Real Geek Girl
ink on paper, digital color (font: Arnold 2.0)
So I’ve been seeing a number of stories about the so-called “Fake Geek Girl” which I think is bullshit. Straight up. There’s no litmus test for being cool or a geek or a cool geek or whatever. It’s bad enough for teenage boys to perpetuate this myth, though you can understand it a little, I mean it’s sort of in their nature to be cruel, but when grown men start to contribute to it, that’s what is truly disheartening. They should know better.
They tell stories of imaginary evil women who are appropriating “nerd culture” to manipulate poor nerds into giving them… what? What do these succubi want exactly? What do they gain from pretending to be geeks?
I’ve always thought of cosplayers as the truest fans. Men and women who commit fully to their love of a movie, book, cartoon, etc. I know I don’t have the drive, passion, or talent it takes to pull off the incredible costumes that you see out there. But I’m sure if I walked into a Con with a Flash shirt on while standing next to a woman dressed as The Flash. These insecure “fan boys” would question her knowledge and love of that comic. Though I’ve never read an issue of the Flash in my life. But I’m a bearded, bald, out of shape, 40 year old guy. I must know my shit.
They can deny it’s not about women and they’re only talking about a few bad apples, but come on. It’s obvious, from the language they use and the arguments they make, that they believe if San Diego Comic Con started to sink into the ocean and true geeks and nerds were first on the lifeboats, the women at the Con, would go down with the ship.
Others have said this much better than me. So I’ll stop my rambling. I just have to say to any guy who thinks he’s the quintessential father of all nerds: Get over yourself. You don’t own this, it’s for everyone.
