Social Stigma and Loneliness by drexl at 10:26 AM EST on February 11, 2017
Hey, I'd like to have a talk about how our hobby doesn't fit into society and how we're coping with being "different". I'll start by telling you my story. I'd be glad to hear your experiences, too.
To me, almost all of my acquaintances not only don't share my passion for Video Game Music, but also most of them ridicule me for being into this. Even people who live by the "yolo follow your interest and don't give a shit"-mantra refuse to acknowledge and respect but more often plainly reject. It's like having VGM as a hobby is unacceptable, is a stigma and if I "come out" this somehow casts doubts above my persona, as if something would not be right with me. People call me "crazy" or tell me "Dude! WTF! This is Super Mario music, how can you listen to this? Grow up!". It's hurting and I feel devalued for being and doing what I like. I feel ashamed.
Usually I'm able to find other common grounds with people so I'm not alone at all and very sociable, click very easily with new people and if finding the bond click very deep with people, but regarding VGM I really have nobody to talk to in person. Given the rejecting experiences in the past I don't tell others I'm into VGM anymore so there's no possible way to relate to somebody.
At least my GF is somewhat tolerable towards it and enjoys listening to me when I play the melodies of Super Mario Kart on my piano, but also says "You're sick" to me for listening 3 hours long to the looped theme of the Woodfall Temple from Majoras Mask while studying on my headphones.
I even imagined doing VGM for a living as a musician with writing, producing, creating etc. since I know my talents in music are way above average, but given my lack of connection to anybody who is somehow affiliated with VGM as a source of income (e.g. VGM enthusiasts, game designers, developers, studios etc.) it's hardly realistic. So I take my way to another voyage but live in everyday doubt that I am wasting my life away in some other, although interesting, job which will never truly be fulfilling to me. Once I read an interview with Virt/Jake Kaufman about Shovel Knight and why he released it as a NSF for everybody to fiddle with and I remember so hard how I was touched by his description of how he truly enjoys creating VGM more than anything else and of all the gigs he had this was his true passion, but this seems so distant and impossible to me.
Yeah, this is a real problem. A problem that won't be solved posting here, but at least we can talk about our feelings.
I out-care even the nerdiest video game geeks. Luckily I have a wife who puts up with it.
People suck. There's no getting around it. If you're a smiley suck-up, people will accept you. I'm not one. I feel an obligation to tell it like it is, to the detriment of my status.
Speaking of which, I'm unemployed, and a damn good programmer ("Software Engineer," "senior-level" whatever the hell that stupid word "senior" means). Hire me today, you nerdy manager!
I call myself a programmer because software isn't engineering (physics). Software isn't rocket science. I eat baby boomers for breakfast. I hate the snooty-ness of software.
by AnonRunzes at 11:49 AM EST on February 11, 2017
@SmartOne - "Hire me today, you nerdy manager!" Then don't just go and wait for some asshole to hire you and find a job!
Your right on one thing about people not having a passion for video game music in our society and I for one am quite sick of it but I wouldn't worry too much over it, someday people are going to have to learn, live and listen to it whether they like it or not.
And more especially to all the people out there that hate sequenced music and think it's wrong or worse than streamed, I have 2 words: Fuck you.
I wholeheartedly agree with you. I feel like I'm the only one that thinks the Chrono Trigger soundtrack is much better than the "modern" music on the radio.
I don't get what the whole stink is in here. There's nothing "different" about enjoying VGM in the same way as there isn't anything "different" about liking any other genre of music. Some people like it, some people don't. Why do you feel such an intense need to find other people in person who like VGM?
Anyway, a lot of people are opinionated about their tastes in music, you shouldn't let that get to you.