http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/278/whats-the-deal-with-dungeons-and-dragons
I’m just sort of amazed by how far geek culture has come since this article was written. The tone of the article (these crazy outsiders do a scary thing called “role playing”) just seems so ridiculous by modern standards when RPGs are some the most popular forms of entertainment that exist.
That article wasn’t good even when it was first written .
I find the article amusing, and I contest the claim that “RPGs are some the most popular forms of entertainment that exist”. Even if you count MMORPGs, which in my opinion is a totally different beast than paper and dice AD&D, it’s still a niche activity derided by the majority.
Really? I mean, if you count computer/videogame RPGs, they seem thoroughly mainstream. Most shopping malls have an EB or Gamestop, and these stores frequently give pride of place to displays for the latest big-budget RPG. And Bioware, in particular, makes a real effort to incorporate AD&D rules into its games.
The article is dated September 26, 1980.
In the article, Cecil says “Although Gygax left the company [TSR] in the mid-1980s,”.
Sooo… Cecil had powers of precognition?
Some things in that 30-year-old article remain accurate.
mlees, some articles are updated periodically.
No shit. I’m sorry to say that this is Cecil at his worst.
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: I think TPBT should seriously consider dropping or completely re-doing a lot of the older columns, and this is a prime example.
Interesting first post.
Anyways, does anyone know if this was while Ed was editing the column, or back when he had previous editors? I don’t think Ed would let Cecil get by with that tone today.
Speaking of Role Playing…:eek:
Ed took over in 1978, I think, so …
If Dungeons and Dragons were really mainstream, Legend of the Seeker wouldn’t be the only fantasy on US television, and it wouldn’t be facing cancelation. Sorry guys, but in the eyes of the world at large, you’re still geeks.
–
John W. Kennedy
Renaissance-Faire actor and active member of the Int’l Wizard of Oz Club.
With all due respect John, what do you call yourself?
I mean, it would appear to me that you get to do more LARPing than the tabletop D&D division. And well, I’m not too sure that LARPers are any less [if not more] geeky.
“Here is a fellow calls himself I…”
– Charles Williams, “Thomas Cranmer of Canterbury”
I think John W. Kennedy was signaling that he was using the term “geek” from the inside.
The Straight Dope has been in/on various outlets over the years, including the Straight Dope books, a forum on AOL, The Straight Dope on A&E, and its own website.
In that time some of the original columns have been updated as needed for various reasons. Apparently the D&D column was updated before The Straight Dope book was published – I find this information in the book as well.
I must unfortunately agree. Clearly Cecil is (or was, thirty years ago, at least) no gamer.
How come we don’t see more columns like this nowadays?
“Cecil, what’s this new-fangled ‘krumping’ that all the kids are doing?”
“I don’t get this ‘Grand Theft Auto III’ that those little whippersnappers are talking about. Can you explain it?”
“Can you explain ‘Radiohead’ to me? I don’t understand have someone can have a radio for a head!”
Ok, thanks. I knew there was a logical reason, even if I couldn’t think of it off the top of my head.