Robbie

Contributing writer for The Artifice.

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    Are Geeky Topics Becoming More Unifying or Divisive?

    As a child and all the way up through high school, I found that geeky subjects were usually a great way to get one's self alienated from the group at large. As I get older, of course the internet has changed much of the way that people can socialize with each other, and so while there are now larger communities for geeky topics, I also find that some of these communities appear hostile to newcomers or even defaulting into the, 'You're only a true fan of X if…'

    When I was younger, I thought geeky subjects were a great unifier, but today I'm not so sure. Do you think anything has changed in the past forty years, and if so, do you think geeky topics unify or divide people?

    • Today's "nerds" are not nearly as mistreated as depicted in movies like "Revenge of the Nerds", right?...wrong. "Geeky" topics to me just means niche interests, that is to a small group. As video games, comic books, and other pasttimes become more popular and mainstream, those who based their identities around such endeavors found themselves possibly less persecuted than they felt in previous decades. There are still plenty of other groups disenfranchised based on personal taste - Muslim Americans in intolerant regions, for instance. When writing this, bear in mind the psychology of prejudice, victimization (along with self-victimization and tribalism), as well as how certain interests fall in and out of popular culture. People try to define themselves in many ways, one of which is a feeling of belonging and shared suffering with others like them. Then it was nerds, now they're just not picked on in the same way for the same things, and need a new way to identify themselves. Hope this helps! – LoganG 7 years ago
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    • Geeky subjects are still potentially great unifiers, I think. I find it amazing how conversations with complete strangers can really kick into gear if we share some geeky interest that gets us started talking. – JamesBKelley 7 years ago
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    • Fun and relevant topic...and please don't get me going on the fandom wars... – Stephanie M. 7 years ago
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    • I've always thought that geeky topics are quite interesting and exciting. I agree on the fact that in the last decades the community got bigger. Since media has become so omnipresent in our lives nowadays, attitudes towards geeks has changed and it has become more positive. – MC07 7 years ago
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    Latest Comments

    May 21, 2018
    tolkiensocietykc

    This is a nice article, although I would suggest caution with the ‘mythology for England’ concept. I realize that you’re not directly stating that, but this has been a hot point of argument for a long time in Tolkien Studies. Anyway, I enjoyed this article and I would suggest you take a deeper look at the Finnish Kalevala for more parallels in mythology–the Kalevala was Tolkien’s first significant work in translation and provided a major cornerstone to the story of Turin Turambar, one of the three great tales in the Silmarillion.

    		 The Origins of Middle-Earth: Gods, Poems, and Dragons
    May 21, 2018
    tolkiensocietykc

    I started off reading this because I had heard of the Zombies adaptation but never saw it or read the book because I found it offensive. You did a good job of convincing me of the relevance of the work–I might just have to pick it up now!

    		 Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Is Jane Austen Rolling in Her Grave?
    May 21, 2018
    tolkiensocietykc

    I’d be curious to hear your thoughts on how the Gang always ends up at the bottom of the social order, yet they have wreaked havoc on other lives in the process and brought them lower as well. For example, Rickety Cricket, or the man who got hit by the car during the car accident episode in one of the earlier seasons. So, the Gang never truly ‘gets ahead,’ but they do ruin others’ lives in the process.

    		 "It's Always Sunny" and Why We Laugh at Bad People