Old Man Screams Into The Void

Purity Tests Now In The OSR?

I was going through Dark Places & Demogorgons (pictured above) and reading through the types of kids that stereotypically existed back in the 1980s.

Keep in mind, in the 80s, I was just a kid. Not even high school kid, just a kid. I was going through grade school in the mid-to-late 80s, junior high in the early 90s and entered high school in the fall of 1993.

By the time I’d reached high school, I was already a target for the ire of others. I liked what I liked and by 8th grade, I decided I wouldn’t be apologetic about it anymore, I wouldn’t bother hiding it, I wasn’t going to not like what I did based on the preferences of my classmates.

Sometimes that went well, other times, not so much.

When it hit the halls that I was into metal, had an interest in D&D and horror as a literary and video genre, it was all over.

The Panic was riding high at the time and, at the time, despite all rumors, I was a Catholic, going through catechism classes and staring down the barrel of confirmation, even if it was a few years off. I’ve talked about those rumors and the nonsense I had to go through before but it was during that time, you wouldn’t believe the shit I would catch about not being Baptist, Pentecostal, Apostolic, etc. It was like a guy just couldn’t catch a break. I’d gone through a bunch of different churches with friends, hadn’t really started joining any yet but I was making the rounds…and it did nothing at all. The rumors were spiraling out of control. Some of the things I heard about me even surprised me.

At once, I set about trying to do anything and everything to quash these rumors. Joining other churches, attending regularly, constantly submitting to ever-increasing purity standards and, by the time I was done giving up nearly everything I did enjoy and subjecting myself to things I didn’t, my dad caught me in one of these states where it was yet another in a series of bad days and he sat down and lit a cigarette. When he asked me what was wrong, I told him. He listened as I detailed how nothing I was doing was putting a dent in those rumors and that’s when his best advice came out. In short, he pointed out that none of these people ever came by to hang out. I was still never invited to anything but church events, in short, what were they doing for me instead of to me?

My dad used a lot of colorful language and his anger about it wasn’t directed at me in the least. He pointed out that all they were good for was constantly putting me into a state of misery for their own amusement. Here I was doing all of this stuff and the only thing that was happening was that I was getting “Well you didn’t go to MY church” and sentiments like that.

He hit me with the sentiment of When Nothing You Do Is Going To Be Good Enough, Do Nothing For Them.

That is a sentiment that I have taken with me and one that even I’ll admit that there are times I have struggles with to this day.

The meaning behind it was that I could enjoy what I liked, make no apologies for it and continue doing it. I was going to suffer slings and arrows anyway, I might as well at least have some moments of happiness rather than none at all.

Now, at 45 years old as of the time of this writing, it’s how I try to operate whenever I can. I understand that it can’t be that way all the time but it’s what I do.

Today, the new religion who’s edicts come from Hedge Funds and The Hill, a new game of Pitchforks & Torches is being played.

The sentiment of “It’s not enough to not be racist, you must be actively Anti-Racist!” is probably the one that I see the most. Worse still, it is coming from all sides and angles. Speaking of angles, I have to wonder what the angle truly is?

Recently, RPG Pundit has been on yet another of his harassment campaigns against Jon Torres, aka The Basic Expert over his association with The Reactionary Mr. Max (Max Boivin) over Max’s opinions over The Holocaust. Is it a day ending in “day?” Yep. Here we go.

He’s making repetitive demands that Jon dissociate or “just say the lines” he’s put forward or his harassment will continue. He’s printed libelous statements against Jon and has made it clear that he will absolutely not stop until Jon acquiesces to his demands.

Any of this sound familiar?

When watching Jon’s live streams entitled Natural Ones, Jon only talks about games. This six-month-long harassment campaign stems from Jon’s decision to have Jeffro Johnson (current head of the BrOSR…I’ll leave you to look that up if you don’t know what that is) on to discuss playing AD&D First Edition by only the rules stated in the books.

Look, this was someone I didn’t care to listen to either so, as any sane, rational, mature adult would do, I skipped that episode, made my objections known and didn’t bother with it. Nowadays, I’m working closing shifts so catching the live-streams is becoming more and more difficult. So the only reason I’m not watching these days is due to the job and nothing more. Sometimes I catch the replay.

Anyway, Johnson had made a comment that got him saddled as an Anti-Semite and if I could find it, I would post it, however I don’t so it is what it is. I already had issues with him and his group up to the night of the show (way to win some goodwill there!) and it reinforced my decision to never watch that episode.

Getting back to the point, as much as RPG Pundit loves to constantly harp on social justice warriors, I have to ask the same question I’ve always asked.

See it was during The Panic when I was in yet another heated debate with my catechism teach who told me I wouldn’t be playing D&D that weekend and I was to stay home. My response was “No.”

It infuriated her and I told her, “If Satan is the father of lies, what makes you think it’s okay for YOU to lie about a game you’ve never played?”

Here we have Pundit calling out people for ostracism and pulling the “It’s Only Okay When WE Do It” card. If it’s not okay for people to ostracize others because of a flawed ideology, then what makes it okay for you to use the same tactics?

Need I remind you, readers, he’s come to the aid of none of his friends when they had bans placed on them and there were clear abuses of policy. When he ran afoul of them due to yet another one of his very public meltdowns. Needless to say his friends came to his defense, the same ones he did absolute zero for when theirs happened. He’s learned absolutely nothing from his suspension, either.

He’s rabidly gone after myself and friends for not following his edict. He’s harassed anyone who’s seen more success than he has. His meltdowns are a matter of public record. He continues to shit on the work of his friends in his “reviews” and then use those very reviews to shill his own work. Honestly, at this point, I wouldn’t recommend sending anything to him. Let him buy it. It will be a paid review. Creators, if he wants to put down your work, make him pay for the privilege. Just a piece of advice.

Here’s proof that he will absolutely not stop until he gets his way.

I have to wonder what happened that made him this way? This is a creator in the area of OSR games that acts as though he is grand poo-bah and will dictate to everyone else what, when, where, why, how and even IF you’ll do something. This is the attitude of “Do As I Say…Or Else…”

As I’ve pointed out previously, I’m good with the “or else.”

Nevermind the fact that he has someone in his current campaign of Dungeon Crawl Classics that is an active anti-semite and refuses to do the same.

“Do As I Say…Not As I Do…Or Else…”

Still good with the “or else” in this case.

This type of mentality has destroyed and ruined every fandom. Without exception. What Generation X was taught was to laugh at everything. Shows like In Living Color, House of Buggin’, All In The Family, The Jeffersons, etc put all of these very issues on display and showed us how ridiculous they are. Now we face grifters coming along demanding we give things up, shun friends and family, “just say the words” and enter into another struggle session…or else.

Sure, today, you “denounce” this person or that in your lives but where does it end and when is it ever going to be good enough?

Spoiler: It’s not. It will be endless and relentless until you’re at home with a pounding headache, stressed out, miserable, demoralized and wondering where all your friends are and why those you’ve gone well past your breaking point to please are not doing anything in return for you…and they won’t.

That old sentiment still rings true. I don’t need anyone subjecting me to a purity test, hell, I intentionally fail them because there’s wisdom in it. Jon talks games, it doesn’t matter to him (and he can correct me in the comments if I’m wrong) what disabilities you may have, whether or not you believe that cattle abductions are caused by aliens, whether or not you believe that Aztec Temples were built by little green men with antigrav tech or whether or not you think all small animals and children were put on this earth to make faces at you. Games for the sake of games, that’s all that matters on the Natural Ones live streams. The opinions and views that I express on his show when and if I’m able to show up are mine and mine alone. Same with Mr. Max, Viktor (his actual co-host) or anyone else that shows up. Sane, rational, mature adults can figure that one out.

Sadly, he’s a Gen-X type attempting to curry favor with the very people that have shunned him and he claims he has shunned in return. He’s miserable, self-centered and is attempting to please the wrong people. As for the historical accuracy he prides his games on, I have an illustration of someone doing historically accurate fantasy games long before he ever did and he may have “helped with D&D 5E” but…

Some of us grew up being taught sense and reason. To me, it doesn’t matter which “side” you’re on, what you identify as, what color you are, what your gender is, you’re all welcome at my table, however, there’s the hereafter to worry about. If you’re not here after what I’m here after, I’ll be here after you’re gone. It’s that simple. I’m here for games, not …whatever that is that Pundit’s doing.

Subject yourself to no one’s purity test. Play what you love, hang out with those you like, hell, buy what you like, I really don’t care. Don’t let anyone make you miserable because they are.

I’m not sure where Pundit’s going and honestly I don’t care. I do know where my own mentality comes from and how it has taken root.

When it comes to people making demands in your life, consider whether or not they’ll be in your life to any real degree. If not, then consider what is in it for you if you were to meet the demands. Finally, consider your happiness ratio and how it may or may not contribute.

In the end, if nothing you do will ever be considered good enough, then do yourself and your sanity a favor and do nothing for them.