Posted in: ABC, NBC, Opinion, Paramount+, streaming, TV, TV, USA Network | Tagged: geekdom, geeks, Law & Order, opinion, suits, The Rookie, yellowstone

Suits, The Rookie, "Chicago" NBC Shows & More: Ending Geek Snobbery

A few words in defense of Suits, The Rookie, Yellowstone, NBC's "Chicago" shows & other fandoms that have fallen victim to geek snobbery.

"Doesn't really bother me. Though I got slightly irritated when recently, some critics said the reason 'Suits' is doing so well is essentially that it's mediocre and there are a lot of episodes. Then I remind myself that I'm proud of it, and it's dominating. What more can I ask?" wrote Suits creator Aaron Korsh over on Elon Musk's Twitter/X over the weekend, responding to a fan who asked if it irritated him seeing the media report on the show's massive success on Netflix & Peacock as being a "surprise hit." And that's what led me to this moment, defending a series creator whose work I barely know and a series I have never watched a single episode of. Because it's not just about defending Korsh and Suits. It's about defending ABC & Alexi Hawley's The Rookie. It's about defending NBC's "Chicago" shows. It's about defending Paramount Network & Taylor Sheridan's Yellowstone. It's about defending STARZ and Courtney Kemp & Curtis "50 Cent" Armstrong's "Power" Universe. It's about defending Food Network, HGTV, ABC's The Bachelor, and a whole number of other corners of the television/streaming landscape. Specifically, it's about defending fans of those shows from this "geek snobbery" that's developed over the years.

And what better way to start than by me throwing myself on my sword on behalf of my profession? Because mainstream media is very lazy when it comes to covering geekdom. In their eyes, "geek" means spandex, magic, cartoons… the basic, surface-level stuff. But the bigger blame belongs to both the geek media and… sorry, folks… a whole lot of you. Because we've created this weird "geek class system" where certain geek obsessions are praised while others are belittled or ignored. But in reality, there are very few differences between the fandoms, which means that the only difference is the content. And that comes down to personal tastes when it comes to your choice of entertainment – not everything is for everyone. To each their own, right? But that's not the case anymore. And that's sad because, at a time when we should be growing the geek tent by embracing all fandoms, we've created this velvet rope environment where self-appointed geek gatekeepers determine who gets into the "geek party" and who's left outside. Of course, the irony is that we're now doing to fellow geeks what was done to all of us at one point or another – being made to feel like we should be on the outside, looking in.

So the next time someone says they're "shocked" by how well Suits is doing on streaming, remind them that it was a hit show that ran for a solid amount of seasons with a passionate fanbase that still cares about the show, the actors, and the creative team. And then remind them that that's no different than how they feel about the show they love. The next time a friend goes on for five minutes about all of the implications behind Ethan Peck's Spock arching his eyebrow during the second-season finale of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – when they're done? Remind them that they're no better or worse than a fan of NBC's "Chicago" shows who can connect every crossover character & storyline in one breath. Think you're passionate about your two lead fav characters hooking up and becoming a thing? You've got nothing on the patience & understanding that "Chenford" (Melissa O'Neil's Lucy Chen & Eric Winter's Tim Bradford) fans have shown over the course of five seasons of The Rookie. And you think your fandom has a strong social media game? Try checking out Twitter/X during a weekend when a new episode of a series from the "Power" franchise drops for a serious reality check on just how a show can turn into a social media party. And don't get me started on the following that any show on Food Network connected to a holiday and baking has – mind-blowing!

So take off the geek blinders and open your senses to a broader understanding of who a geek is – and that they shouldn't be defined by what they're passionate about any more than any of us would want to be. And I know from experience, currently living in three "worlds": one franchise is still deemed "cool" ("American Horror Story"), one franchise everyone seems to want to kill off even though it still dominates globally ("The Walking Dead"), and a record-breaking sitcom that's never gotten the mainstream press/respect it deserves – even after 16 seasons (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia). We need to get back to reflecting the best of what geekdom has to offer – not the worst that society gives us.

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