#147: Whos the Nerd Now?
Were you a geek? A nerd? Did you play Magic: The Gathering, paint Warhammer miniatures, learn to speak Klingon or Elvish, or memorize whole scenes from Star Trek? If so, then good news: it might have taken a few broken eyeglasses and shoves in high school, but geek culture has finally triumphed. Dragons are cool, Star Wars has never had more fans, and everyone is geeking out over the latest sci-fi release on Netflix. How did this happen? And how have the changing demographics of geekdom affected it, for better or worse? Lifelong nerd and critic A. D. Jameson, whose geek cred is stronger than the Force itself, joins us to figure it out. This episode originally aired in 2018.
Go beyond the episode:
- A. D. Jameson\u2019s I Find Your Lack of Faith Disturbing: Star Wars and the Triumph of Geek Culture
- Read A. D. Jameson and Justin Roman\u2019s article on sexism in gaming, \u201cIf Magic: The Gathering Cares About Women, Why Can\u2019t They Hire Any?\u201d
- For more on how franchises have changed Hollywood\u2019s structure, check out Stephen Metcalf\u2019s article, \u201cHow Superheroes Made Movies Expendable\u201d
- If you\u2019re looking for an escape this holiday weekend, please binge watch Marvel\u2019s Jessica Jones (reading a book would be fine, too)
- Listen to the queer history of comics in our second podcast episode, \u201cSuperheroes Are So Gay!\u201d
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