It is that LOTFP: Grindhouse Edition violates the social contract of the RPG community.
We use social contracts in a wide variety of contexts, most often when discussing government, but it does apply to pretty much any community. Recreational kids sports expects that you live up to your social obligations to bring drinks and snacks on the designated game day. There are topics you don't bring up at work, at church, or in a variety of contexts. You probably don't curse in front of your parents. And so on.
Within each social context, there is an expectation of behavior. There are numerous reasons why these expectations exist and I am sure a sociologist or anthropologist could really elaborate a lot on that. The short answer is that they are there. People are happy when you live within those bounds and unhappy when you don't. These conventions can be reduced down to microcosms. Just stand really close to someone in an elevator next time you get in one and you will see what I mean. This is cultural conditioning at a basic level.
The problem with LOTFP Grindhouse Edition is that it violates the boundaries set by the community. It goes over the line that people are willing to comfortably tolerate, it is beyond the acceptable standard of behavior, and people have reacted to that in a variety of ways.
Some people have argued that Raggi has a right to print whatever he wants. Of course, they are right. He does. This does not "vindicate" his decision in any way. I also have a right to say fuck in front of old women. But I refrain. It isn't a question of rights. It is a question of appropriateness. Every community has standards that you shouldn't violate if you want to be respected.
I haven't seen anyone say that Raggi should not be allowed to create a game like that. Nobody is asking to ban the game "for the children". As has become typical in our day and age, people cry about loss of freedom where there is no oppression. All I have seen is expressions of discomfort with the extremity of the art. And people making such expressions have been attacked as prudes, conservatives, etc. often with snide biting comments like "I hope nobody was under the impression that I was kidding when I put the 18+ disclaimer on the box."
Tolerance doesn't mean silence. Just because you tolerate a situation doesn't mean you like it. You can still speak out that you don't think it is a positive thing. I am getting sick and tired of people being attacked for simply expressing discomfort with the presentation. As if having a discussion of whether something is appropriate or not is the controversial issue, rather than let people discuss the controversy fairly without snarky comments that attempt to derail legitimate discussion.
I said this a while back in my big argument with Zak, but I think certain people on the fringe of the culture are so accustomed to being attacked by the mainstream that they have lost the ability to even listen to people that are on their own side asking them to chill out. I thought it was incredible when Mandy Morbid compared me to some Christian Conversative extremo. Yeah, me the secular atheist humanist. So much like the Mormon church, you know. At a certain point, when people who have a lot in common with you say "this is a bit too much for my tastes", you might want to listen.
LOTFP Grindhouse Edition isn't just a little edgy. It isn't just a little extreme. It is really far beyond the standards of the industry. Not FATAL, but starting to head down that road. And at a certain point, people recognize that you are just being extreme to get attention. And then you stop being edgy. You start being pathetic.
And in this case, there is a very very valid reason for this social reaction. People don't want their beloved games on the same shelf with this stuff, they don't like to see it included in the mix. They don't want someone looking at LOTFP Grindhouse Edition as being a part of RPGs, lest the negativity flow back onto other RPGs. Our hobby went through a very long and painful doldrum period where we struggled with negative reputational effects. We are just now getting to the point where it is not a big issue anymore. The last thing people want is for something like this to trigger even more negative associations. I try very hard not to describe RPGs as being "like D&D" because of this negative history. I would truly hate to have to disavow even more material.
And you might say, LOTFP is nowhere near as popular as D&D. The threat it poses in this regard is small. You would be right. But I recognize a slippery slope when I see one.
P.S. The images in this thread are intended to provide some unspoken analogies to support the text. If you don't understand them, use Google to read about Sacha Baron Cohen.
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