Guest Contributor: LARP in the Media Series

I write on LARP in popular Media relatively frequently, so I’m always excited to get other perspectives. Inspired by recent conversations on facebook and elsewhere, Anthony was inspired to write this essay on the use of LARP in popular media. As a media-positive person, I think this is really provocative. I’m curious to hear people’s responses, as well as possible solutions to this problem.

Why LARP Should Not Be Portrayed in Film and Television

by Anthony Reed

Recently, Zoe made a post on her facebook page about a clip from the IFC show Portlandia; the clip was about some steampunks in a hotel, and the larger conversation spoke to the representation of LARP in media. Related to this, the Portlandia clip really bugged me, and I love Portlandia (Seth Meyers is fantastic). Within the facebook threat, people were springing to defend the clip as being what Portlandia “does”: Carrie and Fred, acting like idiots while existing inside a subculture (this time steampunk RPers), is the whole point. I understand that argument and would mostly agree, except it wasn’t Carrie and Fred being idiots that got me about this skit. It was a discussion they have with an old woman outside of the elevator. I couldn’t nail down specifically what bugged me about it, but I knew that was the scene that was sticking in my craw.

Note Taking: How LARPs Can Ease Your Scholarly Urges

by Zoe Eddy and Anthony Reed


I'm pleased to have the input of my friend, Anthony Reed, the fellow who originally introduced me to LARPing. Anthony is also a diligent note taker and note sharer; his tactics for note-taking have improved my experience and approach to LARPing.


Note-taking may seem like a strange topic. Note-taking is something, in my opinion, that players do religiously or almost not at all. As an anthropologist and a writer, note-taking has always appealed to me. Zealously taking notes, I quickly found, improved my game experience, and allowed me to, on a meta-level, interact with the game world more reflectively. Anthony and I thought about the note-taking phenomenon at LARPs, and expanded on it a bit further.