I agree that the term geek MAY be overused, but I also posit that, maybe with the number of people who are engaged in pop culture, games and entertainment rising all the time, there are just so many more geeks.
Basement dwelling hobbyists with 'too much time on their hands' are not only seeing the daylight, but they're becoming the minority as more creative, enthusiastic fans are embracing and showing their love for what entertains and inspires them.
There are also many more ways to share what you create in the throes of fandom, or during periods of creativity. From self publishing (hi, that's me), to Etsy and everything in between. When you get creative with your passions, even if it's your favourite television show, you feel more involved, more connected to it. In my case, I feel more connected to the genre I write in and the people that enjoy it than ever.
In old world terms, someone who spent a year building a Klingon costume for a convention would be considered really geeky, with very few people appreciating their efforts before the convention. They'd get a lot of negative attention. Now, since there are so many more Star Trek fans and geeks in general, they'll find some encouragement, allies, and maybe a couple other Klingons to car pool with on that special Convention weekend.
We WANT more geeks of all kinds. They get our favourite movies made, make them popular, and encourage the studios to make more. They scold television channels for pulling our favourites (for YEARS in some cases), they even engage in social discourse now, making paparazzi look more shallow and un-entertaining than ever.
Who cares if some of the geeks don't meet our expectations, or get all the details right when they start trying to participate. That just means they're newbie geeks, and they need us! We've got to put our favourite episodes of Star Trek The Original Series, Doctor Who, or Spaced, or whatever else we adore in their hands so they can continue their education in the order of Geek and find out what they dig themselves. Geeks aren't born, they're initiated!
Maybe if we get enough geeks together, the next time some network wants to cancel our favourite show, we can shout them down, shame the idea out of their heads, and get six more seasons out of them. We've already done the impossible once, imagine what could happen if our millions become billions...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxJqdGEdsjY
[News on Spinward Fringe Broadcast 8 is coming soon to the blog]
4 comments:
Here's the other post I shared on Facebook that eventually led me to the above post.
Geek has nothing to do with gender. There has been a rash of "fake geek" and "women aren't real geeks" commentary flung around the Internet, and this is nothing new. I've heard it for over twenty years whenever a woman sits at the role playing table, is found in an online gaming guild, or pops up in gaming chat.
It's an unfair prejudice. It doesn't matter if a geek finds their geekdom through a boyfriend, girlfriend, or while they're sitting on mom or dad's knee in front of Star Trek at a tender young age. (Example, I was brought to see Star Wars by my parents when I was almost three, and I just met a wonderful geek who has the same story, only she was four).
Geeks are people who celebrate what they're into without being ashamed of their point(s) of fascinations or hobbies. In my opinion, there's no male or female to it.
Oh, and this is an awesome video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4Rjy5yW1gQ&feature=youtu.be&a
You couldn't have said it better. Too often have i seen my friends looked down upon or shunned because they like playing 3.5 or munchkin. People just need to realize that Italy not about how "cool" the things you're interested in make you look to everyone else. They just need to open up their minds and their imaginations! "Reading is for fags" as i was told all through my school years, and it got to the point that i just assumed everyone who was saying that just couldn't read themselves. I have fallen in love with R.A. Salvatore and his Dritzz DoUrden series'. Found an author that i perish because he sucks you in. You do the same in every sentence you write. I literally just finished broadcast zero for the third time and have read all the way up to Triton! I look forward to any and every book you put ot there because the way you write and the feelings i get from your stories is something society needs. We lost it when we lost our sense of imagination. It is awesome to see you still have it and am passing it on to hopefully millions of fans! You're writings will forever be listed as some of my favorites and i plan on introducing my son to them as he grows up.
I am presently addressing the needs of my little 3rd generation geeks.
SomaCow J
This is cool!
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