Fake Geek Girls

[Moonlight Butterfly]

Yes, because a subculture having a barrier of entry is something unheard of.

I've seen punks have less obtuse and better defined barriers of entry, and punks will fuck you up physically for being a fake.

By the way, Blizzcon had problems with actual fistfights breaking out between Horde and Alliance players, and someone was murdered in their house for their Magic cards, so those notions listed aren't that far off.

I bet the Horde won!

I think someone touched upon this when they quoted me but aren't the people doing this 'fakery' young people. If they are then maybe they are only fake up until the point that they were born long after the magnavox odyssey or whatever was a thing.

If they snap at you and treat you like scum then you totally have my permission to push them down a manhole but I think most of the time they are people who have been attracted to geekery recently. If that's the case then we should surely be welcoming them...a bit like the borg! Muahahahaha.

Maybe we just need to take a step back and tone down the defensiveness because as someone said it's harming the girls who ARE old gamers and comic buffs.

For instance I'm severely ill (one week off a major operation) at the moment and I'm finding playing certain games exhausting. (lol metro 2033...argh) My raptr and other things probably don't show me as the consistent gamer I normally am. Although I'm spending a lot of that time watching dvd's of x-men and avenger cartoons... If a guy looked at that he might accuse me of being a fake geek just on the back of these 'newbies' right? He would be wrong but it's the defensiveness not the newbies that are causing that. They don't give a crap about what I'm doing. The defensive geek guy does. He's the one pointing the finger and causing the harm.

I know they are the ones creating these conditions to start with but since we can't control other people's actions we can only temper our own.

 

[Toasty Virus]

Would girls pretend to be nerds in order to get attention?

Would men write a webcomic pretending to be a girl in order to get attention?

That is quite possibly the silliest thing I have ever read.

OT: I think its hilarious the way people are reacting to this.

 

[MiracleOfSound]

Would girls pretend to be nerds in order to get attention?

Would men write a webcomic pretending to be a girl in order to get attention?

That's pretty dumb reasoning. By your logic, Ridley Scott made Alien to get attention.

 

[The Wooster]

Would girls pretend to be nerds in order to get attention?

Would men write a webcomic pretending to be a girl in order to get attention?

That's pretty dumb reasoning. By your logic, Ridley Scott made Alien to get attention.

By this reasoning, Ridley Scott kidnaps people and lays his eggs in their chest cavities.

 

[Legion]

I can tell one is catwoman and the redhead is a fighting game character(probably street fighter) but who is the blond girl?

Mami Tomoe from the anime 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica'.

 

[Legion]

I don't get this whole thing.
Since when is "Gamer" a group that can be infiltrated? Has anyone ever tried to infiltrate vegetarians by pretending to not like meat?

And hey, maybe there are people who like to pretend to like something. Why should I care?

This is more akin to people who choose to be vegetarians to make a statement as opposed to genuinely having a belief for why you should be one. Like the teen Goth's who don't know anything about the culture, but like the black and white make-up because it gets all the preppy kids staring at them.

Your response at the end sums it up though, really. Why does it even matter? Who cares? Why should we?

If girls do not care about nerdy stuff but want to cosplay in sexualised costumes, who exactly are they hurting? The nerd culture? The one that is generally looked to be about socially awkward men who wouldn't know anything about women? If anything, having some attractive women around at cons might help negate some of the more derogatory stereotypes. Assuming that those guys don't spend the whole time drooling over them and being perverted.

Or demanding that sexy ladies stay the hell away from comic books and people who like them...

 

[BreakfastMan]

Yay. Another reminder of how we can't be annoyed with fake people who piss on your hobby in order to whore themselves out for attention, without being judged as chauvinistic pigs who hate all cosplayers and women who relate themselves to games.

Really? Just... Really? Tell me: how can you tell that they are fakers and posers? I want a foolproof method. Please, because I honestly want to know.

 

[[The]Rock]

Would girls pretend to be nerds in order to get attention?

Would men write a webcomic pretending to be a girl in order to get attention?

That's pretty dumb reasoning. By your logic, Ridley Scott made Alien to get attention.

By this reasoning, Ridley Scott kidnaps people and lays his eggs in their chest cavities.

Checkmate.

This whole concept of "fake geek girls" is moronic, why do people always end up get persecuted for "not being real fans" of something?

 

[The Thinker]

Pssh. You probably think the moon landing wasn't faked by Martians living in Atlantis, either. Trust me, the Escapist just doesn't want sensitive information like that getting out there.

Dude, what are you smoking? Martians in Atlantis? Please. The moon landing was obviously faked out by Illuminati in a sinister plot to spread mind control nanobots out into the atmosphere.

And, as any school child could tell you, the Illuminati is run by Martians living in Atlantis. Geez. It's like talking to a toddler...

 

[Maxtro]

Ben Reilly, the Scarlet Spider

(probably answered already but I only read the first page of comments.

Eh, as somebody whose taken Japanese language classes and been in college anime clubs, I know that geek girls are real, and sometimes they are hot.

Now if only I could get them to date me, which is a story for another time.

 

[Agente L]

So, I was a bit away from all the gamer drama last month or so, what's up with this fake geek girl thingy? I know this isn't exactly new, but what happened lately that suddenly the whole bee nest is out? Did kotaku write an article or it or something

 

[acosn]

So, I was a bit away from all the gamer drama last month or so, what's up with this fake geek girl thingy? I know this isn't exactly new, but what happened lately that suddenly the whole bee nest is out? Did kotaku write an article or it or something

Controversy drives page hits, drives ad revenue, drives the website.


Not that any major journalism hub seems to have gotten the issue. It has very little to do with someone entirely versed in every facet of nerd-dom, and much more with women who are just riding on the coat tails of it for no clear reason. It's about the women (and men, though its a smaller problem amongst males) who can't pass absurdly low bars for the fan groups they profess to be a part of such as being able to identify the character they're cosplaying, the IP it / they are from, ect.

 

[Griffolion]

Was the close proximity between this and the Jimquisition about this topic purely coincidental or planned?

Have I missed something where this topic has suddenly exploded into the spotlight of the internet hate machine recently?

 

[Phuctifyno]

So, I was a bit away from all the gamer drama last month or so, what's up with this fake geek girl thingy? I know this isn't exactly new, but what happened lately that suddenly the whole bee nest is out? Did kotaku write an article or it or something

Controversy drives page hits, drives ad revenue, drives the website.


Not that any major journalism hub seems to have gotten the issue. It has very little to do with someone entirely versed in every facet of nerd-dom, and much more with women who are just riding on the coat tails of it for no clear reason. It's about the women (and men, though its a smaller problem amongst males) who can't pass absurdly low bars for the fan groups they profess to be a part of such as being able to identify the character they're cosplaying, the IP it / they are from, ect.

No clear reason? Women have been exploiting men using sexuality, or pretending to like things they like, or a combination of the two, for pretty much the same reasons over literal millenia. Either because they just genuinely like the attention or because they're hired to, usually by men, to promote something (I guess there might also be the more psychotic ones who snare men into fathering children, they're few and far between and we don't need to bring them into the discussion). Nerd-dom and gaming culture aren't special in this regard, they're just the newest and most popular things at the moment.

Add to that the ever-present portion of young people who get into what their friends are into just to fit in, female or male, even if it's not really their thing. I can understand taking issue with the scorn that gets dished out to these people by pathetic elitists with nothing else going on, but that doesn't make them not real.

I'm not trying to stir up paranoia, and it must be clearly understood that it is a small portion of the female population that acts this way, and I do believe the majority of girls who are nerdy are geniuine, but yeah, the Escapist's sudden pretension (that the notion fake nerd girls even exist is ridiculous) does seem a bit simple, forced, and sexist to men.

It is unfair that girls have to prove themselves in field where guys don't, but that's an unfairness that exists everywhere in our society. I don't defend it one bit, but to dissassemble it, you've gotta do better than just repeating "there's no excuse", because some guys will always feel they have reason to be paranoid of women, even if they don't, and some women will always try to manipulate men because of their offensive assumptions, even if it isn't that many of them. They perpetuate each other... like some kind of spiral... that points downward...

That being said, I probably should have ranted on Jim's video rather than here. I enjoyed the comic. Hopefully the story continues and escalates to dizzying heights.

P.S. To the moderater who gave a warning to "Captain Pancake"... awe come on. I'm calling you out, that comment was perfectly cromulant. Is there just a word minimum? Did you not read the comic? Do you not know who Ben Reilly is? (that last one would be an honest mistake, we won't judge)

 

[ensouls]

On one hand, I know plenty of moderate-to-attractive girls who cosplay and go to cons.

On the other hand, I just saw a serious offer from some small game maker looking to hire an 'attractive female spokesperson, must be familiar with some games and game terminology.' It wasn't a sex game or even an eye candy game, that's literally just hiring someone with tits to hold a controller because you think it'll sell your game.

It's nothing new, just subtly depressing. Someone raging at legit cosplayers is just unhinged though.

 

[Realitycrash]

So, I was a bit away from all the gamer drama last month or so, what's up with this fake geek girl thingy? I know this isn't exactly new, but what happened lately that suddenly the whole bee nest is out? Did kotaku write an article or it or something

P.S. To the moderater who gave a warning to "Captain Pancake"... awe come on. I'm calling you out, that comment was perfectly cromulant. Is there just a word minimum? Did you not read the comic? Do you not know who Ben Reilly is? (that last one would be an honest mistake, we won't judge)

Relax, Max. The guy got reported because it was a Low Content-Post. You can't just write two words.

As for OT: You know what bothers me about this? It isn't that there are "fake"-"nerds" (and stop using the concept 'nerd' as if it symbolizes something unified. It doesn't. None of you can even define what a 'nerd' is and isn't. There aren't Standardized Tests, damnit.) but that some people enjoy attention, and can get it by just flashing some skin. Guys are easy to manipulate.
So no, I don't mind that you don't know any Pokémon, you haven't watched Stargate or played any Fallout. But I mind that you desperately need to dress up in a specific fashion to manipulate men that you clearly have no interest in, just so you can feel better.
And you know what? I see your kind at the clubs all the time. This isn't a "nerd" thing. This is exactly the same thing women do all the time (and some men). Talk to someone, get free drinks, ignore the buyer. So yes, I do mind that you are an asshole.
I also mind that people are fucking gullible enough to fall for it.

So no matter if you actually "know" your supposed area of "expertise", be it "nerd" or whatever, please don't enter a convention (or any establishment) just to manipulate suckers into paying you attention (and other things), no matter what sex you are.
However, if you just want to show up, and enjoy people looking at you, that's fine. Just don't lead them on.

 

[Phuctifyno]

So, I was a bit away from all the gamer drama last month or so, what's up with this fake geek girl thingy? I know this isn't exactly new, but what happened lately that suddenly the whole bee nest is out? Did kotaku write an article or it or something

P.S. To the moderater who gave a warning to "Captain Pancake"... awe come on. I'm calling you out, that comment was perfectly cromulant. Is there just a word minimum? Did you not read the comic? Do you not know who Ben Reilly is? (that last one would be an honest mistake, we won't judge)

Relax, Max. The guy got reported because it was a Low Content-Post. You can't just write two words.

As for OT: You know what bothers me about this? It isn't that there are "fake"-"nerds" (and stop using the concept 'nerd' as if it symbolizes something unified. It doesn't. None of you can even define what a 'nerd' is and isn't. There aren't Standardized Tests, damnit.) but that some people enjoy attention, and can get it by just flashing some skin. Guys are easy to manipulate.
So no, I don't mind that you don't know any Pokémon, you haven't watched Stargate or played any Fallout. But I mind that you desperately need to dress up in a specific fashion to manipulate men that you clearly have no interest in, just so you can feel better.
And you know what? I see your kind at the clubs all the time. This isn't a "nerd" thing. This is exactly the same thing women do all the time (and some men). Talk to someone, get free drinks, ignore the buyer. So yes, I do mind that you are an asshole.
I also mind that people are fucking gullible enough to fall for it.

So no matter if you actually "know" your supposed area of "expertise", be it "nerd" or whatever, please don't enter a convention (or any establishment) just to manipulate suckers into paying you attention (and other things), no matter what sex you are.
However, if you just want to show up, and enjoy people looking at you, that's fine. Just don't lead them on.

As far as people who just want attention, that doesn't bother me too much. Like most guys, I'm annoyed when my hormones are abused, but they can have my attention if they earn it. For example, a good cosplayer is a good cosplayer, regardless of motivation.

Now, "nerds" not defining something unified, I'll agree with you, but try telling that to marketing departments. It's a bonafied, mostly male, demographic. Thus, game controller + boobies = appropriate and effective advertisement strategy. Sometimes I hate this planet, too. Most of the time I just ignore it, but it does get on my nerves when I see good franchises that don't even need sexualization (*cough*Hitman*cough*) fall back on it.

As for Captain Pancake, oh I'm not mad, I don't even know the guy... I guess a few more words could have helped his case... but Ben Reilly IS the clone who took Peter Parker's place... so it was kinda relevent. Maybe I'm spending too much time over at AV Club, where brevity and non sequitur is the standard.

 

[Reincarnatedwolfgod]

why fake nerd girl thing even a problem? in fact if this is even a "problem" by talking about them you make it worst. i was not even aware this "problem" existed until jim sterling brought it up
they are people out there who are being posers who want attention; they exist in every group. if you don't give them any special attention then they go away.

there is the solution to this so called "problem".

also i can't answer that spider man question because i don't read comics. i mainly sick to playing video games and the once in while i will watching or read a anime/cartoon/manga

 

[saintdane05]

(and stop using the concept 'nerd' as if it symbolizes something unified. It doesn't. None of you can even define what a 'nerd' is and isn't. There aren't Standardized Tests, damnit.)

Nerd
an unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person; especially : one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits

From Merriam Webster. HAH! I have defeated you!