Five Signs Geeks Are the New Cool

Something has clearly occurred in recent years, a cultural sea change if you will. Geeks are now cool. Everywhere you look, if it’s nerdy, it’s now hip. From music to entertainment and fashion, geek is the new black.

Nah, you say. Nerds have never truly been accepted as cool. Although we’ve known that to be true all along. Pop culture has always been driven by the Adonis-set. Throughout history, geeks have been tricked into doing others bidding; frequently it has been the result of someone playing the “cool” card and leading us to believe we’re something we’re not.

But this seems to be different. Never before has geekdom so thoroughly infiltrated the ranks of the normal. So much so, that nerdy-looking, or acting, males are now frequently portrayed in main stream advertising as the “everyman” they target for sales.

To demonstrate what we’re talking about, we’ve compiled a list of the top 5 things that truly illustrate the phenomenon. Here they are:

Hipsters – unwashed hair, skinny jeans and ironic t-shirts, need we say more? This popular social category – to which many in the silicon-subset aspire to – has inspired music, fashion, television and even the automobile industry.

Video Games – Once the socially barren domain of true nerds, video games have gone mainstream. Of course, it’s because they’ve become more affordable and accessible; but who would have ever thought such a nerdy pastime would come to dominant popular culture.

Polling – someone actually took the time earlier this year to poll 1,000 American adults about their feelings about their own nerdiness. Seriously. And even more surprising, a vast majority of respondents said they would consider it a compliment if they were called a geek.

Promotional Items – These free trickets and knickknacks given out everywhere from sporting events to trade shows and other special events, are now being sold specifically to appeal to geeks. Items such as Enterprise-inspired iPhone holders and LED flashlight/cell phone charger key ring combos are now widely available with imprinted logo of your choice.

Television – One of the top Nielsen rated television shows at the moment is “The Big Bang Theory,” a sitcom that revolves around the intertwined lives of a bunch of geeks. Tina Fey on 30 Rock has also done wonders for the group image.

I guess it’s finally just time. After all, it’s kind of odd it took society this long to fully embrace its inner nerd. Here’s to it; and hope it stays this way. After all, we deserve it.

Posted by Wayne Ernest at 10:54 am under General