The term "geek" used to be an insult. "Now 'geek' is a badge of honor," says Kerry Conran, director of Paramount's upcoming "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow." Conran is a self-confessed geek who has crossed the bridge to become a Hollywood director. Putting a fanboy in charge of a $70 million movie with 2,100 CGI shots is just one sign of how Hollywood's going geek and geek is going Hollywood. As fandom has become fashionable, Hollywood has targeted and wooed geeks. But the mating dance online and in person isn't an easy one. When the Internet boomed in the late '90s, it was touted as a vehicle for democracy: Everyone would get an equal voice. Instead, it's morphing into a marketing tool. While many are flattered by Hollywood's attention, they can revolt at efforts that are too heavy-handed or disrespectful of what geeks see as their privileged status as insiders. The challenge is for studios to try to control geek buzz without so blatantly co-opting it that fans no longer feel independent. Variety.com - Geek chic
Comments