I was recently listening to Talking Comics Podcast, one of the many podcasts that I listen to, and a listener brought up a question that I thought was very insightful. The question, although worded slightly differently, was basically why comic book readers, and by the same token all geeks, tend to shun non-geeks even though they may have felt shunned in their own past. Before I listened to the responses from the members of the podcast, I decided I first wanted to get my own thoughts down.
Going forward I’m going to use nerd and geek both interchangeably. I understand that to many there is a difference, but in order to not segregate either group I am choosing to use each word where I think makes my article flow better rather than what is more right.
Growing up, I would have never considered myself to be a geek or nerd. I didn’t read comic books, I didn’t play Dungeon & Dragons, and I didn’t participate in many other activities that are stereotypical to nerd culture. The most I can relate to geek culture is that I grew up watching Star Trek with my father (mainly Voyager and TNG) and I was an active member in my high school band. Being so limited in my youth geek experience, I personally was not bullied very much, and thus I can’t relate entirely to how many felt growing up in geek culture surround by non-geeks. However, now being much more engaged in geek culture, I can definitely see how the paradigm has shifted and sometimes geeks can be the instigators of bullying rather than the victims.
The Mind of a Bully
There are many different kinds of bullies out there, so understanding all of them is something that I think will be difficult to do. However, one thing that is constant throughout all bullies is a feeling of self-entitlement and pride. Bullies tend to pick on those who are “less than them.” So a sports jock may pick on a robotics club member because football is cool and robotics club members just can’t hack it on the field. Or someone who has money and dresses well will make fun of the someone else that has to come to school wearing the same clothes for the second time in a week.
Bullying can also stem from the fear of something different. These types of bullies choose to lessen anything or anyone that doesn’t hold the same ideals as them. The best examples of these can be seen in politics or many Facebook threads. Two people going back and forth trying to prove that the other side is wrong.
No matter what kind of bully a person is, the point of a bully is always to further their own personal agenda and beliefs by stomping out anyone that gets in their way .
The Internet: The First Paradigm Shift
The internet is a great tool. It provides a variety of information, but what the internet also gives is a level of anonymity. Someone, even me, can express opinions from the safety of a home knowing that no one can hurt me directly. However, it also gives others the same anonymity to react to my opinions with their own opinions. This back and forth reaction can create escalated opinions resulting in the hateful internet we are familiar with today.
The fear that many geeks face has always been the physical presence of their bullies. A bully tends to be physically imposing in some sense, whether that is in size, strength, or even the number of friends. However, on the internet, the physical threat is completely eradicated. Suddenly both nerd and bully are placed on the same playing field.
Not only has the playing field been altered, but it’s also been specified. A comic book nerd has the ability to avoid any website that has to do with sports. So anyone that enters a comic book nerds playing field is subject to the thoughts and opinions of any other comic book nerd that participates in the same website.
The Casual Nerd: The Second Paradigm Shift
Over the past few years, nerd culture has come to the forefront of everyday life. With the introduction of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe, DC’s Extended Universe, and both of their growing TV presence, suddenly everyone has become a casual nerd. Football jocks that never would have dared speak the name of Captain America, are suddenly rooting for him to take down Hydra, well-dressed girls are now swooning over Thor’s abs and large groups of people that have never even heard of the Suicide Squad have opinions as to the either success or failure of its premise.
Everything that a nerd has loved and longed for is coming true, but at what price? If everyone is getting introduced into nerd culture, where can nerds turn? Where can they go to be understood and accepted? Suddenly, geeks and nerds are feeling invaded by an outside force much like when they were bullied in their youth. So the only thing they feel they can do is differentiate and defend.
The True Nerd: A Nerd’s Defense
A True Nerd: someone who has been a nerd since before it became “cool.” Before Iron Man flew across the screen. Before everyone was looking forward to a Wonder Woman movie. Someone that truly understands the characters, what they stand for and what they mean to true fans. This is where geeks have decided to take a stand.
When a person walks up to a true nerd and says “Oh man, Batman v Superman was so cool. I loved when Batman took out all those guys in the warehouse.” The true nerd responds with, “Yeah, it was kind of cool. Except that Batman would never do that. Batman has one rule, never kill, and he broke that rule several time it the movie. The movie was just not true to the source material. It should have been better.”
In order to feel special again, the geek will cling on comic books, source material, original series, and facts of minutia then argue them to the death to anyone that thinks differently. This is the exact kind of thinking that has created bullies in the past and allows them to thrive in the future. The feeling that they know more or understand more than others. The feeling of entitlement and pride in something that others don’t understand. This is the first step to becoming a bully.
The Geek Bully: The Last Paradigm Shift
The true nerds have just taken a step that they thought they would never take. Rather than accepting the casual nerd into the group and taking delight in the new comradery, the true nerd chooses to take a different road and prove how they are more entitled than the casual nerd since they have been a nerd for longer.
This has been evident with some recent news with the rumored casting of Mary-Jane Watson in Spider-Man: Homecoming. The unconfirmed rumor states that Zendaya, a mixed race actress (if this is not the correct term, I do apologize), has been cast as the previously white and red-headed Mary-Jane. Fans immediately took to the forums, Facebook and Twitter to express their anger at casting someone that isn’t white and doesn’t have red hair. This anger quickly turned into online bullying as others came to the studio’s aid by stating that the race doesn’t matter. The truth or correctness of this matter aside, this type of thinking and acting is what leads a geek to become a bully.
This, and many other actions, are how a geek has become that which they have always hated. A geek that used to be beaten up is now the one beating down other’s thoughts and opinions. The geek that wanted nothing else than to see Deadshot on the big screen is suddenly the one telling others how they are wrong for liking the actors portrayal. This is how the bullied has become the bully.
Geekceptance: Moving Forward Together
From Star Wars to Star Trek, Marvel to DC, or D&D to LARPing, there have always been different kinds of nerds and different levels. When a group of geeks gather together at a Comic Con, no one is looked down on for cosplaying as a Stormtrooper instead of a Starfleet Officer. Someone wearing a Doctor Who shirt does not make fun of the guy dressed as Iron Man. Instead everyone loves and accepts other’s passions no matter how strong they may be. Just because it is now more widely accepted, does not mean anything needs to change.
So instead of fighting about our differences, let’s come together and express joy in knowing geek culture is now common in every home, that everyone can find joy in watching a Marvel movie or that Star Wars is once again back and as good as ever. Let’s move away from differentiating a true nerd from a casual movie watcher. Let’s have geekceptance for young and old, original and new, casual and hardcore. Let’s have geekceptance for all!
