Geek is the new genre that Hollywood is attempting to co-opt for big bucks.
I'm trying to weather the storm and wait until it passes.
edit: And they aren't doing it well. "So, he's like a nerd, right?! And he plays video games. But he's also a secret agent! He's a COOL NERD! and he gets chicks! So it's like a real nerd's dream!"
I have never heard of Chuck or Better off Ted. I do, however, love Big Bang Theory but my love for it does not actually extend to the main character. I do realize that the only reason I got a show like this that I like is because geek is the fashionable thing right now. Our university even did an whole newspaper spread about it and ended up coming off more condescending and rude than funny. I have to ask myself is it worth it to be the in 'fashion' right now and the answer is 'no'.
I didn't want to start a new thread for this, but I felt this thread was fairly relevant...
I saw http://geekadvancement.com/ on Twitter today, and it got me thinking: Does something lose its geek appeal once it becomes mainstream and popular? The definition they have up on the site says that geeks don't go for mainstream acceptance. But with geeks becoming the "flavour du jour" as the title of this thread posits, does something "geeky", if taken in by the mainstream, still remain "geeky"? Millions of people saw Star Trek this past weekend; a film with a cast of relative unknowns, doing a movie in a genre that has generally been derided since its inception (science fiction). There are television shows trying to capitalize on geek culture. Is something being "geeky" like how music can be "indie"? Indie used to just mean independent, since mainstream artists were all shaped and molded by the same group of people. These musicians were "indie" because they weren't doing what mainstream artists were. But now indie bands are being courted by major labels and not necessarily being "indie" anymore in a strict sense, but they'd still consider themselves "indie". They make similar types of music (some would say they change and sell out to make big bucks) but it's just heard by more people. Can something that exists on the idea that it lives on the fringe of society still be the same thing if it becomes popular?
Very good question JD. There's an inherent irony in people that evangelize their passion of the moment, only to rebel against it if it actually becomes mainstream. I think that's true of any subculture - you mentioned indie music and I think that's a great parallel. I think it's inherent to human nature to want to share new information with others. For some people it's a juicy piece of gossip, for others it's cult music or shows or movies, but the allure is the same. It's more important precisely because it's something that isn't known by everyone, it's a special secret that you can share with those you trust. The obscurity gives it credibility.
I do think it's possible for something to be geeky and mainstream (I think LOST is one example), but it has to work that much harder to maintain those credentials. There's a certain pressure there: first, you have to make sure that it doesn't feel like you're giving away "secrets" that would make your geek audience feel obsolete; second, as the public face of a subculture you become its ambassador and as such you have to maintain the highest quality; third, you have to constantly make sure you're straddling the line between culture and subculture - if you retreat too much back into subculture you lose a huge part of your audience (and thus break the second rule), but if you stray too far into culture you send the message that the only way to maintain quality is to "sell out" and do what's popular (thus alienating your hardcore audience). It seems like a hell of a job to try and keep all those plates spinning.
Well clearly geeks are rebelling against the current attempt to "mainstream" us. I can't stand Big Bang Theory and Chuck and Better Off Ted hold such little interest i haven't even bothered giving them a go. If i'm going to be a geek i'm at least going to be a geek about good stuff on TV, shows like Party Down, Breaking Bad, 30 Rock (Probably the show most responsible for the current upsurge in geek acceptance) and the like. That's the best way i see to keep your geekhood intact, don't fall for the Creed/Nickelback version of geek pumped out by executives who really just see our wallets and want to get their grubby little fingers into them.
When I saw the geek advancement vids I honestly just didn't like the way it was made. I didn't agree with a bunch of the things some of the geeks were saying, let alone their definition. Was really nice to see all the geeks though, and I laughed my farkin' ass off when I heard "mah name is Shaq" randomly injected in there.