Wrestlers tend to live their character at times when they absolutely need to, but as it’s been seen with a lot of them throughout the years they’ve broken kayfabe more than once, allowing their fans to know that outside the ring they’re very different people and as a result they’re seen as more human and in some cases are much more likable. As Abdullah Al-Ghamdi from ScreenRant has shown though Maxwell Jacob Friedman from AEW isn’t about to break kayfabe for anyone. That’s kind of impressive, but it’s also a little self-defeating really and there’s a good explanation for this. The kind of heels that wrestling have seen throughout the years have been absolutely horrible and despite that they’ve usually gained a lot of fans since there’s been something about them that has managed to resonate with the fans and allowed them to follow said villains no matter if they’re some of the meanest people in the world while in the ring. But not breaking kayfabe, despite it being important for the business, can actually turn the people against a star as well. The manner in which MJF has done this however is kind of funny since it raised the ire of actor Joe Manganiello, who has been a wrestling fan for a while.
In a tweet when MJF decided to post a buffed-out picture of him with a caption stating that he didn’t play Dungeons and Dragons, a lot of people took offense to this since it would seem that he was using his on screen jerk status to slam a demographic that is considered by many as a niche group that doesn’t seem to deserve a lot respect. Joe Manganiello responded with two words “I do” that kind of shut the whole thing down in the minds of some people. It might be that people are being a little too oversensitive about this since D&D is a fun and engaging game but it does carry the stigma of being associated with negative ideas that have no real basis in the game. Be honest, you might have known some people that think that D&D is all about satanic rites and questionable moral standards, right? Some of you reading this might even think that the game is for nothing other than nerds and shut-ins or freaks and geeks that have no social life outside their weird little circles. Well, if Joe didn’t convince you, then it’s likely that the idea of D&D being for the sad and lonely individuals throughout the world isn’t about to change.
I’ll admit I had my misconceptions about Dungeons and Dragons back in the day and that thought is kind of easy to keep since some groups tend to be a little geeky and so devoted to the book and the rules that you can almost hear the high-pitched, whiny voices of those that are so into the game that they’ll insist on being called by their character name while playing. Yeah, there are those that take it to that level that makes it a little uncomfortable at times, but there are also groups that have a lot of fun with the role-playing game in ways that are anything but conventional and don’t tend to get as nerdy or geeky about it. In fact I’ll admit that I’ve played, and a lot of alcohol was involved which made it even more entertaining. You think the kids in Stranger Things got excited when they took down a monster? Watch a group of adults in their 20s and 30s go nuts when they manage to take down a high-level villain that’s been thrashing their characters all over the map. Then tack on the fact that most of them, even the Dungeon Master, are probably nicely buzzed or even possibly full on drunk, and you’ve got a wild night in which a lot of interesting things could happen. Try playing the role of an elven ranger trying to thread the needle between one’s party on the map and finding a called spot on a monster and you’ll know pressure.
All jokes aside however Dungeons and Dragons is a game that’s gained more acceptance and has a lot wider audience than MFJ might realize. It’s either that or he’s simply that devoted to his character and is playing it out to the extreme. Either explanation makes a good deal of sense, but with Joe coming to the rescue so to speak it’s definitely a little more comical than serious in this instance since defending D&D is definitely something that’s happened in the past, but not quite so convincingly or decisively. Dungeons and Dragons is fun no matter what age you are, largely because it’s all about imagination and having a good time. In D&D terms, you could say that Joe rolled a natural 20 on a Charisma check. Yes, I’m a nerd, and proud of it.
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