Pokémon TCG: Sword and Shield—Brilliant Stars

Pokemon = socially unacceptable?

Status
Not open for further replies.
F

fieryseraph

New Member
So here's a question:

Does anyone find that telling their friends/co-workers/classmates, etc. that one of your hobbies is Pokemon is uncomfortable? It seems like most people look at it as a kid's game.

I ask because after I recently volunteered to help run my local league, my wife got a little upset and told me that I was going to turn our kids into socially-awkward, gencon-attending, D&D-playing, girlfriend-less geeks. I've experienced that she's not the only one who feels this way. We proceeded to have a decent argument about it, wherein I said that Pokemon teaches the kids strategy, sportsmanship, and is an inherently social experience, but she said that no matter I spun it, it was a geeky thing to do. :-D

So what does everyone else think? Do you declare your Pokemon hobby with pride, social norms be darned, or do you not really say anything to those around you who wouldn't understand? Or do you not think that it is socially unacceptable?
 
You get made fun of for showing cowardice and lack of confidence. Many people who play this game happen to be cowardly and lack confidence- so they get made fun of.

Playing a game doesn't get you made fun of. ESPECIALLY if you're good at the game.
 
None of my friends at school know I play but some of them skate board in the parkinglot of the store I play at but if they found out I would'nt lie about not playing it. But I don't go around saying that I play.
 
Everythign you said is true. The convo with people goes like this:

"So I play Pokemon TCG"

"..."

"But I've also won 2 trips to california for me and my family FOR FREE doing it =/"

"oh, thats rly cool. maybe you can teach me to play sometime"
 
Sad as it may seem, your wife has a valid point, however, I don't see how something that you do would really affect how your kids are going to turn out. Unfortunately social cliques exist, and no matter how hard you try, there is no way to get past it. If your kids enjoy it, I don't see why your wife has such a problem with it. The game really does teach good sportsmanship and such.
 
I work with my girlfriend's dad. He told somebody at work that I won Oklahoma states, and now nobody lets it down. A guy called me pokemon champ today.
 
sorry for the snark, but what would your wife rather your kids be? shallow, peer-pressured, follow-the-crowd sheeple who only care about what others think of them?

my 12 and 16 y/os play, and don't really care who knows it. they both do things that could be considered 'geeky' because THEY enjoy them: participate in marching band, play pokemon, videogames, build models, read about/watch/collect star trek stuff...and i'm proud that they do what _they_ like without being concerned about what 'someone else' thinks. lord knows there are worse things to be...

'mom
 
Last edited:
the ONLY thing that is socially acceptable now adays is a girl friend, cell phone, ipod, and knowledge of music.

NO POKEMON =(
 
Pokemon is never going to be socially acceptable. Heck, my knowledge of Pokemon nearly trumps my knowledge of music...and I'm a music snob.
 
Out here in the Woodlands, Texas, anyone past 4th grade caught playing Pokemon gets made fun of, BAD. I've sen kids run and hide in the bathroom at Walmart if they spot a classmate walking by. If the kids win something big, I'm not allowed to put in the papers out of fear of being dogged the rest of the year.

Late in June, a new gaming store opened up and the wife of the owner works at the local junior high school. We've never been back since, lol. The kids don't even want the teachers to know.
 
my dad likes to "gloat" to people he meets that we play pokemon and I was runner-up at worlds. He thinks too much of our accomplishments IMO. He lies sometimes, and says that "between my kids, they've made over $10,000 worth of scholorships"

:nonono:

and it makes the rest of my family kinda upset.

I agree with Pokemom 85%
 
Last edited:
moza said:
the ONLY thing that is socially acceptable nowadays is to be a brainless jock with a "girlfriend" (That term being VERY loosely defined), a cell phone, an ipod, horrible grades, and a knowledge of music, sports, and some inappropriate things.

NO POKEMON =(
Click to expand...

fixed.



But it's like Pokemom said, you really shouldn't care what people think. If you don't do what you want, you become one of the people mentioned in moza's altered quote.
Ryan has a point, too. As long as you have confidence in yourself, who cares if everyone knows you play Pokemon?
 
If you want to have a respectable life as a teenager you don't let anyone know. This game is stereotyped to be for little asian kids ages 5-9. And nothing will change that. Don't tell your friends LOL. The only person who knows about me playing is my best friend who actually played with me in Kindergarten. Other than that, I've kept it under wraps +)
 
It is the anime that gives pokemon its bad name. If we could get rid of it, Pokemon would have a better name.
 
Yea I have friends outside of this game know I play. If I get made fun of because of it, I'm like, name one hobby that gives you scholorship money for college, and free trips when you win tournaments? They are clueless, and then I just walk away. They eventually shut up. I don't care who knows I play, or what they think about me after they find out. If they were fake people, then I would forget them.
 
z-man said:
It is the anime that gives pokemon its bad name. If we could get rid of it, Pokemon would have a better name.
Click to expand...

I agree the shows aren't really helping.

All of my friends and co-workers know that I play Pokemon. In high school I told my English class through a speech. At work my boss knew because I had to request days off for events. In this months newsletter she had trivia for the customers to fill out about the baristas. For mine she put: Which barista plays in Pokemon tournaments? The employees were fine with it but I got a lot of crap from the customers.
 
moza said:
the ONLY thing that is socially acceptable now adays is a girl friend, cell phone, ipod, and knowledge of music.

NO POKEMON =(
Click to expand...

I don't have any of those! I had a phone once which actually did more harm because it wasn't "cool". Groan.

But yeh my phiolosophy is if people don't accept me for what I am then they can **** off.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top