The problem of LARP elites
In the world of LARP, the division between avantgardism and elitism is a knife's edge indeed. Radical philosophy has given some me new insights: reclaiming the right to create is done by all LARPs. Thus the practice of LARP itself is commendable. Whatever the radical avantgarde do, it should encourage and not condemn people taking to the practice of interacting culture. Even the most crappy LARPs are a positive bonus to the radical cause, the way even the most teenish Reclaim the Streets party is a bonus. End of story.
I think a lot of LARP elitists have become elitists (though usually not elite LARPers) because they fail to understand what LARP is to most of its practitioners. OK, they say it's a "hobby", and so the elitists can say "OK, but you're doing it all wrong. Why not bring quality into your hobby?". But there's more to it than just hobby. It's culture, and the culture doesn't necessarily have much to do with plotlines or character acting techniques. It has to do with dionysian zones, grand epics, youthfull role experimentation and suspense of the critical radar. A lot of the qualities of regular fantasy or VtM LARP would actually be lost if they listened to the avantgardists.
The radical avantgardists who are not elitists can do only two things:
- Offer their expertise to anyone who asks for it (never to those who don't).
- Develop new methods that can spread even wider than traditional LARP.
Rather than being missionaries inside the LARP community, who do very well without snobbish wannabe artists thank you, avantgardists should recruit outside of these, focus on the people who don't get involved in LARP because it's cultural expression is alien to them but who would be interested in the avantgardist forms. Futuredrome is a giant leap in the correct direction.
There's a lot of theory behind these simple statements, but I'll write it out some other day.