It's a harsh period in anyone's life when suddenly, the things they revel in have lost their shine for whatever reason. Sometimes it's actually growing up, sometimes it's more like growing out of something. I don't have as much of a taste for anime anymore. After burying myself in Bleach, Naruto, etc for years, I suddenly caught myself watching Fate/Stay Night and thinking "Waaaait... I've seen all this before." I used to want to attend anime cons but now I feel I'd consider myself embarassed at one.

Such is life.

Is it maturity as much as the fact some people just don't know how to act considerately around others regardless of their age?

Look- some of those clowns of which you spoke of need to BATHE at these cons and learn about deodorant. They also need to realize that if they're cosplaying Wolfwood, perhaps they need to keep it in the convention center and not go wandering Baltimore's harborplace with theit crucifix on their shoulder and thus make everyone think we're all a bunch of crazy-assed nimrods.

And yes- they need to be thoughtful and not bowl over the guy at the vendor and knock him on his ass that's looking for a Gurren Lagann keychain because they found a pic of Winrey or some such and they MUST have it.

Asses are asses, Jim- you're just growing more aware that some of those behaviours are really unacceptable at any age and that people need to speak up more and call the spade a spade and tell these clowns to frikkin' knock it the heck off.

It's why I don't really go to cons anymore in part. I find the word "con" to be appropo. Lots of money spent for lodging and bad overpriced CONvention center food, smelly people who forget to bathe... Or, because I know a couple of ex-friends are headed to the same Con and I dont care to see them, period.

Rude is rude, Geek or no geek. Age is irrelevant- I know AARP aged folks who are every bit as obnoxious as the people you describe.

There's my 2 cents to add to yours- hoping Keiji jumps in with a few pointed comments one way or another- it'll make for 6 cents that are nice and shiny.

I feel the same way with "gamers". It probably has more to do with the fact that these "gamers" are always at each others' throats all the time and treat the label as some sort of membership to a secret clubhouse.

Honestly, I've been to this one con a couple of times and I rarely encounter the kind of situations you described. I haven't seen a screaming fanboy/girl in quite a while and the worst I remember is a Caramel Dansen line (though, I'm neutral to that whole fad). Then again, you mentioned that the one you went to was free so there's no asshole filter installed.

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IT was the same for me this weekend; we drove 2 1/2 hours to go to a free one in MI, and seriously. People were complaining about a ban on "Free Hug" signs. The fandom, to me, is getting too juvenile; i played a lot of CCGs and met nice, more mature people there. No anime, though, most of what they were showing was dubbed.

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atashi wa josei desu. Sugoi!

I haven't been to a con in years. Mostly for economic reasons. I've been to an Anime Con or two, stared at the pretty girls, and it's really depressing that I actually AM old enough to be their father.

I can't believe that you didn't get a little drill as a Gurren Lagan keychain. Unless you already have one.

But hey, it could be worse. I was in Furry Fandom for a while. (Before it got all oogy.) I was even a Big Name for a while. Now I'm wishing I could get all those years back.

Then I wouldn't be too old for the anime girls any more. *grin*

...Where at...?

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"100% POWER UP!"

I didn't see the drill until after I spent all my loot money on the ones I got.

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"100% POWER UP!"

Unfortunately you ae grown-up. Same has happened to me in local scfi fandom. In con I hardly ever novadays see anuthing besides other old friends

I'd love to go to another Con again, but I've been telling myself and anyone else who'll listen that anime Cons are mostly for the younguns. We can still enjoy them, but not nearly as much as we did when we were their age. Dressing up doesn't seem as a cool anymore, splurging on a lot of useless stuff isn't cost-effective anymore now that we have a budget and it takes too much energy to go nuts the way we used to.
All part of getting older. You wish you were that young again where the dumbest things are cool and we curse every teenager for having what we don't have anymore and revel in the fact that they'll go through the same thing we are.
The vicious circle of life.

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Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson.