The nerd-verse (if that term doesn’t exist I’m coining it for the following few paragraphs); the unique world shared amongst us nerds where fantasy gets to be reality, where opinions are polarizing (and borderline riot inducing) and where we get to come together in shared adoration for our geeky-ness. Whether you’re a fan of comics, TV, film, video games or books, we all get to feel and be a part of this family. It’s a special club and I love it.
My hero is Batman. I’m 100% Dark Side. Yet, I’m also a Hufflepuff. The Eleventh Doctor is cool. And Marvel is greater than DC.
In my eyes, the only Batman is Christian Bale. I genuinely love Episode 3. Hard work, dedication, patience, and loyalty. Matt Smith, come on! And uh… I’m walking on thin ice with that last one, eh?
The point is, just because your Batman is Michael Keaton, you think Episode 3 should burn like Anakin’s face (yeah, I’ve heard that one before, it’s rather unfortunate), “you’re in Gryffindor” or you think 10 was the best (WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!?) you’re not rejected or discounted as a “true” or “real” fan” simply because our opinions differ.
I’ve said before that Harry Potter has the most accepting fandom out there, and I think that’s because it’s so pure and there is simply less conflict. Yet I believe I’m a part of the entire nerd-verse despite the arguments in the other fan bases I love.
When you look at events like Comicon, everyone there belongs. No one is an outcast, no one is wrong, everyone is a friend, and compliments are abundant about our costumes. The nerd-verse is so accepting and we have such a distinct love and appreciation for one another whether we’re all together to celebrate but even more so when tragedy strikes.
The entire backlash about the late Heath Ledger playing The Joker was silenced when his sudden death shocked us all. We were shocked once more watching his portrayal with wide eyes and racing hearts. His posthumous Academy Award is one of THE most deserved Oscars of all time. There was also Christopher Reeve, Superman, breaking his spine in a horse riding accident and being paralyzed from the neck down. The sadness, praise and love for the original Superman was even more loud and widespread after his death from cardiac arrest in 2004. When Zack Snyder recently bowed out of Justice League and Joss Whedon took it over, it could have and would have caused outrage – had we not known the reasons why. When we learned what had happened, the nerd-verse came together to support both Snyder and Whedon in their heartbreak.
We’ve always been a family.
We’re always there for our fellow fans; always aware of how important these characters and worlds are to each other. While my opinions may get brushed aside, I never have been.
I love being a nerd; I desire to always be one. I have no shame in geeking out over the latest film trailer. I have no shame talking too long about fan theories or about a book’s plot points the movie left out (ugh!) or staying up too late internetting what’s to come. I haven’t read every comic, I haven’t seen every TV episode, and I have not watched every film. But I’m still a fan. I’m still a nerd. I’ve never been rejected as one. We are a unique group of people with passion boiling over our keyboards onto every webpage.
There’s no rule book as to what quantifies a “real” fan. However many pages you’ve read, episodes you’ve seen, films you’ve bought popcorn for, if you’re a fan, you’re a fan. Now I might think you’re a little crazy to prefer Robo-Batman (a.k.a Ben Affleck) over Christian Bale’s Dark Knight (all praise Christopher Nolan) but you’re no less of a fan than I am. You might even be a nerd.
Welcome to the club, did you buy your t-shirt?
Smithsonian.
Smithsonian (properly and legally named Emily Elizabeth) is perfectly stuck in the past. Whether it’s admiring our greatest literary inheritance William Shakespeare, collecting Smith Corona typewriters, obsessing over world history or practicing Morse code, it’s all covered. Top it off with some Harry Potter, Christopher Nolan, Marvel (is better than DC), Star Wars and a dash of rugby and hockey and there isn’t much remaining but skin and bone. Full of useless and yet fun filled facts, a Nerd is in this bird (calling a girl “bird” goes as far back as the 1300’s. The initial word was “burd” or “burde” which meant “young women”. And now you know).
