There was a time when I would be mad when something geeky went mainstream. I always told myself that it was because it meant a dilution or distortion of whatever it was that I liked, or it was ‘selling out’ or some other such nonsense.

(I say nonsense, but sometimes it was valid: Michael Bay and Uwe Boll. Enough said.)

But mostly, it was really because I felt like I was in on a secret, that if you knew what I did about [insert geeky thing here], that you’d really think it was cool. And that, by proxy, made me secretly cool.

Or something.

I’m over that now. Perhaps because the internet links me with vast numbers of fans far more geeky than I, or maybe because I’m secure in my geekitude. Either way, I revel in the fact that now, more than ever, it’s okay to be a geek. As an example, let us take a look at some of the biggest films coming out this summer, and their core fanbases:

  • X-Men Origins: Wolverine (comic book geeks)
  • Star Trek (sci-fi geeks)
  • Terminator: Salvation (again, sci-fi geeks)
  • Transformers 2 (early anime geeks)
  • Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (book geeks)
  • Inglourious Basterds (Tarantino geeks? I don’t know how to classify them, but they’re geeky)
Studios are spending gigabucks on these movies because people will come see them. People will come see them because it’s okay to like X-Men. It’s okay to be a Trekkie. It’s okay to be a muggle (but more awesome to be a wizard, amirite?).

Also, while we’re on the subject of geeky: inspired by the Penny Arcade crew and Wil Wheaton, I’m starting a Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition game. It’ll be my second attempt at DMing. (My first attempt, in college, was pretty awful and only lasted one session.) I’m very excited about it. I’ll probably blog about it.