What I Mean by Nerd Culture

When I blog and give presentations about nerd culture, I don't merely mean what it means to be a nerd. I also try to steer clear of just talking about nerd media (video games, movies, comics, etc.). The media is important, it's what brings us together. We gather to watch it, to rant and rave about it, and to bond over those common interests. These gatherings, in person and online, in small groups and at huge conventions, are nerd culture.

Nerd culture is present at conventions, anime clubs, live gaming, chat rooms and forums, LARPing and tabletop RPG tournaments, even groups of friends that bond over nerdy interests. Nerd culture exists in comic book stores, and at midnight showings and video game releases. Those who create media are part of this culture, although I often regard the media as a separate entity; the media and culture have a complex, reflexive relationship.

Nerds like to insist that media doesn't effect them. Video games don't make people violent or sexist or anything bad like that - anyone influenced by media is an idiot, and we are smarter than that. I'm not saying that watching a sexist video game will magically make people sexist, but sexist media does perpetuate sexist cultural norms the same way that violent video games fan the flames of violent tendencies. Video games and movies that cater mostly to male interests reinforces the idea that nerd culture is still a boys' club, one where women are allowed to visit but cannot become full-fledged, voting members, and who must either be "of the boys" or "for the boys." Booth babes and maid cafes also serve to reinforce the "boys' club" environment at conventions, subtly informing female attendees that they still come second, even if it's by a few seconds (yeah, Olympic track is on).

Analysis of nerd culture and media is often based not only on how men and women are represented and depicted, but whether these tropes and power dynamics can be discussed. It's not just a matter of whether Princess Zelda is a "strong female character" or "damsel in distress," but how people perceive her character - usually a bitch for "friendzoning" Link after all his hard work. It's not just a matter of whether women are being sexualized in video games, but whether people can talk about that sexualization without being told to shut up. It's not just a matter of under-representation of women in the media, but whether people even notice - let alone talk about - that under-representation.

My interest in gender and nerd culture didn't merely arise because I saw problems that needed addressing - they arose because I felt like I couldn't address them. Whenever I tried to talk about them, no one seemed to share my concerns. In fact, they dismissed them, insisting that nerds are "above" sexism, that we're too smart to fall prey to the social ills of mainstream society. I felt very much alone, maybe I was crazy in thinking the way I did. I came to learn, from blogs here and there and from talking to some people one on one, that others did share those concerns. This is why my panels are discussions, not just presentations. It gives people a place to speak freely when they may otherwise be silenced and dismissed, and for others to take comfort in knowing that they're not alone.