LARPing

Used to just mean Live Action Role Playing, now it's also used figuratively and derogatorily in the context of online political discussion to describe people or activities involving absurd adherence to ideals, inflammatory messages, and elaborate outfits or accessories to deliver a sense of association with political groups often just for the social and visual experience of it all or due to a sanitized misunderstanding of activism in general born of the information age. Pairs good with gatekeeping.

Person 1: "I don't get it; how's Bernie Sanders sexist for just... feeling cold and being old or something?"

Person 2: "Oh. LARPers. Ignore them. Twitter is full of people LARPing like this. They don't really care about women or transfolk or any cause for that matter, they just want to make it look like they do."

Person 1: "Yeah. Side effects of leftism being popular, I guess. Also, we don't really live in the US so this doesn't even remotely concern us. We got better things to do and keeping track of all the dumb shit that happens there isn't even worth it for the fun value."

Person 2: "Holy shit."

52👍 13👎