"Fake Geek Girls"
This is a topic that comes up from time to time. My friend gave her thoughts on the concept here:
http://www.rpsteeves.com/2013/01/guest-blog-geek-girl-on-geek-girls.html
What do you think?
http://www.rpsteeves.com/2013/01/guest-blog-geek-girl-on-geek-girls.html
What do you think?
Comments
Yeah I don't want anything to do with that. :D
Furthermore, I don't go to a lot of cons, but I've been to my fair share, and I have yet to see any of these "fake" geek girls they're talking about, unless maybe they mean booth babes (and in their case, they're paid to be there) or those "models" you see selling pictures of themselves, so I'm not going to begrudge anyone for doing their job of attracting the attention of people whose attention they'd attract anyway. They just had the smarts to monetize that. So be it.
A girl, late teens to mid-20s, is talking about how she's "Such a Dr. Who geek. OMG, Eccleston was really good as the first doctor, but Tennant was SO much hotter."
Possible reactions:
a) "That's really cool. Did you know Dr. Who's been around a LOT longer than that? You might enjoy checking out some of the early stuff. It's not as slick as the newer stuff, but there's a definite charm to it."
b) "*snort derisively* Shows what you know. Tom Baker...the FOURTH doctor I might add, was the best doctor. Eccleston was the ninth! Come back when you've done your homework little girl."
c) "Whore! Begone from my sight! You have no claim to the mantle of 'geek' and all the benefits that it may bestow upon those of us who have EARNED the title."
d) Insert your own here.
Which of the following will help create more Dr. Who fans and keep the show you love in production?
When I was growing up (and I'm talking through high school), it wasn't a cool thing to be called a "geek". Your obsessive love of Robotech, Dr. Who, or any Devo song outside of "Whip It" did not earn you popularity points, get you that dream date with the cool girl in the row in front of you, or garner the respect of the football team. It wasn't a badge of honor, it was a mantle of derision and shame. You spent your life up to that point defending it with bloody noses or hiding in the library when you could.
So I get where the "ire" comes from. Really, I do. As the old Smiths song goes "You just haven't earned it yet, baby." Dues have not been paid by this new crop of "geeks". It's like giving yourself a nickname. It doesn't work that way. You can't pronounce yourself a geek...it has to be recognized by those around you.
Such thinking, though, is counter-productive. Instead of hating on these people, why not be happy a culture exists where grown men can watch My Little Pony? Or that the names John Pertwee and Peter Davison mean nothing to girls, but they know a Dalek from a Weeping Angel? I'm sure the bullying continues, but I like to believe there's less of a stigma and yes, fear, attached to people pursuing their geeky pursuits as there was in my day.
Now get off my lawn! :)
( ;) Sorry. Now back to the discussion)
If you'd only join us you'd know what that joke was in the last sentence.
* No I can't verify that fact but it did sell out its first printing.
Fake, real, it's all a silly matter of degrees. They care enough to go to a convention, and for those selling there, they are potential customers. Why waste mental energy on who is a "true fan"? I don't give a damn if the only thing they know about Spider-Man is that he rides a skateboard, they are in the house, let's welcome them in.
The ultimate response to the points of her article is one word: "And...?" or if I were feeling really snarky: "So?"
She feels bad because pretty girls who don't really care about the things she cares about are getting more attention by pretending to be into the things she cares about.
And...?
She's upset that boys are led by their baser instincts when confronted with a hottie in a Power Girl costume, not taking the time to want to know if said hottie understands Kara's amazing backstory and history.
So?
If she wants to set the dividing line, that's her prerogative. Ultimately, though, she's setting it. It's a tired argument, with no clear winner, and in the long run she's said nothing unique.
I'm not the least bit surprised we moved on to tangents.
And I didn't want to pile on negativity, since I know this is a friend, but since you seem to really want our feedback--
I don't agree with her premise that you can divide all female geeks into two categories. Basically any premise that attempts to divide any large population into as few as two groups is going to just end up with a lot of generalizations and reductions. And I don't see the point of anyone sitting in judgment of whether or not someone else is a "real" fan. Caring who else consumes what you consume and whether they have the right to do so seems like a very, very first world problem (and a problem that comics should be so lucky as to have! May comics have more of the problem of "fakers" buying comics. May they "fake" their way to a healthy and robust industry!) "Fake" hunting is an attitude that doesn't result in inclusion, or even the proliferation of the things we enjoy. So this sort of piece is not for me. It seems more like a grumpy FB post than a fully realized essay.
And did Olivia Munn take your lunch money as a kid?
As a con organizer, anything that brings new people in the door is a good thing.
So let's take it one step more: Fake geeks don't suck... :)
It puts me in mind of the New York Comic Con. It seemed a real surprise to the organizers that there was SUCH an interest in that show, to the point that the first year was a fire marshal provoking, overcrowded mess. But. . . also a huge encouragement. A success and proof of concept that allowed them to have a bigger space and better organization the following year. And it has sustained and even grown since. And that has been a win for me as a New Yorker. There is a nearly San Diego class show I can get to with my metrocard.
Now, sure, I'll bet a lot of the people attending would fit the label of "fake" to those who label. But who cares? Maybe this is how they get started. Maybe they spend money and support things as they play around with an identity, even temporarily. And simply by buying a pass they help this big show continue to exist.
(Now, the grumpy with crowds me wish the cosplayers wouldn't clog the aisles or block booths for pictures, but that is not a matter of "real vs. fake", it is a matter of "considerate vs. selfish". . . and is really another matter. There are plenty of "real" geeks who are also inconsiderate).
So, in short, if "fakeness" keeps the doors open, then great. Couldn't we all have been called poseurs at some point? Who cares?