.  Probably the most common form of adult role-play is as confined to the bedroom as our hobby is to the (figurative) basement.With regard to artistic integrity (as opposed to social acceptance), I have absolutely no doubt that several campaigns enjoyed by members of this community have explored adult themes and topics in what we would call an artistically valid manner.  One issue is that most of these performances are private, intended only for their participants, not for a wider audience.  Of course, some of these campaigns have public reflections in story hours, which can certainly strive to be art.</blockquote>

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