Smarty Pants

#147: Who’s the Nerd Now?


Listen Later

Were you a geek? A nerd? Did you play Magic: The Gathering, paint Warhammer miniatures, learn to speak Klingon or Elvish, or memorize whole scenes from Star Trek? If so, then good news: it might have taken a few broken eyeglasses and shoves in high school, but geek culture has finally triumphed. Dragons are cool, Star Wars has never had more fans, and everyone is geeking out over the latest sci-fi release on Netflix. How did this happen? And how have the changing demographics of geekdom affected it, for better or worse? Lifelong nerd and critic A. D. Jameson, whose geek cred is stronger than the Force itself, joins us to figure it out. This episode originally aired in 2018.


Go beyond the episode:

  • A. D. Jameson’s I Find Your Lack of Faith Disturbing: Star Wars and the Triumph of Geek Culture
  • Read A. D. Jameson and Justin Roman’s article on sexism in gaming, “If Magic: The Gathering Cares About Women, Why Can’t They Hire Any?”
  • For more on how franchises have changed Hollywood’s structure, check out Stephen Metcalf’s article, “How Superheroes Made Movies Expendable”
  • If you’re looking for an escape this holiday weekend, please binge watch Marvel’s Jessica Jones  (reading a book would be fine, too)
  • Listen to the queer history of comics in our second podcast episode, “Superheroes Are So Gay!”


Tune in every week to catch interviews with the liveliest voices from literature, the arts, sciences, history, and public affairs; reports on cutting-edge works in progress; long-form narratives; and compelling excerpts from new books. Hosted by Stephanie Bastek.


SubscribeiTunes • Feedburner • Stitcher • Google Play • Acast


Have suggestions for projects you’d like us to catch up on, or writers you want to hear from? Send us a note: podcast [at] theamericanscholar [dot] org. And rate us on iTunes!

Our theme music was composed by Nathan Prillaman.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Smarty PantsBy The American Scholar

  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4

4.4

119 ratings


More shows like Smarty Pants

View all
On the Media by WNYC Studios

On the Media

9,129 Listeners

The Book Review by The New York Times

The Book Review

3,902 Listeners

This American Life by This American Life

This American Life

90,613 Listeners

Fresh Air by NPR

Fresh Air

38,151 Listeners

99% Invisible by Roman Mars

99% Invisible

26,168 Listeners

To The Best Of Our Knowledge by Wisconsin Public Radio

To The Best Of Our Knowledge

931 Listeners

The Kitchen Sisters Present by The Kitchen Sisters & Radiotopia

The Kitchen Sisters Present

1,269 Listeners

Reveal by The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX

Reveal

8,245 Listeners

The New Yorker Radio Hour by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

The New Yorker Radio Hour

6,677 Listeners

The New Yorker: The Writer's Voice - New Fiction from The New Yorker by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

The New Yorker: The Writer's Voice - New Fiction from The New Yorker

2,087 Listeners

Code Switch by NPR

Code Switch

14,520 Listeners

Radio Atlantic by The Atlantic

Radio Atlantic

2,239 Listeners

Read Me a Poem by The American Scholar

Read Me a Poem

60 Listeners

Throughline by NPR

Throughline

15,941 Listeners

Americans in Paris by The American Scholar

Americans in Paris

9 Listeners

NPR's Book of the Day by NPR

NPR's Book of the Day

596 Listeners

Critics at Large | The New Yorker by The New Yorker

Critics at Large | The New Yorker

574 Listeners