I am so goddamn sick of seeing fake gatekeepers on the internet telling people they aren’t real fans of something, because they are gatekeeping all WRONG.
I have been a REAL gatekeeper my entire life. I understand what it is like to have grown up as a gatekeeper, keeping a watchful eye on nerd and geek culture (if you don’t know the difference, you shouldn’t even be gatekeeping in the first place). I have worked my ass off to get to where I am as a gatekeeper and it is a major part of my identity, so don’t you dare show up to my internet neighborhood and try to gatekeep other people unless you actually deserve to.
I will admit, it’s tricky to distinguish. I bet you’re all expecting some wonderful guide that easily breaks down the fundamental steps to proper gatekeeping. Wouldn’t that be nice? An easy way to know who is a real gatekeeper?
Well the world doesn’t fucking work that way. The only way to tell the difference is to be a true gatekeeper and to feel it in your gut OR to listen to me. Because when I see someone online chastising some fake Game of Thrones fan for not reading the books or some fake Star Wars fan for enjoying Episode 8, I can tell if they’re gatekeeping for real. It’s not something you can read or see, it’s something I just know deep in my bones because I’m the real deal.
I guess the ultimate advice when it comes to gatekeeping or nerd culture in general is this: always defer to whatever I say is right. Because when it comes down to it, only I truly understand what is right and what is wrong and what is good and what is bad. And you’re trying to pull that off yourself? You’re doing it wrong.