Branded a freak for being me.

[Rageaholic]

It comes up where people get made fun of for whatever hobby, according to some all the time, the thing is if you can't handle it just don't let people know unless you know they won't make fun of you. Unless I drop into your house and snoop around there might be a million things you do I would never know if you didn't mention it.

But do people really have to be assholes about what other people like? I have some friends with hobbies I consider strange, but I don't make fun of them. I wouldn't want to be presured into those hobbies, but just because they are talking to me about them doesn't mean I have to make fun of them. People shouldn't have to keep silent about their hobbies just because some are assholes about it.

[Amanita]

^Exactly. How do you know how somebody is going to react to your hobbies or interests, unless you say something?

[Depot Denizen]

I've found that most of the harrassment (actually, ALL of it) ended once I graduated high school. When I got to college, things were different. People just...left me the hell alone. Granted I was one of those slightly older students, so I was 20 when everyone else was 18 or so.

I'm usually in left-field, but I have a really good job and I wear the appropriate clothes for it. I have to look professional, so that limits what visible customization I can do. I do have some piercings and I'm working on a tattoo design for my back and shoulders, though.

I'm a gun-loving liberal Atheist, I play D&D, love South Park, Family Guy AND American Dad (along with Simpsons and Futurama). I don't watch LOST or American Idol or Dancing with the Stars. I despise Twilight, among other things.

I'm not that far off from normal, but I suppose I usually do my own thing. And everyone else can too. I find gender boundaries and roles to be outdated, though I'd classify myself as straight.

I honestly haven't gotten any strange looks for saying I play D&D in probably ten or so years. Hell, I even LARPed back in the day, and I still have my garb for it and SCA, including a chainmail vest that I was working on. Normality can go screw itself, but I recognize that it usually advantageous to look mundane in public. Hell, the only "odd" exterior features I have would be that I shave my head smooth (feels really nice) and I like loud Hawaiian shirts.

[smileyeagle1021]

Hell, the only "odd" exterior features I have would be that I shave my head smooth (feels really nice) and I like loud Hawaiian shirts.

There is nothing odd about loud Hawaiian shirts

[Lace Neil Singer]

I also found that the harrassment and nastiness pretty much stopped once I went to college. Granted, I've had a few stupid remarks on the music I like (How do they know? Why, they just look at my t-shirt!) but nothing I can't handle. Most of the downright bitchery was from teenagers.

[Hyena Dandy]

If they have a problem with that, fuck em, if they act superior about that, fuck em.

I'd much rather not fuck 'em. More punishing that way. :3


But really, the only problem I have in Panda's earlier comment was bugging people in comic stores about things they don't care about. It seems natural to me, if you're in a comic store, to talk about comics. When I go to comic shops, I ask people what they're interested in, and talk about it.

For the geeks I know, a comic store is a meeting place. Talking to someone in a comic store is just as odd as talking to someone at a club or a bar for less geeky people.

[Plaidman]

I'd much rather not fuck 'em. More punishing that way. :3


But really, the only problem I have in Panda's earlier comment was bugging people in comic stores about things they don't care about. It seems natural to me, if you're in a comic store, to talk about comics. When I go to comic shops, I ask people what they're interested in, and talk about it.

For the geeks I know, a comic store is a meeting place. Talking to someone in a comic store is just as odd as talking to someone at a club or a bar for less geeky people.

Panda likely envisions all DnDers, or geeks, or basically those that should never be in front of her, as all overweight, glasses, wearing months of smell for refusal of showers, talking in made up fantasy langages that live in mother's basements all named herbert. To her they are dying, for there are no women geeks after all.

Those that are geeks and dorks know that not all dorks are like that, even if the media wants to show that.

It does seem that all those who go to clubs on the other hand, are the same.

[jackfaire]

Panda likely envisions all DnDers, or geeks, or basically those that should never be in front of her, as all overweight, glasses, wearing months of smell for refusal of showers, talking in made up fantasy langages that live in mother's basements all named herbert. To her they are dying, for there are no women geeks after all.

Hey I shower twice a day, I am working out, just walked 6.8 miles the other day, and it's my mom's garage and I pay rent, oh and i am gay so meh.

[Plaidman]

[QUOTE=jackfaire;59384]

Panda likely envisions all DnDers, or geeks, or basically those that should never be in front of her, as all overweight, glasses, wearing months of smell for refusal of showers, talking in made up fantasy langages that live in mother's basements all named herbert. To her they are dying, for there are no women geeks after all. QUOTE]

Hey I shower twice a day, I am working out, just walked 6.8 miles the other day, and it's my mom's garage and I pay rent, oh and i am gay so meh.

I don't work out. Far too weak to do that. But I do showever daily. I rarely eat, so not overweight. Don't speak any langages except english and smatterings of Spanish. I do live with mom, though I pay rent. (Cept recently with my medical issues taking over shit life).

[IDrinkaRum]

Hey! I resemble those remarks Plaid.

However, I'm female. I do wear glasses (since I was 10), I have bifocals (beasue I went to college - at least that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. lol), I am overweight (but that does have health issues associated with that), and umm ... I do play D&D (though I don't LARP - I have been invited to do so though - 'cos you know ... I'm kewlies like that!)

My husband is overweight (working on that - has lost close to 120 pounds so far), doesn't wear glasses (18/20 vision - boo! - lol), did live in his mom & dad's house (but paid rent, and they lived in another house), and ummm ... has a really good gubment job.

And a lot of the people who play D&D that we know of are all either married/dating and have good jobs (except for one, but he's another story).

Sorry, not all D&D players are weirdos who live alone and only come out to get new D&D books/dice/whatever.

And I'm not ashamed to admit that I play. A lot of people think it's cool.

[AdminAssistant]

On one hand, I know all the people who play World of Warcraft aren't socially abnormal dorks, because I play, my boyfriend plays, his roomies play, his brother plays, and a lot of other very awesome people I know play. However, reading general chat and just seeing some others play makes me wonder....*sigh* My BF was getting really frustrated because a group killed him and was camping his body....is that actually fun to somebody? I finally asked him if we could start characters on a Normal server, because I'm sick of PvP douchebaggery.

[Plaidman]

Hey! I resemble those remarks Plaid.

However, I'm female. I do wear glasses (since I was 10), I have bifocals (beasue I went to college - at least that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. lol), I am overweight (but that does have health issues associated with that), and umm ... I do play D&D (though I don't LARP - I have been invited to do so though - 'cos you know ... I'm kewlies like that!)

My husband is overweight (working on that - has lost close to 120 pounds so far), doesn't wear glasses (18/20 vision - boo! - lol), did live in his mom & dad's house (but paid rent, and they lived in another house), and ummm ... has a really good gubment job.

And a lot of the people who play D&D that we know of are all either married/dating and have good jobs (except for one, but he's another story).

Sorry, not all D&D players are weirdos who live alone and only come out to get new D&D books/dice/whatever.

And I'm not ashamed to admit that I play. A lot of people think it's cool.

I play too. Just haven't found anyone that likes that around where I live. However it isn't that I play DnD that is the killjoy in any relation I try. Just me.

[Nyoibo]

I play DnD, my girlfriend is fine with this, I also work out spend 3 nights a week training in circus arts and have a girlfriend who's a professional circus aerialist and contortionist... Wait no, that makes me a freak, nevermind.

[ArenaBoy]

Life's more enjoyable if you embrace who you are and don't let others bother you about your interests. Plus, life's too short to worry about what others think of you due to your interests anyway.

[Hobbs]

I find this highly appropriate for the occassion:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbyYavnY0fk