On Nerd Stereotypes and Defending the Hobby Part 2

Back in February 08 I did an article with the above name. Over on the Fear the Boot Podcast's forums a thread has popped up about being "outed" as a gamer. As if its a terrible thing to be into geeky stuff.

Well, listening to people treat others negatively because of harmless things that don't hurt anyone REALLY ticks me off. I can't stand injustice. So I had another tirade. Here we go. I'm sure if I annoy some douchebag on the Internet and they decide to "Net Detective" me looking for ammo they will find lots to feed off of here.

CONGRATULATIONS DETECTIVE YOU FOUND MY SECRET LAIR. YOU CARE WHAT A RANDOM DORK ON THE INTERNET DOES AND THINKS. YOU FAIL AT LIFE.
(Seriously. You are the equivalent of people who read People Magazine. Why not care more about YOUR real friends, family, and community? If you have time to look up stuff on me, you have time you could donate to help the less fortunate.)

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Go read the Feb 08 post.. this is the follow up here. Ba weep gra na weep ninny bong.
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Yet I have to be ashamed of being a nerd? I have to feel bad about reading Sci Fi novels and comics? I have to pretend I don't like giant robot anime or enjoy owning entirely too many toy robots I paid for with money from my job after I paid bills and GASP! Even give some money to charity when I can?!

Because I could care less about multimillionaires playing sports but would rather read the rules to a new miniatures game instead I am the lesser person because the statistics and silly abbreviations I know aren't the RIGHT ones? The stats of Michael Jordan are honestly about as important as the stats of an Orc in Warhammer Fantasy Battle. NOT AT ALL.

I served a tour in the Navy. I pay my bills on time and am totally debt free unless something terrible happens (which should be any day now given my luck) where I have to use up all my emergency money. I do my job the best I can. I have been on a roughly 1600 calorie diet since December 06 and have lost 60 pounds doing so putting me into the correct height/weight ratio. I keep myself well groomed and even my teeth to the point my Dentist was totally surprised and my Doctor thinks my weight loss is more medical reasoned than anything I did. I treat people with as much decency and respect as I possibly can.

Yet I have spent most of my thirty and change years on this mudball being told by everyone either directly or indirectly that I suck. Perfect strangers, classmates, coworkers.. hell even my mother when she was still alive.

After a while when the only one who tells you they aren't right and you damned well know it; is you, you start to believe them.

And even with my friends' help, who are mostly gamers of some kind (and mostly married no less) its been a hard road to deprogram the lies everyone in general has decided is fact.

So I am who I am. And I want to be happy about doing things I like, being the person I want to be. And anyone who is stupid enough to believe stereotypes and hurt others who aren't doing anything hurtful just because everyone else says they should be treated poorly?

GO TO HELL.

And that's my view about being outed as a gamer. I'm tired of feeling worthless and alone because of idiots. Gaming and nerd stuff doesn't hurt anybody.