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The mainstreaming of 'geek' culture is interesting. It feels like I'm increasingly being targeted - which isn't necessarily a bad thing, because hey, I generall

The mainstreaming of 'geek' culture is interesting. It feels like I'm increasingly being targeted - which isn't necessarily a bad thing, because hey, I generally like comic books and video games and light sci-fi / fantasy television shows, and there's a lot more of all of those lately. But why is this happening at this point in time? Is this some sort of response to economic changes in American society? The job market has polarized, with 'geeks' landing on the more attractive side on the divide. Is this a case of an economic domination leading, gradually, to a cultural one? I wonder if strapping on a geeky t-shirt and throwing oneself into geek culture is becoming the equivalent of dressing preppy in the 1980s, with both reflecting higher economic aspirations.

vosper 11y ago
I'm not sure it's a response to economic aspirations. I think it's more that a lot of the things that used to mark one as being a geek have become massively mainstream - owning a computer, owning a smartphone, using the internet, using reddit, using emojis / emoticons, etc... At the same time (possibly it's the same effect) the definition of geek has softened. It's much less pejorative, much less sci-fi and math-club, than it used to be. It's almost trendy. It's certainly been co-opted by marketing and consumer interests. Sort-of related, Simon Pegg wrote an interesting blog post recently [1]. Here's an interesting quote: "[...] this extended adolescence has been cannily co-opted by market forces, who have identified this relatively new demographic as an incredibly lucrative wellspring of consumerist potential. Suddenly, here was an entire generation crying out for an evolved version of the things they were consuming as children. This demographic is now well and truly serviced in all facets of entertainment and the first and second childhoods have merged into a mainstream phenomenon." [1] http://simonpegg.net/2015/05/19/big-mouth-strikes-again/ http://simonpegg.net/2015/05/19/big-mouth-strikes-again/
- toomuchtodo 11y ago
  > At the same time (possibly it's the same effect) the definition of geek has softened. It's much less pejorative, much less sci-fi and math-club, than it used to be. It's almost trendy. It's certainly been co-opted by marketing and consumer interests. I think that's right around the the world found out that if you're a geek, you have leverage (tech skills) are are more likely than the average citizen to have higher than average income (tech workers) or wealth (founders). TL;DR Geeks (we) inherited the modern day economy. "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's"
IgorPartola 11y ago
At a high level, we have a younger generation (currently in their 20's) who have grown up with video games and the Internet. They have spent countless hours playing anything from Donkey Kong to Call of Duty, which exposed them to this culture. This is the first generation to experience this en masse, and they are the right demographic to target since they may become lifetime customers.

vosper 11y ago

I'm not sure it's a response to economic aspirations. I think it's more that a lot of the things that used to mark one as being a geek have become massively mainstream - owning a computer, owning a smartphone, using the internet, using reddit, using emojis / emoticons, etc... At the same time (possibly it's the same effect) the definition of geek has softened. It's much less pejorative, much less sci-fi and math-club, than it used to be. It's almost trendy. It's certainly been co-opted by marketing and consumer interests. Sort-of related, Simon Pegg wrote an interesting blog post recently [1]. Here's an interesting quote: "[...] this extended adolescence has been cannily co-opted by market forces, who have identified this relatively new demographic as an incredibly lucrative wellspring of consumerist potential. Suddenly, here was an entire generation crying out for an evolved version of the things they were consuming as children. This demographic is now well and truly serviced in all facets of entertainment and the first and second childhoods have merged into a mainstream phenomenon." [1] http://simonpegg.net/2015/05/19/big-mouth-strikes-again/ http://simonpegg.net/2015/05/19/big-mouth-strikes-again/

toomuchtodo 11y ago
> At the same time (possibly it's the same effect) the definition of geek has softened. It's much less pejorative, much less sci-fi and math-club, than it used to be. It's almost trendy. It's certainly been co-opted by marketing and consumer interests. I think that's right around the the world found out that if you're a geek, you have leverage (tech skills) are are more likely than the average citizen to have higher than average income (tech workers) or wealth (founders). TL;DR Geeks (we) inherited the modern day economy. "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's"

IgorPartola 11y ago

At a high level, we have a younger generation (currently in their 20's) who have grown up with video games and the Internet. They have spent countless hours playing anything from Donkey Kong to Call of Duty, which exposed them to this culture. This is the first generation to experience this en masse, and they are the right demographic to target since they may become lifetime customers.