Cyril Nadar - Week #7 - The "Demons" are Back
Dungeons and Dragons (D&D for short) is a table top game where a group of players create and explore a fantasy world while being guided by the Dungeon Master. Last month, me and my friends finally wrapped up a year and a half long D&D campaign. The bi-weekly scheduling of quests fighting demons and demigods has deeply engrained itself in my life.
In 1980’s America, D&D was a decently popular game. Many kids played it with their friends, using premade campaigns and rulebooks. Then came the “Satanic Panicc” in which people believed that Satanic rituals were done to abuse children. I think you can see where this was going. People accused D&D for encouraging children to do demon worship as it made them interact with demons. People were afraid that this board game would undermine Christian values that were held prominently during that time which caused campaigns to be formed to ban D&D.
This “panic” and scapegoating of ideas is resurfacing in the form of LGBTQ+ and racism. States have been passing laws to restrict or even ban the teachings of Queer and Critical race theory. States like Idaho, Mississippi, North Dakota, and New Hampshire have banned the teachings Queer or Critical Race Theory in public schools. States like Florida, Arkansas, and Iowa have restricted it and preserved it for “higher education”. Why do they do this? Well, they say that it is “unpatriotic”, promotes guilt and shame, and creates conflicts between students.
The language used to justify the banning of teaching of Queer and Critical race theory matches the one used in the “Satanic Panic” of the 1980’s: rhetoric driven by fear.
Looking back from now, the “panic” that gripped the 1980s seems absurd and almost a joke. Decades from now, the restriction of teaching about race and LGBTQ+ will be seen with a similar tone. However, unlike the 1980s, the laws that are passed are hurting the education of children, desensitizing them.
The first thing that I thought of when you described Dungeons and Dragons was Stranger Things, because, I'll admit, that's as far as my knowledge about it goes. However, I couldn't help but notice that the "Satanic Panic" is very similar to what happens in the Netflix series; in fact, the Duffer Brothers definitely drew inspiration from that period of time since the show also takes place in the 1980s. In the show, some of the main characters are part of a club called Hellfire that simply plays D&D, headed by Eddie Munson. Multiple contributing factors, including Eddie being seen as a "weirdo," the first murder happening in his trailer, and the unconventional manner in which the individuals were found dead, all led to the people of Hawkins suspecting that Hellfire was some type of Satanic cult. Even though the people watching the show understand that the club is completely harmless, the public in the show doesn't think so just because of their biased views of people who don't fit into society and their desire to find someone to blame. A connection can be made between this and LGBTQ+ individuals as many refuse to accept them because of preconceived notions that they have about them. You mention that the panic that individuals felt in the 1980s about D&D seems absurd now, and that they restriction of teaching about LGBTQ+ will eventually be seen in a similar manner, I agree with that statement as the world continues to change constantly, progressively becoming more aware and knowledgeable.
ReplyDeleteWhen I started reading your blog, I immediately, like Disha, thought of the Netflix show “Stranger Things.” I never realized that this was an actual game, or what inspired the Duffer Brothers to create the 1980s show. In the show, almost the same problem occurs, where people thought those playing the game were engaged in a cult and thus were the cause of murders, which could only “be committed by a demon.” This leads to prejudice against certain characters, mainly Eddie Munson, who was hunted down by the police and the town's locals. When I put deep thought into it, I can truly see how this relates to the LGBTQ+ scapegoating of ideas you mention, as they, too, are “hunted down” in a sense and are discriminated against. Many judge them and have stereotypes against “queers,” mainly men who are gay, and believe them to be weak, sensitive, and having a feminine personality. I think it's extremely ironic that states ban the teaching of queer and critical race theory because they believe that it “creates conflicts between students” when in actuality, they are the ones who are stopping students from expressing their true selves. This also goes to show how ultimately history will always repeat itself, and similar occurrences will always happen, as if this happened for Dungeons and Dragons, and now LGBTQ+, who knows what the next one will be. I think the one difference between this, though, is that since the 1980s, queers have always been treated differently, as even in the 1980s, people have prejudices against them.
ReplyDeleteHi, Josh! While I don’t understand how D&D works, I’m very fascinated by it. I’ve heard about (and watched on TV as Disha and Kimaya wrote about Stranger Things) how engrossing and captivating it is. My biggest question, as of right now, is how people are able to play one specific campaign for so long (like a year and a half!). A little off topic, but I wonder what would happen if one person in your group moved away or just drifted off in the one and a half years. Could you still continue the campaign or would you have to completely restart. Maybe find a fill-in? It’s pretty interesting that you brought up Queer and Critical race theory. In my English class last year, my teacher heavily taught my class about many of the literary criticisms. He talked to us about how education was being suppressed so much and if he taught this (Queer and CRT), in states like Florida and Texas, he could be fired. I feel like a lot of the reasons for banning these studies are more political or evangelical, and the “reasons” are the attempt to make up excuses. The whole "promotes guilt and shame” thing is completely absurd. Yes, I would hope 200+ years of slavery would bring up some thought provoking feelings that include accountability and shame. And how would being part of the LGBTQ+ community be “unpatriotic”? Suppressing education is the real problem that creates creates biased worldviews for dominant groups and creates conflicts between students.
ReplyDeleteI am SO sorry, I meant Hi, Cyril. I started commenting on Josh's blog before yours and forgot to change the name. Hi, Cyril! I loved reading your blog.
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