"Cool people don't play RPGs" (from the Enworld thread)

[ggroy]

Yeah, in my experience (if my memory serves me correctly), middle school had the biggest concentration of assholes. High school was pretty mellowed out in comparison.

I remember back in high school, the assholes got kicked out or they just dropped out.  The assholes frequently skipped a lot classes, and/or they got kicked out of class frequently whenever they showed up.

In middle school, the same assholes were not allowed to drop out and they usually didn't get kicked out unless it was for something really serious.  One case I remember in middle school, was some kid who got expelled for kicking the principal in the balls and then punching him in the face.  It was typically stuff which brought in the police, that was an expellable offense.  Usually what happened when a kid was expelled in middle school, was that they were either moved either to another middle school or they ended up being homeschooled by their parents.

[jibbajibba]

I have to disagree with most of your post in general. What some people are failingbto recognize is that what used to be cosidered 'geeky' or nard behavior has actually shifted over and becaome a subset of "Cool Behavior" or at least mainstream accepted behavior.

The thought in the thread title or enworld thread is close to 10 to 12 years out of date - the trouble may be that terminology has not caught up yet.

Think about it  - "Big Bang Theory" is actually a ratings success. The reason? Most people have some part of those characters as themselves these days. (or thier boyfriend/girlfrien or spouse)  The Big Bag characters 20 years ago would have been the 'odd' flavor characters on most sitcoms - now they are the heroes the general public roots for and we enjoy it when Penny starts accidentally absorbing the 'geek culture' references.


World of Warcraft - is a HUGE mainstream hit. Let's admit it , it has become "Cool". That game is basically boiled down D&D on a computer network.

Two years ahgo I went shopping with a female friend (a married friend) to the local HUSTLER store - while talking with the really nice looking sales clerk ...she admitted that she played WoW ...but she was worried poeople would think she was a geek. See? Secret "Geek Girl" blending in at the adult book store.

Mire recently, this past week I'm shopping at the MEIJER store....
I'm at the counter browsing at a promotional booklet for the newest 'RESIDENT EVIL' game.(the one with the orange cover and two fighters with rifles) - this guy asks me "You play that game , man?"
ME: "NO, I just liuke the artwork...I  was thinking of borrowing for my Roleplaying game. " me pausing "I don't really like video games much"

Let me describe the guy talking to me : Tallish young African-American in an oversize white t-shirt there with his two friends dressed in mostly the same way. All three wearing denim pants and big sneakers/ Gym shoes on. When I say tall - I mean tasller than me....and I'm 6',1". When I told him my group had been 3 girls and 1 girl playing for about four years plus he said "That not that common". Turns out he and 1 of his friends had played D&D before at least 3 or 4 sessions. These guys would never normally fit some people's view of what 'geek' or 'nerd' looks like.


From what I can see I can see in and and around these suburbs - the world of subcultures and what is and is not 'cool' has changed massively, but not everyone has realized it yet.


- Ed C.

Dude, I don't even know where to start.

I will limit it to. Big bang is funny because its about geeks. Just cos there are more geeks now than there were in '83 does not make the geeks cool just in a majority ( a 5'10" guy in Tokyo is not tall he is just taller than 80% of the other people). Black guys can be geeks too and you met the guy in a video game store not in the gym or in Emporio Armani. Finally you seem like a nice bloke but why in every 'socially themed' post do you have to mention you game with a load of girls and loads come into your store. We get it you are a stud muffin now stop trying to make us jealous and go and finish that space station deck plan

[Zachary The First]

I love space station deck plans.  I've been working on updating one of my old ones for my next Traveller game.

[Kyle Aaron]

I need a 2,000t cargo sea ship deck plan for Tramp Trader.

[Age of Fable]

'Cool' effectively means '17-year olds want to have sex with you', so anyone who's cool is at least one of a musician, an actor, or gross. Think about what Fonzie would be like in real life.

[RPGPundit]

Yep, you're cool.

Except we call them mobiles here!

Sorry, it should have been hoodies with ASBOs and ringtones.

RPGPundit

[Mistwell]

This weekend my wife was talking to both Wil Weaton and Felicia Day.  Both Wil and Felicia are D&D players.  Are they cool people? Many people seem to think so...

[The Shaman]

This weekend my wife was talking to both Wil Weaton and Felicia Day.

Who?

[Koltar]

Dude, I don't even know where to start.

.....................whole bunch of words snipped here.................Black guys can be geeks too and you met the guy in a video game store not in the gym or in Emporio Armani.........................

No I didn't .

 Read the detail in my post - I was at a local MEIJER store. Those stores are the "Big Box" kind but a smidgeon or so classier than WAL-MART.  Just 3 yards away from where I met the guy was sporting goods, in the other direction was stationary/ office supplies, then Toys. We were in the corner of the store that Electronics, CDs, DVDs, and other electronics related stuff.


- Ed C.

[Mistwell]

Who?

Who who? My Wife, Wil Weaton, or Felicia Day?

[Koltar]

Who who? My Wife, Wil Weaton, or Felicia Day?

Oy Vey!!

 His Wife was Hygena!!

 Thats okay - we had Feedback, Major Victory, & Fat Momma in the Klingon Jail 2 years agofor charity.


- Ed C.

[Fifth Element]

It's just plain old dismissive bullshit.

Didn't read the context of the source?

First, we'd have to agree on a definition of "cool". Then, we'd have to agree that none of us know "cool" people playing RPGs beyond the anecdotal occurence. That's already a lost-cause type of statement.

Yes, absolutely. There's no way to consider it an objective or definitive statement in any sense. So it's also silly to take offence, since it can mean anything. Why not interpret it in the best light instead of the worst?

It allows people to call each other uncool, nerds, geeks, and dismiss whatever they're talking about because "nobody cares" or it's "nerdrage". That's typical internet BS fare, to me.

It could be used that way, I suppose. But that's not the way I intended it, as I explained in the other thread.

Also, nerds are cool. There, figure that one out.

[Mistwell]

Oy Vey!!

 His Wife was Hygena!!

 Thats okay - we had Feedback, Major Victory, & Fat Momma in the Klingon Jail 2 years agofor charity.


- Ed C.

Feedback is also a D&D player.  Major Victory and Fat Momma not so much

[Grimjack]

Back in High School playing RPG's wasn't considered cool so I think people got labeled as "uncool" for playing them.  All I' have for evidence to the contrary is the fact that over the years I've GM'd for soldiers, Air Force nuclear missile launch officers, two college teachers, two lawyers, several engineers, a deputy sheriff, and an FBI agent.  About the only thing these people had in common was that they tended to read more than most of the general public, did well academically, and liked to play RPG's for entertainment.

I've had some people who would probably be considered uncool in games in the past but the vast majority IMHO wouldn't fall into that category....although in fairness none of us gave a flying fuck if we were cool or not (which may be uncool I suppose).

[Hairfoot]

All I have for evidence to the contrary is the fact that over the years I've GM'd for soldiers, Air Force nuclear missile launch officers, two college teachers, two lawyers, several engineers, a deputy sheriff, and an FBI agent.

Most of the people I've played with have been Air Force and Navy, plus an ex-army private investigator.

Militaria is a branch of nerdness, so I don't think service people qualify as "cool", but it certainly undermines the common belief that gamers are pale basement-dwellers, detached from the real world.

The irony is greater because some of the guys I've played with took part in military actions that the mainstream jockocracy considers hardcore.
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