Comic books, superhero movies, video games and other forms of popular culture have gotten self-referential to the point of tedium. Prime examples: the movie “Pixels” and the book “Armada.”
Commentary
There was a time when liking video games was seen as some sort of abnormality.
Once, knowing one’s way around a console controller was considered an affliction worthy of being attacked with virgin jokes.
But the weirdos are no longer weird. The omnipresence of comics conventions, the near weekly release of genre films and the rise of Chris Hardwick’s Nerdist empire are proof.
The outcasts with their 20-sided dice now rule pop culture.