Liking kid things

[takenoko]

I saw this article today and it sort of hits at something that comes across my mind from time to time.
http://www.themarysue.com/i-am-an-adult ... hats-okay/

Ultimately, I don't think it matters WHAT it is that a person like, as long as a person doesn't get obsessive over it and let it ruin their lives. Everyone needs a hobby and that's okay.

[Coldfission]

What a great article. I've been facing some insecurity in my hobbies as well, even contemplating giving most of them up to 'grow up'. This article not only provides a great distinction in what media is made for kids and what is appropriate for kids, but also describes what a healthy interest is. And the point she made on refreshing our perspectives on morality, kindness, and just being a decent human being is something I thought was profound. Excellent find.

[Tomos]

I'm actually more embarrassed about liking the Inbetweeners than I am kids shows. Because when you think about it, the Inbetweeners is a very immature programme and unfortunately whereas I watch it[only the popular episodes] just to laugh at losers, there are a lot of people that think you're supposed to relate to them. I'm quite proud of my intelligence and I don't want to be grouped in with the 16/18-25 demographic[the demographic which is God and the one which everyone has to share their opinions].

If you then look at Gobusters for example, it suddenly seems a lot better. It suddenly seems a lot more mature.

[archer9234]

I ignore those idiots who try to make fun of people like this all the time. I run a youtube channel that reviews all the PR/SS toys/shows all the time. So I get it on occasion. Even though I turned my old hobby into an fun paying job. They'll still bash colored spandex. But then will baby eyes over Iron Man. What about those crazy football fans? They do the same thing. Some times worse. Football fans cause riots. But no one really complains to them. Because they have 100 million people on their side. So I'm a manchild? Because I can like Lion King, Reboot, & Super Sentai. Stupid logic. It all comes down to social norms.

[Dengar]

I feel the article doesn't really include another reason for watching/playing kids stuff. Some of us still feel the sense of "Whoa that's awesome" that a kid would feel. As for the life's lessons, you could say that they are wasted on us, but are they really? Because as adults, I can now take such a life lesson, evaluate whether and how I learned such a thing, and even decide whether I agree with said life lesson in the first place.

[archer9234]

Life lessons are done all throughout Star Trek. They're never wasted to me. Same goes for kid versions of them. They still have the same emotional impact to people. Till this day, when I watch Deadly Force, from Gargoyles. I still get the emotional effect when Elisa Masa was almost killed by her gun. And what it shows. Or when Mufasa died. When Simba caused the situation.

[Go-On Macaroni]

Or when Mufasa died. When Simba caused the situation.

Simba may have been in the way but, the whole shebang was orchestrated by Scar; I thought that was pretty blatantly explained.

If you then look at Gobusters for example, it suddenly seems a lot better. It suddenly seems a lot more mature.

Maybe I'm reading this wrong but, Go-bus is a kids show.

[archer9234]

Even though it was Scar's plan. Simba would still put blame on himself. He followed it. He really shouldn't of been there. Go-busters has mature themes in it. Even if it's a kids show. It crosses some boundaries.

[Revorse]

Like Takenoko just said, everyone needs a hobby.

Hell, I watch Sentai and Kamen Rider. I love me some Disney movies, Adventure Time, even some of those kiddy lego games are fun.
It's media/entertainment. No one can really prove or legitimately claim you are childish for watching them. There is no measurable standard for stuff like that.

[ElKevo86]

I felt like the article didn't really make a good argument. It was mostly talked about video games but touched on other things like comics (or "graphic novels" which is so pretentious that I groaned when I read it) but didn't defend herself or others for liking "kid things". The point, as I saw it, was basically "Hey, it's just entertainment. Leave me alone." Which is fine, that's how I feel, but she was trying to sound philosophical and intelligent when in reality she's probably just a dumb, 20-something hipster with a Peter Pan complex trying to cash in on the geek culture fad were currently going through.

Look, I'm an adult who likes kid stuff. I like that stuff partly because I liked it when I was a kid but mostly because I still like it today. Maybe I'm immature, maybe I don't want to grow up, but I like what I like and I don't really have to change that because of societal norms. I could give 2 shits about sports but I don't go around telling people at my job that sports are stupid. And they don't give me crap cause they know I'm a comic book geek/toku fan. I was actually watching Kamen Rider in the break room one day on my tablet and I caught my boss watching it over my shoulder. I guess my point is it doesn't matter what you like or why you like it or who the target audience is. Liking it is enough.

[takenoko]

> but she was trying to sound philosophical and intelligent when in reality she's probably just a dumb, 20-something hipster with a Peter Pan complex trying to cash in on the geek culture fad were currently going through.

That seems really harsh. I think that says more about you than it does about her.

[ElKevo86]

Maybe it does but I'm not trying to sound more important or intelligent than I am. My post was poorly worded and probably not as well thought out as I thought it was. I'm just really sick of the whole geek culture thing. And the impression that I got from the article was that it was just another hipster who thinks that if they watch The Avengers enough times it makes them a comic book geek. I mean, did you look at some of the other posts on that blog? We could get in a debate on what makes a true geek but they are clearly pandering to the lowest level. I was hoping to enjoy reading the article, maybe getting another point of view from someone like me, but I didn't.

[takenoko]

I don't know, I think that debating what makes a true geek or not is kind of a useless argument. What you're stating sounds a lot like the No True Scotsman fallacy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_true_Scotsman

You don't have to pass a qualification test to be a part of the fandom. And I don't think they're pandering to the lowest level. It really makes me wonder about what biases you have that you come to this conclusion. I really enjoy the geeky stuff from that blog and never feel like it's a front for anything other than what it is.

[ElKevo86]

I have a certain view in my head of what makes a geek a geek. And you're right, there isn't a test but there are certain "secret handshakes" that let you know what caliber of geek you're dealing with. But I guess those days are gone. They've been replaced by these young trendy kids who don't know anything about comics or animation and can't be bothered to pick up a book or watch anything "old" but claim to experts in this or that of the other. I mean people who wear superhero shirts ironically or people that say the love a particular cartoon but have never seen an episode. I was talking with a coworker one time, younger than me by about 8 years, and asked her if she liked comics. She said "I love comics! The Dark Knight is my favorite movie!" Turned out she had never read a Batman book or any comic for that matter. I've been running into people like that more and more lately. Geek culture, geek chic, whatever you want to call it, has almost made me ashamed to be apart of the fandoms that I love because it feels like it's been cheapened. It was like an underground thing that everybody short of knew about but stayed away from but now it's been brought into the light and everyone wants a piece.

[Joosche]

2 weeks ago I bought a 3DS just to play Pokemon. My boyfriend went mad. I took me some time trying to prove that Pokemon wasn't so different from an 'adult game' like Dark Souls. I know that I didn't changed his mind at all. But that's ok. My whole life I had people around me not approving my likes, and don't matter if I already have a long carrer, a house and a stupid car. I'll always be 'immature guy'. So I just dropped it long ago. Only I know how much fun I have doing what I like to do and that's what really matters in the end.