Oh no Conan just DIDNT!

[Hairfoot]

Perhaps the issue is that, on many topics, a joke will be seen as an exaggeration of reality which isn't to be takien seriously.

Jibes about tourist muggings are made, but clearly make light of something which we all know is dangerous and humiliating. The fear is that audiences see geeks assaulted for their hobbies and may say "it's so true!".

 

[ThirdWizard]

This is Conan! This isn't some cool jock making fun of roleplayers. This is the king of geeks making fun of himself and his own group. And, as JustKim pointed out, most people watching Conan are college kids, who are a large demographic of D&D players.

It's not like this is the 700 Club saying how horrible we are as human beings. It's a comedy skit of some nerd getting a wedgie while making an comment so that it is obvious to all viewers that he is a geek for the slower ones.

Conan is not out to slander D&D. Conan is not out to persecute D&D players.

Don't sweat the small stuff.

EDIT: Remember "We played Dungeons & Dragons for three hours! Then I was slain by an elf." It's funny.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Speak for yourself. I would NEVER pretend to be an Elf.

Which is better than 'Speak for yourself, I would never PRETEND to be an Elf'....

Who knows, maybe Vin will show up again and give Conan a wedgie...

The Auld Grump

 

[RustyHalo]

They make fundamentally different jokes. Jokes that imply something more about the targetted group then that they are worthy of being beaten upon. We don't make jokes about assasains shooting presidents, or tourists getting mugged, but it's okay to make jokes about geeks getting beat up?

Prosfilaes is attempting to build a straw man, but he's uninformed.

We DO make "jokes" about assassins shooting presidents. I believe it was the Kinks (a mainstream British band) that wrote a song featuring a line about President Kennedy's brain getting splattered.

And we DO make light of tourists getting mugged. The mainstream rap artist Pitbull has a line in his song, "Dirty," about Florida tourists getting carjacked.

The fact that some rpg'ers find Conan's gag humorous flatly contradicts those who posit that the joke is patently offensive to gamers. Getting worked up over a late-night joke at our expense is making a tempest in a teacup.

 

[Barak]

Maybe philosophically, but from a marketing perspective, it's terrible, and part of the reason as a hobby and an industry its in such dire straights.

Yeah 'cause a jock somewhere was about to buy a PHB, saw that bit, and said "heck no!" Or a nerd. Or the mom of a jock/nerd.

See, no one would be persuaded against buying any RPG for that bit.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

We don't make jokes about assasains shooting presidents,

"But other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?" An old, old joke.

or tourists getting mugged

Tourists getting mugged, especially in New York, is a pretty common trope for late-night comedians.

For the rest, RustyHalo said it better than i could.

 

[Larcen]

Yeah 'cause a jock somewhere was about to buy a PHB, saw that bit, and said "heck no!" Or a nerd. Or the mom of a jock/nerd.

See, no one would be persuaded against buying any RPG for that bit.

I disagree that "no one" would. Too strong a statement. I think it's entirely possible that some one who knows very little about what D&D is really like, sees this, and then makes a small mental note to himself: "D&D = nerdy = public ridicule". At least at a subconscious level.

This same guy might then be approached by a gamer someday and his reply will be, "Nah, man. That's cool. I'm good." ...and he may not even remember why he has this stygma about the game.

Worse case scenario: That same guy who never even gave it a chance could have become this great DM who would have attracted even more people to the hobby.

I know, lot's of IF's there, but I still say that is more likely to happen to at least one person than to "no one".

 

[Larcen]

Prosfilaes is attempting to build a straw man, but he's uninformed.

We DO make "jokes" about assassins shooting presidents. I believe it was the Kinks (a mainstream British band) that wrote a song featuring a line about President Kennedy's brain getting splattered.

And we DO make light of tourists getting mugged. The mainstream rap artist Pitbull has a line in his song, "Dirty," about Florida tourists getting carjacked.

The fact that some rpg'ers find Conan's gag humorous flatly contradicts those who posit that the joke is patently offensive to gamers. Getting worked up over a late-night joke at our expense is making a tempest in a teacup.

Two wrongs (or three or four) don't make a right.

 

[Barak]

I disagree that "no one" would. Too strong a statement. I think it's entirely possible that some one who knows very little about what D&D is really like, sees this, and then makes a small mental note to himself: "D&D = nerdy = public ridicule". At least at a subconscious level.

This same guy might then be approached by a gamer someday and his reply will be, "Nah, man. That's cool. I'm good." ...and he may not even remember why he has this stygma about the game.

Worse case scenario: That same guy who never even gave it a chance could have become this great DM who would have attracted even more people to the hobby.

I know, lot's of IF's there, but I still say that is more likely to happen to at least one person than to "no one".

That's about as likely as someone seeing the bit and going "Hmmm.. Wedgies. I love wedgies! Must look into this."

 

[prosfilaes]

Prosfilaes is attempting to build a straw man, but he's uninformed.

That's absurd; whether or not I was uninformed had nothing to do with whether I was misrepresenting anyone else's position.

The fact that some rpg'ers find Conan's gag humorous flatly contradicts those who posit that the joke is patently offensive to gamers.

I don't think I've ever read in the newspaper of something being considered patently offensive without a comment from a leader of the offended group saying that they didn't consider it offensive.

Moreover, ironically enough, you are the first person to use the words patently offensive, which is a bit of a strawman. I just don't think that physical violence on people because they play D&D should be used as a source of humor.