I remember watching that. Anyone can call themselves a nerd, but only real nerds feel sad inside. 😢
No, the point of the article is that the mainstream writers/commenters are actually more accepting and more open, and often have something insightful to say, and that the long-standing members of "nerd culture" are being the assholes in increasing numbers.
Basically, Geeks reclaimed the word geek from negativity, and as such the culture grew, spread, and was accepted on a much wider basis than before. And now there are those who don't like the idea of that happening, who are reclaiming the word Geek back into the negative, and in doing so are shifting the term "Geek" into "someone who is into pop-culture who is shortsighted, sexist, homophobic, and angry about the concept of change in general"
"Geek Culture" didn't get co-opted by anyone that wasn't already providing Geeks their culture in the first place. Punks made their own music. Same with Hip-Hop. They made their own art out of what they had. But being a geek is absolutely defined by buying something some larger company has been selling you. It's almost impossible to be a geek without being tied up in the consuming of mass-produced product of one sort or another, be it comics, or TV shows, or movies, or video games, etc. etc.
So railing against "the mainstream" will always ring false to some extent because of that.
There we go.
It never fails. Every time there's some dust up due to fanboys getting mad at a reviewer disliking this or that, I go to read a review and it comes across as the most even handed and inoffensive thing.
Ugh, shit like this is why I find myself more and more disinterested in discussing superhero movies. It feels like there's no space to actually have discussion and debate about these things because everybody comes ready to catch feelings when you don't like something. (Yes, I am aware this is in no way exclusive to the superhero movie crowd.)
As for the article's larger point, there's not really much I can add that hasn't already been said in this here thread. The "mainstreaming" of geek culture has been nothing but a positive in my eyes, since it took new types of people coming in to illuminate some of the very real problems with the subculture. Namely the racism, sexism, and homophobia embedded into the community and all the unhealthy behaviors that accompany it.
For myself, growing up as an awkward introverted black kid in Baltimore, I was lucky to find anyone who shared my interests. So the whole being mad that others want to climb in the sandbox will never make sense to me. Well, it makes sense to me, but it's so sad I kind of wish it didn't.
Assimilation and dilution isn't winning.
You'd think it would be that simple. Bendis also put it nicely:
http://www.vulture.com/2014/04/comi...-man-guardians-x-men.html?mid=twitter_vulture
"geek culture" is too broad to lump them (us) all together.
A lot of people online are dicks.
A lot of people online are geeks.
A lot of geeks are dicks.
"Don't Be a Dick" day was only a few days ago. I wish more people followed Wheaton's Law.
It never fails. Every time there's some dust up due to fanboys getting mad at a reviewer disliking this or that, I go to read a review and it comes across as the most even handed and inoffensive thing.
Ugh, shit like this is why I find myself more and more disinterested in discussing superhero movies. It feels like there's no space to actually have discussion and debate about these things because everybody comes ready to catch feelings when you don't like something. (Yes, I am aware this is in no way exclusive to the superhero movie crowd.)
As for the article's larger point, there's not really much I can add that hasn't already been said in this here thread. The "mainstreaming" of geek culture has been nothing but a positive in my eyes, since it took new types of people coming in to illuminate some of the very real problems with the subculture. Namely the racism, sexism, and homophobia embedded into the community and all the unhealthy behaviors that accompany it.
For myself, growing up as an awkward introverted black kid in Baltimore, I was lucky to find anyone who shared my interests. So the whole being mad that others want to climb in the sandbox will never make sense to me. Well, it makes sense to me, but it's so sad I kind of wish it didn't.