It never fails. Every few years, something undeniably geeky suddenly seems to capture the attention of the non-geek members of society. Whether it was The X-Files during its heyday, The Matrix, The Lord of the Rings films, or Lost, suddenly it becomes almost fashionable to be a geek. For all-too-brief, shining moments, we of the glasses and always-carry-a-pen-just-in-case type get to rise up above our more muscle-bound brethren. And it is good, for a time.
But soon thereafter, we are once again ridiculed back into our CFL-bulb-lit internet-connected sanctuaries. Sometimes it’s because that which got everyone’s attention gets lamely copied en masse by the Powers That Be in the entertainment world (cf. the glut of weird sci-fi shows that attempted to capitalize on The X-Files‘ eventual success). The copies, though inferior, get inevitably connected to the original property, thusly pulling everything down with it.
Alternately, the original property itself may lose steam and become a shell of its former self. I personally quite enjoy the second and third films in the Matrix series, but I understand if many see them as falling off in quality. The same with the latter seasons of The X-Files. (And I will admit, once weird things just started happening directly to the people who investigated weird things, it just seemed a bit much of a contrivance.)
Regardless, where once we found the general public agreeing with us on the sheer stupendousness of whatever we had found, we later are forced to suffer through the ridicule of what the rest of the world decides has become stupid. And emotionally, we are smack-dab in front of the high school football team’s offensive line during a rancorous Phys Ed class on Team Handball.
Right now, I feel like geeks are on a bit of a roll. Star Trek was an awesome film and the box office results agree; Abrams’ Fringe and Whedon’s Dollhouse are both getting second seasons, and Chuck is getting a third; Lost has shown absolutely no drop-off in quality, and in my opinion, had its best season since the second this year… Heck, we even have a fairly geeky President right now! It’s a good time to be a geek.
…Just watch out for stray balls whizzing towards your glasses…
