Hardison, the hacker from Leverage, would utter the phrase “Age of the geek, baby!” whenever his skills helped bring a plan together. I have said it a time or two when things worked in my favor, whether it was appropriate or not! At any rate, it begs the question, is it really?
I mean, there are RPGs out in the open in mainstream stores, no more hunting around for comic shops or gaming stores for version 4.0 monster guides. Comics are pretty much everywhere, as well as comic-based movies. Network TV, cable, and the big screen have found homes for all manner of superhero, villain, and anti-hero. TV shows are now portraying the nerd as being somewhat on the ball, not just comic relief. Well, that last statement isn’t totally true, but I’ll save that one for another time – I’m looking at YOU “Big Bang Theory”!
At any rate, here we are. The media waits with baited breath for the latest news out of San Diego, New York, and Chicago comic cons. Gaming news is just as big, getting national coverage sometimes. When I was a kid, my mother would always tell me that one day people would want to be like me, although I seriously doubt that she had this in mind!! There have been some articles attacking geek culture for our love of cosplay, action figures and the amount of money that our movies make, taking away from movies that “really matter” like the eastern European remake of Remains of the Day (no, this has not happened, I’m just being a Richard Cranium). Anyway, I wonder if this really is the age of the geek or has Hollywood just figured out that geeks have disposable income and they want some of it?
Does it really matter? I guess not… I mean, as a culture, we have always managed to get our product out to our desired demographic, and that will remain true. It is just that we feel accepted today, that the world is ours. Right now everyone is embracing their geek and everyone is down with the nerd, but one day it will stop being the in thing. I just hope that those of us who are out there, enjoying our moment in the sun, will not suddenly skulk to the shadows when the next big thing appears. We deserve our place with the cool kids, burn outs, hipsters and Goths. Let’s make sure that the Nerds, Geeks, and Dorks after us have an easier time than we did.
