So far, I’ve been sticking to defending things that absolutely no one is attacking, making for a fairly successful and easy run. The importance of choosing your battles! But this time, I may have bitten off more than I can chew.
Before I start this potential disaster though, let’s clear up a bit of the terminology.
First, I’m using “Elitist Jerks” in the most loving way possible here. I was once a pretty devoted World of Warcraft player and Elitist Jerks were one of the biggest and best-known guilds around. You wanted to be an Elitist Jerk!
Second, semantics are always a bit of a problem in the anime community as we are quickly developing our own jargon and some of us aren’t as quick to pick up on the new-fangled lingo. From what I can tell, elitist is someone who is likely to judge an anime based on a single criterion (genre, studio, number of episodes, year of release…) or thinks themselves worthy of deciding who is or isn’t a real anime fan (are non-real anime fans – imaginary?).
You know exactly who I’m talking about.
We’ve called these pretentious and exclusionist members of our community plenty of times. Generally, I think everyone agrees that taking such small-minded and hardline attitudes mostly serves to stifle your enjoyment of shows and limit what you get out of fandoms. And let’s face it, it can get unpleasant for everyone involved when one person is seemingly attacking those around for no reason at all.
Well today, I will attempt (no promises here) to make an appeal on their behalf. It’s an exercise in futility. These are the types of personalities that would find my soft stances and gerbil faced optimism completely insufferable and are unlikely to be reading my blog in the first place, while the rest of you are already open-minded and sweet.
In my opinion, the first step towards forming any type of understanding is figuring out where the other person is coming from. In some cases, people are alienated or ridiculed for their interests in anime which can lead them to get naturally defensive about it. They approach new fans with suspicion and want to make sure they aren’t being made fun of. They strike first.
There’s also the concept of leaning into a perceived flaw as a defense mechanism. After years of being made fun of for being an Otaku, you decide to fully embrace it and become the King of All Otaku. Let your royal subjects coward before you. You have paid Your Dues and earned your title. It means something to you and you’re not about to just let some rando wander off the street and claim it for themselves after a single episode of Naruto. They haven’t had to put up with the teasing and bullying…
And because we think something we love is being attacked or made fun of, we will naturally defend it which can turn into attacking everything else. This is for exemplary purposes only. You love Sports! anime for example and people keep calling it nothing more than lazy shonen-ai for girls who are too embarrassed to admit their fujoshi side, without any depth or art to it. You’re going to retaliate, explain about the character development, the beauty of team work and devotion to practice. The delicate balance of motivation through rivalry. Some of us may slip into – well THIS genre isn’t that great either because….eventually falling into all anime of THIS genre is bad. Taking part in the very behavior we disliked in the first place.
Of course, we also have a certain hipster tendency in us. Humans like to think they’re special, unique even. All of us. In our relationships, our work, our lives. We prefer to believe ourselves irreplaceable. So when we were one of the only ones to like a certain show, it was ours, our precious. There’s a natural resentment to suddenly having other people intrude on our special place. Some of us will immediately try to discredit these invaders, reassure ourselves that we are the only TRUE fans and the relationship we shared with a show/fandom/medium is still special and unique.
Are you rolling your eyes? It all sounds a bit immature doesn’t it. I’m not the most diplomatic person. But even though it IS all terribly immature, it’s also human nature. A lot of us will have those feelings to a certain degree at some point.
So if we agree that there are reasons why people become elitists, should we be urging them NOT to be? This is where the defense part comes in and the actual challenge.
The jerk part is pretty obvious. Don’t be a prick, it’s not a useful skill to have! But the elitist part may have some merit.
Behind all that sound and fury, there has to be some passion, even dare I say *love*? These people are putting their time and energy clumsily lashing out because they really think that there is such a thing as a One True Anime Fan or a pure and objectively better genre. They’ve spent time researching the subject, they have real emotion behind it. They’re usually completely wrong but if anime has thought me anything, it’s that stubbornly believing in something without much logical reason and desperately putting all your energy and determination behind that belief, is a worthy goal!
Passion trumps apathy every time. And Passion stirs communities. How many times have I seen angry half coherent rants give rise to actual discourse, analysis and communication within the community. People will respond much more readily to an impassioned plea, no matter how unfounded or ridiculous it may be, than a reasoned and researched analysis. That conversation is valuable. If you can figure out how to respectfully explain to me that I am not a true fan – Do SO! Please. I’ll probably never be able to convince you that you’re wrong, but I bet other people will chime in and eventually something interesting will come out of it.
And let’s be honest, these elitists are often the ones contributing the loudest (if not necessarily the most). These are the people screaming at studios to listen to fans, the people pushing for change or insisting on keeping traditions. For better or for worst, they make sure that the anime community is visible, and they push the rest of us to make sure people don’t get the wrong idea. They are *catfish*.
By the way, nothing unites a community quicker than a common enemy. I noticed just one random distasteful tweet thrown my way and before I knew it dozens of people were coming to my rescue, all sharing in our common goal to force acceptance upon some unsuspecting troll. It was glorious!
Now these few benefits may not be worth the price of constantly being stuck in pointless bickering but I submit that the elitist jerk has their place in the anime community.
You’re the better fan, prove it! Show us your cred, defend your thesis, listen to opposing arguments and discredit them through reason. You think someone else is being close minded, ask them why. Maybe that really IS the best genre.
Fact is, we’re all here because we love a silly hobby and pleasures get better when shared with others. Even when those others think we’re an idiot.
This was the dumbest shit I’ve ever read lmao
It was meant for you lol!
Congrats on just learning to read! That is a huge achievement! You are a big boy now! A whole new world of dumb shit is out there for you to explore now.
There are so much gems out there! Like Trump’s Tweets, 4chan in general and some WordPress comments by a guy named Roger!
Rejoice my newly literate brother for your journey has just begun!
One man’s jerk is another’s Trump.
ow…I’m not American but I feel bad for then
As someone who used to be one of the biggest elitist jerks around, I’ve had a lot of interaction with these kinds of people, including the most infamous one in the Anime community. I used to be in ThatAnimeSnob’s Skype group chat, and it was full of some of the most bitter, angry, raging Anime fans I’ve ever seen, myself included at the time. I even pretended to not like shows as much as I did out of fear of appearing less of a “true” Anime fan (which is hilarious in hindsight).
I definitely don’t think that elitism is completely negative, as for what it’s worth, their passion towards the medium can sometimes help to get it noticed. As you said, they are often the loudest voice, and with that loud voice comes influence and the power to make a difference. They also tend to like rather obscure shows and can be a source of hidden gems and underappreciated diamonds in the rough.
That being said, I know for a fact that in a lot of cases, the whole elitism thing is a facade and an attempt to hide a fragile ego and appear superior to feel better about themselves. They tend to put people down to build themselves up to be better, and I don’t agree with that mindset at all. The “jerk” part is the problem, and unfortunately that often comes hand in hand with the “elitist” part. I personally find it very hard to view the two as mutually exclusive, since I’ve always defined elitist as “asshole who acts superior based on taste”. But maybe I’m still an asshole.
I just like what I like, regardless if it’s popular or obscure, and I kind of can’t stand the whole mindset of “obscure is better and popular is for normies and casuals” that elitists tend to push onto the community.
I guess my whole point is while I can see the positive side of it all, I think elitism generally brings much unneeded negativity to a community that is already rife with it as it is.
However, good post! It was very interesting to read and I rather enjoyed your attempt to defend “elitist jerks”. You did a far better job than they themselves do, that’s for sure!
(Sorry for the loooooong comment! I finally found the time!)
Thanks for sharing your thoughts Leth. Our conversations inspired me as you know. See the fact that someone like you who was an elitist (or claims to have been) can turn out to be such a great and welcoming member of the anime fandom is all the proof i need that some elitist jerks are in fact fantastic people.
Also, I love the irony of pretending to like anime less in order to appear a better anime fan!
“In my opinion, the first step towards forming any type of understanding is figuring out where the other person is coming from. ”
That’s the keystone. At the risk of triggering a “that escalated quickly” alarm, humans on this rock ain’t gonna make it if we don’t start there. Like, soon.
Yeah, elitist jerks can be toxic. But we’re a community. We can heal the damage from elitist jerks who alienate newcomers. That’s what our sites do!
Will extending understanding to elitist jerks make them all happy and sunshine? Don’t know; and that’s not the point anyway. Treat people as people. Try to understand everyone. Insist on that approach if you have to. Get militant about it!
“These are the types of personalities that would find my soft stances and gerbil faced optimism completely insufferable…”
Gerbil faced optimism?
Not even close. Being optimistic is tough! It reminds me of a quote from The Return of the King:
“And those who will take a weapon to such an enemy must be sterner than steel, if the very shock shall not destroy them.”
You’re not Éowyn, and you didn’t just go head to head with the Witch King of Angmar, but danged if it isn’t the same idea….
How do you tell if I liked a post? If it inspires me to quote Tolkien, that’s a pretty good indicator…
Well this was an epic comment! I’ve mentioned to another reader that I wasn’t entirely satisfied with this post but I am really loving the conversation around it. My readers are the best
Like so often, I have problems with figuring who or what an “elitist jerk” is. I find you can engage anyone, but with some people you have to try harder (and that’s more often than not a compatibility issue). I think in the community discourse the core “elitist trait” is looking down on someone for their taste. The defnsiveness you describe may be one road to “elitist jerkism”, but there are others (for example finally finding something you’re good at [talking about anime] and letting it get to your head).
It’s possible that some people are natural “elitist jerks”; it’s just the way they engage with the world. In that case, I have to say: If you’re an elitist jerk, own it. That doesn’t mean to indulge as much as possible. It means don’t deny yourself, but take responsibility. Can an elitist jerk contribute to the anime community? Sure, everyone can. It’d be good to tone down the jerk as much as possible, though.
By personality, I’ve never been a fan of elitism. I’m at heart a relativist. Everyone likes what they like because of the way they are: their in-born temperament, they’re learned behaviours. If your claim to elitism comes from a stubborn refusal to watch anything other than what you already like, elitism ends up just another word for stubbornness. But many elitists have seen a lot, and have good and elebarote arguments for their opinions: theire opinions are actually based on a strong foundation. It’d be good to listen to what they have to say, though it’s usually easier, if they’re not being jerks about it.
So why do I still object to elitism? From a relativist stand point, they may have a lot of experience in their field, but they only have experience being themselves, and in that they don’t differ from anyone else. And they can’t make experiences for anyone else. In a high risk environment, elitism is pragmatically sound. I’m fine with a cadre of experts deciding who gets to be a surgeon or a pilot. In anime fandom? It becomes some sort of silly game about “true fans”. You enjoy what you watch and that is that.
Finally, just because you talk like an elitist jerk doesn’t mean you actually are one. As a staunch relativist, for example, I’d have no problem saying things “obviously, the only good anime is…” when what’s really obvious is that it’s only obvious to me. The internet has cured me of this sort communciation style, because it’s hard to understand, and there’s little mitigating body language or vocal intonation. In real life? Nobody’s interested in talking about anime. Other people might keep up with a communication style that works for them in real life, oblivious to or puzzled by the fact that it doesn’t work that way in writing. (Maybe elititsts are more common among anime youtubers? I wouldn’t know, since I don’t watch videos.)
In any case, I don’t really have a problem with elitism online. It’s either and attitude or a conversation style, and as a relativst, I’d say that’s just how they are. If I have a problem I can address it, or choose not to engage them, but even people who annoy me have intersting things to say (which can be annoying to admit).
***
Finally, that last screenshot: is that the show about rice boys from a few season back? It looks vaguely familiar, but I think it’s not something I watched, and that’s the best I can come up with.
It’s my beloved beloved Uta No Prince Sama. You may not have read my reviews for the show…I wouldn’t blame you…
But it is OBVIOUSLY the best show ever
Ah makes sense as it fits both criteria: looks vaguely familiar and haven’t seen it. And, yes, I read your reviews, though I’d probably not have had much to say, considering I haven’t seen it and it’s in one of my weaker genres.
My favorite reviews to write….
Fun to read, too.
You had such a great comment and then I just latched onto the last paragraph… I worry for me.
As usual, we are of a similar mindset so I don’t really have much to add, especially since you already worded it so well.
Its interesting to go back through my life and see what shows I watched at what periods in my life… tastes change so rapidly and constantly, i’ve gone through dozens of phases where one genre or another have seemed to be the godly genre, only to move on to a new one after a season or two. revisited shows I once thought were trash to find I loved them, or gone back to shows I once enjoyed to find that they were actually pretty awful. I think it’s always worth having something you love and care about, something to defend avidly, but also having a willingness to revisit something, to alter your worldview, but still express your love for what you like.
Can’t wait for you to declara Sanrio a masterpiece!
haha that might be a stretch…
Can’t be an elitist jerk if you are a scrub at anime~
JK, I actually act like one all the time to my caveman friend who just watches loli anime 24/7.
Hmm we share some friends…
In the end my main goal is to get others to give anime a chance and to have them enjoy it. If they only watch Narato well good for them they found something that they liked. I love having more people have the same interests as me and I hope I never devalue how big of a “fan” they are of something. I see this a lot with Harry Potter fans where they don’t see those who just watch the movies as true fans. Yes, they probably know that they miss out on a lot of plot from the books, but let them like it.
It did take me a long time to be open and honest about being an otaku, but it also helped my students come forward with the things they like to do once they saw me liking things in an unashamed manner.
They never should have to apologize for liking things. (Unless it is killing people…)
Great posts and I love seeing this point of view.
and also cilantro. It has to stop peole. Not everyone can like cilantro don’t put it in everything…
You know – this post is a little lobsided. I thing missed a few important things and didn’t quite express myself as clearly as I would have liked. But the comments are fantastic so I’m calling it a big win
Lol are you one of the people where it tastes like soap to you?
Oh I wish it tasted like soap.
That would be a serious improvement
A lot of great comments have already been made to your great comments, so let me just add briefly:
Do you have four flat limbs that spin for hours in the summer? Didn’t think so. You ain’t no true fan. 😜
More seriously, I think as you say that we all tend to have some immaturity. I would suggest that maturity is largely about recognizing this.
You know – if I was more petty I would resent the fact that my readers make my comments section the best part of my posts….
As FuelS would say, “pffft.” You’re amazing just by having such an involved readership. (For some reason, autocorrect wanted to change readership to Tetsuo…!)
I agree – I have the best readers. I’ve said so often. I’m an elitist jerk about my readers…
Well, if you’ve gotta be elitist about *something*…
Hahahaha… King of All Otaku XD I love it. They sound like a scary kind of leader, though lol 😀
I must agree with you 🙂 . Although, having an anime Elitist Jerk biting at your heels, trying to enforce their rules upon you, is incredibly unpleasant. You still have to have a tad of sympathy for them. 🙂
Behaviour typical of an anime Elitist Jerk, usually stems from some sort of hurt or control issue.
Also, a lot of their behaviours comes from a need for self-inflation and to feel important. Which in itself stems from poor self-esteem.
In a whole, I think we need to hug Elitist Jerk, rather then attack them 😀
Really good article! While of course I wouldn’t describe myself as a jerk or even elitist, there’s nothing wrong with marking out your taste and then using it to good-naturedly poke fun at friends with worse taste – but when I talk about a show I like, generally the goal is to get those reading it who don’t know it into it, so gatekeeping is counterproductive, and who wants people reading their writing to dislike them? Despite that, I find these types of people quite fun to read. If they have passion, it tends to come off well, and you made the point well there.
I have never hidden my rather unhealthy love of trolls. Most people know to take them with a good heaping of salt.
It’s tiresome when it’s the only discourse you get but once in a while it can be hilarious to watch someone try to objectively justify something that’s simply that objective.
I don’t really pay attention those these types of people and comments. I love hearing passionate discussions, but if you’re shaming people for liking something you find childish or you’re being a jerk to someone because they like a popular shounen, then you’re just pushing people away from the thing you claim to love.
It stops being passionate by that point and more possessive over something that was never yours to begin with. As long as you’re not a jerk, an elitist fan can be fun to watch/listen to.
Agreed – the jerk part is what takes it too far but some people are more sensitive and consider definitive statements that are misguided but not necessarily insulting, hurtful. Like saying for instance Shoujo is an inferior genre…It’s a silly statement but you’re not actually attacking anyone. However, some people consider that very jerky still.
I can understand why they might be angry by that statement, because it makes them feel like they’re inferior for liking that genre. But that’s just someone’s opinion. Why worry about what they think? Enjoy what you’re enjoying and don’t let other people make you feel bad for it.
That being said, people who keep harping on how something is inferior, but can’t explain why they feel this way is annoying. It’s okay to have this viewpoint, even if though I disagree with it, but at least have some backing points so it doesn’t feel like you’re attacking people who are fans of this genre.
Hey – you’re talking to someone who hasn’t even fully grasped the notion of genre yet…”Mullet” is fast becoming one of my favorite anime genres.
Great post, I tend to just ignore them.
That is probably by far the most reasonable way to go about it
The biggest flaw with the Elitist Jerk is that they will ALWAYS keep away more would-be fans from an anime than they convert.
They are essentially gatekeepers and only want people with THEIR insane opinions to even subject their eyes to the godlike beauty of (insert old as fuck anime here) or the high IQ mindgames in (insert harem LN adaptation here).
It’s messed up. I CAN be an elitist jerk with some stuff, but most of it is absurd. I’m an elitist jerk about I Eromanga Sensei, because I insist upon people that it’s actually masterful satire of the imouto lolibait genre.
First: Thank you for not clearly defining old as fuck…
Second – I had not at all considered the impact on new fans or those curious about the genre….Man I did not think this through.
That is an EXCELLENT point and one that really deserves further exploration. Do you mind if I attempt to do so in a future post?
Yes, and if you need any help hashing out some thoughts, I can help out.
After I sleep though, it’s 11 p. m. over here rn XD
You are enthusiastic good sir.
It’s more of a long term plan since my posts are scheduled till july…
This said – feel free to do your own post on the subject – it was after all your idea
The gatekeepers are by far the worst incarnation of the elitist snob. I get taking pride in something you really enjoy, but making it virtually inhospitable to outsiders is taking it too far.
Absolutely.
What we should do is figure out how to make them a productive part of our community since I don’t think they’ll go away.
I say that like I have a suggestion. I do not…. The actual brilliant solutions is up to my actual brilliant readers..cough…
I don’t think all the brilliant readers in the world can solve that problem. At best we can try to mitigate it; some people are just jerks, and elitist gatekeeping is how they choose to manifest their jerkish-ness.
I keep trying to be a good elitist jerk…
But I think I’m only mildly offending people! I typically leave at least a couple BS points in my arguments to provoke people…
But no one bites!
;_;
Right – people are too nice… Well keep trying! I believe in you!
I’ve always kinda thought that the best way to enjoy any story is to be as critical as possible…
I’m really just trying to see as many sides as possible- for shows I’m critical of, I really just want to know why people like it. I really want to enjoy as many shows as possible!
That’s sweet although sometimes I find I love a show but have ZERO idea why.
I can throw out buzz words but ultimately, I just got a crush on a show.
It’s a good thing no one is actually paying me for reviews.
Yep…
We’ve all been there!
It’s just a real cathartic feeling for me when I can say, “Hey! That’s just one more reason why I love this show so much!”
I’ve done this kind of test with my mother, who doesn’t think much about the shows she watches. I ask her why she likes something, but she can’t answer. But when something happens and I ask her, she’ll sometimes say that that’s why she likes it!
Basically, we all have reasons to like stuff, even if we can’t pinpoint one specific one, or explain it to ourselves and others. By encouraging criticism, I kinda hope to expand my personal outlook…
Basically, I’m blogging for an intensely selfish reason! 👍
Well, this was interesting. I even see your point in a way, but one line stuck out to me:
“People will respond much more readily to an impassioned plea, no matter how unfounded or ridiculous it may be, than a reasoned and researched analysis.”
I don’t want to believe it, but I know it’s true, and it’s things like this that make me re-evaluate even wanting to share my interests with people. My enthusiasm for even wanting to talk about anime is severely challenged when faced against someone who has more interest in being loud than actually talking.
I understand what you mean. I can see that. I really have no counter – a lot of fantastic voices get drown out by a very few questionable ones and that’s really a shame…
I may need to post a counter point to my own post…..
If you ever want a reasoned, possibly impassioned, discussion re anime, you know where to find me. Just don’t disagree with my otp picks. 😸
Sure, I’ll keep that in mind.
I have zero opinions about ‘ships’ so feel free to opine as you like!
One of the problems with anime fans is most of them don’t believe that their tastes will evolve as they mature or see things in the genres of anime. They just can’t accept the possibility that what they like NOW won’t necessarily be what they like in 2 year or 5 years or 10 years. I’ve been watching anime for decades, just like you, and have seen every kind and learned to ignore certain types because they’re meant for very young or very immature viewers, especially the boys anime for boys in the 11-14 yo range and the girls 12-16 yo genres. These are shows made for those specific audiences, and the “elitist jerk” might actually be expressing that they’re not from that audience without realizing that anime is more tightly marketed than they understand. Inexperience and naivete at work. Being smug about it is one of those sins of youth. If they continue to watch anime as they get older they will eventually notice the pattern and feel a degree of embarassment over their earlier errors. Over their elitism.
I was once an elitist cyberpunk, back when it was a minor genre that was poorly known, more than 10 years before The Matrix mainstreamed it and ruined it, making it just something housewives with minivans and bluetooth enabled smartphones were using to cause traffic accidents and drive over kids in the crosswalk because their social media updated that one party picture. Cyberpunk was once elite. Now its every social media user. A GoPro camera or streaming website through a smartphone is pretty much what was described in 1988’s Snow Crash. It was elite ironic humor and became normal daily life for the first world. Decades later what was considered absurdity is now partially life as usual.
And I still owe Billy Idol an apology for his groundbreaking album back in 1995, which we elitists objected to for trying to steal our elite genre. I don’t feel bad for mocking Heavy Weather by Bruce Sterling. He deserves the apology from James Cameron, who stole the main plot for Twisters without credit. Holy Fire was better, probably the best book Sterling ever wrote. As DNA scientists it was inspiring and you might read that one.
The point is when you get into a genre, you get protective of it and alarmed by attempts to mainstream it for profit, something that happens with anything good and revolutionary. That happened to Cyberpunk. And it happens with Anime, which is more convenient to watch now than ever before, and its also less creative and more repetititive today than ever before, because its an industry based on profit margins, NOT art. In the old days you really had to work to find programs to watch and they cost real money to buy a season, around $100 per show. Now you can stream shows a week after they aired in Japan, and its all so easy you don’t feel as invested in the effort, so modern anime fans are just “filthy casuals”. Yeah, casuals.
Young fans can’t believe that, but older and more cynical fans who have seen it all can afford to be cynical about it, and seeing yet another uncredited rip off of an older show just makes you roll your eyes. Or one of those shows for kiddies that these teens will eventually grow out of be as embarrassed as 8man was about his former Dark Flame Master tendencies when faced with his fat Chuunibyo loser friend from Middle School days (SNAFU). Nobody wants to remember they were chuuni, but most people grow out of it and few people will remember. I feel like every Naruto fan is chuuni. And every Deathnote fan ought to have their basement searched for corpses because that’s a show for serial killer psychopaths. It isn’t entertaining for normal people. Is that elitist? I don’t know, but I’ve met enough serial killers in the real world to find the fact they’re all over the place here in California (and elsewhere, don’t kid yourself, they’re 5% of the population) to make casual interaction with the general public risky behavior.
When anime fans grow up and mature their tastes will change, and either they’ll stop watching or they’ll like different anime they’d ignored before. Providing recommendations for anime that others have grown to appreciate as they mature is helpful, though the style of recommendation might come across as elitist, and if rude, jerks. I’m trying to say it can’t be helped. And don’t bother recommending to sub-16 boys because they’ve got Naruto and won’t want much else.
You have a lot of very defined opinions. Thanks for sharing
I could take that statement so many ways. Do you think anime fans taste evolution is responsible for the “elitist jerks” complaint?
My personal experience has been that people either evolve out of it or older fans get scared of change and don’t give newer ones a chance but both cases are a minority of the overall community.
I haven’t seen that myself. I see poorly worded suggestions which are taken the wrong way by snowflakes a little early into their anime evolution. The older fans should be more perceptive and communicate better, but you’re also dealing with both trolls and hardcore otaku who lack the social skills in the first place. You and I have been watching anime longer than most of the other fans have been alive.
Sadly, that might be true. But I’ve met a fair deal of fans in their 30s. I mentionned it a while ago but I beleive the demographics have shifted considerably in the past few years and this sort of old school view of a homogenous crowd of teenage boys is no longer as acurate as it use to be. Which is great news.
interesting idea. i can usually shrug these kinds of opinions off, so i dont really feel like i have much of a say here. id say that any opinion, elitist or not, should be open for discussion. if you state controversial opinions without a reason, then i think you’re just being boring. im not a huge fan of the “it’s just my opinion” defense.
It’s just my opinion is sort of a non statemnt. Obviously it’s your opinion – how did you derive it?
Excellent points as always! I think there’s a fine line between passion and elitism, as you highlight here, and it’s important to be aware of that. To put it another way, there’s a difference between wanting more people to be aware of something you’ve always enjoyed and felt is unfairly maligned, and declaring everyone who doesn’t recognise the excellence of [insert thing here… ooh, Matron] as people with “trash” opinions. (I hate the word “trash”, it’s become so overused… and misused, for that matter, since everyone seems to use it to mean “I didn’t really enjoy this” rather than “this is literal garbage”)
To go off on a tangent, a good example of a similar phenomenon can be found in the distinction between “elitists” and “experts” in a multiplayer game like Final Fantasy XIV. The elitists will be all “ffs, watch a video on the boss fights before coming in, noob” and berate anyone who messes up because they don’t know what to do, while the experts will patiently explain mechanics to newcomers, even if the encounter is months or years old. Both are at the top of their game, but one is much more inclusive than the other!
This whole thing is something I always try and remain aware of with my work. When highlighting games I’ve enjoyed or that are particularly important to me, I try not put across the idea that something is “better” than something else because that’s such a subjective view under most criteria. (Okay, you can be objectively *technically* superior, particularly in gaming, but that doesn’t mean the entire experience is “better”; some of my favourite experiences are “weak” in terms of technical proficiency.) Likewise, I have no time for the big budget or super-popular releases of the day like Call of Duty or Fortnite, but rather than making a big noise about the things I might think the games I like do better than those… I simply step away from them and leave them to it! There’s room for everyone, no-one is obliged to like everything — and where opinions differ it’s best to remain respectful and open-minded. You might just learn something new!
Well man…when it takes like 45 minutes to even get to the boss and getting all your heals and tanks set up for the raid in the first place is almost impossible, and like 10 minutes for those so and sos to get their buffs straight, you don’t wanna wipe in the fist two minutes…Watch a video nooblet and don’t f’in stand in fire….
I mean uhm…yeah jerks are the worst…haha…. it’s suppose to be fun… I wasn’t a horrible officer…
You know, maybe we just need ONE jerk per community, to make the rest of us look good.
I hadn’t thought of it that way. Jerks have a useful purpose after all! Long live jerks!
ALSO STAND ON THE GODDAMN PADS HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL U STOOPID TANK
yeah Mana isn’t infinite….learn to mitigate…. also Don’t Shield Tanks! …
This got out of hand
Damn you Pete and your long comments putting mine to shame! 😉😉👍
I have a habit of verboseness. To a fault. 🙂
It’s okay. I always love reading your opinions! I’ll just have to work harder on my own. 😉💖
Depends on your definition of fault
Join the club, mate. I mean, my comments here are short, because you’ve already covered most of it. But I feel we are kindred spirits.😸👍
I ship it
Pete is vernacularly gifted
A brave defense, but I felt that you were grasping at straws a little with this one! 😂 Definitely a tough defense!
It was that when you got trolled, you had people come to your defense, it can just as easily go the other way where the troll get everyone riled up against you and their work is done!! You never know on this magical, sometimes horrible, place called the interweb.
No ways – everyone on the internet is nice!
Yeah – maybe there were some straws there….I tried though.. I really did!
I give you a gold star for effort!! 🌟
And, did you have to grasp ALL the straws?? Now what will I use in my drink after you’ve had your HANDS all over them!! 😂😉
pffth My hands have been soaking in booze – they are DELICIOUS! I should point out it’s early morning here
Ha ha!! Here too! I really need to stop commenting on things in the morning… It’s always gotten weird… Or barely English… And Mmmm…. Alcohol soaked hands…. I’m going to stop myself right there and get up for work, instead of being highly inappropriate… Ha ha ha!! 💖🍻
Fine…we’ll go the inappropriate route next time!
ALWAYS!! Ha ha! I don’t think I know how to be APPROPRIATE!! 😂