jvj

This kind of follows on from talking about stereotypes in another thread, but I want to test a theory...

As someone whose literary diet is strongly flavoured by fantasy reading, I've always felt a bit, well, unique. Not for me endless murder mysteries or lovey-dovey romances. Nay, I am a purveyor of epic fantasy, the noblest written form mankind (Humankind?) can aspire to. Lol. As I got older, I found that there were other people who read the same kind of stuff, which was concurrently both good and bad. Generally I found that these people were also "Alternative" in their musical tastes and perhaps their dress sense. They tended to like games. They also had exquisite taste, sophistication and moral refinement. Is this true around the world!?

Do you conform or break the mould?

Me, I've never been one for dressing up, but I do listen to a lot of Metal and "Alternative" music. In many ways, I don't consider myself "mainstream", and indeed sort of revel in that.

Obviously we're not all goths/emos or whatever, but were you in your past? There's evidently no singular pattern to being "alternative", and no one likes to think of themself as a sheep, but I hope I've managed to explain the gist of my question. I'm simply curious to see if others have similar thoughts to myself.

I definately do not fit any mold or standard norm, I used to have really long hair and listen to lots of metal music and alternative as well, but that in itself does not completely define me.

I also play RPG fantasy, read fantasy novels, and have different ideas regarding politics.

I have been called different, unique and even wierd by others in the past.

Although by appearances I am not that different, I discovered the hard way that looking unique (at least in this country) can draw unwanted attention, especially from authorities. I got pulled over once by a cop just because I had long hair, he made up some BS infraction and proceeded to search my truck for contraband. Of course he never found anything and had to let me go.

Since i have had my hair short and started wearing more standard clothes those kinds of incidents have stopped. I figured being unique has nothing to do with how you look or what you wear, so its no biggie for me.

Good one Red_Phobos But to be honest, I don't know...

I love fantasy novels and fantasy movies. Beyond that my own brand of geekyness lies in history (mostly American Civil War) and theatre costuming. I live a pretty mainstream life beyond the fact that my bookshelves are full of David Eddings, George RR Martin, JV Jones and Patricia McKillip. You would not peg me for a fantasy reader if you saw me on the bus.
I have a lot of friends who are into being gothy and do Cosplay and live and die by the latest manga and I even have friends that LARP. I think they are all a little touched in the head.

I'm atypically typical.

I read lots of fantasy and play the FF games (along with a few other RPGs).

I play the guitar, and yes, that does include my favourite songs from FF . It also means that I listen to what I like to call "guitar music" - any song with a catchy guitar to it is one I would like. I do like a bit of metal, but I prefer acoustic music in general.

However, I don't really dress up (it's not my idea of fun), and I certainly don't fit the "alternative" mould in the sense that I play lots and lots of sports and have a large interest in socialising . Not that I'm saying the converse about alternative people, if such a generalisation can be employed, but there you go.

I've always found it very interesting that humanity has this need to compartmentalize and label everyone and everything. Although it does serve its purpose, it seems a bit ridiculous in the end.

For example. Musically, my tastes are vast. Typically i listen to a lot of rock and industrial styles of music such as EBM, Synthpop, Darkwave, etc. But, i also love classic rock, listen to older country, etc.

On the side note, i don't dress in a manner that would typically be associated with people who listen to industrial or rock. Generally i wear khaki's, jeans, and some sort of polo style shirt. I also like spending money on nice shoes, doc martins, clark's, etc. So that might signify to people that i am a preppy type of person.

But then, i read fantasy voraciously, but i also read philosophy and have always been interested in philosophy and morality/ethics/logic, etc. But, then im a huge computer nerd, and im into math and science.

So, where does the line end. I'm a bit like a weird chamelion, even though i am most definitely an introvert, i can get along with literally anyone. In high school i had friends in every group, whether it was the african american, rap listening, basketball players, the hardcore jock football guys, the band geeks, the computer nerds, or the elitist preppy overacheivers, something about me always appealed.

Thats not to say i didnt make enemies or anything like that.

I don't really consider myself anything, if i *HAD* to narrow it down, i'd probably say alternative, as i tend to lean more in that direction than the other.

This kinda ties into (US) politics at least as well. In the US there is a very large division, you are either a republican, or a democrat. And if you say "i'm a republican" to someone, they instantly assume you're a devout, bible thumping christian, you want to burn gays, life starts at conception, and you're a slack jawed yokel. etc.

If you say you're a democrat, you're instantly a hyper liberal, gay loving, corporate hating, socialist, bleeding heart whiner.

And although most people like being part of a group and are party line voter types. There are other people, we usually are called independants, who identify with different aspects.

I voted republican for a long time because fiscally i am a staunch conservative, and i feel that the democratic parties economic motives and ideas are fundamentally flawed, but, on the same token on social issues like stem cell research, abortion, etc, i tended to lean more in the direction of the democratic party. When i really buckled down i learned that my ideas fit mostly with the Libertarian party.

Anyways, the point of my little expose here is that trying to pigeon someone into a corner based on their hobbies and or beliefs can and will bite you in the ass. You will expect someone to react a certain way, and you will say something or do something and then it will blow up in your face.

I say, be who you are, f*ck em if they don't like it.

Side Note: I also have an interesting viewpoint on the game World of Warcraft. Before WOW came out, it was socially unacceptable, even in the general gaming community, to play an MMO. You didnt show up at the local video game store and say anything about the fact that you played a game like EQ, unless you were 95%+ positive the other person played the same game, and even then you did it in hushed tones in a corner for fear of retribution.

WOW came along, and made it all so casual, that now its ok to have house wives, jocks, clubbers, pretty much anyone can play WOW and its ok. You can have a dinner table full of people from all different walks of life, religions etc, having a conversation about wow. In some ways i think thats really awesome, but in others i kinda hate it, because i liked being in almost like a secret society.

Anyways, im rambling.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/entertainment/books/ticking-all-the-white-boxes/2008/11/30/1227979844115.html

An interesting take. Don't know if I fully agree, but I agree with enough to go a buy the book. Thought it sort of goes with the theme of the thread.

Me, I am just a nerd girl. I like games, and comics and manga, read fantasy novels (I collect Pratchett-4 discworlds to go!) i only really like classical music, or instrumental. I am studying Philosophy Literature and Religion, retro anything is my "style"- but I also like to play house, and consider myself to be extreeemly crafty- you can either find me playing games on my PC or crafting something in our spare room.- I do like to shop... for craft supplies!- and am happiest when trying out a new project!

that's me in a nutshell! signed, packed and neatly labelled into the miscellaneous category lol.

make that "the miscellaneous crafty category!"

I hope everyone has a safe and fun New Years!

Safe?.... Fun?.....

Good sir, I don't believe these two words belong in the same sentence together.

If there's ever a mold for whatever I might be.. I will change in order to break it. I don't wanna be put in a box. Classical violins are followed by death metal on my music player, I'm an antisocial gamer who plays mmo's. I read fantasy books and science magazines. Politics sicken me but I keep track on and off (the bs these guys spew out is mindnumbing.. reading between lines is good) and think organized religion is a scam (my contribution to the two "don't talk about it" topics right there )

There's alot more to me but I gotta keep some secrets I'm a complex multi-layered person and I like me that way!

Souldrinker wrote:If there's ever a mold for whatever I might be.. I will change in order to break it. I don't wanna be put in a box. Classical violins are followed by death metal on my music player, I'm an antisocial gamer who plays mmo's. I read fantasy books and science magazines. Politics sicken me but I keep track on and off (the bs these guys spew out is mindnumbing.. reading between lines is good) and think organized religion is a scam (my contribution to the two "don't talk about it" topics right there )

There's alot more to me but I gotta keep some secrets I'm a complex multi-layered person and I like me that way!

Souldrinker is like Shrek, multi layered like an onion.

Yet hopefully not as pungent

sumigo wrote:Souldrinker is like Shrek, multi layered like an onion.

Less green and better smelling

... or multi layered like a madeira cake- all strawberry, chocolate and vanilla sponge all rolled into one...