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Reality Over Fiction: Why Real Life Empowerment is Better Than This Nerd Crap

“This Tupac museum is way better than going up to that little anime convention down the street!” I told a mother and daughter who asked me if I could take their picture next to a collection of notebooks from legendary rapper the late Tupac Shakur. Both women laughed and nodded in agreement. I myself was in awe reading his original, hand-written drafts of some of his iconic hit songs such as Troublesome ’96, To Live and Die in L.A., All About You, and California Love. From the pages, you could feel Tupac’s drive to make each of his works a masterpiece.

I was originally in Los Angeles during the 4th of July 2022 weekend for Anime Expo: the annual anime convention in which broke socially awkward weeaboos with disposable income spend their money to help support Los Angeles’s train wreck of an economy (and to an extent, California’s own train wreck of an economy).

Anime Expo 2019

However, in the planning stages of my L.A. trip, I came across an advertisement for the Wake Me Up When I’m Free Tupac exhibit hosted in L.A. Live. I figured that it’d be great to take a break from all the weeaboos who finally learned some social skills and take care of their personal hygiene during the COVID shutdowns in order to do something more laid back. Plus, as someone who’s a fan of hip-hop, the arts, and a proud Foundational Black American, I felt that it was my duty to pay respect to the man who not only changed the world but especially inspired Black people globally to rise up against systematic white supremacy and to better themselves.

Anime conventions come and go. Most offer the same thing that you can experience at any other convention. But, a once-in-a-lifetime pop-up museum revolving around the life of a Black man who changed society, well, I had to go and check that out before it was too late.

Not mere seconds upon entering the exhibit, I felt powerful energy and drive that I’ve never experienced at any anime con. The energy of Black Empowerment. The drive to better myself as a Black man. Reading stories of Afeni Shakur – the mother of Tupac – and her courage to stand up against white supremacy as a member of the Black Panther Party during the 70s made me feel proud to be who I am.

Seeing how driven Tupac was in his short 25 years of life to create and produced only fueled my own creative drive. Reading about how he was able to produce many hit songs even in jail made me realize how much I threw away so much free I was blessed with during the 2020-2021 COVID lock-downs. Freetime that could have birthed work. Work that could have birthed content. Content that could have birth funds for me to have a much better and longer time in Los Angeles and Anime Expo. Don’t get me wrong: I had a hell of a time in Los Angeles and Anime Expo this year – but – it would have been nice to have more money in my pockets and more time on my hands out there.

Hell, if I wasn’t such a moron who let his inner darkness take control which turned into a destructive mental slump over a simple minor medical issue like heart failure (that landed me in the hospital for a week), I could have produced so much high-grade content for my blog and YouTube channel. That in turn could have birthed new traffic flow to my website and subscriptions to my YouTube channel. I could have grown big enough to land myself a free press or industry pass for Anime Expo; thus, saving me money and netting those glorious industry connections (only for me to lose them given how quickly they will discover how I could never be in their industry like that with my savage mouthpiece).

I know that you should never compare yourself to someone else. It’s a dangerous mental trap, but I gotta get this off my chest. Tupac spent time in a hopeless situation like prison and was able to produce hits after hit. Yet I wasted a year of my life feeling sorry for myself. A year where I could I could have risen up from the darkness and into the light and just produce masterpiece content like him.

As Foundation Black Americans, it’s a skill we’ve mastered due to 400 years and counting of going through the most horrific and sinister shit in human history. Honestly, being in that exhibit (as well as a real friend giving me a kick in the ass about my behavior) just gave me the realization that I have to go back to my old-school ways (producing content like crazy like I did during 2017-2019).

Like Tupac, I had to take control of my own life and direct my own fate.
That’s true empowerment.

*****

In contrast, the night before, I was at Atlus’s Persona 25th Midnight Masquerade dance party that was held during Anime Expo 2022. After waiting in the general admission line for over an hour, I had arrived just in time to hear this Asian DJ stop playing music (it wasn’t even Persona music, mind you) and start whining like a little bitch about as a child, he felt insecure about his racial heritage; wishing that he wasn’t Asian. As things couldn’t get more awkward, he sang a song about his struggles of being Asian in Canada. I wish that I would have recorded that, but I, along with my crew, felt second-hand embarrassment from that turn of events and left to chat it up with some Persona (and Shin Megami Tensei) cosplayers in the bar area.

(I can’t believe you early admission tickets guys really paid $25 to get in early only to hear that mess).

That was just pathetic. I couldn’t imagine being a young Asian person up at that party and hearing another Asian whine about how insecure he felt in his youth. How’s that empowering to anyone? Let me be that DJ! If I was him, I’d be up there talking reckless on stage about great Asians are because we made Persona, anime, and cosplay.

I would be like “If it wasn’t for us Asians making Persona and getting cosplay poppin all over the world none of these non-Asians motherfuckers would be here today dressing up as OUR characters! A lot of these dudes are only gonna get laid tonight cuz our race made characters like Ann Takamaki, Kasumi Yoshizawa, and Rise Kujikawa cuz these little cosplay hos are dressed up as the tonight! That Maya cosplayer looks positive and I ain’t talking about her always saying ‘let’s think positive’ in Persona 2 or COVID! Any guy getting with her later tonight better wrap up it! Anyway, We’re the master race – not the whites! Yellow Power! ”

I would MAKE sure neither Atlus nor Anime Expo hires me to DJ their events ever again!

That wild fantasy aside, that lack of knowing oneself through empowerment. It’s the mindset of most nerds. You have these white male nerds who have been given everything handed to them due to white supremacy. So, when something does go bad for them, they lack the willpower to get through it. That’s why you see these little white boy incels degrading shooting up public places, and getting involved with alt-right groups.

For the non-white nerds (and the white nerds who aren’t on board with white supremacy) they lack the courage to push through the hardships of life. Most only look forward to the past with blind nostalgia because they don’t see a hopeful future. Pride in oneself is absent from their psyche.

They use fiction as a shield to withdraw from and protect themselves against the savagery of this life. By hiding from life, they don’t have the foresight to see how amazing and beautiful life can be despite its cruel, twisted darkness. Most of these nerds don’t use any of this geek junk they indulge in to empower themselves. They hate on the alpha male and alpha female nerds who have the testicular and ovarian fortitude to not use nerd culture to hide from life. Why do you think there’s rarely any true self or communal empowerment at these conventions?

This is why I named this post “Reality Over Fiction”. I felt more driven to better myself in the two hours I spent at the Tupac museum compared to the 10+ years I’ve gone to these geek conventions across America. Honestly, you can’t find empowerment or people who want to better themselves at these conventions. Why? Because self-empowerment demands that you take a deeper look at yourself and force you to question what the hell have you been doing with all your life. They don’t want to realize they’ve wasted their life not doing anything with it. Funny, given the heroes they look up to (may they be fictional or real) rose up and empowered themselves.

Guess it’s easier in fiction than in reality.

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The Swarthy Nerd Podcast
A Black nerd empowerment podcast where Black nerds (well, all nerds, but Black first and foremost) can get together and talk freely about nerd culture while also acknowledging systematic white supremacy and racism in nerd culture. Every Tuesdays we drop episodes containing serious and laidback topics while Saturdays we drop episodes talking about TV shows, anime, film, comics, manga, and video games.

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black nerd 0

The Need For A Renaissance Black Nerd

Black nerds, especially my fellow Black nerds who can trace their lineage to American slavery, you greatly disappoint me.

How is it that we live in a time where nerd culture is the dominant culture in entertainment, Black Americans have proven themselves to be the masters and creators of mainstream culture itself, yet, we have Black nerds who refuse to better themselves? Why do many of my fellow Black nerds use their nerdom to hide from their reality and problems as opposed to embracing and dominating them? What will it take for you Black Nerds to stop talking about nerdy things all the time and have other interests? When will you guys wake up and realize you are Black first and that being a nerd won’t save you from systematic white supremacy?

For the past few years, these are a few things I have pondered over with other Black nerds. Some have agreed with me while most others think I’m an asshole who doesn’t need to think and talk about race with nerds all the time because I make them and their white friends uncomfortable (by the way: I’m not an asshole – I’m the asshole and your white friends like me more because I have balls unlike your cowardly, weak Black ass).

Either way, it made me realize something: We need a Renaissance Black Nerd. You know, like a Renaissance Man, but he’s a Black nerd instead. Now, you may be wondering: What’s a Renaissance Black Nerd, why do we need them, and how to become them?

Well, let’s get right into that!

WHAT IS A RENAISSANCE BLACK NERD

A Renaissance Black Nerd is a Black nerd whose interests span beyond nerd culture. He refuses to be just a nerd with superficial knowledge and hobbies; knowing that it won’t get him far with others and in life.

He must have swagger, charm, and balls – the latter being the most valuable. The Renaissance Black Nerd makes it a point to explore topics that normies can relate to as to not alienate others or himself from discussions.

He can be a fan of live-action mainstream shows such as Power, BMF, and Empire as well as being a fan of anime such as My Hero, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Demon Slayer. He could go one step further and watch anime that isn’t on the mainstream’s radar like Troublesome Old Man and Odd Taxi or classic anime like Project A-Ko and Dirty Pair (1985); introducing both normies and entry-level anime fans to lesser-known shows in addition to holding conversations with hardcore otaku who’re fans of older and obscure anime.

He works diligently to improve himself. He takes care of his health by working out and avoiding fast and junk food. He doesn’t allow escapism media to neither control his life nor shields him from reality. He views his hobbies as luxuries – not necessities.

Finally, The Renaissance Black Nerd wants not to be a better nerd – but a better person. Seeking to be merely a better nerd only places limitations, but being the best version of you never does. He acknowledges that the Black nerd community needs someone like him; even if he has to step on a few toes and piss people off to get his way and change the community for the better.

WHY DO WE NEED A RENAISSANCE BLACK NERD

With the understanding of what is a Renaissance Black Nerd, we can look further into why we need them for the Black Nerd community.

First, there’s a disturbing amount of Black nerds who’re either cornballs, goofballs, coons, or willfully ignorant towards white supremacy in and out of geek culture and circles. They desperately yearn for attention and acceptance from white people – especially white nerds. This could be rooted in not being popular with their Black peers, befriending mostly white nerds, and nerd culture not being socially accepted before the 2010s…supposedly.

I say supposedly because the Black community in general (especially Foundational Black Americans) do love gaming, movies, TV shows, anime, and comics. We are some of the biggest, if not, the biggest consumers of them. However, most of us didn’t allow those things to consume our lives and use them as a way to build a false identity via escapism unlike the few who did (emulating their cornball white nerd “peers”).

Second, Black nerds generally need to have outside interests as there are some who are handcuffed by and to geek culture. No one neither respects nor cares about your fantasy fist-fight between Mileena from Mortal Kombat and Komi from Komi Can’t Communicate” while Komi is peeing herself out of fear for her life and Ren Yamai is collecting her pee to use later on at night when she is laying up in her bed having dirty thoughts about Komi.

That’s not interesting. It won’t get people interested in you. You know what will? Exploring and branching out of your comfort zone (more on this later). Stop sticking to only watching anime and watch live-action TV shows. Keep up on what’s going on in sports. Follow both local and national news and dive deeper into the world of politics so you can talk to people.

You’ll get more respect from upping your game that way.

Finally, to conclude, Black nerds need to do better. We need to be aware of how we present ourselves to the world. Image is everything: from your grooming, to the clothes you wear, and yes, even your weight. It doesn’t hurt to get a haircut every once in a while. If you’re gonna wear an anime shirt in public, at least make sure it fits (know that people still going to think you’re immature for wearing one, regardless). Don’t shy away from dressing maturely. Not saying to go out and buy a suit, but you want well-fitting clothes for every occasion: work, interviews, upscale bars/clubs, casual/romantic dates, etc. If you’re fat, exercise! If you’re a skinny twig, build muscle! Take care of your body, health, and mind!

Better your social skills – even if you’re an introvert! Not saying you to become the master of charisma, but work on building some charm to draw people into you. This is accomplished by following what I stated earlier above.

HOW TO BECOME A RENAISSANCE BLACK NERD

Armed with the knowledge of what is and why we need a Renaissance Black Nerd, you can now learn how to become one.

To start, branch away from and slow down on the nerdiness. You shouldn’t forgo it completely, but you can’t entertain or empower yourself or others with useless nerd triviality. People (especially women) love those who are well-versed in many topics and display self-empowerment, growth, and useable everlasting tangibles. If you can do that then you will be rewarded greatly.

Next, you must be willing to escape your comfort zone. Say you only leisurely travel out-of-state for conventions weekends. Get out of your comfort zone by spending 3-4 days before the convention exploring the city in which the convention is hosted. Explore Chicago if you’re going there for Anime Central. Make some time to spend a few days wandering Los Angeles if you’re there for Anime Expo. Don’t be scared to talk to the locals of the city and learn about the people who live in them daily. Ask them what’s going on in the city, where are the best restaurants, bars, parks, and sites to visit. Who knows? You might love it to the point that you want to return to that city not for a convention, but because of how dope the city’s culture is.

Lastly, you must embrace your Blackness. You are Black First and foremost. Believe it or not, these white folks respect Black men and women who aren’t buck dancing, shuckin’ and jivin’ brown-nosing coons on the job. They can’t run games on Black men and women who showcase superior intelligence and stand up to the system of white supremacy in the white-run and operated workforce.

Do this, Black nerd:

At the next event you’re attending (may it be a party, convention, what have you) talk to these white folks about politics, current events, nerd/pop culture, and history. Be casual and friendly with it at first, don’t start aggressively. Disarm them with a smile. Ask them about where their family originated. Example: When talking to someone who claims their roots are Italian, ask them if they’re family from North Italy or South Italy. If they respond with South Italy, say “Oh, Sicily! I can tell you’re from Sicily because of the darker skin and hair!” Throw in some history with how the Moors conquered Sicily during the Medieval Ages and that’s why they have dark hair and skin.

(They’re also talking shit about you behind your back because you reminded them that they have that Moorish blood in them despite claiming white)

To conclude, the Black Nerd community needs more of us to become Renaissance Black Nerds. While it’s cool to love being a nerd, it doesn’t hurt to use your nerdy ways to empower yourself. We need to make sure that the cornball goofball Black Nerds get overthrown and replace with a Renaissance Black Nerd that’ll better the image of the Black Nerd. Nerd Culture is on the rise and has become mainstream. Now more than ever, it’s cool to be a nerd. Black Empowerment is on the rise.

Let’s use that for our advantage my fellow Renaissance Black Nerds!

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The Swarthy Nerd Podcast
A Black nerd empowerment podcast where Black nerds (well, all nerds, but Black first and foremost) can get together and talk freely about nerd culture while also acknowledging systematic white supremacy and racism in nerd culture. Every Tuesdays we drop episodes containing serious and laidback topics while Saturdays we drop episodes talking about TV shows, anime, film, comics, manga, and video games.

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Fandom 0

Fandom: The Ultimate Security Blanket

Note:
The following is a text version from episode 65 of my friend and I podcast,The Swarthy Nerd.  It has been edited for this blog.  You can listen to the episode in full by click the link above.

Please enjoy!

*****

We all need a sense of security: may it be for home defense, personal space, finances, etc. Security allows us to have a sense of safety and the confidence that no harm will come to us.  With security, we won’t be able to subscribe to ill thoughts and of being violated, unprotected, and insecure; as long as our  security doesn’t get compromised. Fandom in nerd culture could be considering a form of security.

Nerds use their fandom to protect themselves from outsiders and anyone else who may try to enter a fandom will ill intent.  Acting as a security device, a nerd’s fandom can serve to help one escape the harsh realities of the world (crime, violence, systematic white supremacy, etc.).  While using fandom to escape and defend you from this world has some benefits, there are faults to relying on it.

To quote the late film critic Robert Ebert in his review of the 2009 film Fanboys,

“Extreme fandom may serve as a security blanket for the socially inept, who use its extreme structure as a substitute for social skills. If you are Luke Skywalker and she is Princess Leia, you already know what to say to each other, which is so much safer than having to ad-lib it. Your fannish obsession is your beard. If you know absolutely all the trivia about your cubbyhole of pop culture, it saves you from having to know anything about anything else. That’s why it’s excruciatingly boring to talk to such people: They’re always asking you questions they know the answer to.”

Harsh, but truthful.

In today’s episode of the Swathy Nerd Podcast, we will break down the security blanket that is fandom, why lonely loser nerds use fandom to escape from reality, and why it’s too easy to use somebody else work to build your own sense of self and security.

PART ONE
HOW FANDOM SERVE  US

Fandom as a security blanket serves us through three means:
1. Creates a culture
2 A sense of self
3. A sense of protection

It’s no secret that most nerds don’t fit into other groups due to their quirky, obsessive nature. They (usually) cannot relate to mainstream topics such as the latest celebrity gossip, sports, pop music, and so forth.  Therefore, they seek to find comradely with like minded peers: building a culture and support system around their love for pop art and culture.  With this, a nerd could use this newfound comradeship to form social circles that otherwise would be “impossible” to obtain outside of using pop culture reference and fan familiarity

Less energy and effort can be exhausted on staying within one’s comfort zone. Why expand your mind and broaden horizons by going out of your way to do something new and meet people outside your normal social circle when you can use your endless supply of The Office quotes with those who too quote form overrated T.V. series? You don’t have to think on the fly like a smooth, charming player if you remind within known topics.

However, there’s one major drawback to relying on that trick: Things will get boring quick.

How long will it take for the other person you’re talking to until they wind up getting tired of your pop culture references?  Why do you refuse to let go of a topic that nobody is interested in other than to stroke your own ego?  People are drawn towards those who know about more than one topic – especially if it’s outside the realm of pop culture.  Not everyone loves and operate on the same level of stableness and security you run on (pop culture).  Eventually, you’ll need to disrupt that sense of security if you want to attach others to you.

Nerds believe that their hobbies, attractions, and interests are small bits of the larger picture of who they are as a person; a sort of sense of self to say.  There’s some truth to this. I do believe that what you’re into have an impact and reflect on your personality and psyche.

Example: A Black nerd may relate to the comic series X-MEN due to the elements of racism within the series.   That black nerd understands to the X-MEN being treated like outsiders because of his racial background. They might collect figurines of characters such as Storm, Gambit, or Wolverine because to that Black Nerd, that’s a form of self-empowerment.

It’s not to say that these nerds couldn’t tap into their spirit for self-empowerment nor do they don’t, BUT, you must admit that it’s goofy for a grown ass man to be empowered by fiction and fiction alone.  Of course, it’s much easier to use somebody else’s work to empower yourself than to get off your ass and work on yourself and your purpose to empower yourself without external influences.

Finally, fandom creates a sort of protection.  Most nerds (who don’t have a pair of balls/ovaries), have been bullied for their interests.  Therefore, they create walls and barriers to protect themselves from outsiders.  Other nerds have struggle with dealing with real world issues, or dealt with hardships in life (child abuse, absent parent, social struggles, etc.), so their fandom is the perfect tool for defense.  It’s all-to-common to hear a female felt empowered by magical girl series such as Sailor Moon and Card Captor Sakura in her troubling youth.

We all heard tales of men (who only watch entry level Shounen anime) whose favorite anime is Dragon Ball Z because somehow, a cartoon show them what an alpha male is supposed to look like.  They may not actually put in the work to be as alpha as the fictional characters they admire (hell, they even hate on anime fans who don’t live vicariously through shounen anime and put in hard work to become greater than their fictional icons).

They rather live through their heroes than to  like them.

 

PART TWO

DISRUPTING SECURITY

Let’s visit an earlier statement from this “essay”: “Not everyone loves and operate on the same level of stableness and security you run on (pop culture).  Eventually, you’ll need to disrupt that sense of security if you want to attach others to you. ” Sooner or later, security will get violated.  It will get disrupted it; causing you to be on edge.

We’ve seen this with COVID-19 forcing pop culture conventions to cancel their events this year.  Stores catering to nerd culture, such as Japan LA and Uncle Hugo’s Science Fiction Bookstore  have been torched by protesters seeking justice for the racial murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless mores.  Nerdy brands have shown solidity with Black Americans (if they’re being sincere or just doing this for money is up for debate).   2020 has proven that you can’t use your fandom as a shield to protect yourself.

You will need to embrace that. Hiding from it not only makes you childish – it makes you weak and a coward.

We don’t even need the onslaught of chaos that 2020 given us so far to destroy your sense of fanboy security.  Remember: a madman in July 2019 decided to burn down Kyoto Animation.  You know, the same anime studio that produces media to help keep otakus and weeaboos globally distracted.

You couldn’t go anywhere online or offline without being reminded that Kyoto Animation was burned down and 35+ of their employees were murdered. This is no means a form of disrespect towards those who lost their lives in such a senseless way, but it’s a grim reminder that your distractions can be taken away from you.

Look, what I’m telling you guy is this: you have to accept the fact your hobbies and passions will never protect you in the long run.  Reality always has a way to rear its ugly head into your fantasy, la-la land (or even in the real world itself). We’ve heard stories of Black nerds going to nerdy conventions thinking they can escape racism for a few days only to experience it by racist white nerds. You always have these racist white nerds who will attack Black nerds for cosplaying outside their race or simply being at a convention.

My fellow black nerds: if you think your geekiness will override your Blackness, you are fucking retarded and deserve a Negro wake up call.

Logging onto Animal Crossing or whatever the latest distraction is won’t fix nor lessen your issues. How the hell you’re more concerned about some fictional tanuki motherfucker breaking your kneecaps if you don’t pay them rent, and yet, you haven’t pay rent to your real landlord?

It’s so wild that we have people out here who have all the courage in the world to solve the problems of fictional characters, but somehow, they can’t be bothered to fix their own.  Guess it’s easier for some socially awkward nerd fuck to solve worse girl Futaba from Persona 5 or worse girl Bernadetta from Fire Emblem: Three Houses social disorder issues than for them to solve their own to better themselves as a person (it’s also easier for fans of those two to smell like corn chips, hot dog water, and ass like those two shut-in losers as well, but that’s for another essay).

In conclusion, I say this: You’re not Linus from Charlie Brown.  Stop relying on such a pathetic security blanket such as your precious little fandom geek shit to guard you from the realities of this world.   You need to grow beyond it so that you can have more friends or whatever.  Learn to embrace that this world is horrible and bad things will happen. It’s not to say that you should be horrible in kind, but you have to deal with it to grow as a better person.

You cannot escape life.

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The Swarthy Nerd Podcast
A Black nerd empowerment podcast where Black nerds (well, all nerds, but Black first and foremost) can get together and talk freely about nerd culture while also acknowledging systematic white supremacy and racism in the nerd and Eastern otaku fandoms. Every Tuesday join @superlostfan108 and @weebtrashyuki the founders of http://www.swarthynerd.com for there very informative podcast talking about all things nerdy. No desperate boot licking self hating negus who were never accepted by Black norimes for being too weird for  their love of anime and comic books by the Black community allowed. Go drink bleach.

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Nerd Culture 0

25 Days of Bloggig Day 6: Misinterpretation. Misinformation.

Billy-Dee-Williams-fluid-sexuality

“Billy Dee…you’re too old to that claim you’re “gender fluid’”.

Like any sensible person, I was confused and dumbfounded  when the “news” broke out that famed actor Billy Dee Williams “came  out” as genderfluid.  It’s not that I would have anything against him for being LGBTQ, but something about this “news” didn’t sit right with me.  If he was gender fluid, gay, bi, whatever, we would have known it by now (since Hollywood insiders love talking about and exposing people’s personal lives and matters).  Additionally, I can’t imagine a man who’s near 90 being aware of a Millennial/Zoomer term such as “genderfluid”.  Older people can learn new things, sure, but something was just bothering me about it.

Fast forward to this past Wednesday, December 4, 2019.

“What the hell is ‘gender fluid?”
“Welp.  I bet everyone who thought he was coming out, praised him for doing so, and told me I was in the wrong got egg on their face.” I said to myself as I celebrated my amazing and superior logic once again. The article from The Undefeated described how media outlets twisted  Billy Dee Williams’s comments on his views his feminine and masculine emotion; he was comfortable with showing his softer, emotional side.  They didn’t catch that Williams was referring to Carl G. Jung’s theories of the conscious/unconscious mind as it relates to the anima and animus (female and male self). Clearing the air, Williams finally stated that he isn’t gay (he simply made the mistake of “using” fluidity as sexual orientation).

Was this simply an honest mistake by  media outlets?  Well, given  how mainstream media operates, especially during the Holidays (the Holidays/end of the year historically is always been slow, lacking and unexciting for major news), in my opinion, nah.  The world unwitty assumed that Billy Dee Williams was coming out of the closet. You can’t really fault the  internet for this one. Even if one were to fact check the story to debunk the media’s “claims” of Williams’s sexuality, every news source would state the same story: Billy Dee Williams came out of the closet.

Of course now, we know that’s not true.  The beloved actor is a straight man who is aware of his emotional side (and is knowledgeable on the shadow self of human nature).

However, it a great lesson on how quickly misterpreted information can spread across the internet.  In this era of the information age, incorrect material and information can reach millions in a matter of seconds. By the time anyone can correct the mistakes; people would have already believed it to be true and shared it with others globally.  Not even ten minutes could have past, and people are having intense and in-depth dialogue over information that may not be completely factual. People can read the misinformation and have their viewpoints completely changed – unaware that they have received incorrect knowledge and info.

Remember: if everyone thinks it’s true, then, it must be, right?

***

It’s amazing how we live in this era where we’re blessed to have knowledge, wisdom, and information at our fingertips. As the singer of the gambling anime Kakegurui xx’s second theme song singer JUNNA puts it, “There’s too much knowledge to be able to dream in this age”. She’s right: with all this knowledge out there in the world for us to search and hunt for, we can no longer dream about things of the “what if”, of the “who was”, of the “when is”, of the “where is”,  or the “how to”. Yet, what’s good is that all knowledge if there’s a chance it’s misinformation throw into the mix?

As we experienced with the Billy Dee Williams interview a few days ago, misinformation can spread quickly online.  This isn’t limited to superficial celeb news either. The ease of internet access for all has given rise to fake news and false information.  All it takes is one person or one entity to generate a news report or story lacking facts or truth, post it online, and have the masses  spread and share it with others.  Within minutes, the false information and fake news is out onto the world.

It’s why I hate it when people go “Well Google it then!” when dealing with a complex subject that many may not have an understand (due to their own ignorance or public schooling).   What if I do google something and find information on the subject matter?  I bring the misinformation to you, wholeheartedly believing that I have the correct information, only to have you go into an emotional fit because it was wrong all along? It’s frustrating! All because you didn’t want you back up your claims with trusted sources. I have every right to be angry at you for sending me on a wild goose chase because you wanted to please your own insignificant ego and were afraid to be proven wrong.

We are living our lives abound with so much (mis)information.

Until next time.

-Yuki The SnowMan

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Anime community 0

Recording Otaku History (And The Growth of The Western Anime Community)

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is a (cleaner) copy and paste free write of my thoughts of the evolution and history of the Western anime fandom taken from my Facebook page Yuki The Snowman. As such, I was shooting from the hip; so it is unstructured and lacks research and sources to a few statements. 

While out-of-state at a friends’ house catching up on old times, we were disusing plans on attending an up and coming anime convention in their area next year named Dokidokon.  During the discussion, they mentioned how cool it would be for us to report on the convention, it’s growth, and recording the events as they unfold at the con.  With glee, they stated that it would be exciting to take record of what we witness there.  Further into the talk, it was mentioned that we’re living in perhaps the best time period for otaku history in the West and how it is important for us bloggers, vloggers, and content creators to record such events in history.

I started to ponder.

While my friends and I enjoy attacking the otaku culture with venomous scorn, taking cheap shots against anime fans whenever the chance presents itself, and mock the culture for its many faults, we still hold onto our great appreciation for how far the anime medium and fandom has come. This is especially true given how Western otaku culture and conventions came up from (to my knowledge, mind you) the underground college anime clubs and conventions of the 70s and 80s to the massive juggernaut in which we are a part of today where the modern anime community is an indescribable melting pot of distinctive demographic coming together to celebrate our love for anime.

For those who might be too young to remember, it wasn’t that long ago when Western anime culture and fans where pushed into the darkest corners of the pop culture world.  We were treated as unwelcomed outcasts by – and please note – most (meaning not all for those who are from the remedial side of the education game) nerds and geeks from different sets of  the pop culture  world (film, comic books, gamers, sci-fi, etcs.).

In the past, Anime (in the West) didn’t have that unbreakable grip that it has on the Western pop culture world today.  Thus, us fans were mocked and alienated by outsides (both normies and, ironically, non-otaku nerds who too where shunned for their love for comics, games, etc.) for enjoying something that most people didn’t get. Maybe it was due to  xenophobia, lack of understanding, or the pure pride of the ignorant who didn’t want to study  why people like and watch anime, but anime fans were treated like some weird nerds who were too much in love with some whacky Japanese cartoons.

Sure, you had timeless hits such as AKIRA, Ninja Scroll, and Ghost in the Shell making noise in America; planting seeds and paving the path for what we are witnessing today when it comes to the Western Otaku culture, but they didn’t have the weight to help put anime in that sweet postion that we call mainstream appeal  (Dragon Ball Z would take that honor and run with it in the mid-90s despite what the anti-entry-level anime elitists may want to argue to deal with the fact their favorite obscure anime didn’t get the job done but that’s another topic for another day).

 

Time went on. The influence of anime in the West grew stronger.  Its popularity increased with shows such as Dragon Ball Z, Sailor Moon, and Pokémon.  Television networks such as Time Warner, The Sci-Fi Network, Tech TV and Freeform created program blocks dedicated to anime (Toonami, Anime Unleashed, and Made in Japan) in order to carter to the blooming Western anime fanbase.  Online bulletin board systems (BBS) and websites revolving around anime culture sprung up on the dial-up internet side of the game.  Magazines dedicated to anime such as Anierica  were  sent out to the mailbox of the American anime fan.  Video stores started carrying anime that never aired on TV in America.

It was inevitable that anime in the West would become a huge deal.

****

Today, you can go on your favorite streaming website (legal and illegal) and pull up almost any anime from the past or present. Popular or obscure.  Modern or classic.  If you can think of an anime, there’s a good chance that you will find it online. No more wasting time and gas money traveling miles to a nearby video store in hopes you can get your anime fix.   No longer do we need to call up a certain  BBS to communicate with fellow fans of a peculiar anime and wait two-to-eight hours for a response.

With the advent of modern day technology and social media, we can instantly chat it up with fellow anime fans moments after an episode finished airing. Best of all, fans can communicate and interact with voice actors, creators, production studios, and distributors through websites such as Facebook and twitter – something that was once only possible at annual major conventions and snail mail.

History is being made.

 

As content creators, we must take advantage of this era of Western anime history. We must take part and note of the trends and the happenings of the fandom  – despite the fact if we love or loathe such trends and happenings. Remember: future generations of anime fans will be curious on how their favorite shows and beloved parts of the culture became to be.  They will research the roots of their favorites and find connects to the past (that is currently our present).  There needs to be a record of what is going on today in the world of anime: both in the East and here in the West.

Keeping record will perverse what is happening currently. It will prevent experiences from being lost to time and history.  Just imagine if nobody recorded the famous viral video of the Filipino female prisoners performing the Hare Hare Yukai dance from The Melacholy of Haruhi Suzumiya or most recent, the ever popular live-action versions  Chikatto Chika Chika dance from episode 3 of Kaguya-Sama: Love is War!! by energetic otakus cosplay as Chika herself.

It would be utterly depressing.

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Conventions 0

“Wow! I Haven’t Miss Shit!” (Freewrite)

Note: I am about to burn some bridges with people in the St. Louis anime convention and cosplay scene with this post, ain’t I? Bet.

Second Note: This is a freewrite.  There’s no order of my paragraphs in terms of flow.

“You should all pay attention to me! I want people to take pictures of my cosplay! I work hard on it!”

An annoying, feminine voice behind me rang out in the halls of Gateway Convention Center during the morning hours of Archon St. Louis   The owner of the voice is a bit of a…what the word I can use that won’t (easily) offend people of the LBGT community? A fairy. A very narcissistic, attention whore, drama starting fairy. But I’m used to him and his attitude.  This guy, whom I shall call “Narcian”, is a well-known, highly egotistical, arrogant, eccentric (shit-tier) cosplayer (in our area) who believes he has magical, spiritual powers (trust me; that’s just 1% percent of his issues).

(And I thought my ego and narcissism problems were terrible)

Narcian_Fire_Emblem.png
He looks like an IRL Narcian from Fire Emblem 6.

His parents never gave him any attention or love; so he grew up seeking and  demanding attention from others. I spent a good year and a half avoiding this man thanks to traveling to other conventions outside my hometown; helping me forget that he existed.  As he tried (and failed) to get people to notice his cosplay (even photo-bombing a Marvel Comics cosplay gathering), I realized something:

“Wow! I haven’t missed shit while I was away from this con scene!”

Between Anime St. Louis 2018 and Archon 2018, I skipped out on other St. Louis conventions to work on myself, traveling(to Los Angeles and Atlanta), and to have a little extra money in my pockets. When I came back to the St. Louis convention scene, I was reminded – thanks to Narcian – that I truly wasn’t missing out on anything that St. Louis had to offer for their nerd culture cons.  It was a reminder on why I decided to say fuck this con scene and explore other scenes across America.

The weeaboos  here who never left the St. Louis area (or at the very least, aren’t bettering themselves) were doing the same shit: Bitching about how much they hate their current low paying 9-to-5 jobs, being stuck in the rat race, looking forward to going to the bars and clubs and conventions on the weekends, causing/starting childish  drama and beef with people, and refusing to level up.

They love to complain about how their lives aren’t going anywhere, but won’t put forth the effort to make a change.

And don’t try to convince them to leave St. Louis for a larger weeaboo festival with superior guest lists (featuring Japanese voice actors and creators) and more to do that they love to fantasize about attending.  They’ll hit you with excuses such as “I don’t want to travel by myself”, “traveling cost too much money” (but wasting money at the club/bar isn’t for some odd reason), and – my personal favorite – “You’re just going to do the same shit out of town you do at home!”.

Please.  I’m doing the same shit at conventions outside my hometown (like exploring and spending more time in Downtown L.A. as opposed to Anime Expo itself)  and yet you guys are okay with repeating the same things in your lives.

Okay.

jazy_z_okay.gif

To them, being in a state of everlasting comfortable mediocrity is an amazing and great thing.  Why apply yourself with self-improvement when you can have the same things you’re used to every day. Every week. Every month. Every year.  If it ain’t broke don’t fix it – hell, don’t even upgrade it because there’s no reason or logic behind it!  That’s how St. Louis runs; may it be politics, entertainment, or weeaboo shit.

Let’s take Anime St. Louis for example.

ASTL-desktop-banner-2018dates-956x308.jpg

Anime St. Louis has been around for thirteen years (if we’re counting Kunicon: their first convention). Naka-Kon, another Midwestern Convention held in Kansas  City Missouri/Kansas area, started around the same time as Anime St. Louis Naka-Kon brought in guests straight from Japan (such as the J-Rock band ALSDEAD, Nobuo Uematsu, Junko Takeuchi a.k.a the voice of Hinata’s husband, and Takashi Kisaki.

Anime St. Louis?  I mean, they gotten voice acting legends and icons such as Richard Epcar, Keith Silverstien, and Troy Baker. But you can see them at any convention across America. Naka-Kon. In bumfuck Kansas. Can land guests. Straight from Japan.

And yet Anime St. Louis can’t do the same?

emerald_laugh.gif

My grips with the St. Louis con scene don’t end with the convention either.  The community itself is filled with toxic, drama causing, pathetic otakus who have nothing going on with their lives outside of playing dress-up as their favorite anime Chinese Cartoon Characters. As a result, they attack Black cosplayers for cosplaying outside their race,   playing favorites during cosplay contests (and by playing favorites, the cosplayers  and  judges are probably fucking and sucking/eating each other out the night before the cosplay contest), and even spread their drama to other Missouri conventions: harassing anyone who aren’t in their clique and make them feel unsafe.

Don’t get me wrong: There’s drama in every convention scene around the world. You do need to learn how to deal with it and not get involved (and never create it). But there’s a feeling of joy when you go to a new con scene outside the hometown one and have a fresh start. Nobody knows who you are – making you automatic neutral to any conflicts.  You dealt with drama and know how to read people so you can sense any drama-makers in a new con scene. Sure, once you’re cliqued in with a group drama might arise, but you can leave said clique.

It’s liberating.

This isn’t to say that all St. Louis cosplayers and con-goers have this loser, drama mentality. One of the first people to leave this scene grew popular outside St. Louis with her cosplays despite her haters here.   I saw her recently at Archon and she looked incredibly happy with her life after St. Louis.  Another major cosplayer from the St. Louis area (who’s a master of using duct tape and 24 hour cosplays) left town and blew up. He networked with some major players of the YouTube scene and is doing great with his life.

Hell, recently an associate of mines made a status about how they were felt discouraged on cosplaying at Anime St. Louis because the judge allows past winners (a.k.a their friends) to use the same cosplays that won them cosplay contests years previously. This inspired the associate to leave the St. Louis area to explore other conventions with their cosplays.  Others have agreed with them and want to explore other conventions with the associate.   Folks are giving up on the St. Louis and starting to understand that there’s more to the cosplay world than this small ass shithole city’s scene.

And to be honest, I am happy for them. I am glad to see people bettering themselves.

To conclude this rant of a freewrite, the St. Louis convention scene sucks outside of Archon (thanks to their old-school style of not playing the bullshit game). If you’re a seasoned con-goer who travel across America (or the world) for conventions, don’t come to St. Louis (unless its’ for Archon or work).

There is no progress here and you’re better off skipping over STL. If you’re a rookie con-goer, I do recommend coming to Anime St. Louis to get your feet wet and dip off once you earn enough experience.  To the con-goers who keep doing the same old bullshit: Stop it.  You niggas are Level 5 Terra and Locke off Final Fantasy 6 playing around in Narshe while we got people about to raid Kefka’s Tower at levels 60-100.

Grow up.

AFTERWORD:

I’m about to get blacklisted from Anime St. Louis because of this I bet.
Oh well, I’ll show up to the con without a badge drunk as fuck next year and throw a giant room party (doubling as my Birthday party) as a final farewell to the St. Louis anime con scene on May 4th, 2019.

You guys are invited!

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Conventions 0

Archon St. Louis: And Why I’ll Only Do One Local Convention From Now On (Freewrite)

Note: This is a freewrite. This is an article without order or structure.

Disclaimer: To my fellow St. Louis weeaboos: This is not a jab towards the anime conventions Anime St. Louis (ASTL) and Anime Senpai.  Although people wouldn’t have to jab at these cons and go outside of the STL area for bigger and better cons if these two cons weren’t doing the same bullshit every year.  

(The jabs are coming in a future post.)

There’s something magical about older, fan-run local conventions.  I guess it’s because these conventions are run by fans who came from an era were conventions weren’t a place for popularity contest (through cosplay or otherwise). An era was being a nerd wasn’t mainstream or cool.  Fans came out to these events and cosplay because of their passion, love, and respect for nerd culture.

To me, this is why Archon St. Louis stands out as the dominant force in the St. Louis convention scene.  Plus, there’s the appeal of Archon allowing room parties and people to drink alcohol  (in the hotel area) without stuck-up straight edge weeaboos being mad; Unlike other local conventions (such as Anine St. Louis) that claim to be “Family-Friendly”, but you have cosplayers high on hard drugs at the rave, weebs getting wasted on the con floor because they can’t handle their liquor, and otakus having orgies at the main con hotel.

(We still remember that Homestuck orgy from an ASTL long since passed you sick fucks.)

But what is Archon? Archon is an internationally known sci-fi and fantasy convention (they carter to other media pop culture group, but Archon’s bread-and-butter is the sci-fi and fantasy side of the game).  Every year, Archon brings in world-renown figures hailing from the world of entertainment. Iconic figures such as George R.R. Martin (the first guest of Archon), Ray Bradbury, Billy West, and Phil LaMarr have graced Archon with their presence: bringing in thousands of their fans to their standing room only panels.

(Check their website I didn’t make that shit up)

Archon_Logo

Sure, you can see them at panels at the bigger conventions such as San Diego Comic Con or Dragon Con; but what makes Archon worth going is that personal experience of being with these guests at their panels of say 500-1000 people; as opposed to those larger conventions and being in a room with these icons with 3,000-5,000 nerds. Would you rather waste thousands and thousands of dollars at these gigantic, cramped conventions where the odds of you meeting these guests and have a short chat with them are lower than you fucking a fine cosplayer at your hotel room?

Or would you spend the time and money traveling to a smaller, more warm and welcoming conventions where you can spend an intimate time with the guests?

Now that I think about it, it’s funny how I use the words “warm” and “intimate” to describe the Archon experience.  Again, it does go back to how Archon is run by OG (original gangsta) nerds who came up in a time where nerds were bullied hardcore and weren’t welcome by normal society, but there’s that welcoming, warm vibe that surrounds Archon (because of what these guys went through).

Regardless of your nerdom (may it be anime, comics, sci-fi, movies, etc.), Archon welcomes everyone.    Nobody will come up to you and get in their feelings on how you’re cosplaying as an anime character at a Sci-Fi/Western media convention (can’t say the same for you weeaboos who love to get in ya feelings and go up to non-Eastern media cosplayers saying they don’t belong at anime cons).

Believe me; check out these pictures of a few non-Western (influenced) media cosplayers I took (while drunk and stoned so that’s why their pics are blurry):

sakura_cosplayer_my_bad_for_the_blurriness_I_was_drunk.jpg

monika_off_ddlc_cosplay.jpg

star_healer_i_dunno_which_one_sailor_moon_stars_was_goofy.jpg

You may be wondering (due to the title of this post) at this point why I am doing just one local convention from here on out?  It’s simple: Archon is much mellower and  lax compared to the anime conventions in the St. Louis area.  Wizard World St. Louis is an industry ran convention; meaning no freedom to go wild.

Anime St. Louis is “cool”, but larger conventions such as Anime Expo, Anime Central, and Anime Weekend Atlanta have better guests and have the funds to obtain guests directly from Japan. Anime Senpai just started their first year in 2018 and came from the remains of a few dead conventions that crashed, burned, and failed.

I have no hope for Anime Senpai lasting longer than five years at the most.

Archon has the longevity factor. It’s been around for nearly 45 years and each year they do something to make it better, bigger, and net new and old fans.  Unlike other conventions in our area, they don’t play around.  It’s a convention for everyone regardless of age and fandom.  Have a cosplay even if it’s not sci-fi or fantasy? They don’t care – bring it to Archon!  You will find people who enjoy it (if it’s not too obscure).

Archon is amazing and I love it.

‘What more can I say?
I wouldn’t be here today
If the old-school didn’t pave the way!’
-Brand Nubian

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Cosplay 4

Competition in Cosplay: What’s So Bad About It?

“Competition” is a dirty word in the world of cosplay. It scares and angers some; as they dread the idea of “elitists” approaching cosplay with such a mindset. Recently, I came across a tweet by @0Becki expressing concern towards those with this mentality.  They felt that cosplay is a hobby and not a competition, that they should share tips with others, and they should hang out with cosplayers (who are cosplaying as the same character).

I’ve mixed feelings about this.  I agree; cosplay is a hobby. People should share tips, be friendly,  and help others.   But they aren’t entitled to do such things.  People have the right to be competitive with their passion. Competition is natural in any field.  Competitive cosplayers enjoy it as it pushes them to work hard on their skills and talent to become the best. As long as it’s not toxic, competition isn’t bad.

We need competitive cosplayers.

beckii_tweet.jpg

Competitive cosplayers have the driving need to win and outperform everyone else in the niche.  To them, every little detail matters to ensure victory. The perfect wig.  Professional grade makeup. The exact color contact lens.  Superior craftsmanship. They have no tolerance for error. It’s the difference between being just a cosplayer and becoming the cosplayer. First place or second place in a cosplay contest.  And trust me: nobody remembers the second place winner.  For the hobbyist cosplayer, this might be hard to understand.  That’s okay: you lack the competitor’s spirit.  Unless they attack you, don’t hate on these people.

It’s who they are – they can’t help it.

It’s funny how hobbyist cosplayers get angry at the “elitists” for their competitiveness.  Yet, they love these high-performing manga artists, ruthless anime directors, passionate game designers, what have you.  Why it’s okay to praise those people for their high levels of desire and drive but it’s wrong for cosplayers to act the same?

You’re a hypocrite if you praise one group but shame another for the same thing.

Competition is great.  It drives others to better themselves.  It forces you to become innovating.  It encourages change. If a cosplayer above your skill level trashes your cosplay, instead of being mad and pissed, use that as inspiration to prove them wrong and better your cosplay.

They talk shit about your wig (or lack of)? Buy a high-quality wig. A snobby cosplayer thinks your skirt for your cosplay is trash?  Hire the best seamstress in your community to make you one better to prove that asshole wrong.  Better yet, study the best cosplayers in your community and learn how they won rewards, got their fame, and so forth.  Use that anger, the power of the dark side as you will, to better your cosplay game so that one day, nobody will ever talk shit about your cosplay again.

Or beat their ass.  I don’t care.

REVERSAL:  Not everyone is competitive.  Hobbyist cosplayers far outnumber the competitive.  I’m not telling you to be humble or lower your standards, but keep in mind that your attitude could offend – thus furthering tainting the cosplay community. It can also ruin your reputation, which you must guard with your life.   To quote Robert Greene’s 48 Laws of Power: ‘Know who you’re dealing with – do not offend the wrong person.’ and ‘Think as you like but behave like others.’

Yes, be competitive but only compete with those at or above your skill level.  Simply acting arrogant and prideful towards those below your skill level will only stir up hatred and anxiety against you.  Nobody will want to work or be around you if your attitude is nasty.

If you know a group of cosplayers are having fun, don’t ruin it for them.  Suggest ways to help them improve their cosplay skills in a friendly, loving tone.  Don’t mock a cosplayer for something they can’t control (such as race, color tone, gender,  disabilities, etc.). Remember: you too were once a hobbyist cosplayer who didn’t know any better. So spread the knowledge (but not too much of it)

Sometimes, it’s better to feared than loved.  Sometimes, it’s better to be loved than hated.

Cover image source:
https://www.kotaku.com.au/2015/09/australias-best-cosplayer-will-win-this-sexy-golden-dragon/

Freewriting 0

Playing The Long Game As A Nerd (Freewrite)

 

“You still watching Dragon Ball Z, nigga?  Grow up!”
“Stop acting white! You’re too old to watch cartoons!”
“Go get some pussy and stop playing video games!”

Growing up as a (black) nerd in a backward ass Midwestern city was rough (in the early 2000s). Throughout middle and high school if you had nerdy interests, you were deemed a loser amongst your peers.   Nobody (outside your fellow outcasted nerds) wanted to fuck with you.  You were bullied, teased, and taunted for your nerdy passion.  I too dealt with my fair share of bullshit from normies who didn’t have the balls to step out of their comfort zone; unlike us nerds who didn’t fuck with that fitting in shit.

I still remember how my normie peers would tell me how being a nerd was uncool and that I need to grow up.  They claimed that video games and anime would never get me pussy, popularity, or money.  Of course, they were wrong.  Hell, even with my near grandiose levels of ego, I knew they were wrong. Mainly because  I spent my free-time shit posting and trolling gaming and anime forums communicating with older nerds who went through the same shit I was going through back then.   Many of them had wives, families, money, and status at their jobs.  Some even talked about how they hooked up with an equally nerdy chick or a dude at comic and anime conventions.

I mean shit, I looked up to Bill Gates when I in middle and high school.  Here was a nigga that  was a total nerd in his school days.  Was bullied for being a nerd, spent his weekends working on computers for 40 hours while everyone else was partying and doing stupid, unproductive shit. He played the long game with his brand and within a few decades, he became the richest men in the world.

So much for nerds being losers.

Reading about Bill Gates’s success (as well as the success of older nerds online) made me realize this at a young age:  If I’m going to dedicate my life to being a nerd and building something for myself off it,  then I better play the long game. I just knew deep down that nerd culture was going to be popular.  I just had this gut feeling that nerds and geeks in America will stop being bullied.  That we were going to be trendsetters. Game changers.  The dominant culture in entertainment (The Big Bang Theory doesn’t fuckin’ count).

At the turn of this decade (the 2010s),  my vision was coming true (for the nerd community). Blockbuster superhero movies were the norm.  Video games were treated as a respectful, valued form of entertainment.  Anime (and otaku culture) was accepted.  Anime and video game clubs were poppin’ up in high schools across America.  While nerds were still being bullied, it was happening far less often then decades past.  Kids were free to wear their favorite anime or superhero shirt without fear of being teased or mock.  Conventions were getting mainstream attention.  Being a nerd was now consider cool.

Playing my first long game paid off.

Playing the long game with your passion isn’t easy.  Do not think you won’t face difficulties as a player of the long game.  You are fuckin’ stupid and clueless if you think there no errors or hardships with the long game.  You will have people talk to out of your passion (as they do not see nor understand your vision).   You will get called weird, mad, goofy, insane, whatever your hopeless, average, bottom feeders peers will throw up in your face.  As a player of the long game, you need to block those people out.  Cut them out of your lives even.   Link up with other people who share your passion and understand that success takes years to achieve instead.

How do you play the long game as a nerd?  Simple: Pick something you’re passionate about.  You love vlogging about the latest episodes of mainstream anime?  Good.  Stick with it for a few years. Do you find joy in making others happy when you play video game music on your violin?  Perfect.  Keep it up for years and years on end.  Don’t expect success to come overnight.  If you do, quit right now.  You ain’t cut out for the long game.

To those still bitter about the past and how nerd culture is now popular: Good.  Stay mad.  I need bitter ass suckers like you so I don’t have to worry about fighting other nerds to get that number one spot and dominate and intimidate everyone in the culture one day. Keep being miserable.

For the normies who made fun of nerds and are only on the nerd train cuz it’s popular: Thanks for being suckers!  I look forward to making money and build my brand off yall niggas.

For the rest of us nerds who are taking advantage of this trend: Play hard.  Work hard.  Success is ours for the taking.

Anime community 2

Your Nerd Hobbies Didn’t Get You Rejected: It Was You

You gotta love bitter nerds.  Ever since the emergence of nerd culture in mainstream culture, pathetic, dusty nerds have come out with their sob stories on women rejecting them (for being nerdy).    You may have come across such stores like “Anime was the reason why women never like me” or “Now that comic books are popular ya wanna join the hype train but ya weren’t down with me back in high school!” If these sob stories describe your experience with women, then you need to hear the truth.  You weren’t rejected because you like anime or video games.  You got rejected because of you and you alone. Blaming your nerd hobbies only mean that you don’t have the courage to admit that you suck.

Let me explain why – because you losers need a wakeup call.

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I know it’s hard to admit fault (for your rejection), but hear me out.  The rejections happened because of your flaws.  You’re a boring ass person lacking charisma.  The girl you wanted like men who can wow her with their confidence and social skills – which you clearly lacked.  Who wants a relationship with a man whose personality is that of the mundane Yuki Nagato off The Melancholy Haruhi Suzumiya combined with the unbearable stoic Obi-Wan from Star Wars Episode 1.

 

 

Next, your horrid appearance landed you that denial. You fucking stink. You smell like pure unwashed swamp ass. The last time you took a bath or put on deodorant was when Half-Life 3 came out.  Your crusty dry lips are begging you to apply Carmex on them.  You’re out here sporting disastrous, greasy unkempt hair. That doesn’t make you look cute. It makes you look like the three-way fusion of Post Malone, Digibro, and Mick Foley/Mankind.  And that’s pretty nasty my man (no disrespect to the greats Digibro and Mick Foley).  And your fashion sense boy!  Did you really think rockin’ a fedora, a button down Dragon Ball Z shirt, and New Balance shoes was gonna get you some women?

How dense are you?

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Enough your shit tier looks.  Let’s talk your blame game.  That shit’s weak. Yes, people are shallow and won’t date you over hobbies.  That’s okay.  I doubt you would date a normie girl with normie interests. With that said,  wasting your life playing video games, jackin’ off to ero anime, and reading slice-of-life manga all day long as hobbies are turn-offs to some. Honestly, that’s boring. Nobody wants to hang around with a boring person like you.  Find other things to enjoy, like watching live-action television, going out to the movies, reading things that aren’t manga.

Liking nerdy interests alone doesn’t make you special: It makes you uninteresting.

Gotta love bitter nerds.  I mean, really.  You can’t help but laugh at them for blaming their hobbies and others for their shortcomings.   Are you amazed at how they can’t see their own faults and improve on them? Because I am. Look, if you are a nerd who does these things, you need to work on yourself and stop playing the blame game.  Take a shower.  Have confidence in yourself.  Go update your fashion game.  Indulge in cool shit other than nerdy shit.

Just stop crying.

Feature image source:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10155704042323751&set=a.5078413750.5401.690068750&type=3&theater

Dude with the DBZ shirt:
https://www.reddit.com/r/dbz/comments/1nwsik/my_friend_says_that_dragon_ball_z_is_lame_so_we/

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anime 1

What NOT To Do At Cons DJkillzone Feat. weebtrashyuki (Collab Video)

 

Audio collab between my boy DJ Killzown Jones and myself.  With the convention season well into the summer season, DJkillzown and I figure we will be nice and give nice audio guide on NOT to do at cons.

TOPICS INCLUDE:
Cosplay is NOT Consent
Respecting Personal Boundaries
Personal Hygiene
Ghosting Cons
Alcohol/Drugs Consumption
Hotel Partying
Creeping on Women

TEXT VERSION COMING SOON!!!

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https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwO0lojnveRjDrVyJyl167A
https://www.facebook.com/Killzown314/?ref=br_rs