Mockery of Gamers

It isn't just the US, but considering the intensity to which RPGs took off in the 70s and 80s in the US, and all the media generated, it does become the most visible.

Also, I think my "Hypothesis of the Role-Playing Gamer 'Floater'" may be applicable, though I don't know how I could ever test/prove it. http://www.rpgresearch.com/blog/hypothesis-of-the-role-playing-gamer-floater

The mockery of gamers and gaming goes back (at least) decades. And LARPing, especially the popularity of "boffer" LARPs in the US are the most visible form of RPG.

A combined line from the movie "The Gamers 3: Hands of Fate": "Furries are people LARPers make fun of, LARPers are people [tabletop] gamers make fun of, and gamers are people that people make fun of." -- https://youtu.be/mFAX-_CZ2bM?list=PLwDmZhGpP6STJJfNqCdQ2IOTHaHSydmJ1&t=485

(and here is her later counter to the mocking: https://youtu.be/Wq1rfvg0h08?list=PLwDmZhGpP6STJJfNqCdQ2IOTHaHSydmJ1 

The whole stigma against gamers in all forms (including video games for a long time), has been going on since at least the 70s (and arguably even the early 1900s with H.G. Wells Wargaming book "Little Wars" - http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-22777029 ), and really peaked in the US in the mid-to-late 80s.

For some areas, it took decades for the popularity of various forms of RPGs to spread throughout other countries.

While nowhere near its previous peak in the US, it is still quite prevalent, and there are now  thoroughly inculcated myths that the general population accepts and is further fanned by popular culture (for example The Big Bang Theory: https://youtu.be/4aNUuGOUreg?t=59 ).

Here are several articles on the topics (including other countries), covering tabletop, LARP, computer-based, and related topics:

• Hypothesis of the Role-playing Gamer "Floater" - http://rpgr.org/blog/hypothesis-of-the-role-playing-gamer-floater
• Comments on Pat Robertson's Style of Christian Stigma Against Dungeons & Dragons and Role-playing games - http://rpgr.org/blog/comments-on-pat-robertsons-style-of-christian-stigma-against-dungeons-dragons-and-role-playing-games
• Anecdotal Experiences of Stigma as a tabletop role-playing Gamer - http://rpgr.org/blog/anecdotal-experiences-of-stigma-as-a-tabletop-role-playing-gamer
• Thoughts on RPG player stereotypes. - http://rpgr.org/blog/thoughts-on-rpg-player-stereotypes
• Analysis of the report ALIENATION AND THE GAME DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS - http://rpgr.org/documents/rpg-research-project/analysis-of-the-report-alienation-and-the-game-dungeons-and-dragons
• Why The Popular Negative Stereotypes About Role-Playing Gamers are Important to Address - http://rpgr.org/blog/why-the-popular-negative-stereotypes-about-role-playing-gamers-is-important-to-address
• "Knock it off" Shows and Writers Still Perpetuating Negative RPG Gamer Stereotypes, Even in Webisodes - http://rpgr.org/blog/knock-it-off-shows-and-writers-still-perpetuating-negative-rpg-gamer-stereotypes-even-in-webisodes
• The Battle Over Role Playing Gaming - http://rpgr.org/documents/rpg-research-project/the-battle-over-role-playing-gaming
• The Defamation of Role-playing Gaming and Gamers. - http://rpgr.org/documents/rpg-research-project/the-defamation-of-role-playing-gaming-and-gamers
• http://rpgr.org/blog/yet-another-example-of-inculcated-stigma-regarding-role-playing-gamers - http://rpgr.org/blog/yet-another-example-of-inculcated-stigma-regarding-role-playing-gamers
• Various Articles and Discussions on Role-playing Game Stigma - http://rpgr.org/blog/various-articles-and-discussions-on-role-playing-game-stigma

Here is the FB thread of the original conversation:

 https://www.facebook.com/groups/147092455420/permalink/10153646067805421/