(a little of) everything i know about weird subcultures i learned from the av club

Today's AV Club Inventory, one of the best in a while IMHO, alerted me to two subcultures/weird obsessions that I had no idea existed:

1. Game Show Tape Trading: Yes, apparently there are people out there who not only collect "classic" recordings of game shows, but they also trade them with other, well, weirdos, and discuss the greatest hosts, guests, pointless bullshit, etc. And yes, of course there's a convention, the yearly Game Show Congress in LA. Whenever I think I might be going over the edge - my encyclopedic knowledge of pre-season 10 Simpsons, for example (which, I should note, is also mentioned in the article) - I can just look at these people and realize that yes, while I may be a huge nerd, I'm a nerd that people don't mind hanging out with. Also, one that gets some action. Though for all I know the Hilton Burbank Airport could be a hotbed of sweaty geek love and not, as I suspect, feverish bouts of masturbating about that guy who totally played Press Your Luck.

2. Trekkies at Renaissance Faires: Not in the article per se, only mentioned offhand in the comments, but there's apparently a Trekkie subset who visit Renaissance Faires under the pretense of surveying an alien culture. Ridiculously nerdy, but a whole lot "cooler" than the game show thing. Full disclosure: I kind of want to do this.