A critical piece examining the relationship between the commercialization of the "Nerd" and the declining rate of quality in blockbuster cinematic universe films.
“The Nerd” is not an uncommon trope in media, especially in the 80s, 90s, and early 00s. The easily picked-on, glasses-wearing, often social-cue-blind character, surrounded by either textbooks or comic books. They have too much information and too little confidence, and the “solution” to this perceived dilemma is a dramatic transformation where presumed barriers are removed. Hair is straightened, clothes are corrected, and the individual is seen for what they are: a person just like the rest of us. Granted, this trope has fallen out of fashion in the past two decades, mostly due to growing internet connectivity and alternate ways of experiencing the world and connecting with one another. Humanization was gifted by this expanse, and individuality attributed to the customizability of one’s presentation was a large factor in the acceptability of more alternative fashions and diverse perspectives. But the nerd has also become more mainstream as of late, with cinematic universes in media bringing in copious amounts of revenue, and theme parks around favored franchises serving a similar purpose. It is important, then, to consider how the societal attitude around nerd culture has changed, and whether or not it's inextricably linked to commercial value.
Trend cycles shifting in favor of commercialized media sequences reframed these previously degraded interests. Suddenly, comics weren’t as much for nerds and your grandmother’s Sunday paper, but produced on massive screens with star-studded casts. Marvel is far from the first fan community, with most of modern “fandom” having roots in Star Trek communities of the 70s, although the general term originates in a 1903 issue of the Cincinnati Enquirer, in reference to baseball fans. In the current day, however, the MCU serves as one of the two most outstanding figures in commercial fandom, the other of which being Star Wars and its continued universe. As of late, the films, tv series, even the comic books written and produced by these massive IPs are subject to widespread critique for being “cash grabs” or “slop.” Both of these distinctions seem to be gaining more and more cultural usage, and it does not seem capricious to examine “why.”
With the height of franchise films–both in receptive quality and general popularity–occuring in the late 2010s, it is only realistic that the studios behind these films would try and ride this high for as long as possible. Patterns similar to this seem to be announced daily as of late: seen in life-action remakes, reimagined IP films such as “The Minecraft Movie,” “The Lego Movie,” or “Barbie,” and any other number of genre-shifting products. But how has this change affected the way we consume media? It is near impossible to even begin research on such a broad scope, especially with the sheer volume of internet content encompassing these genres. In conversations with individuals, reviews on community-led sites like Letterboxd, Reddit, or Tumblr, however, it seems increasingly clear that the media landscape before us is steeply shifting toward this nebulous idea of “content” over creative quality.
So what can we do? For some, this circumstance may not even seem an issue. More content is more content, after all, and the onslaught of creative material may make way for hidden gems that bubble to the surface, despite uncommon origins. But this market mindset—the creation of content for commercial sake as opposed to creativity’s—deprioritizes the individual writers, editors, actors, and directors behind work. Chris Evans becomes “that guy that played Captain America,” and actors in similar situations are forced to remain within typecasting, because consistency is what makes money in this model. It’s hard to formulate a solution to these issues on an individual scale, since the market is so steeped with media that it tends to stifle attempts at breaking this mold. These machines of content don’t care enough about the gears they’re turning, not to mention the eventual output. It’s a cynical view, but in the current media landscape, I don’t believe it’s a misguided one. For as long as it continues to generate profit, quality will drop and fees will rise. Where is change then, in all of this? A valuable example of conscious shift can be seen in an actor like Elijah Wood, who could easily have been known as “Frodo” for the rest of his career, but has broken that mold with voice acting, gritty horror casting, and more. Individuals who assert diversity and variety in their careers end up not only broadening their own repertoire, but also bringing in audiences who would’ve previously missed that new project entirely. In essence, it seems like one of the most valuable efforts toward this decentralization in content is to invest in smaller, independent projects.
With the widespread availability the internet has given the average individual, the capacity for art in the world has seemingly never been higher. New tools make their mark upon the creative scene, with programs like Blender, Unreal Engine, and freeware editing programs like CapCut or iMovie handing users the ability to change and shift the New Media landscape. It is in our best interests as a diverse base of consumers to invest in these projects as they happen, supporting these up-and-coming creatives aiming to take on the complicated societal media sphere. There truly is a piece of media out there for everyone, especially in this newfound connectivity the internet offers. It is on the actors out in Hollywood to break their molds in time, but it is on us as consumers to spend the effort we could use to hate-watch a movie to invest in something new. So no, I haven’t seen [insert franchise film here], but that’s just because the world has so, so much more to offer.
Indie Projects Worth Supporting:
Webfishing - An online, chatroom-style video game with fishing mechanics.
HyperBoy - a collective of diverse Seattle-based artists putting on shows and events in the local area.
Sayde Koetke - A Canadian artist with roots in fan culture creating work centered on the queer experience as depicted through original characters and grounded fantasy stories.
Blake Rouse - A folk-pop musician with topic roots in religious discussion, human connection, and masculinity.
Jesse Welles - A folk musician with deeply topical and political work about the American experience.
Jane Schoenbrun - A director recently attributed to A24 with the success of their surrealist horror coming-of-age film “I Saw The TV Glow.”
“17776/20020” - A speculative fiction piece by sports writer Jon Bois regarding the human experience and our conformity to routine in the unknown.
Stagbeetle Animation - An indie animation studio of students from OTIS working on their debut film "Coyote and Badger."
Works Cited
Rutherford-Morrison, Lara. “Where Did the Word ‘Fandom’ Come from? Behind the Term That Changed the Internet Forever.” Bustle, 26 Feb. 2016, www.bustle.com/articles/144396-where-did-the-word-fandom-come-from-behind-the-term-that-changed-the-internet-forever.
McArdle, Molly. “This Is How Star Trek Invented Fandom.” GQ, 21 Sept. 2016, www.gq.com/story/this-is-how-star-trek-invented-fandom.
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