I’ve been thinking about the whole “geek is chic” fad lately. There’s been a lot of talk about how it’s acceptable and/or trendy to be “geeky” or “nerdy” these days, but I’m not sure I believe that. You could argue that the success of films like Iron Man and The Dark Knight show that comic books are becoming more mainstream, as well as celebrities “admitting” that they read comic books or enjoy playing video games. However, those arguments are still full of holes.

Let’s look at the comic book thing. Comics are definitely growing in popularity; there’s no doubt there. If an issue of a comic book sells over 100,000 copies these days, it’s considered a massive hit. However, they’re nowhere near as popular as they were during the 1940s, when issues would sell millions of copies each! When it comes to film adaptations, people need to understand that a majority of the audiences are not comic book fans; they just want to see a good action movie. Proof? Watchmen. A great film, based on a legendary comic book, but mainstream audiences don’t give a shit, and as a result it’s not doing as well on the review circuit or financially as the producers had hoped.

As for celebrities coming out of the nerd closet, as it were, I don’t buy that for a second. Most of them are likely just saying that to boost their own popularity; it’s their job, after all. When world famous actors and musicians start trolling their local comic shops every Wednesday, or harassing the help at GameStop when the UPS guy drops by on Tuesdays, then I’ll believe their nerd claims.

Last but not least, the thing that really sinks the “geek is chic” ship is that none of these trendy activities are really all that geeky or nerdy. Reading comics here and there, or watching science fiction television shows like Lost or Battlestar Galactica (both of which have enjoyed immense mainstream appeal simply because they’re not too geeky), or enjoying Batman movies? Big deal. That’s just pop culture, not geek culture. We’re not seeing a rise in popularity of truly nerdy activities, like studying particle physics in your spare time, playing Dungeons & Dragons campaigns with coworkers, and so forth. Like any other fad, the “geek is chic” thing will be over and done with in a few years, only to replaced by something else just as ridiculous.

I’ve been described as a “nerd” myself, and I’m not scoffing at self-proclaimed celebrity “geeks” just to make myself feel better. Far from it; to be honest, as far as the geek scale goes, I’m apparently pretty low on the totem pole. I just can’t stand it when people pretend to be something they’re not, or get too invested in something that’s really just another stupid fad.