Popular culture has evolved a lot over the past few decades. Actors like Joe Manganiello go so far as to say that Dungeons and Dragons has merged with pop culture. So we have to wonder how we got here, given the extremely negative stigma that surrounded the concept. It seems the answer lies in a popular tabletop game that many have subconsciously become accustomed to, Dungeons and Dragons. It's an interesting perspective Manganiello gives us, as we see in a one-on-one interview with NBC News on the subject.
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Asked how D&D came to have such a significant influence on pop culture, Manganiello explains how this led to the game's increased popularity. He also explains how the game inspired some of the fantasy and fantasy series and films. the most important science fiction of recent years. The actor-filmmaker believes that the resurgence of dragons in the media, as well as the influence of popular films and television series, have a lot to do with it. The idea is certainly amusing, but one wonders if the actor is right.
How has the popularity of Dungeons and Dragons grown?
According to Joe Manganiello, the number of Dungeons and Dragons players has increased tenfold in modern society, with almost 50 million people playing the tabletop game. Attributing this phenomenon to the fact that the concept of storytelling around a table is foreign and many young people are constantly on their phones, Joe briefly mentioned another considerable influence in the interview. These are series such as Stranger Things, which reintroduced many elements from the 80s and 90s. With the huge fanbase around the series, it's no surprise that it has had a significant impact on culture pop and nerd.
While Dungeons and Dragons was previously a forgotten concept, Mike, Will, Luke and Dustin's interest in the game has led to a resurgence. But, of course, that ended up not mattering in later seasons. Well, until the introduction of Eddie Munson and the Hellfire Club, which arguably single-handedly brought many people's attention to the game. This happened in the same way as the Anime quickly went from something frowned upon to something enjoyed by everyone during the pandemic. Today, being considered a “nerd” because you like these things is not a bad thing at all.
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Manganiello responded to this new question posed to the actor-filmmaker by being patient. According to the actor, it all started two decades ago with the release of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Ring series of books and films. While the books were popular, the films were hugely successful at the box office, raking in millions of dollars. The actor goes on to state that the world Tolkien created was influenced by the tabletop game. Another great series was Game of Thrones, which reignited the craze for dragons. The actor is right: current technology allows monsters and dragons to look better on screen. Therefore, people will like them more.
Overall, Joe implied that the game has reached a wide audience, with many not realizing that they have been playing a version of the game for years or watching it. Here we have to think, for example, of the most popular video games that people have been playing for around ten years. We quickly realize that Joe is not wrong. The games that have the most fans are the ones that seem to have been influenced by D&D. Since the board game is essentially an RPG, titles such as Legend of Zelda, World of Warcraft, and even League of Legends are modern versions of D&D.
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Is Nerd culture more important than Pop culture in modern society?
It's best to look at this question from the perspective of what pop culture has become rather than wondering if one is more important than the other. There are many things that people enjoy today that would have been considered “uncool” or even made you the target of bullies a little over a decade ago. Today, with the resurgence of things like Dungeons and Dragons, it makes more sense to say that nerd culture has been neatly incorporated into pop culture. The media reflects this in many ways, but we shouldn't forget the impact of superhero movies on the modern view of what it means to be a nerd.
For example, Marvel took the world by storm with Phase 1 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Previously, comic book films were generally one-offs, and many did not see sequels. Until the release of Iron Man in 2008, with Robert Downey Jr. in the role of Tony Stark. This helped create a comic book-based empire that saw a massive increase in the number of people appreciating what Marvel had to offer. The interconnected universe created by the Russo brothers is responsible for much of the importance of nerd culture in modern society.
From there, the fusion of nerd culture and pop culture becomes more evident, with popular actors such as Henry Cavill speaking openly about their passion for these forms of media. Of course, when such a major celebrity expresses their love for all things geek, many start to take pride in it instead of being ashamed of their interests. We've all seen Cavill's journey as the Man of Steel in the DCEU and then as Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher.
Regarding the latter series, Henry was a big fan of the fantasy novel series of the same name by Andrzej Sapkowski. Of course, the controversy surrounding his departure from producing the series mainly focuses on his dissatisfaction with production companies that didn't stay true to the original material. But, once again, when something like this happens to a well-liked celebrity, it impacts the overall outlook on all things geek-related.
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To conclude…
Joe Manganiello shed some fantastic light on the subject, and overall the actor-filmmaker brought up many positive points. But ultimately, he's right that this popular table game has significantly influenced pop culture. It has created a safe space for people to unashamedly explore and express interest in all things nerd, and in turn, integrate nerd culture into pop culture.
TL;DR
- In an interview with NBC News, actor-filmmaker Joe Manganiello talked about Dungeons and Dragons and its impact on pop culture.
- He explained how this game served as a roadmap to many popular series, films and games we know today, like The Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, Stranger Things and even Legend of Zelda.
- Ultimately, this led to the integration of nerd culture into pop culture, and the bad stigma surrounding these concepts is falling.