By all rights, gamers and geeks should be free of shows like The Big Bang Theory by now.
Let’s start with some figures, courtesy of the Entertainment Software Association’s 2011 survey.
Seventy-two percent of American households now play video games. Over half of the gaming population lies within the 18-49 year-old range, and, in strict defiance of all conventional wisdom, forty-two percent of gamers are female. (There are almost two and a half women gaming over eighteen for each boy playing games under seventeen.)
Broadening the scope to beyond games, traditional geek favorites continue to suffuse popular culture. The Lord of the Rings and a veritable pantheon of comic-book superheroes have all seen successful and, in some cases, critically-acclaimed movie adaptations. Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon, a movie that exists solely due to geek nostalgia and Michael Bay’s explosive tendencies, grossed $344,244,486 domestically, narrowly beating out fellow geek favorite Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 at $343,086,045 domestic gross.
Rejoice, my fellows. By all rights, we have reached the Promised Land of acceptance at last. America is a geekier nation than it wants to admit.
So why are we still dealing with the decades-old stereotypes? Why is a popular, critically-acclaimed, supposedly “geek-friendly” sitcom still relying on the old “durr hurr hurr, nerds can’t get girls!” and “ooh, lookit Sheldon be a social incompetent!” jokes?
Now, it’s fair to point out that geeks and dedicated gamers are a smaller portion of those who play games or enjoy comic-book movies. It is ever thus with new fads. But even if only a portion of those new converts to geek and gamer pastimes share our fervor, it’s still peculiar and hypocritical they mock us whilst indulging in the fruits of our subculture.
As geeks, we’re defined in the popular mindset largely by our fascination with the products of pop culture — specifically science fiction, fantasy, and video games. We idolize creators and actors; we’re entranced by works of fiction and entertainment.
Sadly, the entertainment industry isn’t necessarily run by artists, no matter how nice it would be. Like any industry, they take orders from business types. Many of the most influential people in the entertainment sectors are publicists seeking to sell a product — public relations specialists, marketers, publishers, and other such figures. The marketers, not the consumers, create the image for society as a whole.
And remember, the target of public relations is to soothe and reassure the mainstream, not to challenge their assumptions. Rather than try to rehabilitate games in the public eye, marketing in the entertainment industry has been all about strategically divorcing games from gamers, simultaneously encouraging lowest-common-denominator titles for the mainstream to gobble up and de-emphasizing or even strategically mocking the classic gamer demographic. (It’s ok, advertising seems to say; you can play games and still be cool; you’re not one of those people.)
Think about the last time you saw a contemptible cover or a generic jacket summary for a fantasy or science-fiction book. Consider the insipid advertising for ordinary household products and ponder how you’d view ordinary household life if that was your only exposure.
No wonder people think we’re a bunch of maladjusted dweebs.
Now, it’s true: there’s no small number of people who become geeks because they either don’t care for or can’t handle being part of the mainstream. But outsiders often mistake a diminished enthusiasm for mainstream topics or an increased interest in niche ones for a dislike of people.
Geeks are a community, and like anyone else we’ve got our supply of louts, but figures like Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory and the stereotypical overweight couch-potato or neurotic waif are no more representative of “essential geekdom” than soccer hooligans and rowdy, drunk football fans are of mainstream society. We’ve also got no shortage of charismatic figures and even celebrity spokespeople, but they usually speak to us, not to outsiders. The problem isn’t the population, the problem is that we have no one counteracting our own worst examples.
In short, we’re effectively voiceless. We let other people talk for us. And that’s the problem.
Simple numbers and subtle permeation of popular culture aren’t enough. What geeks and gamers need to do to finally win respect is to claim our own right to speak. And that means work. It means we need to stop being ashamed of ourselves, yes, but it also means we need to make our presence felt in everyday life — not just to lurk at the corners, waiting for a chance to prove ourselves.
We need to take the initiative. We need to vote. We need to convince others that there’s more to us than contemptible book covers and loud, obnoxious television ads for the latest shooter game. We need to showcase, at every opportunity, the better side of geek culture- the charities like Child’s Play, the thoughtful, intelligent works of art, the community spirit and drive to learn and teach.
Until we do that, expect to be treated as the butt of jokes until someone needs tech support.