I am continually baffled how one persons activities can be another persons ridicule. Specifically, how Science Fiction and Fantasy fans have been ridiculed for years. On a popular radio station I listen to in the morning, the three morning show people continually make fun of, ridicule and belittle Sci-Fi fans. Sarcastic comments about 40 year olds living in their parents basement are the most often heard comment, followed by how strange and unable fans fit into society, and how somehow these fans are wasting their lives by pursuing something they like.
Constant comments about how there's not something right about fans who will wait in line to see a movie or go to a convention. I will admit there are always people on the fringes of ANY common interest that do not fit into what is perceived as "normal" social behaviors. However, it's not relegated to just Sci-Fi and Fantasy. Sports, Anime, shopping, gambling, gaming, online chats, blogging, car enthusiast, tv reality show watchers, concert goers, etc all have a segment of fan base that don't "fit in". Over this past weekend (Feb 23 & 24), opening day tickets went on sale for the Brewers. How are the folks who stayed in line, some for days in freezing weather, any different than the fans who waited to get into the Star Wars movies or the Star Wars Celebration conventions? Or Comic Con? Or a Star Trek convention? Anyone whose ever spent a small fortune to go to a Packer game, let alone season tickets has no right to belittle any fan of any other interest. Yet, somehow, sports is never held to the same standard that any other hobby or interest is held.
My husband and I usually go to Gen Con. I had no clue what that was when we first met, when it was still here in Milwaukee like it should be. But I digress. It's now held in Indianapolis, and when it first moved we didn't go. We've gone the past few years and every year it's the same conversation with my co-workers. "Why are you going to that, don't only weird people go?" "You must be going because your husband is making you go." And so forth. Truth is, I enjoy going. There's lots to do, not just gaming and believe it or not, there are normal folks there too. I don't pretend to know any person's mind, but to all outward appearances, they appear normal. I bet some even like sports. Don't get me wrong, I like watching football on Sundays just like everyone else, but the hypocrisy of some sports fans is appalling. An entire day spent watching a game on tv, eating junk food like there's never going to be anymore and drinking a silo of beer is just as "weird"to me as I appear to them. At least at Gen Con, you have to walk everywhere.
Gen Con is held at the Indianapolis Convention Center, and last year a Colts pre-season football game was held on one of the days Gen Con was in session. The RCA dome is part of the convention center. Football fans decked out in their best Colts adornments were actually sneering and making rude comments to the Gen Con goers. Why they can't see that they are the same person, just a different event is baffling. Is it because sports is "acceptable" in our society?
When Gen Con was in Milwaukee, the same morning show used to comment about the freaks downtown. A pretty harsh word, and one I'm sure they would not liked used to describe themselves. They, however had no problem using it for people they have never met, never tried to meet or even bother to understand. Yet, these same hosts can spew out baseball and football statistics like Rainman. But here's the thing. Even though I understand there's a double standard here, I don't think they are freaks because of what they like. I understand that even though I have a hobby, well several hobbies and interests that they wouldn't even think twice about calling me a freak, I understand their obsession with their interest and hold nothing against them. It's their interest, something they care about, something that occupies their free time. Double standards.
When viewed in something like the above blog may cause a smile or two, or a shake of the head and denial, but when put into context of say, racial issues it becomes discrimination. Is it any wonder why we will always have discrimination when we can't even leave hobbies and interests out of our judgements of other people?
Blog for the week of March 3rd
4 comments:
Nice entry--it really fits in with our class exploration of subcultures. I often find myself in a weird place because I'm a sports geek who can tell you Robin Yount's batting average in 1989, but I'm also a comic geek who can actually tell you who directed 1987's Superman IV. (I'd also describe myself as a music geek and a literature geek).
Thanks Azor. I have struggled with this for most of my life as I seem to like hobbies and have interests that many folks find wierd or unpopular. Science fiction, band geek in school, and quilting to name a few. And I can't tell you how many times I've had the comment directed at me, "awfully big book for a girl". Depending on my mood sometimes I just smile and other times I just tell them I'm only looking at the pictures.
It's amazing how we judge people by their looks, what they wear, and how they act. But it's when we find out that someone does something that 'we' think is odd, or 'we' think is a waste of our time we then tend to look at that person as though they now have three eyes!
Gee, the next time someone says "awfully big book for a girl" I think you should let them know just how big it is--upside the head.
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