The things we like are just "things"

[Vault101]

Today I read something that made me angry

it was the story of a Lady going into a comicbook store wanting to read X-men but not knowing where to start....he dismissed her since they weren't "girly" comics

obviously this is rediculous to the point of parody, obviously this guys a fucking idiot because [i/]hello...dude, you dont want money? you think shes not gonna go to Amazon?[/i]

and I know what your thinking [b/]ugghhh...gender issues? really?[/b] but no this isn't a gender issue....not completly

this is about why I really don't like "nerds" [footnote/] inb4 not all nerds[/footnote] sometimes, this is why sometimes I want to wash my hands of the whole association cause it makes me feel icky

See I like things as much as anyone, somtimes I like those things A LOT and I buy more things in association to that thing to bolster my liking of that thing, and thats great!

but why then....does that thing become more than a thing? the thing becomes a label, an identity, when people start talking about "outsiders" like this is the secret of scientology or something

why do they create made up bogeymen like "casuals" or "fake girl gamers" who are made up as some evil force that will dismantel the status quo? why do they get upset at people for not enjoying things "correctly"? why do people act like their the god given gate keepers of some arcane society? [i/] its all just manafactured easy for consumpion pop culutre! who gives a fuck if its "in" or not?[/i]

[i/]oh? my adventure time T shirt? whats the real name of the ice king you ask me? I don't know! now fuck off[/i]

its not bad for a person to enjoy the Transformer movies, its not bad for somone to watch game of thrones even though they would have never dreamed of picking up a high fantasy book in their life, its ok for people to watch super hero movies and not have a fucking clue as to who thease charachters are, they are [i/]allowed to enjoy things[/i] and if that puts somones panties in a twist they really need to revaluate their prioritys, no matter how much shit they got in highschool

because I used to roll my eyes whenever my sister would mention wanting a Wii (which as I predicted never got used) but then I think I grew the fuck up and realised that shit was juvinille, that their just games for crying out loud and theres a bazillion more important things I could think about

 

[ShinyCharizard]

Fuck knows really. I wonder this myself sometimes. Why do people get so invested in this bullshit to the point that they'll exclude people for laughable elitist reasons?

Seems like a pointless waste of time and energy.

 

[Salus]

I'm not sure that guy was trying to be a d**k. To be plainly honest, if I worked at a comics store and a girl wanted to know about X-Men comics my first reaction would be a mixture of "awesome" and "I'm not sure she knows what X-Men is." Like, I would be a bit ashamed to start going all-out nerd and start showing her the best-drawn panels of Wolverine ever in my favorite comic, my first reaction would be a little surprised, and I'd probably tell her that. It's simply that most girls aren't into comics, and my advice would change depending on whether she was a die-hard comics fan or a girl who wants to read X-Men because her boyfriend said he does.

Basically, I'm saying that maybe the guy felt a twinge of insecurity when a girl asked him about X-Men. I'm pretty sure the guy wasn't being elitist, just probably felt a bit vulnerable in that exact second. Imagine if a girl asked you what your favorite My Little Pony character is on your first date. Would you just start gushing about Fluttershy?

"X-Men ROX! You should go with the Phoenix Saga, where Jean Grey gets twisted by the Phoenix Club and the Phoenix is UNLEASHED!" *Gets keys and finds collector's edition comic, starts showing gnarly panels of Magneto going ZZZAAANNNGGG and all these muscular guards are going AAAHHH!" I know I'm sometimes hesitant to expose my inner nerd to (huge quote on quote) "Normal People."

By the way, I'm not into comics, though I do read a few.

 

[The Wykydtron]

Imagine if a girl asked you what your favorite My Little Pony character is on your first date. Would you just start gushing about Fluttershy?

Well since she gave me an excuse I would at least tell her how Dragonshy was an amazing episode. I'm a good example actually, i've never even finished MLP season 1 yet I have a favourite ponies character. 3 casual 5 you.

OT: To be honest, I doubt many people would want me to explain to them why TWGOK is my favourite manga and how the first arc of Umineko no Naku Kuro Ni has some of the best pacing and as a result along with the awesome art, the best ending scene i've ever seen in a manga before. God, after reading that the anime looks like even more of a joke. You've never seen such a hype tea party before.

I need to get a reading on someone first so I can not appear to be super into something and move on away from the subject if needed so I don't look like a ranting lunatic, probably what your OP example was doing really, really badly. He might have been a sexist dick but i'm giving him the benefit of the doubt because really, who even seriously believes that sexist crap in 2014?

[sub][sub]Yes i'm open to annoying counter examples but you know what I mean[/sub][/sub]

 

[Zhukov]

The nasty little cynic in me suspects that the nerds who form their identity around their choice of entertainment - and then proceed to get their panties in a bunch when others try to get in on the fun - do so because they don't really have much else going on in their lives.

If watching Star Wars, reading X-Men and playing Metal Gear constitutes most of what you do (that's the general you, not you you) then you're probably going to take those things a wee bit too seriously.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Why not? People fight each other over any and all imagined differences. Whether or not someone likes comics sounds less absurd than skin colour as something to fight over, at least buying comics is a choice.

 

[Vault101]

The nasty little cynic in me suspects that the nerds who form their identity around their choice of entertainment - and then proceed to get their panties in a bunch when others try to get in on the fun - do so because they don't really have much else going on in their lives.
.

this is something I've suspected too

I mean I've had my fair share of obsession....I think I've cooled down now,

mabye its like...you know some guys might be hot but their shallow dunder heads, some girls might be hot but more often than not their stupid, people in general can be "social" all they want but their all just dumb and have no idea... because at least theyre smart right? at lest they have taste? at least they understand their shit

but then you get somones, whos conventionally attractive,who eases through social situations, who smart, who'd into the same things they are and somtimes (for extra bonus point) [i/]is a feeeeeeeeeeeeemale[/i] which totally screws up their perception of the order of things...

but as I said thats just a random speculation on my part

 

[Thaluikhain]

mabye its like...you know some guys might be hot but their shallow dunder heads, some girls might be hot but more often than not their stupid,

Attractive women are more often than not stupid? Uh huh.

 

[Vault101]

Attractive women are more often than not stupid? Uh huh.

[sub/]cause they won't date me...I didn't wanna date them anyway![/sub]

probably should have made it more clear, I was saying that from the skewed perspective of a fictional caricature

 

[FPLOON]

[i/]oh? my adventure time T shirt? whats the real name of the ice king you ask me? I don't know! now fuck off[/i]

Well, in all fairness, if you like the character [that much] to the point that you have them displayed on your "T-shirt", that question should be common knowledge, basically... Then again, it is kinda a "big" spoiler, so there's that... #conflictingsarcasm

OT: I don't think any group of [dedicated fans] wants to be talked down by someone who has no idea what they're talking about to begin with... I mean, I wouldn't be surprised if those [dedicated fans] were actually willing to help that [poor] person understand why they are [fans] of the thing in question in the first place...

With that said, that dude should have at least tried to coax that chick into the X-Men comic series like an employee helping a potential customer[footnote]Results may very, I guess...[/footnote]... I mean, that's what I would do, only replace X-Men with Adventure Time in that kind of situation... since I'm not that familiar with the X-Men comics outside of that one Phoenix arc that escapes me every time...

 

[Ubiquitous Duck]

If something is that big a part of your life, then I assume that people will attach a lot of weight to it.

Anything foreign trying to enter that world is like a stranger trying to encroach on your life. It has moved past something you do and has become a part of you, that you identify with. The insults and intrusions are against you, not what you are protecting, so defences became irrational and emotive, rather than planned and rational. That's probably why that guy had such an abrupt and emotive reaction.

I honestly don't have a lot of experience with this though. I've seen a lot more discussion about these elitist types, than actually meeting any of them in real life.

 

[Kingjackl]

Yeah, the whole elitism surrounding entertainment is such a pointless attitude. People should learn to like what they like, accept that not everyone will share your views. Lashing out at people or getting smug over different ways to spend your free time is just insecure.

Actually, I'd say that applies to just about any form of prejudice, not just entertainment. It's all down to insecurity and people creating groups and alienating outsiders. It's so irrational.

 

[Vault101]

I'm not sure that guy was trying to be a d**k.

he basically told her to fuck off...without actually saying it

[quote/]It's simply that most girls aren't into comics, and my advice would change depending on whether she was a die-hard comics fan or a girl who wants to read X-Men because her boyfriend said he does.
.[/quote] what different does it make? get the woman a damn X-men comic!

[i/]oh? my adventure time T shirt? whats the real name of the ice king you ask me? I don't know! now fuck off[/i]

Well, in all fairness, if you like the character [that much] to the point that you have them displayed on your "T-shirt", that question should be common knowledge, basically... Then again, it is kinda a "big" spoiler, so there's that... #conflictingsarcasm

I don't know...or at least I forgot it

I do have an adventure time T shirt even though I dont watch the show (only casually now and again) ....hell I hate big bang theory but I would have gotten a BAZINGA shirt if they had one my size...purely because it would fit and I like the striking text/graphic

 

[Thaluikhain]

Attractive women are more often than not stupid? Uh huh.

[sub/]cause they won't date me...I didn't wanna date them anyway![/sub]

probably should have made it more clear, I was saying that from the skewed perspective of a fictional caricature

In that case, that's a very intelligent and profound thing to say.

*hides*

 

[FPLOON]

[i/]oh? my adventure time T shirt? whats the real name of the ice king you ask me? I don't know! now fuck off[/i]

Well, in all fairness, if you like the character [that much] to the point that you have them displayed on your "T-shirt", that question should be common knowledge, basically... Then again, it is kinda a "big" spoiler, so there's that... #conflictingsarcasm

I don't know...or at least I forgot it

I do have an adventure time T shirt even though I dont watch the show (only casually now and again) ....hell I hate big bang theory but I would have gotten a BAZINGA shirt if they had one my size...purely because it would fit and I like the striking text/graphic

Speaking of TBBT, my aunt gave me both a BAZINGA shirt and one of those <link=http://www.runffm.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/character-costumes-frederico-birchal.jpg>minimalist design[footnote]Not actually what the design looks like, per se, since the one I have actually does reference the other two female cast regulars on the shirt in question...[/footnote] shirts just last week... She was lucky that I, at least, "casually" watch the show otherwise it would have been awkward... both accepting the shirts as well as wearing them in general...

Then again, I have the mindset where you have to, at least, know what your shirt is referring to if someone does question it out of curiosity... So, there's that...

*continues to wish for Adventure Time Season 4 to come out on Blu-Ray already*

 

[ForumSafari]

why do they create made up bogeymen like "casuals" or "fake girl gamers"

Without meaning to be funny I wouldn't say either of these things are made up exactly, just not a huge real world problem. I am both a metalhead and an IT admin. This means I know a fair bit about each of these topics and quite often I end up discussing them with people that give obvious signs of sharing my interest. However, more often than not I discover the person wearing the band T shirt cannot name a single song by the artist, or that the person who is 'in to computers' means they own a computer and like 9gag. I've never met a fake gamer girl but I have met fake metal girls and there is something nebulous but definitely annoying about the moment when they ask what the horrible crap the DJ just stuck on is and it's a song from the album on the shirt they're wearing. When you don't have the ability to figure out what Nemesis is I am not buying that you loved Nymphetamine or even like Cradle.

And you know what? It legitimately does suck when that happens because it's not often I actually get to discuss my interests, it is legitimately disappointing. Particularly when you try to have a conversation about a topic they supposedly care deeply about and get the impression they feel it's beneath them because all they wanted was the street cred of having the knowledge and not the actual knowledge itself.

Fake computer people seem to be men, tend to be nerds and tend to be gamers. Go figure.

its not bad for somone to watch game of thrones even though they would have never dreamed of picking up a high fantasy book in their life

Actually ASOIAF is low fantasy, silly fake fantasy-book girl.

 

[L. Declis]

*Reads. Reads again. Thinks he understands*

Sigh. I'll try to explain the mindset.

*clears throat*

Do you like music? I mean, REALLY like music? You think you do. Now go talk to someone with long hair and a cigarette. Notice how they just mentioned about six bands you've never heard of because you don't speak Finnish? See that look of disdain because you didn't know about "My Life Is Basically a Shit Angel" or whatever the band is called.

Okay, come over here. You like films? Come talk to this guy. Oh, you mean you haven't watched The Forbidden Planet? You've seen Vertigo, right? What about Saving Cody? Okay, okay, you've seen Brick, haven't you? No, you haven't? Fine, come over here.

Okay, here is a keyboard and mouse. We're going to play some DOTA. Hmmm... it seems that no one seems to like you here either.

No, no, don't give up, come over here. These people like sports. Yeah, you like them to. What do you think about that guy who through that ball? His average is pathetic. What do you think of his points per game quota? You don't know it? Why the hell are you here? Shut up and sit down.

Well, that didn't go well. Hey, let's go to this bar. What's that? People don't want to talk to you? They don't know you? You're not attractive enough? You're right, that is unfair. Let's try something else.

And so on and so on.

------------------------------------------------

I could go on ad naseum.

My point is this. It's not just geeks. It's not just nerds. People are tribal. They have no obligation to be nice to you, and if they don't know you, they probably won't be unless they want to get into your pants or they just happen to feel like it at that moment. Sure, they could think about the long term goal of their particular hobby, but that's awfully long term thinking.

But if someone is wearing a shirt with, let's say, Big Boss on it, and they don't even know who Big Boss is, why shouldn't you feel annoyed by it?

It is a kind of cultural appropriation, no different to when white, rich people act "ghetto". They haven't lived this life so they don't automatically get the keys to the toys. And being a geek does require a certain kind of lifestyle and sacrifice in the past, and now the mainstream culture is deciding that it wants to pick up the toys they used to bully people for.

Would you wear a TuPac shirt, sing rap lyrics and speak in ebonics in the ghetto if you were white and rich? Even with absolutely no concept of race involved, would you? Because if you did, then you're a moron. You didn't live that kind of life, you don't automatically get to walk into that kind of lifestyle and be accepted. An extreme example, but one that gets the point across.

Personally, I don't care. Long term, I'd like more people to get into it. But just as your friend has the right to want to get into it, the guy has the right to be a nasty person about it. Free will and all that.

 

[Queen Michael]

I have the same opinion that I always have held -- it's better to be really knowleadgeable and devoted thannto to be, but it's also always better to do something geek-related than not to. So if somebody watches Game of Thrones but never reads A Song of Ice and Fire, that's better than not watching Game of Throns either. All nerdy actions are good nerdy actions.

 

[manic_depressive13]

-

Seriously? So what if she got the idea from her boyfriend, her sister, her brother or her dog? She asked a very basic question about where the best place to start would be. Her motivations and personal life are none of the shop assistant's business. And are you really comparing being on a date to serving a customer?


More on topic, I feel like the example doesn't fit the topic. The example is one of plain sexism and poor service, whereas the discussion seems to be more about elitism. I am an elitist. All my life I've had my interests questioned and doubted because I have a vagina, while men can run around claiming to be "gamers" and "nerds" when their knowledge is barely above basic pop culture levels, and no one bats an eyelid. It's hard not to hate people when I know that if I were in their shoes, my ignorance and shitty playing would be attributed to my sex by a good amount of people.

So don't come crying to me when you can't beat the Bell Gargoyles in DS. Maybe you'll prefer farmville. Casual.

 

[MeChaNiZ3D]

But things change depending on who likes them and who doesn't like them. When you find something you really like you don't want it to change to accommodate people who don't like it as much as you because then you won't like it as much. "Casuals" by whatever name are real, but they are not the problem. The problem is the failure of publishers to distinguish between casuals and whatever their inverse is, or the failure of publishers to care. So far it hasn't even really been a problem of the publishers, just the problem of people who liked the original games and games similar to them. But now that the market is saturated with games going after the larger casual audience, it will become the publishers' problem as well.

I don't care who wants to like what I like as long as they like it, and I think your example was an arbitrary instance that I think is made up, but makes no difference either way. I don't want the people who make what I like changing it so that people who don't like it will like it while I like it less, and I don't want people who don't like it having it changed so that they will like it while I like it less. I am allowed to like what I like and protect my interests, and considering the success of Dark Souls, I think it would be worthwhile if content creators were more aware of exactly who appreciates their stuff.

Please, someone prove to me that casualisation isn't a thing.