Nerd Culture: When Entertainment Meets Society

 

Today's society works in a funny way, where the term "nerd" means many things and is not necessarily considered an insult. The new film Dungeons and Dragons: Honour Among Thieves is a prime example. While many would assume that you would have to either be a fan of the Dungeons and Dragons game or have been or currently be an avid player, that is not necessarily the case. Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, and Rege-Jean Page, all 3 of whom star in the film have said that you can enjoy the film if you are new to the Dungeons and Dragons world and even if you are just a fan of the fantasy genre. 

I have been to Comic-Con before and that is where nerd culture goes to heaven. You see people dressed as everything from a Marvel/DC superhero to a character from an anime to even a character from tv shows like House of the Dragon and Star Trek. Being a nerd is cool now and I am one. I love sports but I also love movies and comic books. I have plenty of graphic novels and comic books in my room as well as action figures some of whom have been in my room for 15+ years. Nerd culture means branching out and finding things that interest you. Everyone has their interest and frankly, it is those interests that help you find your people. That brings me to a big question. What is nerd culture?

Nerd culture is this large landscape of individuals who have a lexicon of information as it involves things like superheroes, comic books, manga, and graphic novels. Nerds and geeks are often mixed together whereas they are two different distinctions. Being a geek means you like computers and uses words like interface and mainframe. Being a nerd means you like Dungeons and Dragons and World of Warcraft and go to comic conventions dressed in cosplay. Things like the MCU and the world of shows like The Mandalorian have made it way easier to be a nerd now.

For example, I am a big MCU fan but also an overall movie fan and know way more behind-the-scenes info and facts than the average moviegoer. In essence, that defines me as a nerd. Being a nerd brings with it the idea of escaping to a far-out world maybe to broaden our imaginative horizons or maybe because something around us makes us feel alone. What I love about my designation as being a nerd is that while some may look down on me for liking superheroes or wanting to escape to Middle-Earth, I can still find a way to enjoy what I like. Nerd culture however does have its negative side.

Nerd culture brings this idea called "gatekeeping". What gatekeeping means is an exclusion of a certain group of people because you feel like their likes or their views do not align with yours. For example, a jock who is big on football may gatekeep and call out someone who likes Lord of the Rings but also enjoys sports. Everyone can have the things they like, there is no need for toxicity. 

Comic books in my opinion should get the same respect as sports. You go to the mall and there are countless sports-based stores whereas, for fandoms, all you get is Hot Topic and Spencers. What is funny now about the toxicity that being a nerd brings is that it comes from haters who jumped onto the bandwagon and did not like what they saw.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is the highest-grossing film franchise in history and the 23+ films and countless tv shows that make up the universe can be for anyone. That is what draws in fans of movies like Avengers: Endgame or even Avatar. The fanbase is so huge that fans come from wherever and can come together to discuss and dissect what they like the most about what they saw. Sports and comic books are the same in that respect. Society, in my opinion, needs to find a way to combat the negativity online that comic book fans often see. Saying "you are not a true fan" can be hurtful to many and cause emotional harm and lead to physical harm as well. Being a fan of something means different things and you can not be an MCU nerd or even a nerd when it comes to the Avatar films and not be a fan of what you saw. Toxicity has no place in nerd culture but definitely has no place in society.