New D&D Documentary EYE OF THE BEHOLDER Has Some Bad Optics

May 13, 2019

Aesthetics are critical in influencing others to adopt your ideas and opinions. But these visual and social cues have to be consistent and relatable.

Normalcy is currency.

I don’t care how many celebrities you get to talk about loving and playing Dungeons and Dragons on late-night talk shows. This is equivalent of Sean Connery telling you he collects 19th Century Old Dutch mirrors — it’s not going to make you any more into antique mirrors that you were before.

It doesn’t matter how many cute, aspiring actresses and chipper PC comedians ham it up on phony, scripted liveplay streams in hopes of landing an agent. For most casuals, people dressing up in costumes to play a make-believe game is a little too close to going furry.

All those chicks at sports bars wearing NFL jerseys: “What if the grounding wasn’t intentional?”

Dungeons & Dragons desperately needs normal people. Yes, I said “normal.”

Because all it takes is one image of an obese dude in a grease-stained MERP t-shirt talking about critical skill checks and it sets the hobby back 20 years.

Or worst yet, something like this:

It’s the turd in the punch bowl effect. And these effects are cumulative, so right now we are all the way back to The First Age.

Where are the normal people that play Dungeons & Dragons?

Not celebrities looking to leverage geek culture into their personal brand.
Not monkey-branching geek girls looking to become the next Olivia Munn.
Not open-miccers and boat act comics looking to become the next Chris Hardwick.
Not freaks, furries or dragon-kin looking to turn another hobby into their own personal grievance platform.
Not obese earth monsters with all that shit in their face.
Not low-T, Roundheads who are really into “cooperation” and “storytelling”.

That’s all I’m asking for. Is it too much? Maybe not. Maybe there is… hope.