"We Are All Nerds Now."

Or so says the London Guardian. I prefer the term "geek" myself, mainly for the reasons spelled out in the article. In fact, I'd argue that the population Xan Brooks is describing falls more under the "geek" category, although he obviously doesn't. In fact, Brooks has written the article like he's Margaret Mead amongst the Samoans, or on Mutual of Omaha's "Wild Kingdom". I'm surprised he didn't tag someone in Forbidden Planet and track her migrations.

Also, methinks Brooks is a bit of an alarmist. "They have dictated the mainstream and spirited us all along for the ride. I am reminded of the circus performers' chant at the end of Tod Browning's 1932 classic Freaks: 'One of us. One of us.'" Yes, us geeks have used our superior intelligence and exquisite taste to...hijack cultural discourse! We are normality now, baby! *insert evil laughter here*

Just for the record, most of the folks I know who laugh at the Comic Book Guy are perfectly aware that he personifies the more annoying aspects of the geek, and thus themselves. We do have self-awareness, and some of us even possess a sense of humor.

Thanks for the condescension, Brooks. Remember what the freaks did to the trapeze artist at the end of the Browning film? Gabba gabba THAT, chickenhead.