Same Slam, Different Fandom

[captain_slinky]

Further evidence that Religion is just another branch of Geekism/Nerdism/Fandom. Consider this "Exhibit A", Pat Robertson's recent comments regarding Dungeons & Dragons:

Contrast and compare to Carrie Fischer dissing Star Trek:

One of the great traditions of Fandom is NOT ONLY to sing the praises of your own Fandom, but to also mock/shame/"Diss" other similar fandoms. Christianity gets their rules from a book, D&D gets their rules from a book (but D&D is at least nice enough to put an edition number with each major revision of the rules).

I can remember when I was first exploring Fandom and i was warned against becoming some weirdo Star Wars Freak. It was TREK all the way, and those Star Wars fans? Well they were just awful, terrible people who weren't REALLY sci-fi fans. They were just jumping on the band wagon and going with whatever was popular at the moment! Stay away from them at all costs!

Comments

[lynna12000.livejournal.com]

Christianity may not number the different editions, but they do name them. Things like New International Version, The King James, The Jerusalem, to name a few. Not to mention The Apocrypha and The Dead Sea Scrolls. (Lovely little expansion sets)

D&D fandom also has its' die hard adherents. You still hear rumbles about 1st editions vs 2nd edition.

What always struck me as funny were the peole who don't play the games that took them so seriously. My High School D & D club had to disband after a parent called up and complained about us writing spells. We may not have thought about it before, but several certainly thought of it after.

[snarky-imp.livejournal.com]

I always felt weird in each geek conversation where you had to make your allegiance known to one Star or the other. No one ever seemed to understand the notion of both being enjoyable for one person. So I'd get a condescending look from everyone and they'd turn around and mutter, "girls!" like I was deaf as well.

[captain-slinky.livejournal.com]

That's the further brilliance of my analogy - those folks who make you SWEAR ALLEGIANCE to one sub-set or another are the most vocal, the most visible and (thankfully) the most rare. If you make it past the nut-balls and fanatics, you find that they're all pretty awesome and accepting of each other despite the copy-n-paste recitation of the fanatic dogma :)

[greenpear.livejournal.com]

BUt at least D&D's book "knows" it's a game. Religion hasn't figured out it too is just a game - and there can be no real winner...

[lynna12000.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't put money on that theory. I've been around more than a few gamers that really BELIEVED the D&D stuff. Mythology is mythology. It will all find adherents.

Trek was the first 'Star' that I followed. 'Wars' was the second. & like all good Agnostics; I'll enjoy them both. Because both are equally valid. Trek believes that humanity will better itself. Wars believes that humanity will redeem itself. What's not to enjoy?

[greenpear.livejournal.com]

I'm probably along the same lines. I don't have any "one" fandom that possesses my life. I indulge in them all.

[captain-slinky.livejournal.com]

How very Unitarian of you ;)