The Geeks Have Inherited the Earth

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

Time tends to change concepts. For example, homosexuality in the 50s was considered as something taboo and forbidden as opposed to today where homosexuality is generally accepted. The same applies to the geek culture.

From what I remember, the media often portrayed geek culture as something negative. The dweeb with the pencil pusher pocket, the incredibly intelligent being who knew a ton about “Star Trek” and rocket science, the giant comic book nerd who never got the girl. Granted, these televised tropes are still broadcasted today, but their depiction has shifted in media and society.

Growing up, the media reinforced the notion of it was bad to be a geek. Brawn were better than brain, those who had brains were mocked or ignored. Characters like Dexter (from “Dexter’s Laboratory”) were made fun of for their intelligence and portrayed in a stereotypical dorky appearance. Comic  Book Guy (from “The Simpsons”) was pictured more harshly in being an overweight geek who hasn’t grown up, still clinging to something he greatly admires and knows a great deal about. Comic Book Guy was a cynic at times, but he was still portrayed as a geek given his environment, personality, and what he specifically enjoyed.

Cosplaying was something I remember being made fun of. People were dressing up as characters that people didn’t know like Vegeta from “Dragonball Z” or Sailor Mars from “Sailor Moon”. They wore outfits that weren’t something were obscure in everyday life or just for Halloween.  It was different and therefore, laughable.

Flash forward to the current year and time has changed society’s views on geeks. Characters like Dexter are lauded for their intelligence and not made fun of as much. People like Comic Book Guy are accepted and considered to be cool with their extensive knowledge of various fandoms. Cosplaying is seen as a form of art with fantastic results and original designs. To be passionate about something (an artist, a certain topic, a specific show, etc.) is something that’s admired and encouraged.

The geeks have inherited the Earth and with it, they have changed how our society views them. At one point, people realized that cosplay is amazing, high intelligence is attractive, and being geeky isn’t bad at all. If anything, geeky became the new sexy and socially acceptable.

To be honest with you, I know people who are in their thirties and have a successful lifestyle (well-paying career, a home of their own, etc.) and still cosplay and gush about “Star Trek” and “Doctor Who”. They have active social lives, close friends, and are generally accepted by everyone in my workplace. This has become a reassurance for me – seeing that I can have a fruitful life at the age of thirty and still think that Han shot first or believe that Squirtle is the best original starter. I always believed that at some point you had to give up what you enjoyed doing and what you loved in pursuit of a mature life filled with suits and briefcases. It was a belief the media had reinforced time and time again, but only now is the belief giving away through entertainment and real life experiences.

What was once a culture I found myself allured to despite its trials of being made fun and knowing I would someday have to surrender, I can now found more comfort in. I can be a geek and exercise my enthusiasm for the things I’m passion about, I can cosplay whoever I want to, I can be thirty and be who I really want to be: myself.

Thank you for reading tonight’s entry. If you enjoyed it, feel free to comment, critique, subscribe, and share.

So tell me, what makes you geeky?