In high school, I used to run from my Geekiness because I wanted to fit in with everyone. But ever since I was young, I was a geek. First introduced to Star Wars by my parents (who weren’t into science fiction), then RoboCop, yes, ah RoboCop was my small obsession. I loved the movie, the cartoon every Saturday morning, and even in the 5th grade, I had a RoboCop figure, gun and all. I recently watched that movie again, and found 2 interesting things. First, that film has a lot of F-bombs in it. Second, interesting fact I learned in the past couple of days via Twitter and Wikipedia (I trust Twitter friends a whole lot more) that Paul Verhoeven, RoboCop’s director, is a member of The Jesus Seminar (no comment) and claims that RoboCop is an American Jesus. I do recall a story of Jesus in Galilee, walk into a corporation’s headquarters, and shooting it’s CEO 30 feet out the window. Yeah, it’s in Mark 27, I believe. Oh, and I cannot wait for the RoboCop Reboot!

All kidding aside, at a summer camp, I came to discover I was a Bible nerd as well. I knew a lot of passages, and won a competition. Besides geeking out to Scripture, I also have always been a big Politics Geek. I was at my worst in Undergrad, reading political biographies, minoring in poli sci, fanning out to The West Wing (Jed Bartlett is my President!), watching Fox News and CNN almost constantly, oh and hanging out at a political website, commenting and philosophizing. Then, in seminary, I got it bad for Theology, which I found was way more fun than Religious studies. I always carried a Jurgen Moltmann book with me and there was a Facebook group I always was arguing with someone about. In short, Theology rocks! I never have been that athletic, but I did, and still do keep up with sports trivia and my favorite teams. Go Go White Sox.

Perhaps one of the most helpful things about me embracing my nerdiness has been the television show COMMUNITY, and how I get all of their pop culture references, and if I can do so, then what does that say about me, except that I am a geek too. Always have been.

It is for this reason I understand the outrage of many Black Comic geeks like this blogger. Is genre of Fantasy an escape away from the Colored Threats to white society? Not all of Fantasy is like this, but the typical medieval settings with dark skinned savages have me asking questions. These thoughts constantly haunt me as I am now reading A Game Of Thrones by George R.R. Martin. How do you cope with a genre that hates you or even worse, is apathetic towards people your skin color out of some notion of “The Market?” Community is an enjoyable show, but not without it’s problems and racist tropes. What show doesn’t? But why was there such a huge uproar about the Hunger Games film, and Rue and Cinna being casted as Black, but no word on Thresh, huh? Just how transgressive would it be for Jesse Williams as Finnick Odairin the Hunger Games sequel, Catching Fire? When it comes to science fiction/comic book/geek culture, its sad to see that there will not be any enthusiasm for a minority lead or written products as there has been for comics & novels for the GLBTQ community. I guess that’s why I remain cynical, and suspicious, and I guess that part of consumerism’s racist legacy too.

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• Gary Oldman Set to Join the RoboCop Remake (filmophilia.com)

RodtRDH

Rod the Rogue Demon Hunter, Preacher of Hope | Black Scholar of Patristics | Writer for Nonviolent Politics. Destroyer of Trolls. It must be that angry puppy.

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