• Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    I have a very fond memory of high school of sitting in class and being given shit by a couple of football players and then another one of them, who they definitely looked up to, but everyone else thought was kind of stupid, said “hey, I like [my real name]. Leave him alone.” He’d never really even talked to me before, but we were friends after that. I haven’t talked to him in years, but he was a nice guy and smarter than he seemed.

    • Stamets [Mirror]@startrek.websiteOP
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      1 year ago

      I had a similar experience. I was openly gay in high school. Most people had no real issue with me, which blew my mind, but the sporty types were a bit put off. Probably unsurprisingly. One of 'em randomly came up to me during lunch period and started asking for advice on his hair and shirt because he had a date later that night. Helped him out. He gave me a hug. None of the jocky dudes gave a shit after that.

      As idiotic as the whole ‘alpha male’ shit is, there is a tiny modicum of truth somewhere in there when it comes to social hierarchy with humans and decisions made by the more popular types. He was a bro.

      Nice dick too.

      • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        In my case, I was a theater kid who primarily played comedy parts, which I was very good at. And he saw one of the plays and I made him laugh, which made him like me.

          • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            Except to other jesters. I did standup for a few years, and you will never meet a more bitter group of backstabbing assholes than mid-level comedians who are mostly doing a regional circuit. They steal from each other and badmouth each other all the time. There are nice people in the field, but not that many, at least on that level. It’s why I gave it up. I don’t want to be around that sort of negative energy, especially not when you’re supposed to be making people happy.

            • Stamets [Mirror]@startrek.websiteOP
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              1 year ago

              As a comic, yup. The insane thing is that low level comics often aren’t like that but once you get some taste of the audience they just get fucking blood thirsty. Toronto is bad for it too because of how many comedians flock here to get a start. I was already living here when I decided so while struggling, it wasn’t struggling for the same reason so people got whiny as hell at that too. Meanwhile I’m autistic and do it in spite of the audience, not particularly for them so I’ve just never gotten that. I’ve even had people here on Lemmy accuse me of just wanting to be famous. Bruh. I like making people happy. Not for the attention or anything. Making people happy makes me feel less shitty. How the hell does being a dick make them feel better?

              Agree with what you said. There’s no point in being around that type of constant negativistic energy in general, much less in comedy.