Matt Goerzen: From Beta-realist to Chad-nationalist: Larping as prefigurative politics (and self-delusion) (1)

LARPing plays a strange role in the world of memetic right-wing communities.

On the one hand, it is used as an explicit term of derision against neo-nazis and skinhead groups, those racist "larpers" they perceive to be more interested in getting tatted up, looking the part, and frightening people on the street than committing to a "normcore"-style programme of political subtle memetic warfare, which might actually have a chance of navigating the United States into white supremacist hands.

On the other, you have play frames like The Cult of Kek, Chad nationalism, and Pizzagate--whereby the same communities that call out reified material expressions of nazism engage in a post-ironic suspension of disbelief to organize around esoteric coordinates, playing the role of mystic or intelligence analyst, and egoistiatically self-talk their vision of self, community, and reality into existence.

In this talk I will investigate the politics of play at work in online far right communities, and consider its implications for collective and individual agency and responsibility.

Ultimately, I will seek to explore the ethical limitations and negative possibilities of a LARP play frame: When is play an escape (from reality or responsibility) and when is it an alibi? Is it only when we don't like the world it might seek to deliver?