Is Mario Folklore?

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dpatters28

Goomba
Hi everyone,

I was advised to move this post to the "Marioverse" from the off-topic area. Before I begin, I would like to ask:

Do you consider Mario a form of folklore? Why or why not?

Thanks everyone!

My name is Doug and I am a student at Northern Kentucky University. I am currently taking a course on Folklore and Pop Culture, and for my final project I am writing a paper discussing the ways Mario has transcended pop culture and has become a part of folklore. I plan on accomplishing this by 1.) exploring the folklore connections to the original story of Mario (i.e. the idea of a damsel in distress being saved by a "warrior") and 2.) discuss how Mario fits into the realm of modern-day folklore analyzing the groups, performances, authenticity, tradition and the fandom associated with it. My goal is to obtain this information through interviews, observations and already published documentation. I was wondering if anyone would be willing to answer a few questions about your experience being a Mario fan. Anyone who participates in the interview will final say about their contributions before I turn the paper in.

If anyone would be willing to participate, please either contact me here (if this is the wrong place to put pose such a question I apologize - please re-direct me) or e-mail me at: douglas.patterson81@yahoo.com.

Thank you so much for your time. This is a fascinating topic and I look forward to working with you all.
 
Mario has influence over our culture, but I don't view him as folklore. The damsel-in-distress trope has been a thing way before Donkey Kong (the first Mario game), and I don't think Mario made it more ubiquitous. Video games and computers, however, gave rise to a nerdy/geeky fandom.

Anyway, can I see some sample questions?
 
It would have been better if you had asked a mod move the old conversation here instead of recreating it...

Anyway, as I said in the original thread:
Walkazo said:
I feel like the classic definition of folklore is stories told between generations orally. But in modern society, so much of communication is now via text, and communities can be centred around interests rather than geography. The series has also been around long enough to span generations: our userbase alone ranges at least from 11-30, I personally inherited my SNES and Super Mario World from an adult neighbour (having been introduced to videogames by my parents via Atari earlier), and I'll always remember the parting words of one former admin who said he'd like to introduce his eventual kids to the wiki someday. In fanfiction too, you can see how writers often pick things up from earlier stories when it comes to vaguely defined characters like the Koopalings, and in the series as a whole, you can see the propagation of various memes and urban legends (List of rumors and urban legends about Mario), which are in themselves a sort of modern folklore.

Overall, I think it sounds like a very interesting topic to look at Mario and its fandom through a lens like this, and I'd be more than happy to answer questions for your project.
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And to add to that, I think PM-ing interested parties through the forum would be better than trying to do it through email. I for one would rather do it through PMs.
 
dpatters28 said:
I was advised to move this post to the "Marioverse" from the off-topic area.
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Oh, I meant asking a mod to move it from Off Topic to here, but I guess this is fine as long as you lock the old one.
 
Nozomi Toujou said:
dpatters28 said:
I was advised to move this post to the "Marioverse" from the off-topic area.
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Oh, I meant asking a mod to move it from Off Topic to here, but I guess this is fine as long as you lock the old one.
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Topics can be merged, too, iirc.
 
Sorry for the confusion everyone. I'll lock the other post - or if a moderator could do that if I'm not able to? Thanks.

I've sent the questionnaire (through PM) to the folks who have agreed to participate. Would anyone else be willing to answer a few questions? There aren't that many and they pertain to Mario from the perspective that it's folklore because of the groups and traditions that form between people who share a love for the Marioverse. I was hoping to get at least 5 participants and so far I have 3. If anyone else is interested, please let me know.

Thanks in advance!
 
I consider anything fictional that can be used by the public anytime folkore especially if it involves a story.
 
Mario isn't public domain, if that's what you mean.

I don't think of Mario as a folk hero. You don't really see many anymore. I think the closest thing to a modern one is Chuck Norris, due to the various tall tales told of him.
 
I do want to clarify that I'm not just talking about Mario the character from a folklore standpoint. I'm talking about the whole Marioverse. When I first started taking this class, I thought folklore was something archaic. I pictured a bunch of backwoods people sitting on porches strumming banjos and spitting tobacco. But folklore is alive and prevalent in today's society. It's our groups, our traditions, our performances and the authenticity that goes with that. It's our fandoms, our memes and our material culture. It's everywhere - and I can't think of anything that brings today's youth together better than video games. So no, I agree Mario himself isn't necessarily a folk hero in the traditional sense. But the idea of Mario? The culture of Mario? That's definitely folk.
 
in my honest opinion I don't think that mario can be considered folklore, since it isn't really that integrated into earth's history. If mario is considered folklore, then anything can be considered so, from video games to books, and even movies. It's not really something that everyone really cares about, let alone even know about. we don't take mario's adventures to heart, and we certainly don't gather any morals from them. i'd more likely consider video gaming in general as folklore, since that seems to fit the bill better in my opinion, since creating video games in itself is a journey, one which can help people realise who they are, and how well they work with others, and playing video games themselves, whether it be mario or something completely different, brings you closer together with people, and essentially creates their own stories around the games, and sometimes in them, which brings about a sense of ludology.

that's my take on it, granted i'm not majoring in folklore, so you probably have a better overall definition of folklore. In short, I don't think mario can be considered folklore.

I don't know if this helps in any way or everything that i've said is just an irrelevant pile of grandma's old soup, but here's hoping it will be of some help. Good luck on your project, and welcome to the forums, if you are at all interested in staying. :)
 
Oh, finally, you do have to consider that you're getting your opinions on a mainly American standpoint. No doubt the culture of Mario would be different in Japan and perhaps even in Europe.
 
Thank you everyone for the input on this topic, especially the folks who allowed me to interview them a bit more in-depth. My paper is due in a little over a week (eek!) I hope you'll all indulge me just a little bit more. I have a few blanket questions I would like at least a few of you to answer if you're so inclined. You can either answer here, or PM me. My paper has evolved much more than I thought it would, so some of the questions I asked earlier are a bit irrelevant to where this paper is now. It's pretty much all about you guys, and it's fascinating.

1.) How do you identify yourself through Mario?

2.) How do you identify yourself within the scope of this forum? Do you exclusively talk about Mario? Or do you share parts of your real-life as well? Why?

3.) Do you have any traditions (either online or in real life) that involve Mario?

Finally, I think this is one of the most well-behaved forums I've ever observed. Are there ever any flame wars? If not, that's great. I'm just curious if there have been, and how they're dealt with. I'll post a link to the paper once it's finished. I've been slacking on it (this is the one class I'm taking NOT devoted to my major - which is graphic design - so I have to work on it when I can). Thank you all for your cooperation. I truly appreciate it.
 
I'll answer your blanket questions, but not take part in the overall survey, though it sounds like you've got that wrapped anyhow. Good luck with it, btw.

1. In my primary school several people took on the roles of Mario characters during break time, I was Yoshi, but as we all got older that pretty much stopped, so know I only identify myself as a gamer through Mario.

2. I try to be an active member of the forum. I reply to topics that take my interest, but I'm not usually found around the MarioVerse as I find other parts of the forum more appealing. I share parts of my real-life, generally because I'm an open person. If you take offense to the person I am then that's your problem not mine (unless I'm being a dick, though I try not to be one here).

3. Like I said earlier there was the whole primary school thing, but other than that I don't say I have any Mario traditions.

In regards to your general question, there aren't that many flame wars. Generally people are able to conduct themselves in a respectful manner despite their differing opinions, and usually if flames start flying out, one of the people involved is able to keep a level-head.
 
dpatters28 said:
1.) How do you identify yourself through Mario?

2.) How do you identify yourself within the scope of this forum? Do you exclusively talk about Mario? Or do you share parts of your real-life as well? Why?

3.) Do you have any traditions (either online or in real life) that involve Mario?
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1. If I show you a glimpse of our bedroom room, the answer is clear. Also, I draw Baby Luigi. A lot. Get dreams about Mario. A lot. I clutch onto my Baby Luigi plush often. Some people might see me as childish. I don't care, I'm a child at heart and the act of holding on to a toy is not childish in itself.

2. I mostly talk about Mario, yes. If you look at my post count, 12,000 of my 30,000 posts are made in the Marioverse by me, with about 10% of the total Marioverse's posts are posts made from me. The Marioverse is the most appealing part of the forum. And yes I most certainly do share parts of my real life. I wear a Baby Luigi keychain thing and Mario shirts and often draw things pertaining to Mario.

3. Traditions? Ha. The only people who are interested as much as we are in our family with Mario is myself and my twin. I don't really understand the question lol. I guess my twin and I do still act out with our toys ever since we got into Mario in the first place (yes as really young kids) but that's the closest to tradition you'll get. Unless you can count making Wario's life miserable.
 
1. Just an FYI, Baby Luigi is my identical twin sister. Anyhow, I don't make myself hidden nowadays that I'm borderline obsessed about Mario. I wear clothes of him, I carry his merchandise around, I draw him, I think about him, I talk about him. He's like a really close childhood friend. It's kind of like how there are people who admit to romantic and/or sexual relations to a video game character, but mine's more like a close friendship (I'm aromantic asexual).

Previously, I used to be extremely shy about expressing myself because I think it was embarrassing, and my super shyness didn't help. Of the few friends and acquaintances I made, we did pretend play with each other. Even then, I was too shy to pretend I'm Mario (and besides, I'm a girl), so I pretended I'm another character (I believe a Koopa Troopa).

2. I identify myself as a huge fan of the Mario character and series. I'm reluctant to give my avatar and/or signature to have nothing to do with Mario because I want people and myself to view me as Mario (or at least a form). :P I do share about a lot of other things (hardly anyone talks about birds, but I had a lengthy discussion here one time with another user). I like talking about real-life things, but it doesn't compare to how much I talk about Mario.

3. Our rituals usually involve killing Wario/Donkey Kong/Honey Queen and making them last place. We also make Waluigi's life miserable because, eh, I guess his design just looks like a guy subject to slapstick. Baby Luigi and I often ask each other, "Do you have any Mario-related dreams last night?" Guess what, we mostly say yes. Some would find that strange. But a Mario dream is usually a good dream.

There are no flame wars, at least the ones you'd find in places like GameFAQs. If you see any, well, worse one exists. The community has sometimes pretty aggressive members but I think it toned down.
 
I'll throw my 2 cents in there as well.

1. I wouldn't really say liking the series is part of my identity. It just happens to be something I enjoy. I do have a few odd pieces of merch here and there, mainly a few t-shirts and amiibo.

2. As a mod here, I try to keep the peace around here along with the fellow staff. It's something that I enjoy doing for the most part. In terms of a dude that just hangs around here, a lot of people recognize me as "that guy that really likes Bowser Jr. but also Mega Man and Marvel stuff too." I tend to be spotted more in the off-topic areas because I just like to hang out and chill with generally like-minded folk.

3. I guess my only "tradition" is that I try to play through Sunshine once a year. I love that game, probably my single favorite entry alongside the first Yoshi's Island.

dpatters28 said:
Finally, I think this is one of the most well-behaved forums I've ever observed. Are there ever any flame wars? If not, that's great. I'm just curious if there have been, and how they're dealt with?
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Well people will have their spats with one another which will happen anywhere you combine internet anonymity and opinions but not to the extent of out and out flaming each other. If it does get out of hand, a simple reminder or warning is enough to get those involved to stop.
 
It's pretty much all about you guys, and it's fascinating.

Finally, I think this is one of the most well-behaved forums I've ever observed. Are there ever any flame wars? If not, that's great. I'm just curious if there have been, and how they're dealt with. I'll post a link to the paper once it's finished. I've been slacking on it (this is the one class I'm taking NOT devoted to my major - which is graphic design - so I have to work on it when I can). Thank you all for your cooperation. I truly appreciate it.
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Awesome. Looking forward to reading the paper!


1.) How do you identify yourself through Mario?

2.) How do you identify yourself within the scope of this forum? Do you exclusively talk about Mario? Or do you share parts of your real-life as well? Why?

3.) Do you have any traditions (either online or in real life) that involve Mario?
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1) I'm a Mario fanfiction author, but being an admin on the Super Mario Wiki is an even bigger part of my identity. I even put it on my resume (the admin part) to show I know how to use computers n' stuff. I guess the mere fact that I spend most of my online free time on this wiki and its community also shows how ingrained the series and this place is on my identity.

2) I spend most of my forum time on wiki business: posting in the admin thread or the collabs thread, so that's about Mario second-hand. But in the past year or two (I'm terrible at keeping track of ), I've been posting elsewhere too; about a third of that is Mario-related, a third is about non-Mario series, and a third is random stuff about anything from RL to mindless horsing around.

3) My family used to play MK:DD together every night, but now it's mainly a birthday-party-only tradition (along with SSB). I also periodically go to used game stories looking for obscure Mario games to add to my collection - dunno if that counts as a "tradition" or not.


Some of these responses might be a bit repetitive to he earlier PM questions, but hopefully there's some new stuff in there.
 
1. I just enjoy the series in general, most of its characters and games. I do have quite a bit of merchandise though.

2. I talk about much more than just Mario here. I am a bigger fan of Fire Emblem than Mario for example and I also try to participate in Mafia games. I also post in general disscussions and I feel like it's easier to socialize here than in real life because I share more interests with the people here than the people I meet irl.

3. I don't really have much Mario traditions but I sure love to kill Wario.

We do have ocassional trolls and flame wars, but they are usually dealt with quickly.
 
Walkazo said:
I even put it on my resume (the admin part) to show I know how to use computers n' stuff.
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The majority of my person statement for university revolved around my 'Shroom writing, and that's pretty much the only thing my interviewer asked me about.
 
I think the wiki is the reason people notice how sharp I can be on grammar.
 
Okay folks, here is my paper. The formatting is a little off, but that's what happens when you cut and paste, haha. Hope you all enjoy. Thanks again to everyone who contributed. It's very much appreciated.

Beyond the Mushroom Kingdom: Super Mario Folklore
A folkloric study conducted by Doug

When thinking about a typical folktale, what do you imagine? Do you see a valiant hero, battling nightmarish beasts and traveling across foreign lands, all to win the heart of the woman he loves? It’s a tale everyone is familiar with. The white knight slaying the dragon and rescuing the damsel in distress has become a staple in contemporary pop culture. It’s the core storyline in everything from Disney films (i.e. Sleeping Beauty), to Shrek, to the Harry Potter and Twilights series. The story resonates with people because everyone, on some level, relates to the notions of true love and good triumphing over evil. Die-hard fans of these stories often find online groups to discuss their favorites aspects of the genre. Oftentimes, entire fandoms are built around characters and plots. Original art and literature is created, and whole conventions are organized so fans can meet and share their passion. With the following study, I intend to explore one particular “heroic saga” through a folkloric lens, paying close attention to performance, discussions, group emergence and the identities that are created. The subject matter for this study is Super Mario Brothers, a popular video game series created by Shigeru Miyamoto in 1985 for the Nintendo Entertainment System. As Jennifer deWinter stated in her book Influential Video Game Designers: Shigeru Miyamoto, when creating games, Miyamoto intends to convey a strong connection to childhood and joy; the influences of nature and the natural world; and a desire to share a common feeling. That shared feeling is a thread that will run through this entire study.
Super Mario Brothers, and video games in general, are rife with folkloric materials and concepts. Not only are video games an excellent resource when discussing group development and traditions, with more and more people beginning to express both their individualism and group identity through the games they play, video games reflect our current culture as well. Whether it’s a group of grade school children getting together every afternoon to play Minecraft, or a few working-class guys in their mid-30’s meeting each Saturday to let off steam by playing Halo or Call of Duty, video games are becoming steeped in tradition. The formation of these groups and the traditions that develop authenticate video games, making them unique vehicles in which to explore modern-day folklore. While some people play video games alone, more and more are playing in order to spend time with loved ones. A 2008 study conducted by the Pew Research Institute titled “Teens, Video Games and Civics” found that 65% of game-playing teenagers play with people who are in the room with them. In addition to people playing video games in shared spaces, the popularity of the Internet is allowing people to interact with folks they wouldn’t have otherwise met. An article written in 2011 for the website Positive Video Gaming (in partnership with The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) called “How Video Games Can Be Social” states, “Since video games can now be connected to the Internet, more people can connect with users of the same game and create a social atmosphere.” These virtual atmospheres, in addition to being places where players can meet and discuss their favorite video games, also give people the opportunity to make new friends, share anecdotes, vent, laugh, commiserate and express themselves in ways they may not be able to elsewhere.
In this paper, I intend to examine how people meet and connect over a shared interest in the Super Mario Brothers series, and how these people establish an individual sense of identity through group interactions and performance.
It’s important to understand Super Mario Brothers is more than just a game for a lot of people; it’s a part of who they are. To help illustrate my point, I spent a few months observing the Super Mario Boards, a comprehensive Mario forum and subsidiary of the Super Mario Wiki (est. 2005). Through observations and interviews, I learned that this is not just a random collection of fans; it’s a group of friends. Though most have never met face to face, the sense of camaraderie is palpable and no less real than what you’d find when observing a group of best friends meeting at the local coffee shop. The members of the Super Mario Boards are free to express themselves – not just as fans of the Mario franchise – but as individuals and as members of a unique group. By sharing parts of themselves with like-minded people, they create an identity within the confines of the Mario universe, as well as demonstrating who they are in the real world.

Is Mario Folklore?
After a few weeks of observing the Super Mario Boards, I decided to join the forum myself. The members proved to be insightful, intelligent people and I thought it was important to include their input. On March 26, 2015, I started a thread introducing myself, explaining who I am and the purpose of this paper. I asked if anyone would be willing to discuss their history with Super Mario Brothers and the folkloric elements associated with it. Viper26, a 12-year-old male from New Jersey, was the first to respond, and his reply was surprising. He simply stated, “I wouldn’t say Mario is folklore.” When I asked for elaboration, NathanBros chimed in, saying, “Think Mario is not legendary to be folklore.” A member named Ultron provided the most well reasoned argument, saying, “I don't think that mario can be considered folklore, since it isn't really that integrated into earth's history. If mario is considered folklore, then anything can be considered so, from video games to books, and even movies. It's not really something that everyone really cares about, let alone even know about. we don't take mario's adventures to heart, and we certainly don't gather any morals from them.”
I was fascinated by the replies I was receiving. Here were members of a forum that is the very essence of a folkloric group, and they didn’t realize or acknowledge it. I decided I needed to elaborate. I explained that I was observing Mario through a lens of different group dynamics, performances and self-identification, then using my findings to illustrate my point that Mario, and particularly the fandom associated with the series, is indeed folklore. After clarifying my position, I began receiving responses that favored my theory. Member Yoshiking14x said, “I consider anything fictional that can be used by the public anytime [folklore] especially if it involves a story.” Walkazo, a 23-year-old female from Ontario, Canada, gave a wonderful response that succinctly sums up my feelings on the topic. She wrote, “I feel like the classic definition of folklore is stories told between generations orally. But in modern society, so much of communication is now via text, and communities can be centred around interests rather than geography. The series has also been around long enough to span generations: our userbase alone ranges at least from 11-30… In fanfiction too, you can see how writers often pick things up from earlier stories when it comes to vaguely defined characters like the Koopalings, and in the series as a whole, you can see the propagation of various memes and urban legends, which are in themselves a sort of modern folklore.”
Walkazo’s statement regarding the pre-conceived notion that folklore is dependent upon information being transmitted orally is a concept folklorists have been arguing about since the establishment of the Internet. As Bill Ellis pointed out in his essay “Love and War and Anime Art: An Ethnographic Look at a Virtual Community of Collectors”, “folklore theory stubbornly tends to define ‘folk groups’ as networks of people who meet face-to-face and share information through spoken word and body language alone rather than through the more sophisticated means of electronic media now in fashion.” (168, 2012) While face-to-face meetings are what a lot of people consider when thinking about folk groups and they way they communicate, one could argue that the members of the Super Mario Boards are sharing information as well. As I will discuss later, members constantly use the Super Mario Boards to share ideas, opinions and knowledge about a myriad of topics related to the franchise. Many members also use the forum as an outlet to express thoughts and feelings independent of the series. Body language may be replaced with emoticons, but the messages are the same whether they’re said aloud or posted online. As Ellis states later in his essay, “A folk group consists of the sum total of many self-conscious choices by individuals to interact in a distinctive way, and these observable acts constitute the performance of community.” (183, 2012) In the next section, I will expand upon these online performances.

The Super Mario Boards – Discussions and Performance
The Super Mario Boards is a community designed for die-hard Mario fans to have on-going discussions ranging from members’ most irritating game-related pet peeves to the relationship status of extraneous characters like Donkey Kong and Candy Kong, characters from the Mario spin-off, Donkey Kong Country. Members examine these finer elements of Mario culture by posting on a sub-forum called The Marioverse.
On November 15, 2006, Paper Jorge, an 18-year-old male, started a thread titled “Ages of Mario Characters.” The thread garnered 4 pages worth of responses. Several of the contributing members looked towards the series’ established canon when forming their responses. In Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island, for example, Mario and Luigi are both depicted as newborns. This canonical fact led several members to conclude that Mario and Luigi are, in fact, twins. As member Son_of_Suns pointed out, “The babies [Mario and Luigi] were born that morning and then the stork headed to the Mushroom Kingdom to deliver the babies. They were born on the same morning and thus would be the same age.” Paper Jorge disagreed with this observation when he argued, “Mario is older, Luigi is younger. It says so in many instruction booklets.” A member named Yoshi Master lent support to the twin theory, “Nobody is born at the same time, in the same few seconds. Mario can be older than Luigi, and still be twins. They can be born apart by a few hours really.” The argument ended when Paper Jorge simply proclaimed the debate was, “Cooooonfusing” followed by an emoticon of a smiley face rolling its eyes. The remainder of the thread found members, including those previously mentioned, theorizing about the ages of other Mario characters (including Princess Peach, Toad, Yoshi and the series main antagonist, Bowser).
The age debate is just one example of the in-depth, possibly arbitrary, but non-the-less interesting topics the members of the Super Mario Boards discuss on a daily basis. Though members get into occasional arguments, most conflicts are resolved respectfully with the parties agreeing to disagree. As moderator Captain America stated when asked if flame wars ever erupt on the forum, “people will have their spats with one another which will happen anywhere you combine internet anonymity and opinions but not to the extent of out and out flaming each other. If it does get out of hand, a simple reminder or warning is enough to get those involved to stop.” Member Duskull agrees, claiming, “Generally people are able to conduct themselves in a respectful manner despite their differing opinions, and usually if flames start flying out, one of the people involved is able to keep a level-head.”
In addition to The Marioverse, the forum is broken into several other sub-forums, including an area for topics unrelated to Mario. The “Off subject Discussion” sub-forum is a place where members can chat about anything and everything. One thread, which was started on December 18, 2013 by Lyn asked, “What are you doing right now? To date there are 78 pages worth of responses. Another thread, started on February 13, 2013 by Farina simply asks, “Your current mood.” That thread has elicited 73 pages worth of replies so far, most being regulated to a single word or sentence. Many of the members who responded claimed to be either pissed off, annoyed, hungry or tired. A few of the replies contain GIFs or memes to help the member illustrate their mood. One member named Mudkip responded by posting a picture of a kitten, covered with a blanket and sleeping contently.
One thing I found interesting is that many of the Super Mario Board members vent real life frustrations to their online friends. At 1:46 PM on February 18, 2013 Baby Luigi, a 20-year-old female, lamented, “Funny how it's supposed to be my birthday today, but my morning was rough.” After a few hours later she posted again, this time elaborating on her frustration. At 9:39 PM she wrote, “That's it, I'm very mad today. I can't believe my mom would forget it's my birthday today. And I also can't believe that she didn't do anything special today. I didn't even get a cake or something I wanted to eat! Such selfishness is just remarkable. I am officially furious.” It’s intriguing that Baby Luigi sought comfort and compassion from her online friends when she was upset with her mother over the fact she felt her birthday had been overlooked. Clearly this is a network of people she respects and trusts, as she felt comfortable enough to open up and share such raw emotion.
From a performance perspective, members like Baby Luigi use the Super Mario Boards as a conduit to communicate their feelings of angst, sorrow, pain, joy, happiness and a plethora of other emotions. By venting her frustrations in public, Baby Luigi asked anybody reading to evaluate her emotional turmoil and pass their own judgments based on similar personal experiences and their knowledge of the user. Taken in context, Baby Luigi was within her rights when exhibiting her feelings of hurt and anger – the point of the thread was for users to describe their current emotional state. It has been my experience that it’s often easier to confide in people we don’t know in real life. This could be due to the fact we feel less vulnerable when we’re online; by having that barrier of the Internet, we don’t have to face the people we’re spilling our guts to. We can open up, but still keep our anonymity. On the other hand, a good friend is a good friend, whether we’ve met them or not. Nobody responded to Baby Luigi on the forum, but that isn’t to say she didn’t receive private messages or e-mails lending her comfort and support.

Identity and Authenticity on the Super Mario Boards
Identity is an important attribute to consider when discussing the Super Mario Boards and it’s members. As previously illustrated, opinions and emotions are shared freely through discussions and performances. Whether a member is voicing their opinion about the age of a certain Mario character, or they are venting about real-life trials and tribulations, they are communicating a part of themselves for the rest of the forum to respond to. By sharing these thoughts, ideas and feelings - whether they’re arbitrary or profound - the members begin to develop a sense of identity.
As I concluded my observations, I posed one final question for all of the Super Mario Boards members. I asked how they identify with the Mario series, and what their own sense of identity is within the scope of the series. Mario Party Σ said, “I'm borderline obsessed about Mario. I wear clothes of him, I carry his merchandise around, I draw him, I think about him, I talk about him. He's like a really close childhood friend.” Walkazo shared a similar sentiment, saying, “I guess the mere fact that I spend most of my online free time on this wiki and its community shows how ingrained the series and this place is on my identity.” Member Glitchy, a 13-year-old male, said, “I feel like it's easier to socialize here than in real life because I share more interests with the people here than the people I meet irl.” Clearly, Mario has had a profound impact on the way these members’ identify themselves both online and in the real world. By wearing Mario clothing, discussing Mario with their friends and creating art around the character, they are communicating how proud they are to be Mario fans. Glitchy’s assertion about feeling more connected to the forum members than people he knows in real life is a testimonial on online communities in general. If it weren’t for forums like the Super Mario Boards, a lot of these people wouldn’t have an easily accessible outlet to express their love for the series. Internet forums like this one are bringing people together who never would have met otherwise. Subsequently, people’s identities become validated as they discover kindred spirits who share in their love and devotion.
Along with the die-hard fans that eat, sleep and breathe Mario, the Super Mario Boards also has members who are fans of the series, but it doesn’t necessarily impact their everyday lives. Captain America is one such example. “I wouldn't really say liking the series is part of my identity. It just happens to be something I enjoy.” He does, however, have a tradition revolving around Mario. “ I try to play through [Mario] Sunshine once a year.”
An important factor to consider when studying folklore is the authenticity of the subject being discussed. Authenticity derives from the groups that develop around a shared interest, such as Super Mario Brothers, and the traditions that form within those groups. When I asked the members of the Super Mario Boards if they had any traditions involving Mario, I was presented with a wide range of examples. Baby Luigi said, “My twin and I do still act out with our toys ever since we got into Mario in the first place (yes as really young kids) but that's the closest to tradition you'll get.” Mario Party Σ, who happens to be Baby Luigi’s twin, elaborated within the context of playing the game, “Our rituals usually involve killing Wario/Donkey Kong/Honey Queen and making them last place. We also make Waluigi's life miserable because, eh, I guess his design just looks like a guy subject to slapstick.” Walkazo added, “My family used to play [Mario Kart: Double Dash] together every night, but now it's mainly a birthday-party-only tradition (along with SSB). I also periodically go to used game stories looking for obscure Mario games to add to my collection.”
Clearly traditions – whether it’s sisters re-enacting the game using Mario action figures or a family coming together to play on special occasions– are crucial to the establishment of group identity, personal identity and the way members perform their identity outside of the forum. It’s these traditions, along with all the other elements I’ve discussed, that authenticate Super Mario Brothers.

Conclusion
As illustrated by the Super Mario Boards and its member base, Mario fans from across the globe are able to connect simply by going online and joining a forum chock-full of people who share their interest in the series. Through discussions, the sharing of information and other interactions, friendships form, traditions develop and those who identify with Mario begin to feel validated. Members are free to communicate their love for the games by wearing Mario clothing, buying Mario merchandise and discussing the series with their friends, both online and off. Members of the forum not only discuss the finer details of the Mario game series, however; through online performance they reveal who they are as individuals and ask other members to evaluate their performances and respond accordingly. It’s through all of these performances, discussions, evaluations, group identities and traditions that the Super Mario Boards becomes more than just a fan forum. It becomes a community. It becomes folklore.

Bibliography

Blank, Trevor J.
Folklore Culture in the Digital Age: The Emergent Dynamics of Human Interaction
Logan UT: Utah State University Press, 2012
Ellis, Bill (article author)
“Love and War and Anime Art: An Ethnographic Look at a Virtual Community of Collectors” pages 166-211 (Chapter 8), 2012

deWinter, Jennifer
Influential Video Game Designers: Shigeru Miyamoto
New York, Bloomsbury Academic, 2015

Evans, Chris; Lenhart, Amanda; Kahne, Joseph; Macgill, Alexandra; Middaugh, Ellen; Vitak, Jessica
“Teens, Video Games and Civics,” 2008
http://www.pewinternet.org/2008/09/16/teens-video-games-and-civics, 2008

Positive Video Gaming
“How Video Games Can Be Social,” 2011
http://positivevideogaming.web.unc.edu/sample-page/-Positive_Effects_Of_Video_Games_On_Society >> How Video Games Can Be Social, 2011

Interviews (real names have been kept confidential at the request of those interviewed)
Glitchy, interviewed 2015
Mario Party Σ, interviewed 2015
Walkazo, interviewed 2015
Any other members who contributed did so on the public forum, not through private interview sessions.
 
Interesting paper. I've always thought the community would make for an interesting sociology case study or something, so it's fun to see it actually happen in a way. Thanks for sharing!


Also, coincidentally, Son of Suns, whom you mention in the paper, is one of the wiki's somewhat historical figures due to the fact that he wrote lots of policies back in the day about canonicity and chronology and whatnot - for better or for worse... I just thought it was funny that of all the responders of all the threads to choose from, you happened to quote ol' SoS.
 
It's probably not my place to do proofreading and stuff, but the "it's" error stuck out like a sore thumb, so I had to. I spotted a few other things, though, especially the part where you transcribed Ultron; you need [sic] or brackets, otherwise the teachers might dock you for bad capitalization.

Hope you don't mind. This isn't complete either, so there are probably words to rewrite/cut and a few grammar kinks, but yeah, I was able to read through the whole paper. Probably because it's relevant, lol.

dpatters28 said:
Okay folks, here is my paper. The formatting is a little off, but that's what happens when you cut and paste, haha. Hope you all enjoy. Thanks again to everyone who contributed. It's very much appreciated.

Beyond the Mushroom Kingdom: Super Mario Folklore
A folkloric study conducted by Doug

When thinking about a typical folktale, what do you imagine? Do you see a valiant hero, battling nightmarish beasts and traveling across foreign lands, all to win the heart of the woman he loves? It’s a tale everyone is familiar with. The white knight slaying the dragon and rescuing the damsel in distress has become a staple in contemporary pop culture. It’s the core storyline in everything from Disney films (i.e. Sleeping Beauty), to Shrek, to the Harry Potter and Twilights series. The story resonates with people because everyone, on some level, relates to the notions of true love and good triumphing over evil. Die-hard fans of these stories often find online groups to discuss their favorites aspects of the genre. Oftentimes, entire fandoms are built around characters and plots. Original art and literature is created, and whole conventions are organized so fans can meet and share their passion. With the following study, I intend to explore one particular “heroic saga” through a folkloric lens, paying close attention to performance, discussions, group emergence and the identities that are created. The subject matter for this study is Super Mario Brothers, a popular video game series created by Shigeru Miyamoto in 1985 for the Nintendo Entertainment System. As Jennifer deWinter stated in her book Influential Video Game Designers: Shigeru Miyamoto, when creating games, Miyamoto intends to convey a strong connection to childhood and joy, the influences of nature and the natural world, and a desire to share a common feeling. That shared feeling is a thread that will run through this entire study.
Super Mario Brothers, and video games in general, are rife with folkloric materials and concepts. Not only are video games an excellent resource when discussing group development and traditions, with more and more people beginning to express both their individualism and group identity through the games they play, video games reflect our current culture as well. Whether it’s a group of grade school children getting together every afternoon to play Minecraft, or a few working-class guys in their mid-30’s meeting each Saturday to let off steam by playing Halo or Call of Duty, video games are becoming steeped in tradition. The formation and development of these groups and the traditions that develop authenticate video games, making them unique vehicles in which to explore modern-day folklore. While some people play video games alone, more and more are playing in order to spend time with loved ones. A 2008 study conducted by the Pew Research Institute titled “Teens, Video Games and Civics” found that 65% of game-playing teenagers play with people who are in the room with them (details, 65% out of how many?). Furthermore, the popularity of the Internet is allowing people to interact with those they wouldn’t have otherwise met. An article written in 2011 for the website Positive Video Gaming (in partnership with The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) called “How Video Games Can Be Social” states, “Since video games can now be connected to the Internet, more people can connect with users of the same game and create a social atmosphere.” These virtual atmospheres, in addition to being places where players can meet and discuss their favorite video games, also give people the opportunity to make new friends, share anecdotes, vent, laugh, commiserate and express themselves in ways they cannot elsewhere.
In this paper, I intend to examine how people meet and connect over a shared interest in the Super Mario Brothers series, and how these people establish an individual sense of identity through group interactions and performance.
It’s important to understand Super Mario Brothers is more than just a game for a lot of people; it’s a part of who they are. To help illustrate my point, I spent a few months observing the Super Mario Boards, a comprehensive Mario forum and subsidiary of the Super Mario Wiki (est. 2005). Through observations and interviews, I learned that this is not just a random collection of fans; it’s a group of friends. Though most have never met face to face, the sense of camaraderie is palpable (<-big words are fine, but I suggest using something simpler) and no less real than what you’d find when observing a group of best friends meeting at the local coffee shop. The members of the Super Mario Boards are free to express themselves – not just as fans of the Mario franchise – but as individuals and as members of a unique group. By sharing parts of themselves with like-minded people, they create an identity within the confines of the Mario universe, as well as demonstrating who they are in the real world.

Is Mario Folklore?
After a few weeks of observing the Super Mario Boards, I decided to join the forum myself. The members proved to be insightful, intelligent people, and I thought I should include their input. On March 26, 2015, I started a thread introducing myself, explaining who I am and the purpose of this paper. I asked if anyone would be willing to discuss their history with Super Mario Brothers and the folkloric elements associated with it. Viper26, a 12-year-old male from New Jersey, was the first to respond, and his reply was surprising. He simply stated, “I wouldn’t say Mario is folklore.” When I asked for elaboration, NathanBros chimed in, saying, “Think Mario is not legendary to be folklore.” A member named Ultron provided the most well reasoned argument, saying, “I don't think that [M]ario can be considered folklore, since it isn't really that integrated into [E]arth's history. If [M]ario is considered folklore, then anything can be considered so, from video games to books, and even movies. It's not really something that everyone really cares about, let alone even know about. we don't take [M]ario's adventures to heart, and we certainly don't gather any morals from them.”
I was fascinated by the replies I was receiving. Here were members of a forum that is the very essence of a folkloric group, and they didn’t realize or acknowledge it. I decided I needed to elaborate. I explained that I was observing Mario through a lens of different group dynamics, performances and self-identification, then using my findings to illustrate my point that Mario, and particularly the fandom associated with the series, is indeed folklore. After clarifying my position, I began receiving responses that favored my theory. Member Yoshiking14x said, “I consider anything fictional that can be used by the public anytime [folklore] especially if it involves a story.” Walkazo, a 23-year-old female from Ontario, Canada, gave a wonderful response that succinctly sums up my feelings on the topic. She wrote, “I feel like the classic definition of folklore is stories told between generations orally. But in modern society, so much of communication is now via text, and communities can be centred around interests rather than geography. The series has also been around long enough to span generations: our userbase alone ranges at least from 11-30… In fanfiction too, you can see how writers often pick things up from earlier stories when it comes to vaguely defined characters like the Koopalings, and in the series as a whole, you can see the propagation of various memes and urban legends, which are in themselves a sort of modern folklore.”
Walkazo’s statement regarding the pre-conceived notion that folklore is dependent upon information being transmitted orally is a concept folklorists have been arguing about since the establishment of the Internet. As Bill Ellis pointed out in his essay “Love and War and Anime Art: An Ethnographic Look at a Virtual Community of Collectors”, “folklore theory stubbornly tends to define ‘folk groups’ as networks of people who meet face-to-face and share information through spoken word and body language alone rather than through the more sophisticated means of electronic media now in fashion.” (168, 2012) While face-to-face meetings are what a lot of people consider when thinking about folk groups and they way they communicate, one could argue that the members of the Super Mario Boards are sharing information as well. As I will discuss later, members constantly use the Super Mario Boards to share ideas, opinions and knowledge about a myriad of topics related to the franchise. Many members also use the forum as an outlet to express thoughts and feelings independent of the series. Body language may be replaced with emoticons, but the messages are the same whether they’re said aloud or posted online. As Ellis states later in his essay, “A folk group consists of the sum total of many self-conscious choices by individuals to interact in a distinctive way, and these observable acts constitute the performance of community.” (183, 2012) In the next section, I will expand upon these online performances.

The Super Mario Boards – Discussions and Performance
The Super Mario Boards is a community designed for die-hard Mario fans to have on-going discussions ranging from members’ most irritating game-related pet peeves to the relationship status of extraneous characters like Donkey Kong and Candy Kong, characters from the Mario spin-off, Donkey Kong Country. Members examine these finer elements of Mario culture by posting on a sub-forum called The Marioverse.
On November 15, 2006, Paper Jorge, an 18-year-old male, started a thread titled “Ages of Mario Characters.” The thread garnered 4 pages worth of responses. Several of the contributing members looked towards the series’ established canon when forming their responses. In Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island, for example, Mario and Luigi are both depicted as newborns. This canonical fact led several members to conclude that Mario and Luigi are, in fact, twins. As member Son_of_Suns pointed out, “The babies [Mario and Luigi] were born that morning and then the stork headed to the Mushroom Kingdom to deliver the babies. They were born on the same morning and thus would be the same age.” Paper Jorge disagreed with this observation when he argued, “Mario is older, Luigi is younger. It says so in many instruction booklets.” A member named Yoshi Master lent support to the twin theory, “Nobody is born at the same time, in the same few seconds. Mario can be older than Luigi, and still be twins. They can be born apart by a few hours really.” The argument ended when Paper Jorge simply proclaimed the debate was, “Cooooonfusing” followed by an emoticon of a smiley face rolling its eyes. The remainder of the thread found members, including those previously mentioned, theorizing about the ages of other Mario characters (including Princess Peach, Toad, Yoshi and the series main antagonist, Bowser).
The age debate is just one example of the in-depth, possibly arbitrary, but non-the-less interesting topics the members of the Super Mario Boards discuss on a daily basis. Though members get into occasional arguments, most conflicts are resolved respectfully with the parties agreeing to disagree. As moderator Captain America stated when asked if flame wars ever erupt on the forum, “people will have their spats with one another which will happen anywhere you combine internet anonymity and opinions but not to the extent of out and out flaming each other. If it does get out of hand, a simple reminder or warning is enough to get those involved to stop.” Member Duskull agrees, claiming, “Generally people are able to conduct themselves in a respectful manner despite their differing opinions, and usually if flames start flying out, one of the people involved is able to keep a level-head.”
In addition to The Marioverse, the forum is broken into several other sub-forums, including an area for topics unrelated to Mario. The “Off subject Discussion” sub-forum is a place where members can chat about anything and everything. One thread, which was started on December 18, 2013 by Lyn asked, “What are you doing right now? To date there are 78 pages worth of responses. Another thread, started on February 13, 2013 by Farina simply asks, “Your current mood.” That thread has elicited 73 pages worth of replies so far, most being regulated to a single word or sentence. Many of the members who responded claimed to be either pissed off, annoyed, hungry or tired. A few of the replies contain GIFs or memes to help the member illustrate their mood. One member named Mudkip responded by posting a picture of a kitten, covered with a blanket and sleeping contently.
One thing I found interesting is that many of the Super Mario Board members vent real life frustrations to their online friends. At 1:46 PM on February 18, 2013 Baby Luigi, a 20-year-old female, lamented, “Funny how it's supposed to be my birthday today, but my morning was rough.” After a few hours later she posted again, this time elaborating on her frustration. At 9:39 PM she wrote, “That's it, I'm very mad today. I can't believe my mom would forget it's my birthday today. And I also can't believe that she didn't do anything special today. I didn't even get a cake or something I wanted to eat! Such selfishness is just remarkable. I am officially furious.” It’s intriguing that Baby Luigi sought comfort and compassion from her online friends when she was upset with her mother over the fact she felt her birthday had been overlooked. Clearly this is a network of people she respects and trusts, as she felt comfortable enough to open up and share such raw emotion.
From a performance perspective, members like Baby Luigi use the Super Mario Boards as a conduit to communicate their feelings of angst, sorrow, pain, joy, happiness and a plethora of other emotions. By venting her frustrations in public, Baby Luigi asked anybody reading to evaluate her emotional turmoil and pass their own judgments based on similar personal experiences and their knowledge of the user. Taken in context, Baby Luigi was within her rights when exhibiting her feelings of hurt and anger – the point of the thread was for users to describe their current emotional state. It has been my experience that it’s often easier to confide in people we don’t know in real life. This could be due to the fact we feel less vulnerable when we’re online; by having that barrier of the Internet, we don’t have to face the people we’re spilling our guts to. We can open up, but still keep our anonymity. On the other hand, a good friend is a good friend, whether we’ve met them or not. Nobody responded to Baby Luigi on the forum, but that isn’t to say she didn’t receive private messages or e-mails lending her comfort and support.

Identity and Authenticity on the Super Mario Boards
Identity is an important attribute to consider when discussing the Super Mario Boards and its members. As previously illustrated, opinions and emotions are shared freely through discussions and performances. Whether a member is voicing their opinion about the age of a certain Mario character, or they are venting about real-life trials and tribulations, they are communicating a part of themselves for the rest of the forum to respond to. By sharing these thoughts, ideas and feelings - whether they’re arbitrary or profound - the members begin to develop a sense of identity.
As I concluded my observations, I posed one final question for all of the Super Mario Boards members. I asked how they identify with the Mario series, and what their own sense of identity is within the scope of the series. Mario Party Σ said, “I'm borderline obsessed about Mario. I wear clothes of him, I carry his merchandise around, I draw him, I think about him, I talk about him. He's like a really close childhood friend.” Walkazo shared a similar sentiment, saying, “I guess the mere fact that I spend most of my online free time on this wiki and its community shows how ingrained the series and this place is on my identity.” Member Glitchy, a 13-year-old male, said, “I feel like it's easier to socialize here than in real life because I share more interests with the people here than the people I meet irl.” Clearly, Mario has had a profound impact on the way these members’ identify themselves both online and in the real world. By wearing Mario clothing, discussing Mario with their friends and creating art around the character, they are communicating how proud they are to be Mario fans. Glitchy’s assertion about feeling more connected to the forum members than people he knows in real life is a testimonial on online communities in general. If it weren’t for forums like the Super Mario Boards, a lot of these people wouldn’t have an easily accessible outlet to express their love for the series. Internet forums like this one are bringing people together who never would have met otherwise. Subsequently, people’s identities become validated as they discover kindred spirits who share in their love and devotion.
Along with the die-hard fans that eat, sleep and breathe Mario, the Super Mario Boards also has members who are fans of the series, but it doesn’t necessarily impact their everyday lives. Captain America is one such example. “I wouldn't really say liking the series is part of my identity. It just happens to be something I enjoy.” He does, however, have a tradition revolving around Mario. “ I try to play through [Mario] Sunshine once a year.”
An important factor to consider when studying folklore is the authenticity of the subject being discussed. Authenticity derives from the groups that develop around a shared interest, such as Super Mario Brothers, and the traditions that form within those groups. When I asked the members of the Super Mario Boards if they had any traditions involving Mario, I was presented with a wide range of examples. Baby Luigi said, “My twin and I do still act out with our toys ever since we got into Mario in the first place (yes as really young kids) but that's the closest to tradition you'll get.” Mario Party Σ, who happens to be Baby Luigi’s twin, elaborated within the context of playing the game, “Our rituals usually involve killing Wario/Donkey Kong/Honey Queen and making them last place. We also make Waluigi's life miserable because, eh, I guess his design just looks like a guy subject to slapstick.” Walkazo added, “My family used to play [Mario Kart: Double Dash] together every night, but now it's mainly a birthday-party-only tradition (along with [Super Smash Bros.]). I also periodically go to used game stories looking for obscure Mario games to add to my collection.”
Clearly traditions – whether it’s sisters re-enacting the game using Mario action figures or a family coming together to play on special occasions– are crucial to the establishment of group identity, personal identity and the way members perform their identity outside of the forum. It’s these traditions, along with all the other elements I’ve discussed, that authenticate Super Mario Brothers.

Conclusion
As illustrated by the Super Mario Boards and its member base, Mario fans from across the globe are able to connect simply by going online and joining a forum chock-full of people who share their interest in the series. Through discussions, the sharing of information and other interactions, friendships form, traditions develop and those who identify with Mario begin to feel validated. Members are free to communicate their love for the games by wearing Mario clothing, buying Mario merchandise and discussing the series with their friends, both online and off. Members of the forum not only discuss the finer details of the Mario game series, however; through online performance they reveal who they are as individuals and ask other members to evaluate their performances and respond accordingly. It’s through all of these performances, discussions, evaluations, group identities and traditions that the Super Mario Boards becomes more than just a fan forum. It becomes a community. It becomes folklore.

Bibliography

Blank, Trevor J.
Folklore Culture in the Digital Age: The Emergent Dynamics of Human Interaction
Logan UT: Utah State University Press, 2012
Ellis, Bill (article author)
“Love and War and Anime Art: An Ethnographic Look at a Virtual Community of Collectors” pages 166-211 (Chapter 8), 2012

deWinter, Jennifer
Influential Video Game Designers: Shigeru Miyamoto
New York, Bloomsbury Academic, 2015

Evans, Chris; Lenhart, Amanda; Kahne, Joseph; Macgill, Alexandra; Middaugh, Ellen; Vitak, Jessica
“Teens, Video Games and Civics,” 2008
http://www.pewinternet.org/2008/09/16/teens-video-games-and-civics, 2008

Positive Video Gaming
“How Video Games Can Be Social,” 2011
http://positivevideogaming.web.unc.edu/sample-page/-Positive_Effects_Of_Video_Games_On_Society >> How Video Games Can Be Social, 2011

Interviews (real names have been kept confidential at the request of those interviewed)
Glitchy, interviewed 2015
Mario Party Σ, interviewed 2015
Walkazo, interviewed 2015
Any other members who contributed did so on the public forum, not through private interview sessions.
Click to expand...
 
Nice, but I'd like to tell you that for that birthday thing, I didn't receive any PMs or emails regarding that, and I'm fine with that, I just wanted a place to express my personal feelings I have with myself. I always viewed some threads (like that mood thread) here as a place to express myself.
 
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