I've gotten a ton of criticism from people about the I Am a Geek video that launched yesterday, and I feel the need to respond to it.
After watching the video yesterday, I was impressed by the production values, and I thought it was really awesome that it was just one small part of a larger project. I love that the whole thing is supposed to encourage literacy (if you really look for the links) and intends to support a good cause. As a writer, I certainly want more people to be readers!
But as I watched it a second and a third time, something didn't feel quite right to me. I couldn't put my finger on it, until e-mail started flooding in from people who could: this was supposed to be about refuting stereotypes and celebrating the things we love, but it ends up feeling like we're trying to convince the Cool Kids that we're really just like them, and a promotional opportunity for celebrities who don't know a damn thing about our geek culture, and don't care about the people who create and live in it.
I was under the impression that this video would feature actual geeks who are important to our culture, like Woz, Felicia Day, Leo Laporte, and Jonathan Coulton. Instead, I saw a lot of entrepreneurs who have good marketing instincts, joined by a bunch of celebrities who are attempting to co-opt our culture because it's what their publicity team is telling them to do.
When you're speaking to people who read TMZ and People magazine, getting contributions from MC Hammer, Ashton Kutcher and Shaq is a logical choice. But when you're speaking to geeks, it's insulting to us to pretend that they are part of and speak for our culture. Those people are not geeks; they're celebrities who happen to use Twitter. Featuring them as "geeks" undermines the whole effort, because they aren't like us. I've been a geek my whole life. I've suffered for it, I've struggled because of it, and I've worked incredibly hard to remove the social stigma associated with all these things we love, like gaming and programming. It's like a slap in the face to be associated with these people who claim to be like me, and want to be part of our culture, but couldn't tell you the difference between Slackware and Debian, a d8 and a d10, or how to use vi or emacs. In other words, they haven't earned it, but they're wrapping themselves in our flag because their PR people told them to.
Having someone in a video that purports to celebrate our geek culture say that they don't play D&D, like playing an RPG is something to be ashamed of, is profoundly offensive to me, because I play D&D. In fact, it's the chief reason I am a geek. D&D isn't anything to be ashamed of, it's awesome. I don't recall seeing that in the script I was given, and if I had, I never would have agreed to be part of this project.
I loved the idea of creating a video that celebrates our culture and shows that we're proud to be in it. That's what I thought this would be, but I feel like we ended up with some kind of self-promoting internet marketing thing that plays right into established stereotypes, and hopes that The Cool Kids will let us hang out with them.
I am a geek. I have been all my life, and I know that those guys are nothing like me and my friends. If we're going to celebrate and embrace geek culture, we should have geeks leading the effort, not popular kids who are pretending to be geeks because it's the easy way to get attention during the current 15 minute window.
I want to be clear: I wasn't misled, I think that the project just changed from conception to release. I think their heart was in the right place, and I think their fundamental idea was awesome. But what I saw isn't what I thought I was going to be part of. I thought I was going to be part of something that said, "Hey, I am a geek, I'm proud of that, and if you're a geek you should be proud of it too!" What I saw was more like, "I am using new media to reach people. Yay!" There's nothing wrong with that, but it doesn't mean the people doing it are geeks, and it's not what I thought I was contributing to.
There was a great conterpoint on Twitter just now, while I was wrapping this up. Wyldfire42 said: "Seems to me that we shouldn't be deciding who is or isn't a geek. If we start passing judgment, we just become the bullies we hated." I can't disagree with that, at all, and after reading that, I feel a little grognard-y. Who knows, maybe these celebrities who have recently shown up in our world love these things as much as we do. Maybe it's not their fault that they bring hordes of celebrity-obsessed non-geeks with them wherever they go. Maybe they're as upset about people telling them they're not "real" geeks as I am about marketers pretending that they are.
Maybe I'm overreacting, but I care deeply about my fellow geeks and there is a fundamental difference between embracing our culture and exploiting it. Please, come and be part of our culture. Read our books and play our games and watch our movies and argue with us about what is and isn't canon. But if you try to grab our dice, and then don't even know or care why we're a little touchy about it … well I cast Magic Missile on you, dude.
ETA: I've been pretty active in the comments of this post, because I see the same misconception over and over again, largely the result of me being unclear when I wrote part of this post.
Somehow, a bunch of people have turned into "Wil Wheaton says you have to do a, b, and c or you're not a geek, so fuck him because he's a dick."
That's not what I meant, at all. Most people seem to get that, but there's enough who don't that I feel a need to respond, in case you don't feel like digging through hundreds of comments to find my replies in there.
I never meant to say that unless you do a or b or c even ∏, you don't "qualify" for admittance to some super secret clubhouse where I am the gatekeeper. When I said, "…couldn't tell you the difference between Slackware and Debian, a d8 and a d10, or how to use vi or emacs…" I didn't mean that unless a person does know what these things are, they don't pass some kind of test. I was making an example, picking out some things that I happen to be geeky about, in an attempt to illustrate a point, and I did that poorly.
I was not trying to be, and I don't want to be, some kind of exclusionary geek elitist. That's just the most incredibly stupid and offensive thing in the world.
As I said in a comment somewhere in this post: Creating a world where my kids don't have to grow up being picked on for loving RPGs is awesome. But what I see – not just here, but in general at this moment – is a bunch of marketing jerks trying to take the things we love and turn them into something from Hot Topic. I didn't mean "you're not geeky enough…" at all, and I hate that people seem to latch on to that, because it means I wasn't clear enough. If these guys I mentioned truly love what we are, and they have been here all along (and I've just missed them for my whole life) than it's great that they're not ashamed to love the things we love … but I haven't seen anything to indicate that they genuinely are interested in the things we love as much as they are riding a pop-culture wave that's driven by Twitter's explosive and pervasive popularity. It feels calculated and planned out by PR and marketing people, and as someone who loves this culture, that bothers me. I didn't mean to imply that you have to meet this list of criteria to come be part of our club (vi, d10, etc) as much as I was attempting to illustrate a point: we know what at least some of those things are, and Cool Kids have teased us for it our whole lives. It feels to me like those same people are now trying to take our culture away from us and make a quick buck off of exploiting it, and us. It was not my intention to create some sort of Geek Literacy Test. That's lame. Like I said, all are welcome, but at least make an effort to understand why we care about these things.
Finally, I've been trading e-mails with Shira Lazar, who had this idea in the first place. She says:
Well, I think the hornet's nest was stirred up a bit. But that's ok. I rather open, honest discourse than people to feel shut off or alienated. That would be ridiculous and horrible.
Anyway- from reading the post and comments it's important off the bat for people to know this isn't a marketing ploy or some evil plan to take over the world. ha
also, It sucks that the d&d line got misconstrued. It's important to point out that a lot of ppl besides you in the video actually do play the game- the line was more to say yes lots of geeks play d&d but you don't need to play d&d to be a geek.
It really started as a fun way to bring people together, geeks of all extremes. To break down stereotypes. I consider myself a geek. Yes, the level of geekiness changes depending on the context. Amidst developers and my gamer friends, I might not know a lot but with some of my friends I'm queen geek. While I might not know certain things in certain situations, I still have a yearning and passion to know and learn and a love of accepting those geeks who do know it all. I was the editor of my high school newspaper and the first person to make it digital. I would hang out in my computer room at school until midnight working on photoshop and quark while my friends were out and about doing their thing. I participated in my high school science fairs and went to regionals twice. My mom is also a coordinator for children with special needs- i've seen kids that are alienated from their peers who need to know it's ok and they have a place.
While some of us have struggled and some have not, some know more, some don't- this was simply a video that was supposed to be a fun way to bring everyone together.
I think geek culture is evolving. Geek to me is D&D, Star Trek, Star Wars, mini-action figures, Six-million Dollar Man, etc.
Teen geeks today can be just as geeky, and have a geek culture that is just a valid, but have no interest in any of those things.
I think that speaks to your point about not deciding who’s a geek.
I get where you are coming from. And actually I think they did exploit it a bit as a marketing ploy…but in truth a lot of them I think are geeks, even if they dont play DnD. They should mind you, maybe they are afraid of enjoy it, eh regardless, I think everyone is a “geek” about something. Be it sports, computers, comics, role playing games, internet, movies, etc. As long as whatever it is makes a person happy no one has a right to judge em for it. Well. As long as its not murder sprees…if its that I think we should judge.
I am sorry you feel like you got exploited and offended over the video… sucks to feel that way and no one should.
Maybe we should really go back to basics and start biting the heads off of chickens in circus sideshow acts.
As long as it’s the old school Magic Missile where you didn’t have to roll to hit. 😉
My personal reaction that video was “Wow, some of these people actual self-identify as geeks?…that’s kind of cool.” I had a new found respect for Shaq and MC Hammer. I guess it didn’t occur to me that their publicist probably set them up with that gig.
Still, if they agreed to be a part of it, maybe it’s genuine. I wouldn’t think that most professional publicists would recommend that Shaq be in the same “commercial” with Felicia Day and Wil Wheaton because they wouldn’t want any Geek to rub off on him.
I can see how D&D players found that one comment offensive, but to their credit they DID follow it up with “but it looks really fun”. And that is a very true statement. I’ve never played D&D, but I think it looks like fun and will play in a heartbeat if given the opportunity.
One thing that continues to bother me about this Geeks-Banding-Together thing is… geeks aren’t really as outcast as they once were. It’s pretty trendy to be kind of geeky. I don’t see the need for this.
Also forming a group to be unique rather defeats the whole purpose.
Also-also, I felt a little at the “I speak Python… not Klingon” comment. I’m not a Star Trek fan, don’t get me wrong. It just rather discounts the group of geeks who are. Or perhaps learning a fictional language makes you a nerd and therefore outcast even among the geeks?
Maybe they are closet geeks and we shouldn’t judge them. It’s just hard to look at Shaq and not see Jock guy that used to beat me up and to look at Kutcher and not see popular cool guy from school as well.
I am a geek and I am proud of it. I also believe there is such a thing as geek cool, and Wil you’ve definitely got it….and so do I….heh.
@ShiftlessBum
I agree entirely, Wil. It’s not even so much that they’re marketing our culture (which some might find bad as it is), but they’re doing a damn bad job of it. I’m a marketing student and a geek, and I say “WTF” to this.
And while I do agree with what Wyldfire42 said, can someone honestly tell me up-front that Shaq is a geek? He’s a funny guy, for sure, but until I hear news that he kicks ass at Street Fighter or something, I don’t believe it. It’s a marketing ploy. And it was supposed to be to encourage people to read? I did not get that vibe. You need to dig deep for that one, you’re right. This is failed marketing right here boys and girls.
I’m still proud to see good representatives like you, Jonathan Coulton, Felicia Day, and Wozniak promoting the culture. Perhaps if they’d gotten more truly geeky celebs it would’ve been better. Hell, get Vin Diesel on that! Lord knows the dude’s professed his love for D&D, same with Stephen Colbert.
Still, it feels kind of weird to have your culture sold out. I guess now I know how the true hip hop community feels.
Great post Wil, that video wasn’t sitting right with me either.
Somebody please explain the “Just because you own a Wii doesn’t make you a gamer,” line. There’s lots of stuff the Wii can do, but there are lots of gadgets that don’t game that would probably serve your purposes a lot better. the point being, why buy a Wii just to not game on it? That’s like buying a Playboy and only reading the articles (which I’m sure are fascinating, dunno, never read one =P).
Also, another way to look at it is, “Being a geek is cool now, but being a gamer still isn’t, so don’t lump me in with *that* crowd.” Which, in and of itself, doesn’t make any sense at all, but flies in the face of this whole “I am a Geek” campaign that is supposedly all about being more inclusive, rather than exclusive.
1d4+1 for damage, baby!
Well put, the line about not playing D&D in the video had me doing a double take when I watched it. It’s hard to be pro something (geeks) and dog a mainstay of the culture at the same time.
If we were to have a lobbyist for geek culture in Washington, it would be you.
I was trying to communicate that I understand Python, but not Klingon. I didn’t intend to offend people who do.
…ohhh. I get it.
No, I don’t think you’re overreacting. I feel a little… well…. dirty after that. It really did feel like the attempt was made there to spiffy up the idea of being a geek. And you know what? Just don’t. Please.
I’m a geek, though you wouldn’t necessarily tag me with that automatically. I usually have to open my mouth first. Wait, edit that part out. I consider myself a “high functioning” geek. I have interests that do not fall under the umbrella of the traditional geek. I can talk sports happily and still follow my occasionally non-woeful Warriors. I’ve done my time playing the weirdo hole in the wall circuit with a small handful of rock bands (never mind that I tended to fix the amps). And at the same time, I’m a moderate sci-fi geek, I work with computers, and we can talk wow theorycrafting until we clear the room among other things. And that’s the part
that they missed I think: they seemed to try to shoehorn in the “cool” factor, where that is just an incidental and random/variable element that is outside of the core things that bring us together. They seemed to focus so much on distancing us from what we supposedly aren’t that it’s like they dismissed what we are.
Okay that was a rant. Sorry.
I generally agree with your entire post.
As a child of the 80s I was very pleased to see LeVar Burton and immediately made the Reading Rainbow tie-in with RoomToRead.
He was the reason I started watching TNG all those moons ago. Reading Rainbow FTW!
Lukeski has a bit he does occasionally called “You might be a Trekkie”. The references he uses are not all Star Trek related. They’re just all around geek things.
I feel if someone turns up their nose at any of those references because it’s “uncool”, then I really feel no need to explain to them why I stopped caring what they think.
My husband is still paying the price for calling Doctor Who “stupid”.
Right on, Wil. I’m not going to judge who is and who isn’t a geek, because really it’s just another label. Like they say in the Breakfast Club (to paraphrase) all of us are the geek, the jock, the idiot, the genius, etc. Being a geek is one part of my personality (a large part, sure, but that’s beside the point). Being a jock is part of my personality (an extremely small part, true — and jocks everywhere will probably be waiting outside my office to give me wedgie and stuff me in a garbage can).
But something like this, well, nobody is going to thing Shaq is a geek. Nobody. He can wear an entire Superman costume and nobody is going to say, “That Shaq is such a geek.”
The video does seem to be saying “I’m a Geek, but I’m not… you know… a Geek-geek”, which is unfortunate. The concept seems good, but the delivery is almost apologetic.
On the topic of Geek in Real Life – I was profoundly proud when I walked my daughter to the bus stop yesterday. Three other moms had already arrived with their kids and were chatting, and as I approached one said “Ooohhh… Jerry Ann will know!”
“I’ll know what?” I asked.
“What’s the difference between a DS, and a DSi?”
Why yes, as a matter of fact I *do* know. As I discussed the pros and cons of the latest Nintendo hand-held with the moms, my daughter climbed aboard the bus and waved at me through the window…
…holding up the Spock “Live Long and Prosper” fingers (which she just learned how to do after seeing Star Trek in the theaters with us)
I’m still glowing with pride, and happy to wave the LLaP sign back right there in the middle of the street.
Good post Wil.
Regarding the bit about “I don’t play Dungeons and Dragons”, when I first heard it I was really confused: I thought “Hey! They got a non-geek in my geek-promoting video!”
After mulling it over a while, I think that maybe it was just a bit of disappointment that my favourite geektivity wasn’t explicitly promoted 😛
To my mind, if you’re a geek you don’t need a video telling you, or other people, it’s ok to be a geek- I think the main appeal of geekdom is how welcoming it is to all nerds and nerdkind. I mean, in a single community I have gotten to know furries, larpers, trekkies, browncoats, dungeon masters, football players, prom-queens, and every single one of them has been accepted, quirks and all, because I think that’s what being a geek is all about- not caring what someone did in highschool, (possibly because alot of us hated school and how we were treated there and vowed never to do likewise), or how they spend their friday nights- it’s not caring if they do or don’t play D&D, it’s about sharing passions and interests and taking your own interest to the next level.
I think the secret the video failed to hit upon is that really, everyone’s a little geeky- we don’t need a video telling us it’s ok, we don’t need it confirmed– the joy you feel everytime you meet someone who’s a part of your fandom, or ships the same characters as you, or owned the same games console as you in the 80s, that’s good enough that you don’t need reassuring, and we don’t need to be “advanced”- sooner or later everyone realises there’s something they can geek out over, and the internet will be here and waiting for them when they do.
And Elf is a class, Dagnabbit.
the guy who said DnD was really fun was being way snide. Personally, however, I cannot express enough my happiness that that blonde chick (and I’m a girl so I can say that) doesn’t play.
Oh, and if I shouldn’t base someone on their lifecast, then why the hell are they casting their lives?
Individually, none of (except those 3) the bits bothered me terribly. taken as a whole, however, it didn’t so much seem a “don’t stereotype me” thing as an “oh god no, I would never do that stuff” thing.
Bah.
Replied to your tweets, but might as well repeat here.
I’m NOT an Ashton Kutcher fan, but he seems an odd one to single out. He was a biochemical engineering student before becoming the celebrity he is now. He’s a Robot Chicken contributor (and if you can name a current show more in touch with our generation of geekdom, I’d like to know what it is). He’s got some serious geek cred in those two things alone. Just because he’s made out to be the “cool kid” doesn’t mean he isn’t a geek.
He just may not be into the same geek stuff you were, but it doesn’t make him less geeky. I’m a proud geek, but have never played a tabletop RPG. Not because I’d be ashamed, but because it never interested me. I also didn’t play in arcades. Does that negate the hours I spent on my C64? Or watching Star Trek? Or owning every Transformer I could? Does my knowledge of 9 different programming languages mean nothing? I’d hate to think the bruises and taunts of my childhood were unwarranted because I wasn’t the right kind of geek.
om nom nom.
“In fact, it’s the chief reason I am a geek. D&D isn’t anything to be ashamed of, it’s awesome. ”
YES. This line… the line about not playing D&D… made me want to roll for initiative.
I think there’s a good point there at the end about who we are to judge who is and is not a geek, but from my experience, geeks are fairly judgmental. It’s an over-reaction to those who treat geek as a bad word or insult. It’s a way of protecting ourselves.
But I do think the message of geekness was lost in the video. It was more about social media than geekness, no insult intended to those participating.
So while we’re making geek confessions here, I’m one of this weird brand of geek that, due to the environment I grew up in, I never learned how to play RPGs. The kind of stuff was frowned upon as beneath my social standing per my parents, and would never have been allowed.
By the time I got to college, I was so far behind the role playing curve that my friends were too impatient to sit for very long helping me create a character, much less join a game.
I always wanted to, but is there any geek-to-geek advice for those of us who missed out on role playing, and regret it very much?
To make matters worse, I live in a country where I don’t speak the language too well (though I’ve not ever met a geek who didn’t speak English – I wouldn’t want to make an entire game session uncomfortable), and it’s just me and my geek husband here at home.
I think my question is asked and answered, we’re just sadly of those type of geeks who never got to experience role playing, but who honestly do think it’s really cool. 🙁
Don’t judge me. 🙁
We’re a culture, it seems–with its detractors and imitators. It’s a culture that’s managed to evolve in fair bit of isolation and is resistant to outside marketing forces.
Being a geek isn’t going to be diluted because the core of the culture revolves around hobbies, activities and products that have been marketed to us, specifically, for over 30 years.
Would we drink a WoW soda or eat a BK Kobold Burger?
Strictly as a novelty.
Just look at the new Star Trek flick for a preview of where being a geek is going.
We are reaping what was sowed when we decided to take up unpopular but fascinating hobbies in our youths. We dabbled with dice or technology at a time when it was expensive or socially dangerous to do so.
This same technology has made itself an invaluable part of the lives of people who have not been at home there since the age of five.
How is that not a power?
I agree that defining what a geek actually is, will always be difficult. I have to admit I don’t know anything about programming and the only RPG’s I play are Final Fantasy, but still call myself a geek because I am a big fan of Star Trek and sci-fi in general, I have a Film and TV degree, and have the weirdest taste in obscure films, and have been known to perform in Monty Python sketches in talent shows.
I don’t really socialise in geeky circles like conventions (mainly due to living on the edge of nowhere), but watch the ‘Trekkies’ films with a warm fuzzy feeling inside, like that is where I beling.
Am I wrong to call myself a geek?
That’s interesting, and a good point.
I honestly didn’t think of him that way as much as I thought of him as the guy who made Punk’d (which I hated) and tried really hard to turn Twitter (a service I love) into a stupid popularity contest.
Wow. I followed the link yesterday, and just saw a site that defined what a geek was with links to advertising. I probably saw the video in the upper right and probably assumed it was an ad. I guess the fact that it DIDN’T autoplay should have tipped me off. So I did’nt know what all the tweets were about. :-/
I don’t know that all of those people aren’t geeks in some way. I would guess that Hammer isn’t a computer geek, but it’s quite possible/likely that he’s an audiophile geek. I’ve heard that a lot of musicians are.
The rise of Microsoft and the (parallel but blessedly independent) rise of the web has put computer and technical culture front and center. For better or for worse, Bill Gates, heavy geek-type becoming one of the richest people in the world made it much more legitimate to be a computer-geek-type-person.
So…not surprising that geekdom is much more mainstream than it was, say, 25 years ago when console gaming was still fairly exotic and Star Trek IV hadn’t come out. Computers were fairly expensive and Cell phones were astronomical.
The video kind of sucks, but your post slaps me in the face with your hubris. How can you sit and piss and moan about these non-geek usurpers, and not see that you are just as bad the “cool kids” you constantly bitch about?
They want to associate themselves with you, and that’s bad? Geeks are now the cool kids! Instead of acting like an ass be welcoming. If it’s just their PR people then you won’t see them again, if they want to be a part of geek culture you will.
If Twitter could actually scale well there would be room for everyone to tweet. But that is a conversation for only the true geeks…
i personally liked the video, but i’m confused about your point… a video was made to try to break the stereotypes of geeks, and then you get upset when others try to help you break that stereotype…. it’s almost like the message you wanna broadcast is “we’re just like you, but you’re not like us”… seems like you’re getting upset at pop culture icons for doing the exact same thing you are.
BTW, i’m probably borderline geek… definitely not an icon of any sorts.
I couldn’t tell you the difference between Slackware and Debian, a d8 and a d10, or how to use vi or emacs. But i do have and check profiles on almost every social-networking website i run across, and i can to this day program in DOS, BASIC, Turbo C++,
I may not be a geek by you’re standards, but i am a geek to the general public.
So… where do i fit in? I felt this video was intended to help represent me, and i think it did do that.
Seems like you’re exploiting your culture just as much as pop culture… but that’s just my opinion, and, like i said, maybe i’m missing something.
Actually I think Shaq is a big Superman fan. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaquille_O%27Neal That makes him a geek in my book, not that it’s really my place to say who is and isn’t a geek.
Also, Reading Rainbow FTW
edit: also, according to the article, one of his nicknames is “The Big Galactus”. Dude is card carrying.
Like I just Twittered – very few “real” geeks out there. Growing up geek.. little different than the stuff that passes for geekdom nowadays. I was never ashamed of it though – love my D&D, loved my little Atari 400 when I was a kid and learning Basic, love learning Linux and languages – why be worried about it? A real “geek”, anyhow, I figure, never does give much of a damn what anyone else thinks, and if people want to say they’re geeks now because they buy nifty things from ThinkGeek, play WoW, and use a Blackberry, oh well. I’ll just call myself a “Nerd” and be content with it. Hell I could call myself a “Galumphing Twit” and it doesn’t matter – most “geeks” I know not being too into social crap anyhow. If it’s a fad, it’ll pass.. and there’ll still be the ones tinkering with soldering irons and breadboards and reading Tolkien and not giving much of a damn what other folks think 😉
No worries, I was sure you didn’t mean to be a jerkwad (one thing about you, you’re kind of notably not-a-dick) 🙂 But it’s sort of a parallel to the “I don’t play D&D” comment and I just rather wanted to point it out.
I think there’s a problem in trying to build walls around “Geek,” trying to define what it is, or rather who it isn’t. I’ve been a geek all my life, and it’s been a strange trip. When you go to two of the smallest schools in one of the biggest cities in the world, then you’re going to stand out because of what you like, which before you’re eighteen has a tendency to define what you are.
Did I ever play D&D? Not often. Did I have the slightest idea how to play Magic: The Gathering? No sir. I was fluent in Fortran, Basic, and Cobol, but after that you’ve lost me. I do speak Klingon, but not nearly as much as when I was watching Star Trek III all the damn time. I own every Weird Al Yankovic album, most of them on cassette. I played sports until I blew out my arm, and I was active in musical theatre and band at the same time. By the narrow definition of Geekdom some seem to throw around, I shouldn’t exist.
And yet it moves, as one of the greats once said. We’re all geeks in one way or another, and I think we need to have videos like this one to remind ourselves why we embrace counter-cultures, no matter what we choose to be geeky about. I feel like this would have been instrumental to me at twelve years old, fat and bullied, all but ready to be disillusioned with life. Sure, I would have only known four or so of y’all at that point, but the celebrity wouldn’t have been the point. (I probably would have gone nuts at Mssrs. Burton and Wheaton, as my folks used to label Star Trek-themed gifts under the Christmas tree as “From Geordi” or “From the Crushers” rather than “From Santa.”) Seeing that many people declaring their geekdom, openly and proudly, through so many different types and media, is the kick in the pants a young geek needs to be okay with themselves. Of course, the whole idea of Geek Girls would have made my mind explode back then, especially ones as literate and awesome as Mmes. Day, Allison, and Roy.
I’m beginning to ramble, but I’ll end it by coming out in full support of the video. We are showing the broad range of geeks, and maybe we’ll help with the awakening of another lost soul, the sort of misfit kid I spent too long being before going ahead and embracing fully my Geek Side. As always, we must remember the ancient Vulcanian doctrine of Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combination, and realize that Geek will never align to any one true definition.
Well, it depends, as you say, on who you’re marketing to. I missed Kutchner (but not much) in the vid, but MC Hammer has always seemed a tech-savvy dude to me, and just because Shaq plays basketball doesn’t mean he’s not a geek (I don’t know that he is. Just saying). I played soccer for years (till my knees screwed up) because I loved the patterns of play, the skill required and the adrenaline rush when it works for you. And this in a country where rugby is a religion! Didn’t make me any less a geek.
I think the vid is about social marketing, but that whole site appears to be exactly that. Geeks don’t need a site like that – we already know where to go for community. That’s our (wannabe, anyway, and not in a bad way) “anti-defamation league”.
One thing I noticed from the vid is that everyone was pretty and moderately cool. Where are the fat, spotty obsessives who DO live in the basement? Where are the inarticulate 4-eyes who wear the Spock sweaters and speak perfect Klingon? Where are the extremely large women who believe a latex catsuit makes them as sexy as 7of9? I’m not being down on these people, they are part of our community, I’ve been one myself (though not in a catsuit), and we have to acknowledge them.
But that would be documentary, which this vid wasn’t. If you thought that that vid was going to be anything but marketing, I’d be interested in knowing why.
As I tweeted, maybe geek *is* the new “cool kid” and the Hammers and Kutchners just want to be seen as still relevant, which could be a little flattering if you want to see it that way. Or maybe they really are geeks. Hey, you’re an actor, you put on a persona when you pick up a character. And I’m willing to bet that the Wil Wheaton at a Con is not exactly the same as the WW behind the DM screen, or chilling with the kids. Maybe Kutchner’s inner PERL coder is trying to break through. We’ve all known guys who overcompensate with their outward behaviour patterns 😉
Good post, though, and well-articulated. Don’t be too sensitive, mmmkay?
“Please, come and be part of our culture. Read our books and play our games and watch our movies and argue with us about what is and isn’t canon. But if you try to grab our dice, and then don’t even know or care why we’re a little touchy about it … well I cast Magic Missile on you, dude.”
Amen to this. Nothing wrong with people coming late to the party, as long as they come. But acting like they came early and helped set up is not cool.
It sounded to me that most (okay, maybe “some”…only watched it once) in the video were actually trying to distance themselves from geekdom and saying, “I may use new media but I am NOT a geek! Geeks are people who play D&D.” Would have preferred more from Wil’s Proud To Be a Geek category. Grumble…
I agree. Sincere love of geek culture is the most important geek feature. That said, “geek” can mean a lot of things, and geeks like us (SciFi, D&D, comic book loving “nerds,” in the parlance of our childhood) tend not to view, say, custom car geeks or audiophile geeks (many of whom have never played D&D, I’m certain) as true “Geeks.” I’m not certain how fair that is. Lately, I’ve been referring to myself as a “Nerd” just as a point of clarification. Maybe it is time to bring that label back.
I was briefly at the GeekOut in West Hollywood last night, and found it to be an interesting mix of traditional geeks with whom I discussed comic books and D&D (and my webseries about pro D&D players), and people who I saw as typical LA hip partygoers. I won’t pass judgement on anyone there — I knew a lot of the people, and the sheer number of them who asked how my new D&D 3.5 campaign was going and commented on my “I {Galactus head} Planets” T-shirt indicates that there were plenty of us in the crowd. And the others there may have been geeks in their own worlds, even if they were probably not geeks in mine.
All in all, I stayed barely an hour — the music was techno/dance stuff and super loud, the drinks were $10 – $15 and it was crazy hot in there. I’m not comfortable in a bar scene under the best of circumstances, and this was not the best of circumstances for me. I went home and watched the season finale of Dollhouse on the couch with my wife, and then did some planning for Friday night’s gaming session (I’m the DM). A much better geek night, as far as I’m concerned.
There’s a distinct difference between co-opting the geek label and embracing geek culture. But as it becomes more and more clear that a) Geeks are a sizeable marketing demo and b) we really rule the internet and, hence, the future of commerce and entertainment, more and more groups will try to co-opt and/or exploit us. Maybe that is okay – it means that GOLD may have a larger audience than I anticipated. But ultimately it will force us to seek out a new label that more accurately describes our culture. When I say. “I am a geek,” it is a proud proclamation that I always preferred math and RPGs to football, and still do. My geek friends and I were always outsiders, and proud of it. If geekhood becomes mainstream, it will be a struggle for all of us who’ve been on the outside looking in. If we take part in the acceptance of geekhood, we are sell-outs. If we reject the movement as cynical and calculated, we are reverse-bullies.
Roll to save vs. changing social mores. +2 to your roll if you can describe the social importance of both Dave Arneson and James Naismith.
-David Nett
Creator, GOLD, the web series that does double damage
can you take the hits?
http://www.goldtheseries.com
Think that there’s a good point in between the lines of Wil’s post: It’s trending for years now that people call themselves “geek” in public without a proper understaning of what it stands for – and what people like Wil (or me) had to go through over the years (or decades). To be called a geek has gained some coll touch over the last years and that’s why folks adopt this term to describe themselves.
Hey, most of those “self made geeks” cannot even tell apart geek from nerd! And as soon as you start talking to them it becomes obvious that they don’t have a clue. There are a lot of different geeks with a lot of different obsessions. But most of them (or us) have in common that they were called a geek in the first place not because it was cool but strange to those other “normal” people what’s our business about.
As years went by it became kind of easier for geeks to accept and be proud of being called a geek. If someone with an idea of the culture steps up to you and calls you a geek that’s almost a praise. It’s not about being cool, it’s about being recognized and accepted.
And best thing that can happen to you is that another geek calls you a geek – and starts some geeky talk with you!
Personally, the video made me feel like geek-culture was being co-opted by focusing too heavily on the social media/marketing/trendy version of geek culture. “Just because you use Twitter, doesn’t make you a geek” is the best summary yet. Being a geek is about NOT being the popular kid and suffering the consequences of such.
My advice is to go to your English speaking friends first. They don’t have to be geeks or role players. Get a role playing book or two, nothing too complicated, and run a game. I like “Spirt of the Century” http://www.evilhat.com/home/sotc/ but look for something that interests you and your friends.
Don’t worry about getting it wrong, or not knowing the rules. Just have fun and play. If you’re having fun, you’re doing it right.
For advice on how to run or play a game I would like to recommend the “Fear The Boot” podcast:
http://www.feartheboot.com/ftb/
I never actually tried to be a geek. It just turned out that way. In some circles people may say that you really are not a geek. Other times they might say you try to hard to be one.
The ending of Revenge of the Nerds I comes to mind in this instance. That is, if you consider geeks and nerds to be the same. We may all have been a nerd at one point in time. Whether we tried to be or not. If I go out and purchase a Harley and leather gear, does that make me a biker?
The more I think about it, the more pissed off I get at the cliqueyness of geek culture. I agree with those here saying that it becomes what it is trying to move away from. I get all the in jokes, I play arcade games, I watch the right shows, movies, read the right books, but somehow, because I was shut out of roleplaying, I am not a real geek.
I wasn’t bullied in school, no more than anyone else. Everyone had something, though I was as angsty as the next kid. But I chose to hang around with the geeks because that’s where the fun was.
Because I don’t wear scars from school, because I’d love to learn to roleplay, but can’t because the role playing cliques are too difficult to break into, I can’t call myself a geek.
Do I sense a pattern? That some unseen force known as “they” have passed judgment, and I all of us not cool enough to be “they” must abide by the rules.
Just let the video be what it is. So it’s more about social media, don’t judge everyone in it and put labels on them. Don’t be the bully.
Well said, sir. Well said.
“But acting like they came early and helped set up is not cool.”
Well said. You will see a lot of that in coming years. Taking credit for pop culture phenomenon is the Hollywood way. I’m encouraged that the creators knew enough to hit up Woz for inclusion. And I know the guy who wrote the spot is hardcore nerd (I spoke with him briefly last night about tabletop RPGs and there is no question). But it will be increasingly important for the folks who struggled as outsiders to get credit as the “geek” and “cool” circles start to overlap more and more in the venn diagram.
good goal, slightly cheesy video, and they missed the point.
I think you are over-reacting. Which is certainly okay, but here’s my resume before my point 🙂
Band
D&D
Star Trek (to the point of learning Klingon)
Physics
Board Games
Varsity Basketball
D’oh, how’d that last one slip in there? Perhaps I’m incredibly lucky, but I’ve “owned” my geekhood for a long time and rarely suffered for it (I felt). In retrospect, was it because I could grab a lot of rebounds and had some good post moves? Honestly, probably, but that is kids. That’s a tale as old as time. My point is, Shaq clearly gravitates towards geeky and has well before twitter. (He made a Shaq-sized shoe phone to use in the stands of All-star weekend once). To shun him for “not being geeky enough, soon enough” doesn’t speak to the “accept everyone” creedo Geeks would very much like to subscribe to.
Geeks shouldn’t have to explain, defend, or promote themselves. We’re geeks because we’re different. We like being different, whether we want to admit it or not. The more we try to sell other people on how cool we really are, the sillier we make ourselves look.