Did the nerds win?

[Kromanjon]

I’ve heard several times, in different conversations and read it here on the forums as well, that the nerds won. Nerd is the new cool. But did we? (For this discussion I’m including myself in the term “nerd”)

It’s easy to make a case for the prevalence of “nerd culture” in mainstream media today. Superhero movies and series and videogames becoming household pastimes. I feel however that this is more of a veneer, pure aesthetics, and more than anything else just a way to tap into a market known for consuming. Is this the nerds winning?

Now I can only speak for myself but when I grew up talking about TTRPGs or boardgames was not something you did with people you weren’t sure had the same interest as you. Videogames was ok to talk about, but you couldn’t be too in to them or it might also get you bullied and teased. So, do I feel like the nerds won?

Well, I still don’t talk about my hobbies with people I don’t feel completely safe with. I might say that I like to play games but won’t go into any details other than that. I have no problem with saying that I saw the latest Marvel movie in the theaters, but would I talk about reading the comics? I don’t think so.

Perhaps this is just me. Perhaps the nerds did win and I’m still just caught up in my own traumas. This is why I’m asking you:
Do you feel the nerds won?
What did they win?
Are there any drawbacks to this victory?
Who, if any, were the losers?

 

[delericho]

No. Geek media has been appropriated by the mainstream. All our base belong to them now.

 

[aco175]

I think it is more that the nerds peaked later in life. They have become wealthier from businesses and such over the jock in school that you might not talk to and was the 'cool' guy. He might be working a labor job while the' nerd' is a manager or such.

 

[Parmandur]

Personally, I think the Internet allowed more people who quietly enjoyed Spiderman or Lord of the Rings so as not to appear to be nerds to see that they were the majority and could say that out loud.

It wasn't that "nerd" interests were weird in themselves, but that the weird bullies who would pick on people who would share that lost their cultural power.

 

[Kromanjon]

No. Geek media has been appropriated by the mainstream. All our base belong to them now.

Dig the reference. And though a bit of a glib answer this is kind of what it feels like. Perhaps "nerd" is something akin to indie, so that when it gets mainstream it stops being what it once was.

I think it is more that the nerds peaked later in life. They have become wealthier from businesses and such over the jock in school that you might not talk to and was the 'cool' guy. He might be working a labor job while the' nerd' is a manager or such.

This is an interesting thought though I've never had a manager or boss or seen a CEO that was also a nerd. Usually they are the people who used to be the "jocks" that kept networking their way into positions of power, many times climbing on the backs of the hard working nerds.

 

[billd91]

This is an interesting thought though I've never had a manager or boss or seen a CEO that was also a nerd. Usually they are the people who used to be the "jocks" that kept networking their way into positions of power, many times climbing on the backs of the hard working nerds.

I’ve worked for two nerd CEOs. But then, they’re also software developers who founded their own companies.

 

[CellarHeroes]

Much like you, I'm still caught up in my own traumas. I can't stand the term "nerd". It was the word used to signal that I was about to get a severe beating.

Like @delericho said, I believe the culture has been appropriated. Most of the time I can't help but think that they're still making fun of us.

 

[delericho]

Perhaps "nerd" is something akin to indie, so that when it gets mainstream it stops being what it once was.

I'm not so bothered by that, but what has happened is that we've had a massive influx of people into our hobbies, to the point where those of us who have been here all along are massively outnumbered.

Amongst other things, this means that 'nerd' productions must now be aimed at the mass market, and so WotC will never again touch any of their more niche properties. And it also means that if ever our tastes conflict with those of the mainstream audience, we will always, always be outvoted.

(A really petty example would be the universe numbering of the MCU - Marvel has chosen to give that the same number as was previously reserved for their comic universe. They should have chosen literally any other number.)

 

[sevenbastard]

Let's just say once Fantasy Football became part of sports culture and folks everywhere started playing s weird game of pretend fighting imaginary sports battles with there friends the lines got blurred.

 

[Staffan]

I think there are two factors at work here.

One is that many nerds have grown up and have well-paying jobs which means they can spend money on nerd things, which gives nerdy things more glitz.

The other is that the mainstream has adopted many formerly nerdy things, albeit often in watered-down/streamlined versions – for example, while the Marvel Cinematic Universe has a lot of continuity for a movie franchise, it has nothing on the continuity snarls that make up the actual comics. I mean, just the Summers family tree is more complicated than the whole of the MCU. For an example closer to home, 5e is significantly less complex than both the previous versions of the game. This is probably a necessity for hitting the mainstream, but for many nerds it can feel like they see the monkey's paw curl up – for many, the complexity wasn't just a barrier, but it was the actual point of whatever hobby.

On the other hand, Felicia Day says we won, so I guess we did.