Geeks on Screen: How Geek Culture Became Pop Culture

Geeks were once the butt of the joke on screen. Today, they’re often the heroes who save the day. How did so much change? Welcome to WatchMojo’s series How Geek Culture Became Pop Culture, and today we’re looking at how geeks on screen went from zeroes to heroes! Whether serving as the comedic relief or background characters, geeks, nerds, and other misfits have been the subject of ridicule in film and television for years. But over the past couple of decades, we’ve seen an interesting shift in their portrayal on screen. Instead of being mocked, they’re now frequently presented as endearing, lovable, and even heroic. So, how did social outcasts come to run the show? Well, let’s begin with the word “geek”! In the 1800s, a “geek” was a circus freak who would run around biting the heads off chickens. So yeah, not exactly an esteemed member of society. The word kept its pejorative sense when it became a high school insult against social outcasts. Today, there’s a lot of overlap between “geek” and “nerd”. Both are associated with eccentricity and intelligence; but arguably, while “nerd” usually connotes intellectualism, “geek” can refer to any enthusiast of some niche field or hobby. We can actually thank Dr. Seuss for the word “nerd”, which first appeared in his 1950 children’s book “If I Ran the Zoo”. Character Gerald McGrew says that he’ll look for “a Nerkle, a Nerd, and a Seersucker too.” Where Seuss’ version of a nerd looks like a long-lost relative of the Grinch, society came to view nerds as scrawny intellectuals with nasal voices, thick glasses, slicked-back hair, and pocket protectors. The term became mainstream in the 70s thanks in part to “Happy Days.” On the totem pole of social outcasts, nerds were at the top and geeks were as low as one could go. Then somewhere in the middle, you had dorks, dweebs, eggheads, squares, and poindexters. Basically, everybody loved Fonzie and nobody wanted to be Potsie. That said, Fonzie WAS essentially a sillier version of James Dean’s character in “Rebel Without a Cause,” who arguably paved the way for geek and nerd heroes. Sure, Dean was handsome, well-dressed, and anything but nerdy; but Jim Stark was one of the earliest examples of a misfit hero. He didn’t fit the crowd, but that’s the very reason audiences were drawn to him. The geek or nerd hero didn’t really start to emerge until the 1980s. This decade was all about the action heroes. Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, these were the muscle-bound tough guys that audiences fantasized about being. In the midst of all the testosterone, however, several unlikely heroes put brains before brawn. One of the first examples was Kevin Flynn in 1982’s “Tron.” Flynn is a programmer and skilled gamer, but he wasn’t depicted as a stereotypical nerd. He was a normal guy who just so happens to be computer-savvy, leading to success both in the virtual and real worlds. This trend continued in other 80s films, from Matthew Broderick’s heroic hacker in “WarGames” to the gutsy gamers in “The Wizard.” “Ghostbusters” in particular was a major breakthrough for nerd heroes, shining the spotlight on three scientists. Each Ghostbuster has a distinctive personality and even the most conventionally nerdy one, Egon, isn’t a cookie-cutter cliche. He’s the stone-faced, no-nonsense one, which perfectly compliments Peter’s sarcasm and Ray’s constant rambling. Something similar can be said about 1985’s “The Goonies,” who are all distinctive misfits that bring something unique to the table. From the same year, “The Breakfast Club” is notable for breaking down social divisions in high school stereotypes. There’s an especially powerful scene where Anthony Michael Hall’s Brian reflects on how he got detection, delving into the pressures of being “a brain.” Hall went on to play another nerd in “Weird Science,” getting everything he ever wanted thanks to improbable computer engineering. Of course, John Hughes movies weren’t always flattering in their depictions of nerds. In “Sixteen Candles,” Ted is a creepy loser and Long Duk Dong… well… the less said the better. Despite some nuanced portrayals, MOST movies at the time leaned into caricatures. “Revenge of the Nerds,” for example, is a mixed bag. On one hand, it empowers nerds and encourages audiences to treat them with respect. On the other hand, most of the jokes come at the expense of nerdy generalizations. The nerds are mostly interchangeable dweebs and, let’s be honest, they should all be in jail for their “revenge.” Whether the film helped or hurt geek culture, geeks wouldn’t truly start getting revenge until the 90s. In the new decade, the world wide web opened to the public and the internet appeared in people’s homes. Linking computers around the globe, the net allowed passionate fans to connect with each other through message boards and chats. Soon enough, personal computers went from being luxuries to facets of everyday life. Throughout the 80s, people had associated money and power with oil barons like J. R. Ewing and Wall Street moguls like Gordon Gekko. This all changed with the rise of tech giants like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, both of whom would accumulate net worths of billions. These wealthy, successful, respected individuals changed how many people viewed nerds. However, this wasn’t immediately reflected in TV and film. When many people thought of geeks or nerds, the first thing that came to mind was the Comic Book Guy in “The Simpsons” - a slovenly loser who dedicates his time to obsessing and complaining over trivial matters. We’re not saying that these types of people don’t exist, but they don’t exactly represent the majority. On the other side of the coin, there was 1999’s “The Matrix,” which centered on a stylish computer programmer who becomes humanity’s savior. Halfway between Comic Book Guy and Neo, you had “Freaks and Geeks” - arguably the most honest depiction of the social misfits of the 80s. The titular geeks were awkward, but they dealt with relatable problems that most high school students still experience. Executive producer Judd Apatow always felt like a nerd growing up, which translated well into future projects like “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” and “Superbad.” The same can be said about other geeks and nerds who grew up to be content creators, like Peter Jackson, Joss Whedon, and J. J. Abrams - not to mention Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. One of the most interesting turning points for nerd heroes was “Napoleon Dynamite.” Napoleon took geekiness to a new extreme. Yet, people couldn’t get enough of this sleeper hit, constantly quoting Napoleon’s one-liners and wearing “Vote For Pedro” T-shirts. Even the climactic dance number was like a YouTube video before YouTube even existed. When YouTube did launch the following year, audiences were introduced to a new platform that allowed them to analyze trailers, share theories, and connect with other members of the fan community like never before. TV also saw a rise of endearing nerdy heroes, like Seth Cohen on “The O.C.,” “The IT Crowd,” and, of course, the cast of “The Big Bang Theory.” While most self-proclaimed nerds will argue that Sheldon Cooper isn’t an authentic portrayal of geek culture, “Big Bang Theory” was for a time TV’s highest-rated sitcom. There’s a reason why audiences tuned in for twelve seasons. The show not only revelled in nerdy pop culture references, but also got more people interested in geek culture. Like it or not, the comedy marked a cultural shift in how mainstream audiences view sci-fi, fantasy, and superheroes, as well as their fans. On the big screen, tough guys like John Rambo were being phased out in favor of superheroes like Tony Stark, Stephen Strange, and Peter Parker, all of whom brought intellects to the equation. Outside of comic book movies, you had brilliant bookworms like Hermione Granger and pop-culture-savvy fanboys like Wade Watts. “The Social Network” made for compelling drama, turning Mark Zuckerberg into a practically Shakespearean figure. Even Disney princesses shifted from being practically perfect to adorkable. Geeky and nerdy heroes dominate content now more than ever, perhaps because they hit closer to home than traditional action heroes. Most of us wouldn’t blend in with the Expendables, but we’d certainly fit in with the Losers Club. If Clark Kent can be Superman, perhaps real-life nerds can rise up as heroes as well. When will Nerkles and Seersuckers get their day, though? Make sure to tune in for our next episode of How Geek Culture Became Pop Culture, where we’ll be talking comic books, and the epic rivalry between DC and Marvel!