What happens when obsession becomes a refuge, when a high score becomes a legacy, and when a rivalry turns into a morality play? This week on Make Me A Nerd, Mandy Kaplan goes deep into the pixelated world of Donkey Kong, a place where the stakes are high, the egos are massive, and the quarters just keep coming. Mandy is joined by Megan Isser, a former documentary filmmaker turned professor of film, who brings her nuanced lens to the unlikely drama chronicled in the cult-classic documentary The King of Kong.
This isn’t just a story about a video game—it’s a story about identity, community, and the fraught pursuit of greatness.
Billy Mitchell, the reigning champion with a penchant for arrogance and hot sauce, becomes the perfect foil for Steve Wiebe, the underdog science teacher whose life has been a series of almosts—almost a great athlete, almost a great musician, almost a winner. The film, directed by Seth Gordon, captures their rivalry with the precision of a Donkey Kong hammer smashing barrels, raising larger questions about what it means to devote yourself to something utterly niche, but deeply important.
Megan and Mandy dissect the film’s narrative structure, its unforgettable cast of characters (from Walter Day’s referee stripes to Brian Kuh’s kill-screen evangelism), and the fine line between celebrating nerd culture and mocking it. They also explore the documentary’s impact on the genre itself, as well as the ethical choices filmmakers face when portraying their subjects.
Is Billy Mitchell the villain we want him to be? Is Steve Wiebe the hero we need him to be? And what does it all say about the lengths we’ll go to for recognition, even in an arcade?
This episode is a love letter to obsession and the people who find meaning in the unlikeliest places. But it’s also a meditation on humanity, on what drives us to compete, to connect, and to care.
Press play. Because somewhere in the background, a Donkey Kong cabinet is still buzzing, and a potential kill screen is always looming.
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