D&D General Nerd Rage, Taste Mongering, & Fan Culture

Hatmatter

Laws of Mordenkainen, Elminster, & Fistandantilus

• Saturday at 3:58 PM

• #1

Hello everyone,

I was recently asked to contribute op-eds to a new online news weekly and a few weeks ago I wrote an op-ed about the relationship between creativity and (for lack of a better term) nerd rage. It ranges a bit, starting with a discussion of the Folk Revival movement of the late Fiftiies/early Sixties, but it eventually settles on to a consideration of D&D, the fiftieth anniversary year, and my experience with the D&D online fan community. I thought I would share it with you all: "'Anyone Who Ever Played a Part, Wouldn't Turn Around and Hate It': The Nerdy Need to Taste Monger."

 

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payn

I don't believe in the no-win scenario

• Saturday at 6:19 PM

• #2

Murray Lerner’s Festival (1967) is a must see.

 

Hatmatter

Laws of Mordenkainen, Elminster, & Fistandantilus

• Yesterday at 4:18 PM

• #3

payn said:

Murray Lerner’s Festival (1967) is a must see.

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Yes, as you know from reading the article, I was struck at a similarity of psychology between some of the persons appearing in Festival and the kind of person that sometimes posts here. I have seen the film probably a half dozen times and this time this really struck me. I hope my recollections about Erick Wujick and my thoughts on Jeremy Crawford's work were coherent within the argument's context.

 

payn

I don't believe in the no-win scenario

• Yesterday at 4:56 PM

• #4

Hatmatter said:

Yes, as you know from reading the article, I was struck at a similarity of psychology between some of the persons appearing in Festival and the kind of person that sometimes posts here. I have seen the film probably a half dozen times and this time this really struck me. I hope my recollections about Erick Wujick and my thoughts on Jeremy Crawford's work were coherent within the argument's context.

Click to expand...

Its a lot to digest, but a very nice piece of work. I have a few quibbles, but mostly agree with your positions. I think the impotence part of nerd rage is debatable. Often, its true, but there have been numerous successful campaigns against new coke, 4E, Ghostbusters, Star Wars etc.. that make it noteworthy. I think folks disregard it at their own peril and that there is often a cultural element that is more nuanced than appears.

I'll take another pass and comment on Wujick and Crawford later.