Gamers Slandered In NY Times

[JRRNeiklot]

Ever been to the Superbowl? The NCAA final four? World Series?
You'll find much more unkempt, smelly, loud, drunk and disorderly people at hotels when these events are in town. I know the event itself is not held at the hotel(s), but these people are there and they don't get a bad rep. Why us?

 

[Sir Edgar]

I don't know how gamers can be put in the same paragraph along with drug dealers. Ridiculous!

 

[s/LaSH]

Just in the interests of counterpropaganda:

What do gamers do? As in, what professions do gamers gravitate towards? (Also, what's the average age of a gamer - are they on the cusp of employment or do they have to be holding down a job as CEO to pay for their habit?)

As an unemployed artist I can't really talk, but I think it's an interesting point: How many gamers will be at other conventions? You know, not gaming but 'working'?

How many high-paid businessmen are hiding a dirty little twenty-sided secret?

 

[Buttercup]

Dunno, s/LaSH. I wish Ryan Dancey or Anthony Valterra would pop into this thread, because they could answer your questions. Actually Morrus might know too.

Anyway, of all the people I game with (one game I DM, and another game I play in) one person is working on his PhD, and the others all have professional positions. Most of us have published in our field. All of us, except possibly the PhD candidate, have attended work-related conferences, and will continue to do so at least simi-regularly.

 

[Brown Jenkin]

I have seen the demographic info they provide for both Gen Con and Origins (unfortunately I dont have it here right now so this may be slightly off). For age of the attendies it is a bell curve peaking in the 30-40 area. For Income we are a bell curve peaking in the 40K-50K. Almost all participants have at least a college degree (I suspect that many that don't fit in the under 21 catagory). Personally I feel this would be desirable target audience.

 

[Buttercup]

Thanks, Brown Jenkin. That's actually pretty much what I expected. Sounds like a desirable demographic to me too.

 

[I'm A Banana]

ORTHOPIEDIC SURGEONS?!

God, I can't believe hotels rent to those creeps!

There's nothing I hate more than being in a room where there was once a guy who operated on feet.

I mean, that's not sanitary! What if they did it *in*the*room*?

God, I think I'm going to be sick...those foot-fetishy voodoo workers who steal from the poor and charge outrageous prices for their perverse "services."

I can't believe a hotel would let them in it's doors, let alone give them a *discount* for staying there.

God, what's this world comming to.

It's a Marriott?! Holy sweet Jeebus, I stayed in one of those before....

Ugh....I have to go wash myself until I bleed now....

redisthecolorofclean.....redisthecolorofclean......hehehehehehehehehehe.......redmeansclean.....

 

[jrtyler]

Personally, I think the orthopedists comment was sheer stupidity. Now if he had said "The Fundamentalist Baptists" he might have been right. Of course the one gaming con I've ever been to HAD a Fundamentalist Bapstist convention booked in the same hotel, on the same weekend. Let me tell you THAT was an interesting weekend. No major skirmishes, though the LARPers were told, no biting in public non-game areas. It was fun freaking the norms though. HeeHee

John Tyler

 

[Ralts Bloodthorne]

Just a minor correction before my take:
A podiatrist works on feet.
An orthapedic works on bones.

Still, would you really want to use a hotel room where some wierdo who cuts people open to change thier bone structure was staying in? Who knows what kind of altar you might find under the bed.

Funny thing is, having been to a couple of cons, gamers are by far (although a bit strange) not as rude or obnoxius as a lot of gatherers. Picture a bunch of fustrated fat guys drunk on Coors Light whose football team just blundered thier way into the losers circle.

Personally, this "William Wallace III" sounds like some little weasal with penis envy, an odepious/napolean complex who picks on a group even he was too much of a geek to join.
Come on. like that is his real name. LOL. He was probably standing in between a guy who wanted to change his name to "Ice Hamburger" and "HELP! FIRE!" when he got his name.

He's a joke, and if he keeps making enemies like this, he's going to be asking you that eternal question: "Do you want fries with that?"