RPG A Day 2020: Day 12—Message
When I think about message nowadays in the context of anything entertainment related, I unfortunately envision the “woke” / “Cancellation”/“Participation Trophy” culture. If you’re one of my 15 or so regular readers—you are a strong and loyal group—or if you took the time to read my profile, then you know I embrace the deplorable term hoisted upon conservatives by Lady Hillary back in 2016. I don’t really like messages in my entertainment and usually the message amounts to propaganda and you can bet it usually leans to the left. I like my entertainment to be as neutral as it can be politically. We’re hopefully playing RPGs—and reading comic-books, listening to music and watching TV and movies for that matter—for entertainment, not for indoctrination.
I suppose I should point out the obvious and say that there are well known examples of all the media I just listed with “historic” and “cultural” importance that were purposely meant to deliver a message, but generally speaking the “very special” episodes of ‘Diff’rent Strokes’ that I had to put up with as a kid in the 1980’s were some of the worst I remember and any message they had only made me want to cringe. I get the same feeling from so many RPGs—there’s a whole drama with this culture involving comic-books, but it’s not Comic-A-Day—coming out these days with their “safe words”, sanitized presentations, and virtue signaling social media accounts. They aren’t quite selling—or not selling as it turns out—Gillette razor blades, but every time I read a tweet from these creators it makes me wonder whether or not I’m in the right hobby.
Much like an earlier entry this month, I do let the other shoe drop and ‘walk it back’ a little as the soy boys like to say because I like that in the case of RPGs that the table has become more inclusive because it gives me more chances to play. In my day there were almost no girls who liked to play aside from girlfriends and/or wives that were essentially dragged there. I like that we’re open to virtually all ages now. It has always been a thing for guys to never grow up or to have a second childhood, but nowadays it wouldn’t be embarrassing—except maybe to a surly teen—if a mom or grandma wanted to play. I like that. Believe it or not I also like the so-called ‘X’ Card. For all my bluster, anything beyond PG-13 in games I run happen below decks. However, it is still possible to be offensive and not even no it, so if one of the snowflakes flash the card or PM me with an ‘X’ I know to back off.
If this entry has a message it’s to just have fun and know your table. If I had a message to the companies it is don’t preach to me and don’t imply that I’m a bad person for the way I play.
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