Categories: EntertainmentOpinion

Opinion: You’re Gatekeeping Wrong

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.

Jeremy Kaplowitz

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Jeremy Kaplowitz