Viewpoint Unpopular roleplay opinions?

[Marisathief]

I've done a lot of RP snooping and reading. Many RP pro LGBT things, but do not want any form of 'hate' in their RPs. I understand that the large LGBT audience within an RP community will want to RP things positive for them, but I have never seen (outside of my own RPs) homophobia, racism, and so on RP'd seriously. I feel having these themes present would empower the LGBT community more.

How would this empower the LGBT community more?

 

[SadistPoet]

How would this empower the LGBT community more?

Would you like an example from my own RP I'm running? Or a more broad explanation?

 

[Marisathief]

Would you like an example from my own RP I'm running? Or a more broad explanation?

More so your reasoning.

 

[SadistPoet]

More so your reasoning.

The idea of RPing in a setting devoid of any opposition or hatred (like the real world) is needless wish fulfillment. Plunging players into setting where racism, sexism, and homophobia is rationalized by groups in power tests their own beliefs and re-affirms them by having their homosexual/characters of color "fight the power." I also think having these themes present can bring to light why many people believe these ways, or bring new angles to these kinds of characters. For example, I have a nigh-literal nazi in the RP in my roleplay I am running, but outside of her manic hatred she has positive aspects you would never see if you are on the end of her hatred.

 

[Marisathief]

The idea of RPing in a setting devoid of any opposition or hatred (like the real world) is needless wish fulfillment.

Isn't the point of roleplaying as a hobby to have fun? Needless wish fulfillment is the point for some people. Roleplaying is escapism

 

[SadistPoet]

Isn't the point of roleplaying as a hobby to have fun? Needless wish fulfillment is the point for some people. Roleplaying is escapism

I understand that aspect I guess. I use it as an outlet to share philosophical ideas or raise political questions. I find that fun.

 

[Nue]

I guess I can see both sides of that, but I'm not really so convinced it would empower anyone. On the one hand, if people do want to include those themes in a RP, they should be free to without hate (although they should probably clarify that they don't personally think any of that stuff, if they don't want to isolate their RP partners)

But on the other hand.. I don't necessarily think LGBT people wanting to RP a light, fluffy scenario without bigotry present is a bad thing. We *know* homophobia exists - we experience every day. It's shitty and awful and not necessarily something I'd want to include in every RP, esp when it can be a source of trauma for some people. That's not me saying it can never be roleplayed - I'm gay and I don't think I'd shy away from including it in a RP occasionally - but just that I don't see it becoming a source of empowerment, really. I actually find it sort of the opposite, speakibg personally.

Plus you have to think, amongst the LGBT content we have, so much of it focuses on the angst and the ugliness of homophobia and transphobia, so I'm not really surprised that when people RP, they wanna just do cute fluffy romance stuff.

 

[Marisathief]

The idea of RPing in a setting devoid of any opposition or hatred (like the real world) is needless wish fulfillment. Plunging players into setting where racism, sexism, and homophobia is rationalized by groups in power tests their own beliefs and re-affirms them by having their homosexual/characters of color "fight the power." I also think having these themes present can bring to light why many people believe these ways, or bring new angles to these kinds of characters. For example, I have a nigh-literal nazi in the RP in my roleplay I am running, but outside of her manic hatred she has positive aspects you would never see if you are on the end of her hatred.

Still hadn't explained how that's empowering though. How would it help the LGBT community?
They understand why people hate them and many people see any reason to hate someone for their sexuality is irrational. So they thinking of "well they just don't know why people have them" is assuming they didn't before.

 

[ApfelSeine]

There is value in approaching rp in multiple ways. But you've gotta let people have their fun, so you need to find a group or partner that fits what you wanna do. You can't deny someone their safer fluffier stories just like you can't deny someone who wants to look at the more political/sociological aspects that are affecting different communities.

Some people don't like to have to deal with the same bs they deal in real life. Others like to delve more into it in a manner they control. Those are pretty polar opposite in terms of what fun you'll get out of an rp. As such a you can't go into a sweet, slur free roleplay and start saying that players are wrong for wanting to rp a story that doesn't make them uncomfortable. By the same token, you can't go into a roleplay that includes (non rpn censored) slurs or less inviting themes and tell them they have to accommodate you and things that are triggering. Ideally, the themes of the roleplay are clear from the get go, and you can either hit the back button or read on. If you don't like what a person is interested in rping then simply move on.

 

[Marisathief]

Plus you have to think, amongst the LGBT content we have, so much of it focuses on the angst and the ugliness of homophobia and transphobia, so I'm not really surprised that when people RP, they wanna just do cute fluffy romance stuff.

SadistPoet
Seriously, there is a lot of LGBT media, roleplays and real life events that focus on hate or have story elements involving hate. You can have a rp of any genera with any story with a LGBT character in it. LGBT hate had been covered. What about rp that's about a gay teenager who befriends a tiger on a different planet? Having a greater diversity in cast vastly expands what you can do within a story! If you want to include hateful characters, sure fine, but then that would be the what's holding the story back and making it samey and generic.

 

[SadistPoet]

I guess I can see both sides of that, but I'm not really so convinced it would empower anyone. On the one hand, if people do want to include those themes in a RP, they should be free to without hate (although they should probably clarify that they don't personally think any of that stuff, if they don't want to isolate their RP partners)

But on the other hand.. I don't necessarily think LGBT people wanting to RP a light, fluffy scenario without bigotry present is a bad thing. We *know* homophobia exists - we experience every day. It's shitty and awful and not necessarily something I'd want to include in every RP, esp when it can be a source of trauma for some people. That's not me saying it can never be roleplayed - I'm gay and I don't think I'd shy away from including it in a RP occasionally - but just that I don't see it becoming a source of empowerment, really. I actually find it sort of the opposite, speakibg personally.

Plus you have to think, amongst the LGBT content we have, so much of it focuses on the angst and the ugliness of homophobia and transphobia, so I'm not really surprised that when people RP, they wanna just do cute fluffy romance stuff.

There is value in it because it forces them to overcome the opposition through a multitude of different ways. Maybe reaching understanding? Neutrality? Or to help get in the shoes of a bigot? Ignorance only breeds hatred on both sides.

There is value in approaching rp in multiple ways. But you've gotta let people have their fun, so you need to find a group or partner that fits what you wanna do. You can't deny someone their safer fluffier stories just like you can't deny someone who wants to look at the more political/sociological aspects that are affecting different communities.

Some people don't like to have to deal with the same bs they deal in real life. Others like to delve more into it in a manner they control. Those are pretty polar opposite in terms of what fun you'll get out of an rp. As such a you can't go into a sweet, slur free roleplay and start saying that players are wrong for wanting to rp a story that doesn't make them uncomfortable. By the same token, you can't go into a roleplay that includes (non rpn censored) slurs or less inviting themes and tell them they have to accommodate you and things that are triggering. Ideally, the themes of the roleplay are clear from the get go, and you can either hit the back button or read on. If you don't like what a person is interested in rping then simply move on.

I posted this in an unpopular opinion thread because it is actually an un-popular opinion. I genuinely think they are holding themselves back by using this as an absolute escape from reality. I feel RP can be used to subject people to thought experiments that can help them become more apt to deal with the hate.

SadistPoet
Seriously, there is a lot of LGBT media, roleplays and real life events that focus on hate or have story elements involving hate. You can have a rp of any genera with any story with a LGBT character in it. LGBT hate had been covered. What about rp that's about a gay teenager who befriends a tiger on a different planet? Having a greater diversity in cast vastly expands what you can do within a story! If you want to include hateful characters, sure fine, but then that would be the what's holding the story back and making it samey and generic.

What does a someone being gay have to do with befriending a tiger? Is the tiger a shape shifting gay teen too? Diversity means having the GOOD and the BAD. Having hateful characters is not something people fully capitalize on. Tell me what is not original about having a racist gamer girl who becomes a magical girl, and uses said power to capitalize on her fantasies? That's diversity too.

 

[ApfelSeine]

Honestly, I wouldn't consider my response to be the popular opinion either. I'd say most people would prefer to see the types of rp they like be at least the majority of roleplays in that genre, if not the entirety of them. My opinion is that there is space for both, and that no one benefits from forcing others to only ever play by their rules rather than letting them take their business elsewhere.

Edit; essentially, there's room for roleplays that don't push any boundaries just as there is room for roleplays that test people's boundaries. From my experience, people can sort out what suits them best.

 

[Nue]

I will just add this though: speaking from experience, a roleplay where a gay person talks to a homophobe and changes their mind.. is just as much wish fulfilment as a fluffy LGBT roleplay with no bigotry in it. It's not very common. Honestly, most people know why bigots are bigots, they make a genuine effort to reach out and understand them and change their mind, only to be met with more hatred, and also sometimes violence. Basically, my point is, that might be sort of a depressing thing for some LGBT folk to roleplay, and I don't think any less of someone who avoids it, nor do i think it's damaging to their skills or anything.

And, tbf, I'm just one person and can't say what will and won't empower someone. The idea that someone might find comfort in a roleplay where they stand up to oppressors makes sense and is totally fine, and I encourage it if that's what they wanna do. What I will say is: in my personal opinion, a roleplay where you do a "well maybe both sides have a point" thing when the topic is *homophobia*, sounds more disheartening than it does empowering, ngl-


tl;dr - we deal with this shit daily irl, and i don't think it's entirely necessary to also roleplay it if we don't want to, nor will it probably do much good helping us deal with the hate because we already understand these concepts pretty intricately from having to deal with them a lot


(Sorry for writing so much, im awful at being concise aa)

 

[DarkNerd]

I like what some of the people wrote about some of the entries here. Some of my thoughts are pretty conventional:

1. Quantity vs Quality:
When RP was a thing on platforms like AOL, it didn't matter always (as much) how long or short paragraphs; however, the greater the detail, the more one could interact with the other person's thoughts or feelings. Things were far more transactional so even if the length of the post was short, one could potentially string a response together fairly quickly.

There were also those of us who probably put waaaay too much effin' detail mounting pressure on others to facilitate equal lengths (for those who cared about such things) or be snubbed at being inadequate. There's unnecessary elitism that goes into the volume of words versus the quality or depth behind the words conveying an action or scene. I am not sure how the dynamics of forum-based RP works so it might be a little different.

2. Speed of Post vs Life
In a group RP where much is going on, I think it's reasonable to assume some people have outside pressures or obligations that demand precedence over recreational activities, such as RP. I work eight hours and don't have school. Some do so they can't always be as quick to respond. I try to be flexible in those situations and either allow a situation where others can facilitate responses around them or allow for said people to be transparent about their time tables. I have no problem with those who need extra time to respond back due to outside obligations; I just would like to know so I can make an informed decision-- when/where possible.

3. Character Sheets
I completely agree with the opinion of it just being a snapshot of the character; the character is meant to grow and change with time. The sheet is just an understanding/basic representation of the character during the initial enrollment process. If it was a Dice RP where level setting is a requirement, then it's a little different. In other non-diced RP, I don't see a need to maintain religiously the character's strengths/weaknesses/development (unless one wishes to). It's not a resume; it's just an initial snapshot.

There's my two cents.

 

[Marisathief]

What does a someone being gay have to do with befriending a tiger? Is the tiger a shape shifting gay teen too? Diversity means having the GOOD and the BAD. Having hateful characters is not something people fully capitalize on. Tell me what is not original about having a racist gamer girl who becomes a magical girl, and uses said power to capitalize on her fantasies? That's diversity too.

There's nothing original about a gamer using every avenue to preach, spread and inact hate againy LGBT community regardless of the gamer's gender. That's just reality.
Having a hateful character is something people capitalize on. They're called villains and they can be found in reality and fiction in every genera.
Aaaand no. There's nothing inherently gay about owning a magical Tiger. Is there something inherently straight about owning a magical tiger that I'm just not aware of?

 

[Dutch]

We all know this person is trolling hard right? Right?
Maybe don't feed them?

 

[Marisathief]

There is value in it because it forces them to overcome the opposition through a multitude of different ways. Maybe reaching understanding? Neutrality? Or to help get in the shoes of a bigot? Ignorance only breeds hatred on both sides.

Again you're assuming that people don't understand why people are biggeted. You're also assuming they people in real life don't try diplomacy or talk to eachother. This is roleplaying. We want to experience something we don't every day

We all know this person is trolling hard right? Right?​

They're not trolling. They've been roleplaying on this site for sometime and there are other people on this site who would agree with them for sure.

 

[Dutch]

Marisathief Okay, if you say so . . . but this all reads like trolling to me.

 

[SadistPoet]

Again you're assuming that people don't understand why people are biggeted. You're also assuming they people in real life don't try diplomacy or talk to eachother. This is roleplaying. We want to experience something we don't every day

Then tell me in plain English why people are bigoted?

Marisathief Okay, if you say so . . . but this all reads like trolling to me.

Maybe if you got out of your circle you would understand that plenty of people like me exist in the world.

 

[Marisathief]

Then tell me in plain English why people are bigoted?

You know people have different reasons for believing in what they do right? Not just one overarching thing? That's like asking me why people are Christians? That's not something you ask expecting a serious awnser

 

[SadistPoet]

You know people have different reasons for believing in what they do right? Not just one overarching thing? That's like asking me why people are Christians? That's not something you ask expecting a serious awnser

Are you going to supply at-least one answer? Or are you going to keep arguing semantics?

 

[ApfelSeine]

Alright y'all, this isn't a post on bigotry so we're veering a little off course here. I recommend starting a new discussion in a different thread or PM if you want to continue on the more specific subject of bigotry/use of it in rps. There's a lot to be said and I'm happy it's civilized, but we're getting into the weeds a bit.

Let's leave a little breathing room for some new folk to answer the main subject of the thread: what unpopular opinions they hold and whatever hot takes can be gotten out of that

 

[DarkNerd]

Alright y'all, this isn't a post on bigotry so we're veering a little off course here. I recommend starting a new discussion in a different thread or PM if you want to continue on the more specific subject of bigotry/use of it in rps. There's a lot to be said and I'm happy it's civilized, but we're getting into the weeds a bit.

Let's leave a little breathing room for some new folk to answer the main subject of the thread: what unpopular opinions they hold and whatever hot takes can be gotten out of that

Coming into the thread be like:

 

[Dutch]

SadistPoet OOOH I don't doubt that.

 

[Zipper Man]

Just because something works in more traditional media like books and movies doesn't mean that it'll work in an rp.

Edit: Turned out this might not have been as an unpopular opinion as I thought.