Well it's here. The release of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice has finally come. So far the news has not been good, in fact it's downright vitriolic. However, Gfunk would say differently ( Movie Review: 'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice') Since its announcement eighteen months ago, this movie has been shrouded in debate, anticipation, and unfortunately nerd rage. Just go to Google and type in the words "Batman", "Superman", and "Nerd Rage" and see the joyful and intelligent comments that result. Kind of like this guy:
To say there is passion on both sides of the fence falls way short of the reality. I can't say I'm immune either. I'll admit I've engaged in my fair share of spirited debates regarding this movie and various other nerd topics.
However, amidst the riot and clamor of the Internet, something refreshing recently happened to me. I was having a Twitter conversation with Paul Shirley about the BVS film. For those of you who don't know he's the Editor and Chief over to joblo.com. Aside from houseofgeekery (#ShamelessPlug), I highly recommend getting your movie and general geek news there. They are about as solid as they come. He made the following comment:
"We're living in cool times for geekdom. Important to stop and appreciate it regularly."For some reason this statement really resonates with me.
I was a child of the 80s and 90s. Growing up as an uber-geek wasn't always easy. Being a fan of fantasy novels, science-fiction films, and comics didn't garner much popularity. Thankfully, I wasn't picked on as much as some kids, but I had my fair share of run-ins with mental midgets who, while their muscles were abundant, their neurons were not. Either that or they were afraid to admit their own geekiness. In retrospect, the latter may have been the case more than the former. Regardless, being a geek wasn't as widely accepted as it is today. I hesitate to call it "trendy" or "the in thing" because that's just as unfair to the "popular" kids who like geek culture now as much as it was wrong to ridicule "unpopular" kids twenty years ago.
Besides the potential pitfalls of inherent geekiness on the school playground, the television shows at our disposal today weren't as ubiquitous and plentiful back then. Yes there were shows like Quantum Leap and The X-Files, but superhero shows? Not so much. In fact the only superhero-centric TV show I distinctly remember was The Flash starring John Wesley Shipp. And that was canceled after precisely one season.
Look at the superhero horizon now. Arrow, The Flash, Agents of S.H.I.E.LD, Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Supergirl -we've gone from a dry creekbed to a deluge of superhero shows and films. Moreover, on the Marvel side the films are interconnected to span an entire expanded universe. DC is also following suit. And the merchandising explosion? It makes George Lucas's initial endeavors look like a single bookshelf display at a thrift shop.
And what do we as fans do as we navigate through the warm climes of this Nerdvana? We bitch. We bicker. We snark, and snipe, and insult until all the fun is sucked up like General Zod into the Phantom Zone. Debate is one thing. In fact debate and discussion is half the fun of any geek obsession, whether it's comics or your favorite major league baseball team. However, when it descends into constant whining and bitching then you've lost me.
Look around guys! We are living in not only the Golden Age of television but the Golden Age of Geekdom! Moreover, it's tailor-made for us. Look at Netflix. How annoying was it as kids to have to wait a week or a month for the next episode of The X-Files? Now we can bingewatch Daredevil, which by the way, whoever thought we'd get that show after the 2003 cinematic flop? Furthermore, audiences are getting Iron Fist and Luke Cage shows. Are you kidding me? Fifteen years ago that would be unheard of. Most people probably don't even know who Iron Fist is. The superhero genre has evolved to the point where characters that don't fly around in an iron suit or sport a vibranium shield are getting attention. And that's a great thing to behold.
The constant complaining generates the one thing geeks should avoid at all costs: division. The result is things like The Men's Rights Activists, GamerGate, DOS attacks, body shaming, and forcing people off of social media. Congratulations guys. Hope your personal attacks on Carrie Fisher made you feel better about your own lives, which I assume are perfect in every way. Say what you want about The Force Awakens, I know it wasn't everyone's cup of blue milk, but it was nice to see geeks united together FOR Star Wars, rather than against it like with the prequels.
All of this discussion is just a round about way of saying enjoy the Geekdom you live in fellow nerds. Right now there's a movie where Batman and Superman ARE BOTH ON THE BIG SCREEN. It's unprecedented. Be happy about it. Constantly bitching about this Geek Eden our society has created is tantamount to having coitus with a Victoria's Secret model and saying, "Well her hair was a little out-of-place."
So sit back, relax with a cold beverage of your choice in your Chewbacca koozie, and enjoy the nerdtastic scenery around you.
If you're a geek, it's a great time to be alive.
