I was at a comic con in Grand Rapids and a panel on 'gatekeeping' made me rethink how I talk about anime.

The speaker asked everyone to raise their hand if they'd ever felt judged for not knowing enough about a show. Almost the whole room did. She then pointed out that we often do the same thing to new fans without meaning to, like quizzing them on lore or dismissing their favorite popular series. It hit me that I'd done this to my own cousin when she got into anime last year. How do you guys make sure you're being welcoming instead of turning into a gatekeeper?

2 comments

2 Comments

patricia4212d ago

Honestly, that panel sounds great, but gatekeeping isn't always accidental.

derekhenderson12d ago

Gatekeeping often happens without people even realizing it. Someone might use jargon or skip basic info because they assume everyone already knows. Most folks aren't trying to be mean, they just get stuck in their own bubble. Calling it intentional makes it sound like a personal attack when it's usually just a bad habit. We should focus on fixing the habit, not blaming the person.