There's no such thing as the Matt Mercer Effect

RPG rulebooks often teach through an 'example of play'—little scripted scenes that try to show what roleplaying looks like. Today we have far more examples: hundreds of episodes of Critical Role, plus Dimension 20, The Adventure Zone, Acquisitions Incorporated and streamed DMs like Neil Newbon and Devora Wilde. That abundance has spawned talk of a "Matt Mercer effect," the idea that actual-play shows set unrealistic expectations for new players who then demand pro-level performance. But that’s a framing problem, not a mystical phenomenon. Instead of blaming shows, groups should use session zero and clear communication to align expectations. Actual-play content can inspire or inform—it's not the root cause of a bad table.