Welcome to This Week in Fandom, the OTW’s roundup of things which are happening! Before we start, have you seen the new Good Omens TV show that debuted this week? What do you think? Are you one of the people helping to make Ineffable Husbands the top ship on Tumblr? Let us know in the comments!
After the controversial Game of Thrones finale we talked about last time, some fans have decided to do some good in the name of the fandom. Harper’s Bazaar has reported that fans have raised over US$105,000 for SameYou, a charity started by actress Emilia Clarke to help people recovering from brain injury and stroke. The fundraiser was initially posted to r/FreeFolk, the same subreddit where the petition to remake season 8 of Game of Thrones was posted.
Emilia Clarke posted a heartfelt video to her Instagram to thank everyone who donated.
Elsewhere, the new movie Booksmart is taking a look at what it means to be a nerd in the days of nerds as popular culture. The Verge published an article exploring this. The movie focuses on two high academic achievers who find out that even the cool kids got into elite universities, so they, in a fit of embittered identity crisis, decide to go partying. According to the article, this mirrors “the very contemporary realization that there are other ways of being smart, successful, and even nerdy than just fighting for straight As.”
Intentionally or not, that crisis mirrors the shifting definition of American nerdiness. Molly and Amy’s status as cross-disciplinary academic geeks (more oriented toward the humanities than math or science, but valedictorian-level achievers regardless) is a relatively traditional portrayal of nerds.
And the eclectic mix of popular teenagers Molly initially disdains includes plenty of characters who might have been misfits or outcasts in older teen movies: theater kids, skateboarders, gregarious goofballs, and a mysterious weirdo played by Billie Lourd.
What do you think? How do you define “nerd?” Do you consider yourself one? Let us know in the comments!
Lastly, a shoutout to my fellow Canadians who are enjoying the NBA finals by cheering for the Toronto Raptors. I personally know very little about any kind of sportsball, but with Drake acting as an official Community Ambassador for the team, I know that the hype is on the rise.
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