The Stereotype

Hi gang

I've seen a similar idea for a thread on 4chan but I thought I'd ask you guys to voice your opinions on this one anyway.

We all know "The Stereotype" - Gamers: a lonely, dark and depressing subculture populated by societal rejects who are typically identified by the following characteristics (amongst many)...

-Overweight/Obese
-Unpopular
-Nerdy
-Poor Hygeine
-Lack of Social Skills
-Tend to stay at home (still living at home/no job in the case of the older ones)
-Misanthrophic (and dangerously so if we are to believe what we read in the papers)
Etc, etc...

Now, I don't know abut you guys, but I find this puzzling. For every person I do know who even loosely meets these criteria, I know a dozen gamers who don't, and I like to think I can include myself in the latter category. I've got an okay job (Production Assistant) and I'm in training for a better one, I've got a decent amount of friends who I see regularly and a steady girlfriend, I look after myself without being OCD about it, I stay fit (jogging and weights) and don't spend half my day eating junk food and while I'd like to think I'm smart enough I'm not THAT smart that I could reasonably be called a "nerd". Yet I count video games among my biggest hobbies...

So what exactly is going on here? Is my case unique in that the majority of gamers I know personally don't fit the bill here and elsewhere The Stereotype is the rule rather than the exception? Or is this simply a case of the few extreme instances of a negative lifestyle born of a particular obsession being used to tar anybody interested in the same area with one collective brush (and boy, doesn't the mainstream media love that)?

Your thoughts? ???

- csula

 

All stereotypes are wrong Csula as it is generalisation.

For me:
-Overweight/Obese- Nope, quite a decent muscle mass actually.
-Unpopular- Yes, but that's because I beat up some bullies.
-Nerdy- Sorta
-Poor Hygeine- NOOOOOOOO WAY, quite the opposite in fact.
-Lack of Social Skills- Partly, I can't tolerate some people.
-Tend to stay at home (still living at home/no job in the case of the older ones)- Nope, I exercise alot
-Misanthrophic (and dangerously so if we are to believe what we read in the papers) -Nope

Some people have some qualities but not all

 

Our events manager Winterreise is a hardcore gamer, but he's not over weight because the guy's a health buff, he even had several threads about good lealth & dieting as well.

 

-Overweight/Obese - I wish i had some fat actually, i'm pretty skinny.
-Unpopular - I have a group of friends i hang out with and i know a lot of people.
-Nerdy - not really.
-Poor Hygeine - not at all, i take a shower twice a day and wash my hands thoroughly.
-Lack of Social Skills - Not really, some people piss me off a lot.
-Tend to stay at home (still living at home/no job in the case of the older ones) - not really. I play basketball and walk from school with my friends.
-Misanthrophic (and dangerously so if we are to believe what we read in the papers) - not really suicidal or anything. Not at all exactly.

 

-Overweight/Obese - Pretty buff
-Unpopular - Nope
-Nerdy - Yes
-Poor Hygeine - Nope
-Lack of Social Skills - Nope
-Tend to stay at home (still living at home/no job in the case of the older ones) -Sometimes
-Misanthrophic (and dangerously so if we are to believe what we read in the papers) - No

 

The stereotype mostly arose due to mainstream media's representations of people who were at first into things like D&D, then videogames. The similarities between these groups' stereotypes are numerous.

Basically, it's a form of propaganda. The image hasn't died out despite gaming becoming more mainstream simply because mainstream gaming has only surfaced in the last decade or so, so we've still been exposed to images that shape opinions in this way. Same thing happened to people who used computers in the 70s and 80s.

I'd say I know a few really hardcore gamers who fit the bill, though. Mostly WoWheads. Faggots.

 

-Overweight/Obese - Average, not too fat, not too skinny
-Unpopular - Not really, I'm known as the guy who can't speak tagalog :S
-Nerdy - Yes.
-Poor Hygeine - OCD.
-Lack of Social Skills - Not really... I have a bad temper though.
-Tend to stay at home (still living at home/no job in the case of the older ones) - Not really, I go out with my friends and such.
-Misanthropic - What does this mean?

 

im not sure. im just guessing but i think its someone who is like crazy over videogames. so crazy that they'd kill anyone who'd try and stop them from playing

 

-Overweight/Obese: I got some fat because i used to be overweight, but not Obese.
-Unpopular: yes, i got better thing to do then to promote my self
-Nerdy: dont know, some people lable me as geek and nerd before.
-Poor Hygeine: you got me there.....you should see my room.
-Lack of Social Skills: i dont like to socialize, so maybe its true.
-Tend to stay at home: i got a job, but i really perfer to stay at home.
-Misanthrophic: i always said Human is parasite, virus or cancer to earth......

according to the defination i found on google, misanthropic mean hating mankind (human)

 

-Overweight/Obese: Right now, nearly overweight since the day I stopped involving myself with the roadworks
-Unpopular: nope, I got a talent in having the attention of others when needed
-Nerdy: I guess...a little
-Poor Hygeine: cleanaholic
-Lack of Social Skills: Average, I'd socialize if given enough time
-Tend to stay at home: Likely, but I got school to go to
-Misanthrophic: okay, then...almost yes

 

-Overweight/Obese I'm Pretty Fat,Not That Fat Though.
-Unpopular I Have Alot Of Friends,I'm Always One Of The Most Popular In My Class.
-Nerdy I May Be Obsessed With Math,But I Sometimes Get 80-85 In One Subject.
-Poor Hygeine I Wash My Hands Everyday!
-Lack of Social Skills I Have Alot Of Friends.
-Tend to stay at home (still living at home/no job in the case of the older ones)I Go Out From Time To Time To Play Basketball with others.
-Misanthrophic (and dangerously so if we are to believe what we read in the papers) Wuh?

 

-Overweight/Obese-Lean and mean.
-Unpopular-Kinda happy with my small group of nerds
-Nerdy-Yes (SOLID)
-Poor Hygeine-I wash too much
-Lack of Social Skills-Not Really
-Tend to stay at home-By Summer then Yes
-Misanthrophic-SHHHHHHHHH I don't trust you >_>

 

These apply to me



-Unpopular (semi popular...until I had to quit last job, and my social circle is rather limited...and rarely invited anywhere)
-Lack of Social Skills (The most I socialze is when I'm here or at work-super market crap )
-Tend to stay at home (but I am planning to move out...when I get a job that pays more than 390 a week)
-Misanthrophic (not all the time, but at times...when the weight of the world comes down)


I WAS considered nerdy, but I lack real intellect-just random pop culture and facts...and not much...




I was once proud to be who i am until a life changing event happened...but I can't say here...another time, another place...

 

Overweight/Obese: Average size and weight.
Unpopular: I was actually one of the more well-known people for some reason. =/
Nerdy: I don't think I ever fit this description, but I'm sure I've had a couple weird moments.
Poor Hygeine: I can't stand being dirty and fail to see how anyone can stand it. Also, showers are too awesome not to have every day.
Lack of Social Skills: Not really.
Tend to stay at home (still living at home/no job in the case of the older ones): I've been staying home a lot more lately since I'm not working(having a hell of a time finding work too...) and I don't really have the money to go out partying all the time. =/
-Misanthrophic (and dangerously so if we are to believe what we read in the papers): I get annoyed with people but I wouldn't go as far as to say I hate them. Some people I'm undoubtedly going to hate but that's just the way things are.

 

-Overweight/Obese - I am very underweight. BMI of 15.9.
-Unpopular - Kind of. But not really.
-Nerdy - Geeky, not nerdy. Geeks are way better than nerds.
-Poor Hygeine - No.
-Lack of Social Skills - Yes.
-Tend to stay at home (still living at home/no job in the case of the older ones) - Well, it's been raining nonstop for like a week here in NYC. But no nonetheless.
-Misanthrophic (and dangerously so if we are to believe what we read in the papers) - Meh. Not really.

 

I never did answer this on my previous post, oops!

-Overweight/Obese - I've got Mario's belly, other than that I'm ok.
-Unpopular - In the real world, a little. On cyberspace, I hope not.
-Nerdy - You could say I love to read, but my spelling skills suck at times so I'm greatful we do have a resident Grammar Nazi around
-Poor Hygeine - As long as I look pleasant for the people around me then I'm ok.
-Lack of Social Skills - Definitely
-Tend to stay at home (still living at home/no job in the case of the older ones) - Nope, though I'd love to sleep in whenever I can, I do need to go out for work & my Masters degree classes.
-Misanthrophic (and dangerously so if we are to believe what we read in the papers) - I want the world to end ala Chrono Trigger style but I don't have the resources to do so, so no.... for now that is ;D

 

Overweight/Obese - underweight
-Unpopular - kinda popular at school, everybody knows my name (in good way... mostly ;D)
-Nerdy - not really
-Poor Hygeine - no
-Lack of Social Skills - bit shy when meeting new ppl, but after that...NO, I love to talk...
-Tend to stay at home (still living at home/no job in the case of the older ones) - I like staying at home, but I'm always going out with my friends when there is occasion
-Misanthrophic (and dangerously so if we are to believe what we read in the papers) - bad tempered, I'm getting into troubles sometimes...

 

- Overweight/Obese - A little overweight, but it's going to be fixed as soon as my medication is fixed.
- Unpopular - Umm.. No?
- Nerdy - A little
- Poor Hygeine - Only if I'm sick
- Lack of Social Skills - Yes, but that's because of my freight of social situations
- Tend to stay at home - Well, don't have job atm and the freight of social situations is affecting my school really badly. (Last time I went to school was in February. --.-')
- Misanthrophic - GUILTY!

 

I am about 5" 1' and weigh about 85 pounds.