So I went to Vul-Con (A Star Trek and geekdom convention) this weekend and geeked out. It was fun and all, but I must report that I have been thinking about what Simon Pegg said about geek culture.
The whole immaturity of it all; in a world with so many problems should we really be dedicating so much time to entertainment? I don’t like this trend in society, people are more obsessed with what entertainment is on than what is happening in politics and the affairs of humanity. The whole entertainment industry is a kind of propaganda that way; keeping our minds filled with nonsense, keeping us distracted from what is important. Obviously we need a little distraction from reality, but with geeks and nerds it seems to be going too far, and it is becoming more common and chic. Even normal people that don’t consider themselves nerds are more likely to binge watch and there is sports. Whether the propaganda-like quality is intentional or not is not really important, I just know that I am feeling guilty for overindulging in my quest for entertainment when I should be nurturing a more mature side of myself, it’s difficult to be a decent political activist so far away from the action in the world’s power centers, but I would definitely like to be more of a person I can admire.
I should volunteer at a soup kitchen or a homeless shelter you know? I am politically aware and active, but not as much as I would like to be.
It’s ironic of course that a prominent pop-culture icon like Simon Pegg should come to mind when considering such things, he’s kind of biting the hand that feeds him. Well, I like him more now in any case.