PC Gamer published a story a month ago about the new Pope (Leo XIV). The publication highlighted a Reddit user who met Leo XIV and gave him a Pokémon card (Poplio).
Whether out of genuine amusement or politeness, Leo XIV laughed. Pokémon fans made a big deal out of the story, and why wouldn’t they? The Pope is one of the world’s most powerful celebrities.
Knowing that a figure like him is now part of your community generates a certain amount of pride, because Leo XIV gives mainstream credibility to the Pokémon fandom. Not that Pokémon needs that sort of rub. The franchise has been a mainstream hit for decades.
Then again, Leo XIV is a different kind of celebrity. Now, obviously, no one expects Pope Leo XIV to become a hardcore Pokémon fanatic simply because a random guy gave him a Pokémon card.
However, this event further highlights the public’s obsession with celebrities who indirectly endorse franchises and fandoms by unexpectedly revealing their nerdy interests. This happens more frequently than you think.
Henry Cavill leads the pack, having revealed in previous years that he nearly missed out on his most iconic role (playing Superman in Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel) because he was playing ‘World of Warcraft.’
He also collects and paints ‘Warhammer 40K’ figurines. Then there’s Mila Kunis, whose cute and bubbly persona obscures her persistent passion for all things Star Trek. She has gushed about her obsession with TNG’s Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) in interviews.
Stephen Colbert is the biggest J.R.R. Tolkien fan you will ever meet. Guests on his show routinely challenge him to Tolkien-based quizzes, only to lose in spectacular fashion. The man can speak Elvish, which is a fictional language from The Lord of the Rings.
Micheal B. Jordan’s love for anime is well-documented. The actor won me over when he revealed his adoration for Naruto a few years ago, going so far as to base some of his movie roles on Naruto Uzumaki and his contentious relationship with Sasuke.
Megan Thee Stallion triggered an avalanche of infighting among anime fans when she came out as an anime otaku. Because of what they saw externally (skimpy clothing, sensual mannerisms, and sexually explicit lyrics), a section of the anime fandom argued that Megan was only cosplaying as popular anime characters (Android 18, Todoroki, Sailor Moon) for clout.
After all, people of her ilk usually mock nerd culture. Rather than shrinking from these absurd attacks, Megan doubled down on her anime cosplay. She also presented some awards at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards.
Believe it or not, arguments about Megan’s nerdiness are still alive and well today. I could list two dozen other celebrities with surprisingly nerdy interests (Vin Diesel and Dungeons and Dragons, Ariana Grande and Pokémon, Margot Robbie and Harry Potter, Brie Larson and Star Wars), but you already get the point.
Mainstream audiences have embraced nerd culture to such an extent that it has become fairly commonplace for celebrities to publicly revel in their nerdy hobbies. Some people may dismiss the importance of this trend, but I think it matters. Yes, nerd culture is mainstream these days.
However, the number of people (both children and adults) who are still ashamed of their nerdy interests might surprise you. Celebrities are helping to vanquish that embarrassment.
So, I would not be so quick to disregard that Pope Leo XIV story. Some kid somewhere has strict Catholic parents who probably permitted him to finally indulge his or her Pokémon hobby because the Pope posed with a Pokémon card.
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