By Kalie Hand
In the past year, “LARP” has taken on a completely new meaning from what it originally was. Until its new slang definition arose, LARP stood for Live Action Role-Play. LARP-ing meant putting on a costume, adopting a fictional persona, and acting out a storyline. However, LARP-ing has recently changed into a slang term used by Gen Z, meaning pretending to be something you are not, acting inauthentic, or putting on a fake persona for attention or clout—essentially, being a “poser”.
I am here to say that “larping,” in its new meaning, is not real. The concept of being a “larper” surrounds being performative; liking something in order to gain popularity or credit. However, I find it silly to police what others should be “allowed” to enjoy or interact with. How do we know what people actually enjoy in their free time? And, honestly, why should we care what other people enjoy?
Yes, I can understand how annoying it can be to be a die-hard fan of something, and as soon as it becomes popular, people try to act as if they’ve always been fans. Especially when that interest was previously viewed as “weird” or “nerdy,” but now, suddenly, everyone loves it. However, there is no true way to determine people’s legitimacy as fans, nor should people need to prove it. Someone can discover something 3 days prior and still consider themselves a fan; sure, maybe they don’t know the niche inside jokes of the fandom, but they still enjoy the community, and really, that’s all that should matter. People shouldn’t have to be scared to express their love for something in fear of being told that they’re not a “real fan.”
This kind of “gatekeeping” can be seen within any fandom or interest at all: movies, books, music, sports, and so much more. Additionally, this belief that some people are just pretending to enjoy something stems from insecurity in the accuser and the fear of no longer being niche. In recent years, appearing as if you’re underground and rare has become the best thing to be. People don’t want to appear “basic,” and they crave validation from others about their niche interests. However, once something gets popular, people begin to lose that mystery and rarity. Therefore, “original” fans will try to do anything in their power to keep new fans out.
So, next time, before you try to discredit someone’s interests, think about why it bothers you so much, and maybe you’ll learn something about yourself in the process.