Not Just Hackers: Analyzing Computer Scientists in Popular Media

If asked to think of a computer scientist, who is more likely to come to mind: Alan Turing or Emmett “Doc” Brown from Back to the Future? Most people would answer Brown, portrayed by Christopher Lloyd, because (believe it or not), many audiences see his character as a true portrayal of a computer scientist.

But are those Hollywood perceptions misrepresenting the real-life field of computer science?

Tre Dunlap ’25, a computer science major and theater minor from Brooklyn, N.Y., is analyzing the portrayal of computer scientists in popular media under the mentorship of Professor of Theater Domenick Scudera as a part of the Ursinus College Summer Fellows research program.

Dunlap is examining whether the depictions of computer scientists in movies and TV are fair or exaggerated, and if that affects people who want to become computer scientists.

“We make other jobs more desirable in a way by saying things like, ‘You have to be smart, or you can’t be a computer scientist,’” Dunlap said. “I feel like it’s seen as an exclusive club, and I’m trying to combat that.”

Dunlap is cataloguing how computer scientists are portrayed to what happens to them within the stories. He then compares the similarities between characters across different media. Some notable characters include “Doctor Octopus” from Spider-Man 2, “Mouse” from The Matrix, “Flint Lockwood” from Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, “Jimy Neutron” from Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, and more than a dozen other characters famous for their computer wizardry.

The idea for Dunlap’s research came from his desire to combine his major in computer science with his passion for theater. He started to do some computer science work as a part of after-school programs during his freshman year of high school. His interest piqued, Dunlap found his own preconceived notions were wrong, and he found a passion in that field of study.

Dunlap says his theater minor has given him the tools to better analyze media in his research.

“I can look at things like body language, how a character is talking, how they conduct themselves, and how they’re directed to conduct themselves,” Dunlap said.

He plans to present his research in the form of a short play, taking the stereotypes he identified throughout his research and presenting them in a humorous format.