It becomes internalised from high school bullying culture I think. But larping is cool as fuck. Nothing wrong with retro hobbies. I like throwing balls occasionally as well. But roleplaying games, and larp in particular, will always be my passion. I'm not ashamed of it.
It also gets used a lot to insult trans people, which is extra insidious. I think non-larpers use it as a term to imply delusion and dress-up, not at all getting the in-game off-game distinction, as usual.
Unhelpfully, I think that the inability to distinguish between 'real' and 'true' is sometimes an issue for people who _do_ play roleplaying games.
(this is only half a joke)
I'd say it's not more often in people who do play roleplaying games than in any other hobby people engage in and get emotional about. Heck even a huge amount of people interacting online seem to be struggling with this just because they have no clue where real life and digital world start or (bl)end
heh... I have had young people scoff at me about LARPing, because unfortunately mainstream media has done it few favors. Then they see it in action and most of them change their opinion 180 degrees.
I don't think of them as insults in any way. But I recognize it's my own personal sensibility.
In fact I consider anyone using "larper" for insulting purposes as either poorly informed at best or simply an asshole at worst.
It sometimes takes my brain a sec to realise they mean larping as ”pathetically pretending to be something aspirational (derogatory)” and not ”putting in the mental energy to really immerse in an unfamiliar mindset to gain self-knowledge and empathy (laudatory)”
Comments
(this is only half a joke)
That said in no way do I think any of these words should be insults.
In fact I consider anyone using "larper" for insulting purposes as either poorly informed at best or simply an asshole at worst.