Title: Nerd Culture and its Gradual Demise
Thesis: Although, the materials previously considered strictly “nerd culture” are now more available and accepted, these changes in perception have given people weak otakus of these subjects. Oswalt uses the concept of otakus to demonstrate his affection for his adolescence.
1. Aspects of “Nerd Culture” have become too readily available
a. Technology allows people to obtain large quantities of “Nerd Culture” in a short period of time
i. People are able to watch a large quantity of movies, read a number or books, and listen to a lot of music over the Internet.
ii. People are able to edit and make their own versions of past creations, thus giving more creations to digest.
iii. The increased availability hurts a person’s longing for something better.
b. People do not focus as strongly on a single subject as a result
i. In Oswalt’s adolescence, everyone had a strong otaku on certain topic and digested it more thoroughly.
ii. People were not able to get new materials quickly in Oswalt’s adolescence, leading people to take more time to digest it.
iii. The mass of materials currently leads people only to take one or two quick looks at the material.
2. The aspects of nerd culture are becoming two readily accepted in societies.
a. Liking certain materials does not possess a certain stigma anymore and is even considered “cool” in many situations.
i. Because there was a certain stigma behind liking some materials in Oswalt’s adolescence, a person had to have a certain devotion to the topic.
ii. Since the stigma has disappeared many people are seen embracing these same materials, without having the same form of devotion.
iii. The concept of being a geek and its culture has become cool in itself in some circles, “geek-sheik” and “hipsters”.
b. Having an otaku is not something that is limited to “nerds” anymore.
i. People that are not considered “nerds” have equal obsessions over things such as reality TV shows.
ii. The Onion’s A.V. Club has short mappings of certain otakus that anyone can read.
3. Oswalt romanticizes the idea of otakus and the era in which he grew up.
a. Oswalt uses the concept of strong otakus to show his affection for his childhood.
i. He speaks of being a geek in a positive manner by mentioning that he had a circle of friends who all had similar interests.
ii. Oswalt portrays the era as being one of great individuality as his friends all had a certain thing that they knew most about.
iii. Oswalt desires for his children to be able to share certain materials with their friends that not everyone is aware of.
b. Oswalt uses weak otakus to show his discontent for pop culture in its current form.
i. When Oswalt speaks of weaking otakus and people who have adopted “geek culture” he uses negative words such as “douchebags” and “sated consumers”.
ii. Oswalt also views the adapting of certain “nerd materials” towards more people as ruining their artistic integrity.
iii. Oswalt is also pessimistic in his belief that anything interesting shared between friends will eventually lose it secrecy.
Conclusion: The process currently going on is not one that is going to change. The advances in technology are a force that will always allow information to reach more people in a shorter timespan. As a result, people will be exposed to and more accepting of certain materials, further lowering the segregation amongst those with certain the interest. Although, the current era is producing weaker otakus when compared to that of Oswalt’s era, the current era is also creating a wider range of otakus in a single person as a result of such exposure. Much like other adults who romanticize, Oswalt’s fond memories of adolescence lead him to believe the era he grew up in is superior the one currently going on.
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