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While I'm not secretive about it, I definitely don't advertise the fact. It helps that I really don't socialize much, and when I do I spend more time listening than talking. It never comes up.
When the subject of media comes up, I generally say at most that I don't have cable and that I download what little I watch. The most I volunteer aside from that is that, since I study Japanese and grew up with Japanese family, I often watch Japanese programming. I have no need to be specific, because I watch live-action dramas, as well.
If, for some reason, it might come out that I'm downloading Japanese cartoons, I have "beard"--well, more of an "excuse": I download anime so my little sister can watch it. I also need to preview it for her, because of concerns about the content. All that is true, and is a good explanation for all my downloading and viewing habits as viewed by an outsider. I don't have to add anything about my own viewing habits.
I'm not ashamed of anything, just aware that most people really don't understand. I'm definitely a proponent of not hiding who you are, but also aware that for some people it wouldn't be prudent. Due to my place in the community, that is the case for me. At least twice a week, many people trust me to care for their children or teenagers. While many are rational folks, some of those people really believed that Pokemon was a tool of the devil. My good reputation has helped many of them overcome any apprehension or prejudices they have simply based on my "nerd" status or my Spock-like social awkwardness, but I'm not willing to see how far that will go.
Even amongst people that have no such prejudices, I walk a fine line. My father knows what I watch, but what about the people he mentions it to casually? Some of the kids I work with watch anime, but they tend to assume I watch the same shows as them, which is explainable but not something they seem to grasp easily. Worse, if they tell their parents, will their parents assume I'm watching the same kids' shows?
I recall a "minor incident" from the last time I was in Peru, when working with a young man (a senior in high school) was channel surfing and noticed my look of recognition when he briefly stopped on the cable anime network and I spotted the Spanish dub of Saikano. Later on in the trip, while some other people were around, before he stepped out he turned the television to the same network (then playing a really awfully dubbed, immature tennis drama) and said "Here you go". I politely asked him what drugs he was taking, and he asked "You like that stuff, don't you?" Arg. I gave him a quick explanation that satisfied the slight puzzlement of some of the others around.
I think that greater openness about the hobby (if you can call it that) will help bring greater understanding to society at large, but the ability to practice such openness isn't a luxury I have at the moment. I'll have to fight the Good Fight on different fronts for the time being, and only really let my inner nerd show on the internet, amongst like friends, and at cons.
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