I ventured to the Javits Center the other day to experience Comic Con New York. It was quite an experience to behold, and I have much to say about it. But first, I would like to retrospect on how technology has made an impact in some of our pop culture.

Almost a decade ago, I remember being labeled a “nerd” for spending a huge part of my daily life on things like video games, cartoons/animations, and comic books. While I was never heavily invested in the latter, it was still enough to be called a nerd. By definition, a nerd is a boring or unpopular person. It has become a big part of our language, and usually refers to people who love video games, cartoons, and comic books. The difference is, when I was called that ten years prior, it was an insult.

These days, being a nerd is cool. No longer do I feel the need to hide the fact that I love Iron Man, or love spending the better part of my time on video games. Triple A video games and Hollywood productions based on comics and games have become huge successes. The Dark Knight trilogy is widely considered one of the best trilogies of all time. Wreck-it-Ralph paid tribute to retro gaming, and was also a great success.

Nerds have always been known to embrace technology, and those who develop such technology are often labeled nerds. Today, many people are glued to technology like smart phones and tablets. Everything has become easier due to such inventions, and as such a huge part of nerd culture has become widely embraced.

My experience at Comic Con (CC) left me with some mixed feelings. One thing that stood out the most was the large amount of fellow CC enthusiasts dressing up as characters from a number of different shows, games, and comics. From Batman to Deadpool, a lot of costumes were hit or miss. Some costumes had a strong resemblance to the original characters, while others just seemed out of place and off-putting.

Something I noticed right away about CC is how much of it is being sold to you. I had to pay for a pass to get in, and it felt like I paid my way into a shopping center. CC was filled with collectibles that I did not purchase. I could live without them. Stands full of merchandise was everywhere, and much to my surprise many lined up to buy overpriced items. It really seemed to sucker in the hardcore crowd at CC, and I was disappointed to see them eat it up and leave with empty wallets.

CC was a haven for nerds alike. People dressed up in whacky costumes and they were excited to take pictures of each other. It was like Halloween for nerds. Although I love that being a nerd is embraced in CC, I was appalled to realize that this meant that a certain type of nerd would be rampant in CC. This type of nerd is not hygienic or conscious of the foul odor he/she is emitting. I passed by a few stinky Batman’s and other characters while in CC which wasn’t very pleasant.

Overall I enjoyed my time at CC. It was new and different. My biggest complaint was that since being a nerd has become so mainstream, CC was very overcrowded. The lines for Q & A panels were longer than expected, and it was extremely hard to get around. However, watching four pretty Cat Woman’s taking a picture together made up for the whole ordeal.