RANT WARNING

I’m sure we’ve all noticed the HUGE spike in the use of the term “LARP” in many online spaces. But, it’s being misused. And, even if it wasn’t, it’s still kind of harmful. 

I’ve noticed that people use the term “larp” as a way to call someone a poser or a fake fan. And, while in some cases, that might be true… there are a lot of cases where it doesn’t really apply.

For example, let’s say a die-hard MCR fan sees someone accidentally spread misinformation about MCR (nothing harmful, just a fact that isn’t true! or, like, an edited frerard pic LOL). This person is clearly either a new fan or a casual fan (aka someone who doesn’t really gaf about the “lore” and just enjoys the music).

Instead of simply correcting the other, the die-hard fan just says “THERE’S NO LIMIT TO THE LARP 😂”

THIS IS HARMFUL! and also just rude.

It’s incredibly gatekeep-y and annoying. Accusing someone of being a fake fan just because they aren’t as big of a fan as you are is not only totally lame, but also just terrible fandom etiquette.

Not only that, but it makes others feel unwelcome in the fandom/community. Which will result in less people interacting with said community.

In my opinion, I think gatekeeping shouldn’t be a part of fandom culture. Fandoms literally exist so a bunch of people who are fans of the same thing can come together and bond over it! Leaving people out or just being an asshole is just loser behavior.

But, also, who cares? So, what if someone’s a “larp”?

A lot of people like to participate in fandoms even though they haven’t actually seen/played/read the actual media. I don’t see that as an issue. Maybe they want to get into the media, but would rather learn more about it instead of diving in blind. Or maybe they just don’t want to engage with the media for whatever reason. IT DOESN’T MATTER!!

WE NEED TO START EMBRACING THE “LARPS” !!!

LARP TO YOUR HEART’S CONTENT (within reason… don’t start acting a fool now…)