I can’t say I’ve always relished in people saying, “Wow Lisa, you are suuuuch a geek.” Which has happened quite a lot in my life. Especially in high school when being smart was stupid and the term “geek” sounded a lot like “you’re super lame but i’ll cheat off in science class”. Back then, even an allegiance to apple computers lead to harrassment and even disiplinary action, like when I was 8 years-old and I got kicked out of computer camp for slagging off PCs and refusing to use one.
But now the world is starting to recognize the power of the geek and the sex appeal of a smart geeky female with a Boba Fett Fetish, a quirky, yet informative twitter feed, and a vast knowledge of transformers, php, 20 sided dice, SLR cameras, BSG, Assassin’s Creed, CS3, FCP, gadgets, Top Gear, xkcd.com, Leo Laporte… aaand if she happens to look like a model with a perky set of… MBPs… that wouldn’t be the worse thing ever. We wouldn’t want to throw the balance of the world completely off kilter. Let’s face it, the majority of power geeks are still men.
And it was one of these geeks, an uber coding geek, that told me that I could not rightly call myself a geek. Seriously? After all the years I spent pining away in the Ivory Tower waiting for geeks to be cool…and the day finally comes and apparently I’m not “geeky” enough to be part of the club.
Photo by Darryl Humphrey.
But… but… i own like 4 Mac computers and the entire series of Buffy aaaand Angel… i watched the entire Aliens Quadrilogy with special features in one go and I have a Harry Potter poster stuck to my bedroom door…i know a plethora of geeky film trivia and I’m an all-star on mininova and i’m connected to every 2.0 social hot spot and I scrobble the latest indie anthems to lastfm like a hot damn aaand I have more drawers and cupboards dedicated to SLR, video, lighting, music gear and bags and cables and plugs and snoots and gobos than clothes aaaaand I know how to use them. Especially the bags. Put stuff in and go. It’s as easy as pie.
The point is I think I’m pretty geeky. And my hypothesis is that everyone is kinda geeky as well. And so I ask you, my lovely blogging audience:
What kind of geek are you?
Define “geek” for us Wikiworld!
The definition of geek has changed considerably over time, and there is no longer a definitive modern meaning. Here are some of the many definitions:
1. A person who is interested in technology, especially computing and new media. Most geeks are adept with computers.
So computering — check, new media — check, tech/gadgets — check, 2.0 shizz — check
2. A person who relates academic subjects to the real world outside of academic studies; for example, using multivariate calculus to determine how they should correctly optimize the dimensions of a pan to bake a cake.
Well as not every geeky girl is good at maths and cooking, i’m gonna have to pass on the supreme geekiness that is combining multivariate calculus and baking. I will however provide something equally geeky in my mastered academic subject of linguistics where I hilariously intertwine syntactic trees with sustainability, Denis Quaid, Nim Chimpsky, and Gervais’ monkey news. Now that’s geeky.
I also developed an equally quirky system for organizing clothing using RGB and HSV which I call: Lisa’s Optimum Visual Outcome Method (LOVOM). Now that’s even geekier!
3. A person with a devotion to something in a way that places him or her outside the mainstream. This could be due to the intensity, depth, or subject of their interest i.e film geek, iPhone geek, web design geek or like MAx Fischer, a multi-genre geek.
4. A performer at a carnival who swallows various live animals and bugs.
Oh wikipedia you are full of so many delicious things… But that would be a definite no to swallowing live bugs.
So with so much sweet sweet geekiness to choose from: What kind of Geek are you?
Carrie
January 9, 2008 at 7:18 AMHmmmm….what kind of geek am I? I guess I’m a little bit of 1, 2 and 3. I like my computer gadgets. I’m dying to own more. I’m obsessive compulsive with the ‘everything in its right place’ philosophy and I’ve developed a real phobia of germs over the past five years (that could be from living in China though and having to be extra cautious). I’m an avid vinyl toy collector and I also own all the boxed sets of Angel and Buffy. Great geeks think alike eh Lisa? I also fall a bit under the last category as I’ve been known to try really odd food…cow penis, pig’s tongue, snake blood etc., but never at a circus or carnival.
Nate
January 9, 2008 at 7:36 AMNerd Alert! You can’t be as much of a nerd as you think because major prerequisites to being a nerd are bad skin and flabbyness.
I think I fit into 1 and 3 and I do loves my Top Gear. Clarkson = God
Christina
January 10, 2008 at 8:04 AMI’m definitely 1 and 3 — but with 2, I actually find myself doing the inverse more often (that is, taking stuff from the outside world and making it academic) – like convincing professors that American Idol is a viable subject for my sociology project because I weaved in some line of bullshit (that might be true – it was still pure bullshit) about how it is representative of the modern social constructs and of group activities, when really, I just wanted to do as little work as possible and knew I could easily pull 20 pages out of my ass with little effort.
But I’m totally 1 and 3. While it’s pretty easy to get people to accept me as Geek Type 3 (for me film geek in particular, though TV geek works too) because I became obsessed at such a young age, I still often feel like I have to prove just how l33t I really am to people who only look at me as a cute girl and can’t fathom the idea that I might actually know what I’m talking about. With every passing year it gets easier and easier – but it still sucks that I have to pull out the pretentious card and school their asses with overly-technical words and phrases just to be taken seriously. That or I wind up fixing their computer.
Type 4 is a little disturbing, but then, carny folk disturb me in general (unless it’s in a John Waters or David Lynch or David Cronenberg flick).
Mostly Lisa
January 11, 2008 at 9:08 PM@Carrie — buffy geeks are especially kindred spirits. and i must say i’ve never felt more germaphobic than on the london underground during cold and flu season. double ick! i’d like to see your vinyl toy collection. have you done a post on them?
PS. i’m not sure if i’d dive into a bowl of cow’s penises. yikes! tastes just like chicken… i don’t think so!
@Nate — what’s not to love about Top Gear! totally booyah~
@Christina — you’ve been holding out on me! you’ve got a lot more geekiness in you than just being queen of the film geekdom. i can relate to not being taken seriously, especially in academic circles. it used to make me fume. literally, smoke would come out of my ears and i would argue and pull out any and all of my pretentious cards which are plentiful i might add. i can sound like a right twat if i’m really boiling.
but now, i’m more one to avoid such social interactions by communicating via twitter and never leaving my house. ha! who’s the loser now?
Duane Storey
January 12, 2008 at 12:17 PMI’m mostly 1, although I identify people who are 2, especially while hammered.
Kastor
January 17, 2008 at 10:14 AMI would have to say 1 and 3 for me. I’m a comic geek but i love the gadgets too. i know i’m geeking out about getting to go to the NY Toy Fair this year.
ComposeAnalysis
January 17, 2008 at 10:08 PMhmm maybe a mix of the first 3, havent had a chance to swallow a bug intentionally yet, maybe FearFactor will make a comeback? yeah probably not.
computer and graphic design(try to)
old cartoons like tom and jerry, batman and robin, transformers (original)
my fish collection
Sean
January 18, 2008 at 12:41 AM@Lisa: If people don’t think you’re a geek after this post, then they need a nice big warm cup of shut the f*ck up because this has to be one of the most geektastic posts I’ve read in a long time, especially from a girl.
You even have pictures of a hot geeky girl too… yes you silly :)
In closing, geek girls are awesome. You are setting a new standard for the modern female geek. Keep partying like it’s 1999. w00t.
Mostly Lisa
January 18, 2008 at 6:03 AM@Sean — ooh geektastic! that’s the loveliest compliment i’ve ever heard. and i always party like it’s 1999, which is totally awesome cuz of the sweet moves i’m bustin’ on the dance floor, but reliving the whole Y2K thing is a bit of a downer.
Sean
January 18, 2008 at 11:17 AM@Lisa: I’ve seen your dance moves. I’m fond of the video where you bust out the robot at the end. The look on your face is priceless right before you go into robot dance mode.
Side note, you should bring back the subscribe to posts plugin. That was a nice feature you had prior to the new design.
Mostly Lisa » Blog Archive » Geekette ou Cliché
January 30, 2008 at 5:24 AM[…] I’ve tried to prove my geekiness, but the French aren’t biting. you know what Gordon Ramsay would say about the French and it would have a loooot of swears in it. […]
Abhishek
March 10, 2009 at 11:22 AMcount me as first one only !!
Nevey
March 11, 2011 at 11:30 PMfirst of all you are such an inspiration for Geek girls because you made it believeable to look pretty and geeky -which is my moto too-.
I am the 1st and the 3rd kind of geek. My wonderful time is at the gadgets which happenes to be right next to my favorite book store -I am LUCKY-. I am a Geek and Proud…