I’m not sure when it happened. I know it happened at some point between “then” and “now,” but I can’t pinpoint the exact moment. It’s not something overt, like the twitch-crackle of a changing voice to herald puberty, or the chestburnheadrush that signals attraction to someone. This was sneakier. This was subtle. At some point “society” decided to point a large finger in my general direction and judge a lot of things I’m interested in as “geeky.”
The major issue I have with this is I know it was not always this way. At one point it was perfectly natural to read comics, play with toys, dig Star Wars or Star Trek or whatever the heck else. It was accepted and expected. There was no stigma. Sure, I was a kid, but it was accepted.
But now?
Something happened. Either I grew up, or the world got more immature. Either way, while I began broadening my interests, I also continued pursuing the same things that gave me a pleasure. But it was no longer right. It was “wrong.” Even if it seemed like these things were more and more often being targeted directly at “me” — from comics and toys to movies, it was still somehow wrong.
Even with the slow and steady proliferation of these interests into so many aspects of pop culture, it seems like there continues to be an underlying feeling that there’s something wrong with me for liking this stuff. We’re currently living in a society overrun with comics on the big screen, brand new Star Wars movies and multi-billion dollar franchises built around all of these so called “geeky” interests. We’re living in a time where toys and comics are marketed to adults as well as kids, but a ton are marketed exclusively to adults. It should be an age of acceptance.
But you know what? It’s not. Despite all of this supposed acceptance, headlines and news articles focused on such areas of interest are littered with references to “geeks,” “nerds,” and “dorks.” While it can no doubt be explained away to easy shorthand, a lack of creativity, or a reliance on buzzwords, there’s still an odd marginalization going on. Someone is looking down their noses while continuing to feed on our wallets.
I can only assume that despite all of the supposed acceptance, there’s still this underlying thought — perpetuated by someone, somewhere — that adults just shouldn’t be interested in certain things. It must be wrong. We should be interested in other things. Fine art. Wine. Cigars. Sports. Cars. Anything but kid’s stuff.
Again, I don’t know who decided this. Who decided that little Timmy who is into football and has memorized the stats of all his favorite players gets to grow up enjoying football and can freely gather together with his friends to watch the random sporting event and is considered normal, yet little Billy who likes superheroes and has memorized every silver age appearances of Granite Janet from Planet Zannit gets to grow up and be called a geek?
But maybe I’m wrong. Maybe being called a geek or nerd or dork or whatever isn’t the assumed insult it once was. Yo be honest, I’m not the best judge of things most people take for granted, like feeling a sense of belonging. When my first grade teacher wrote on my report card that I didn’t play well with others, I assumed it was the highest compliment a teacher could give to a student. I’m also allergic to labels. I’ve definitely noticed a massive movement in pop culture where vast herds of people are proudly self-referential in their geekiness. Being “geeky” has become trendy. I’m assuming it’s a bit of that “taking the power out of the insult by using it as a statement of power” thing. Geek websites abound. Geek blogs. Geek spokespeople. Geek icons. Movies about the geek getting the girl, or guy, or being comfortable being a geek, because Hollywood is giving the geek permission to be geeky about stuff.
Man, the word geek is seriously getting on my nerves just writing this column. Geek, geek. geek. Maybe my entire problem boils down to saturation, like the way the word “moist” can start to grate on the nerves after you hear it a few thousand times. Geeeeeeeeek.
Weird.
I think my main issue is I can’t figure out if it’s an insult or a term of endearment. People refer to themselves as a geek and it’s a term of endearment, but then they turn around and use it against their fellow humanoid-shaped thing as an insult.
In the end, as fascinating as its been watching society trying as hard as it can to try to cram circles into squares, I can’t say I really care. So I like superheroes. So I still buy toys. So I can run off entire lines of dialogue from the original trilogy. So I can use the term “original trilogy” and just assume people will know what I’m referring to. So what. That’s not the beginning and ending of the variety of interests I have. And besides, like the stuff other people are interested in is so much better. I reject your nerd, your geek, and your dork labels. It’s easy, and it’s trash.
Personally, I’m more interested in moving towards an existence where one’s interests don’t define them.
You can keep your nerd, geek, and dork labels. If you have to call me anything, call me an enthusiast.
I like stuff.