Fandoms and Gatekeeping

[SomeRandom]

So we all have our little hobbies and interests. And we all like to find people who share those interests so we may discuss, gush and even argue over said shared passion.
But there's always that one subset that has to try to ruin it for everyone else. The gatekeepers. I've seen it in practically every community I'm a part of. Readers judging people as lesser because I don't know they read comics or listen to audiobooks. Star Wars fans attacking anyone who so much as expresses indifference towards the sequel trilogy. Gamers calling anyone who plays mobile games filthy casuals.
Even in fandoms who's source material preaches tolerance, it's like a game of seeking out the "faker" and righteously driving them out of the club.
Why? Is this merely tribalism? And what are some of your experiences with your particular fandoms?

 

[ADigitalArtist]

There are people who are now in their 30s to 50s who were geeks back in the 70's, 80s and 90s when it was much less acceptable to be so. Because of this there ends up being the sort of rite of passage mentality where they suffered for their hobby, therefore they have a special place in the upper echelons as real fans. People who aren't seen as putting their due diligence or having to suffer through adversity are getting a free ride with some fan title like gamer, unearned, in their eyes.

Or sometimes it's as simple as people being resistant to change in their hobby. The show critical role (streamed show where a bunch of charming actor friends get together and play Dungeons & Dragons) is huge, and there's a growing gatekeeper movement that says that you can't be a real fan of Dungeons & Dragons unless you play it as opposed to watch it. Which sounds a bit to me like saying real football fans play instead of watch.

 

[sun rise]

This is all too common in so many areas. Politics is an obvious example as are fanatical followers of religion or in rejection of religion. To me, there are aspects of tribalism but people can be tribal without being fanatics.

 

[Curious George]

So we all have our little hobbies and interests. And we all like to find people who share those interests so we may discuss, gush and even argue over said shared passion.
But there's always that one subset that has to try to ruin it for everyone else. The gatekeepers. I've seen it in practically every community I'm a part of. Readers judging people as lesser because I don't know they read comics or listen to audiobooks. Star Wars fans attacking anyone who so much as expresses indifference towards the sequel trilogy. Gamers calling anyone who plays mobile games filthy casuals.
Even in fandoms who's source material preaches tolerance, it's like a game of seeking out the "faker" and righteously driving them out of the club.
Why? Is this merely tribalism? And what are some of your experiences with your particular fandoms?

I don't think i can be considered a "real" fan of pretty much anything. I suppose as a "not-a-real-fan," I have occasionally run into these gatekeeper types, but I can't really remember any experience with them. My memory of them seems peripheral. I have heard people insinuating or exclaiming "real-fan" criteria, though I have never been bothered or confronted. I suppose I find it slightly humorous.

Perhaps if I think harder, an experience might come to me or, worse, I will remember a time when I was guilty of said behavior.

 

[Jumi]

I think a lot of those fandoms use things like "filthy casual" in a joking way. Though there are some serious ones, with mental problems. It's the same with pretty much any group people join or arbitrarily become part of. Like a less intense version of politics, religion and sports clubs.

 

[PureX]

Basically, what you are describing is self-centered prejudice. And it's a common behavior among we humans. I believe it's driven by the ego, which seeks to protect and maintain one's idea of self regardless of reason or effect. The essential goal is to raise one's esteemed idea of self by diminishing the esteem of others. It becomes 'tribal" because that self esteem also craves the ratification of those who are willing to give it, so it becomes an "us over them". And the "us" group forms and holds itself together through their mutual ratification of their own superior self-esteem, based on the exclusion of all those they deem to be of lesser esteem.

It's all about the ego. And unfortunately we humans have not learned to recognize the irrationality of this aspect of our own psyches, yet, so as to take control of it and reign it in. We still believe the nonsense that our egos are constantly telling us about ourselves, and about each other. And it generates endless strife among us.

 

[SomeRandom]

I think a lot of those fandoms use things like "filthy casual" in a joking way. Though there are some serious ones, with mental problems. It's the same with pretty much any group people join or arbitrarily become part of. Like a less intense version of politics, religion and sports clubs.

Sometimes. People even embrace monikers like "scrub" in the gaming community. It just depends on who's using them. But insults among friends can still be used insultingly towards others. Normally I just shrug off anything people say to me. But not everyone is like that.

 

[Augustus]

It's a kind of hipsterism, everyone wants to be special and have their own thing that forms part of their identity.

When too many others start doing that thing, especially those who aren't as devoted or didn't work so hard to discover it and so don't 'belong', people start losing a bit of their identity. Basically, people become associated with those who they perceive themselves as different to and want to remove from 'their' territory.

It's basically the same as that cultural appropriation nonsense where people say 'only Mexicans can cook Mexican food' or 'only Chinese people can wear Chinese dresses'.

 

[Quintessence]

Outside of the cesspools of the internet - where trolling is practically a profession - I can't say I notice any of this. My response to it is to not engage those people, and refuse to adopt or repeat the troll-ridden pejorative terminology, even if it is to criticize it. Nobody in my social circles has such attitudes or uses such language, and nor will I empower it by repeating it.

 

[Sanzbir]

Readers judging people as lesser because I don't know they read comics or listen to audiobooks. Star Wars fans attacking anyone who so much as expresses indifference towards the sequel trilogy. Gamers calling anyone who plays mobile games filthy casuals.

While the second may be an example of what you are talking about, the first and third are not "gatekeeping". Readers aren't preventing comics fans from reading books. Gamers aren't preventing mobile players from playing console or PC games.

Both of those are more of examples of preference/prejudice against outgroups rather than preventing anyone from joining an in-group. Generally speaking, people who prefer audiobook or graphic novel format aren't looking to switch format to paper. And typically people who play mobile aren't interested in playing pc or console games.

 

[SomeRandom]

While the second may be an example of what you are talking about, the first and third are not "gatekeeping". Readers aren't preventing comics fans from reading books. Gamers aren't preventing mobile players from playing console or PC games.

Both of those are more of examples of preference/prejudice against outgroups rather than preventing anyone from joining an in-group. Generally speaking, people who prefer audiobook or graphic novel format aren't looking to switch format to paper. And typically people who play mobile aren't interested in playing pc or console games.

I disagree. People who read comics/graphic novels or listen to audiobooks are often readers who enjoy multiple different types of reading for different reasons. For example many "Booktube channels" confess to using audiobooks because of work commutes or because they're walking their dog, rather than having a specific preference. But the snobbery against it causes them to have to defend themselves.
People who enjoy graphic novels can be potentially turned off from exploring other types of books because of the cliquish nature of readers.
Same with mobile gamers. They stay in their niche because it causes less drama. And there is an overlap of mobile gamers and PC/Console gamers. Because some of us just enjoy playing games in general, regardless of platform. But again you have this cliquish divide so it's almost done in secret because it just causes less drama to stick to your circles.

You'd think with mainstream media vilifying certain games or even books, there'd be a stronger sense of comradery. But everyone seems to break off into even more groups.

 

[Woberts]

And there is an overlap of mobile gamers and PC/Console gamers.

>implying console gamers are real gamers

 

[Woberts]

There are a few subreddits devoted to gatekeeping. Here's a link to the biggest one.