My sister said comic fans gatekeep too much and it stuck with me

We were at a cafe last Thursday and she saw me reading a new Ms. Marvel. She asked if it was any good. I started explaining the whole run, the artist change, everything. She just listened and then said, 'You know, you guys make it sound like a test. Like I need to know all that just to like a book.' It hit different because she's right. I was doing the thing. I wasn't just talking about a cool story. I was listing credentials. Why do we do that? It pushes people away. I've been guilty of it for years. Makes me wonder if we care more about being experts than sharing the fun. Has anyone else caught themselves doing this?

2 comments

2 Comments

blake69111d ago

Yeah, that reminds me of trying to get my friend into old horror movies. I spent twenty minutes explaining the different Universal monster eras instead of just putting on Creature from the Black Lagoon. He fell asleep. I realized I was just showing off what I knew.

sandrajackson11d ago

Totally get that lol. It's so easy to info dump when you're excited about something. Sometimes you gotta remember that sharing the actual thing is way better than explaining every detail. Like just let them experience it and maybe they'll ask questions later. Otherwise it feels like a lecture and nobody wants that.