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I feel like people are missing the point about the "fake geek" meme. If a bunch of football players were strutting around in batman costumes at conventions I f

I feel like people are missing the point about the "fake geek" meme. If a bunch of football players were strutting around in batman costumes at conventions I feel like the same ire would be directed at them. Geeks are (or were) mostly outcasts. The geek world was their world. Now the popular kids are into geek culture since it's the in thing and they feel like they are losing their world. Being pushed to the perimeter of a world they built as a refuge. I understand the view, and I often feel wistful that if I see someone wearing a batman t-shirt there's a much smaller chance than before that he's friend material.

dasil003 13y ago
The correct response to the trauma that many geeks experienced growing up is to understand the pain and thus avoid inflicting it on others. When we were kids we would have loved for this stuff to be popular (hence why we talked about it to everyone), but now we are so traumatized that we don't want anyone without the same wounding to be allowed access? I refuse to become embittered and grudgeful to the point that I'm lashing out at people for showing merely a passing interest in one of my treasured hobbies (fake geeks on TV is another matter). We're not in high school anymore, most of the jocks grew up and so did most of the geeks. The ones from both camps who are stuck in a mentality formed years before reaching psychological and social maturity are living tragically stunted lives. Our goal should be transcendence; there are many who have suffered far greater abuse than geeks who have achieved it.
- precisioncoder 13y ago
  I agree with the spirit of your post, and agree that that should be our aspiration. The reality of it can be far different. There have been cases where geeks are being discriminated against for their appearance and social habits in the community they built. Cosplay is a good example, costume quality will only carry you so far, when less conventionally attractive people no longer have a chance to compete the feel of the society starts to change. When the interests you have are shared by the people who discriminate against you and they're still discriminating against you a backlash is inevitable. I am not say it is right or fair, but I do understand it.
- pekk 13y ago
  If you think this is "inflicting it on others" then maybe you do not understand the meaning of serious childhood bullying. I don't think that grown up geeks are getting friends together to beat fake-geeks into submission or brand them as fags. There's no parity here.
  - dasil003 13y ago
    Wow, way to completely miss the point. It's not about the acts themselves. First of all bullying can range from light to severe just like nerdrage can range from light to severe, so right away you're comparison is nonsensical in the general sense. More importantly, the point is that when one experiences hurt, the healthy thing is to understand where those feelings come from and allow yourself to release the hatred rather than holding it into our core being and reflecting it back out to others in the future. I'm not saying this easy, it's not easy for anybody (and it's not just nerds that experience abuse btw), but if you don't do this it will rot and wither your soul and it will be you who ultimately suffers the most.

dasil003 13y ago

The correct response to the trauma that many geeks experienced growing up is to understand the pain and thus avoid inflicting it on others. When we were kids we would have loved for this stuff to be popular (hence why we talked about it to everyone), but now we are so traumatized that we don't want anyone without the same wounding to be allowed access? I refuse to become embittered and grudgeful to the point that I'm lashing out at people for showing merely a passing interest in one of my treasured hobbies (fake geeks on TV is another matter). We're not in high school anymore, most of the jocks grew up and so did most of the geeks. The ones from both camps who are stuck in a mentality formed years before reaching psychological and social maturity are living tragically stunted lives. Our goal should be transcendence; there are many who have suffered far greater abuse than geeks who have achieved it.

precisioncoder 13y ago
I agree with the spirit of your post, and agree that that should be our aspiration. The reality of it can be far different. There have been cases where geeks are being discriminated against for their appearance and social habits in the community they built. Cosplay is a good example, costume quality will only carry you so far, when less conventionally attractive people no longer have a chance to compete the feel of the society starts to change. When the interests you have are shared by the people who discriminate against you and they're still discriminating against you a backlash is inevitable. I am not say it is right or fair, but I do understand it.
pekk 13y ago
If you think this is "inflicting it on others" then maybe you do not understand the meaning of serious childhood bullying. I don't think that grown up geeks are getting friends together to beat fake-geeks into submission or brand them as fags. There's no parity here.
- dasil003 13y ago
  Wow, way to completely miss the point. It's not about the acts themselves. First of all bullying can range from light to severe just like nerdrage can range from light to severe, so right away you're comparison is nonsensical in the general sense. More importantly, the point is that when one experiences hurt, the healthy thing is to understand where those feelings come from and allow yourself to release the hatred rather than holding it into our core being and reflecting it back out to others in the future. I'm not saying this easy, it's not easy for anybody (and it's not just nerds that experience abuse btw), but if you don't do this it will rot and wither your soul and it will be you who ultimately suffers the most.