Is the Reign of the Nerds Coming to an End?

It happens to everyone: you have your fifteen minutes of fame, your time in the spotlight, your moment as King of the Realm. Everything uncool becomes cool at some point, and nerd is no different.

In the past several years, there has been an upsurge in growth of the popularity of nerd culture. Comicons are now hot commodities, cosplay is mainstream, and movies like Star Wars and superhero films are blowing box office records out of the water. It seems like all things nerd are cool.

As happens with all things, though, popularity cycles through the cliques, and nerd is no exception. It can’t last forever. Nothing does. So when will our rise to power come crashing down?

It’s hard to say. With Star Wars and Deadpool killing box office records, Funko Pop! figures selling like hotcakes, and nerdy merchandising overflowing in almost every store, it seems that nerd culture is still on the upswing. It is now cool to admit that you’re a nerd, a geek, a dweeb, a fan. No more hiding in the shadows, no more skulking around, hoping the jocks won’t notice you and stuff you in a locker.

I don’t foresee this as lasting, though. I predict an end to the nerd reign in the next few years. I think we’ve reached a climax. We are at the orgasm of popularity, and after a little while spent in the afterglow, we’ll be left spent and sweaty as society dumps us for a new girlfriend.

Who will overtake the nerds at the top of the food chain? I have no clue. Hipsters, maybe? They’re already mocked as nerds once were. Or perhaps the jock will retake his crown once nerddom falls. The beauty queen? The burnout? Who knows.

Fellow nerds, enjoy our time at the top while we still have it. There’s not telling when we’ll be back in charge again.