The Gatekeepers
If you’re new to the scene, WELCOME! I am your elder nerd and if you wish to be accepted into the elite, there are tolls to be paid and respect due. I got my ass kicked in the 80s and early 90s so what’s mainstream today could be cool so you didn’t have to. You’re welcome.
I had a long discussion with Jon about gatekeeping in hobbies and music and whatever. Although our views differed slightly, we’re both pretty much on the same page, you can’t just buy the shirt and call yourself a fan. You need to be a fan before you can legitimately do that. Which brings us to our question, “How DO you BECOME a fan?” and the answer to that is both simple and complex.
First you have to do your homework. Yes, you do need to be able to name three songs or know the names of the guys in the band, or the titles to a couple of albums or have some idea of the difference between a High Elf and a Wood Elf. No, you don’t have to have memorized the Player’s Handbook or know every lyric or anything, but kinda knowing what you’re talking about will get you a long way with the crowd. So, yes, homework IS necessary.
Next, you have to pay your respects. This includes things like not wearing the nice vintage t-shirt that you found at your local thrift store until you’ve done your homework. That’s poser shit and like I said previously, that homework IS necessary unless you want to be ridiculed as such. Paying respects comes in many forms. It may be a show with a friend who has seen the band 9 times live or it may be as simple as being vulnerable enough to say you need help creating your character or on your turn in your first D&D sesh.
None of this is hard. Nobody knows everything their first time. You’re not expected to. We have all done the same things, so there’s no like, “kiss the ring” situation going on, but it can be uncomfortable, but most things that are worth it are. It would be like starting a new job and acting like a know it all on your first day. Even for the most well studied of us, there is still more to learn and if you are accepted into the fold, you may meet lifelong friends, find love, who knows what…
I’m just saying, not ALL the gatekeepers are assholes, although some are. As gatekeepers it is our responsibility to protect what we love and some people take that more seriously than others. It’s our job to help usher in the newbies and keep out the posers. So, no, not everyone is actively trying to keep the newbs out of hobbies or whatever, but some of us have been in certain scenes since before some of the new kids were even born.
It all boils down to being courteous. Show some respect. Know kinda what you’re talking about. Ask questions. We LOVE sharing our hobbies and music and inviting the new generation to take part in those hobbies is part of our job. So, come on kid. We saved you a seat at the table.
