Dungeons and Dragons
Raise your hand if you've ever played Dungeons and Dragons. [scans computer] Oh wow, our whole readership. Cool! Okay, now raise your hand if when you started playing D & D, your parents warned you about Satanic influence because of Tom Hanks. Ah, now our younger readers are gone. Okay, you can come back now, youthful readers with your youth we are not at all jealous of. Here, why don't we all figure out our personalities based on class (don't be shy).
Playing Dungeons and Dragons, like being a Trekkie, used to be shorthand for “weirdo nerd to mock and bully.” If there's one positive thing to say about the 21st century, it's that playing D & D now means “weirdo nerd who is pretty cool and hey if you have an open spot in your next campaign let me know.” More and more people are seeing Dungeons and Dragons as fun and cool, as well as a great coping mechanism for when life gets you down. We're even starting to see Dungeons & Dragons adventures entirely from writers of color, because questing to slay a dragon while recovering stolen treasure and protecting the honor of a tavern wench is a rad enough quest to cut across cultural differences.
One last word, though: be nice to your Dungeon Master. It's like being nice to the person cooking your dinner. Also, if your DM can't make it tonight, we got you covered.
