I'm ashamed to be called a Geek

[Kpt._Rob]

Sounds like you're still living in 1985.

The time of the "pale, socially retarded gamer living in his parents basement" stereotype is coming to an end. If they want to join in some of our hobbies, it means they're willing to try to accept us. We should accept them.

The problem is, they're not, were just the current flavour-of-the-month.

Two years ago, they were all emos, before that they were all yuppies. Once they get sick of being ironically geeky, they'll move on and leave us like the emo kids; mocked and taken out of context forever more.

You're telling me that we weren't mocked and taken out of context before? This from someone who opened this thread by talking about how "real geeks/nerds" were fashion unconscious social outcasts?

Let me make a couple of points here, and the first is one that I had to struggle to come to terms with. That being that there is no one in this entire universe who hates hipsters more than another hipster. Hipsters tend to be very arrogant, and want to believe that they are hyper-unique, sometimes to the point that the rest of society can't accept them. You will never find a hipster who wants to fess up to being a hipster, unless they're doing it ironically perhaps. I used to really really hate hipsters (and they still annoy the hell out of me), but then I realized how much I have in common with them. Doesn't this desire define ones self with separation from the core culture by being too socially different really get to the core of what it is to be a hipster? What I'm asking here is, have you perhaps taken a look in the mirror? I remember when I took that look in the mirror, and damn it all if it wasn't one hell of a shock.

Second, even assuming you're not a hipster, is it really that big a deal if they mooch off your culture for a while? You've already made it more than clear that our original social status wasn't all that grand, how much worse do you really think they can make it? To the extent that they have helped a lot to bring nerd culture into the main culture, they've helped bridge some of the social gap between us and the non-nerd part of society.

And finally, let me point out that you should be careful if you're making an argument about a group of people and accuse them of being "the beautiful people." It might just undermine your argument, because people will start to suspect that the reasons you're giving, aren't your real reasons for being upset.

 

[ThorUK]

They may be hipsters but they still advance the causes of the Video Game industry

Casual games are not the way forwards... they're a stumble backwards to hand-held tetris-like games of the '90s.

 

[Liquid Paradox]

I have a good idea... we can all continue just not giving a shit one way or another. Hating on hipsters is all fine and good, but I am not giving up my lifestyle on their account. I remember once when a person told me that the only reason he would never listen to Pink Floyd was because he doesn't like a particular group of people who listen to Pink Floyd... this is sort of the same situation, and it proves to me that you sir are more interested in "being different" than what being a geek truly means: Not giving a shit about clothes and labels and doing what makes you happy.

Becides, in a few years or so, the hipsters will move on to a new fad. They already did this with punk a few years ago, and Emo, and goth, and skater... right now it's geek. tomorrow it will be, I don't know... maybe rocker.

 

[TheRealCJ]

Sounds like you're still living in 1985.

The time of the "pale, socially retarded gamer living in his parents basement" stereotype is coming to an end. If they want to join in some of our hobbies, it means they're willing to try to accept us. We should accept them.

The problem is, they're not, were just the current flavour-of-the-month.

Two years ago, they were all emos, before that they were all yuppies. Once they get sick of being ironically geeky, they'll move on and leave us like the emo kids; mocked and taken out of context forever more.

You're telling me that we weren't mocked and taken out of context before? This from someone who opened this thread by talking about how "real geeks/nerds" were fashion unconscious social outcasts?

Let me make a couple of points here, and the first is one that I had to struggle to come to terms with. That being that there is no one in this entire universe who hates hipsters more than another hipster. Hipsters tend to be very arrogant, and want to believe that they are hyper-unique, sometimes to the point that the rest of society can't accept them. You will never find a hipster who wants to fess up to being a hipster, unless they're doing it ironically perhaps. I used to really really hate hipsters (and they still annoy the hell out of me), but then I realized how much I have in common with them. Doesn't this desire define ones self with separation from the core culture by being too socially different really get to the core of what it is to be a hipster? What I'm asking here is, have you perhaps taken a look in the mirror? I remember when I took that look in the mirror, and damn it all if it wasn't one hell of a shock.

Second, even assuming you're not a hipster, is it really that big a deal if they mooch off your culture for a while? You've already made it more than clear that our original social status wasn't all that grand, how much worse do you really think they can make it? To the extent that they have helped a lot to bring nerd culture into the main culture, they've helped bridge some of the social gap between us and the non-nerd part of society.

And finally, let me point out that you should be careful if you're making an argument about a group of people and accuse them of being "the beautiful people." It might just undermine your argument, because people will start to suspect that the reasons you're giving, aren't your real reasons for being upset.

Sounds like you're still living in 1985.

The time of the "pale, socially retarded gamer living in his parents basement" stereotype is coming to an end. If they want to join in some of our hobbies, it means they're willing to try to accept us. We should accept them.

The problem is, they're not, were just the current flavour-of-the-month.

Two years ago, they were all emos, before that they were all yuppies. Once they get sick of being ironically geeky, they'll move on and leave us like the emo kids; mocked and taken out of context forever more.

You're telling me that we weren't mocked and taken out of context before? This from someone who opened this thread by talking about how "real geeks/nerds" were fashion unconscious social outcasts?

Let me make a couple of points here, and the first is one that I had to struggle to come to terms with. That being that there is no one in this entire universe who hates hipsters more than another hipster. Hipsters tend to be very arrogant, and want to believe that they are hyper-unique, sometimes to the point that the rest of society can't accept them. You will never find a hipster who wants to fess up to being a hipster, unless they're doing it ironically perhaps. I used to really really hate hipsters (and they still annoy the hell out of me), but then I realized how much I have in common with them. Doesn't this desire define ones self with separation from the core culture by being too socially different really get to the core of what it is to be a hipster? What I'm asking here is, have you perhaps taken a look in the mirror? I remember when I took that look in the mirror, and damn it all if it wasn't one hell of a shock.

Second, even assuming you're not a hipster, is it really that big a deal if they mooch off your culture for a while? You've already made it more than clear that our original social status wasn't all that grand, how much worse do you really think they can make it? To the extent that they have helped a lot to bring nerd culture into the main culture, they've helped bridge some of the social gap between us and the non-nerd part of society.

And finally, let me point out that you should be careful if you're making an argument about a group of people and accuse them of being "the beautiful people." It might just undermine your argument, because people will start to suspect that the reasons you're giving, aren't your real reasons for being upset.

Of course I'm upset, I set up a perfectly good "think up of some silly words to call ourselves" thread, and people think I'm being serious.

 

[Dorian6]

Sounds like you're still living in 1985.

The time of the "pale, socially retarded gamer living in his parents basement" stereotype is coming to an end. If they want to join in some of our hobbies, it means they're willing to try to accept us. We should accept them.

The problem is, they're not, were just the current flavour-of-the-month.

Two years ago, they were all emos, before that they were all yuppies. Once they get sick of being ironically geeky, they'll move on and leave us like the emo kids; mocked and taken out of context forever more.

I still don't think that we should respond by trying to further distance ourselves with some false sense of superiority at having liked it before it became mainstream. You know, the exact thing they did to us growing up.

 

[cieply]

mandatory

 

[GrinningManiac]

People who apply labels willingly to themselves obviously have a disturbing need to be associated with something. A need to belong.

It's kinda pathetic. Not in the cruel sense (you're pathetic) but in the weak, megre sense (the strength of that beer was pathetic)

In short - you'll be a billion times happier if you stop with this "us vs them" attitude and this weird need to define yourself by what group of people you are apparantly a "member" of

Jao

 

[Gunner_Guardian]

I don't know where you are at. Gaming and geekdom where I live isn't really a fashion statement or anything, it's just something you do. It's not uncool or cool it's just what you do... and that's the way I like it.

Though I do notice some video game hipsters popping up...

 

[TheNamlessGuy]

DELETED

 

[Dr Snakeman]

Sounds like you're still living in 1985.

The time of the "pale, socially retarded gamer living in his parents basement" stereotype is coming to an end. If they want to join in some of our hobbies, it means they're willing to try to accept us. We should accept them.

The problem is, they're not, were just the current flavour-of-the-month.

Two years ago, they were all emos, before that they were all yuppies. Once they get sick of being ironically geeky, they'll move on and leave us like the emo kids; mocked and taken out of context forever more.

You're telling me that we weren't mocked and taken out of context before? This from someone who opened this thread by talking about how "real geeks/nerds" were fashion unconscious social outcasts?

Let me make a couple of points here, and the first is one that I had to struggle to come to terms with. That being that there is no one in this entire universe who hates hipsters more than another hipster. Hipsters tend to be very arrogant, and want to believe that they are hyper-unique, sometimes to the point that the rest of society can't accept them. You will never find a hipster who wants to fess up to being a hipster, unless they're doing it ironically perhaps. I used to really really hate hipsters (and they still annoy the hell out of me), but then I realized how much I have in common with them. Doesn't this desire define ones self with separation from the core culture by being too socially different really get to the core of what it is to be a hipster? What I'm asking here is, have you perhaps taken a look in the mirror? I remember when I took that look in the mirror, and damn it all if it wasn't one hell of a shock.

Second, even assuming you're not a hipster, is it really that big a deal if they mooch off your culture for a while? You've already made it more than clear that our original social status wasn't all that grand, how much worse do you really think they can make it? To the extent that they have helped a lot to bring nerd culture into the main culture, they've helped bridge some of the social gap between us and the non-nerd part of society.

And finally, let me point out that you should be careful if you're making an argument about a group of people and accuse them of being "the beautiful people." It might just undermine your argument, because people will start to suspect that the reasons you're giving, aren't your real reasons for being upset.

Sounds like you're still living in 1985.

The time of the "pale, socially retarded gamer living in his parents basement" stereotype is coming to an end. If they want to join in some of our hobbies, it means they're willing to try to accept us. We should accept them.

The problem is, they're not, were just the current flavour-of-the-month.

Two years ago, they were all emos, before that they were all yuppies. Once they get sick of being ironically geeky, they'll move on and leave us like the emo kids; mocked and taken out of context forever more.

You're telling me that we weren't mocked and taken out of context before? This from someone who opened this thread by talking about how "real geeks/nerds" were fashion unconscious social outcasts?

Let me make a couple of points here, and the first is one that I had to struggle to come to terms with. That being that there is no one in this entire universe who hates hipsters more than another hipster. Hipsters tend to be very arrogant, and want to believe that they are hyper-unique, sometimes to the point that the rest of society can't accept them. You will never find a hipster who wants to fess up to being a hipster, unless they're doing it ironically perhaps. I used to really really hate hipsters (and they still annoy the hell out of me), but then I realized how much I have in common with them. Doesn't this desire define ones self with separation from the core culture by being too socially different really get to the core of what it is to be a hipster? What I'm asking here is, have you perhaps taken a look in the mirror? I remember when I took that look in the mirror, and damn it all if it wasn't one hell of a shock.

Second, even assuming you're not a hipster, is it really that big a deal if they mooch off your culture for a while? You've already made it more than clear that our original social status wasn't all that grand, how much worse do you really think they can make it? To the extent that they have helped a lot to bring nerd culture into the main culture, they've helped bridge some of the social gap between us and the non-nerd part of society.

And finally, let me point out that you should be careful if you're making an argument about a group of people and accuse them of being "the beautiful people." It might just undermine your argument, because people will start to suspect that the reasons you're giving, aren't your real reasons for being upset.

Of course I'm upset, I set up a perfectly good "think up of some silly words to call ourselves" thread, and people think I'm being serious.

You should understand that the whole "gamer elitism" mentality is really not welcome on this site, as evidenced by lots of articles, practically every other Extra Credits, and the like. Bring it up in a thread, and people will naturally get all grumpy about it.

 

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

I have no idea what you're talking about, but good luck with needing to label yourself...

 

[Gamblerjoe]

The OP's argument seems more like someone saying "i dont want to be a skater anymore, because of all those skaters who wear skater clothes everyday but cant even do an ollie."

People who cant skate are not skaters, and people who wear a NetHack shirt but arent gamers arent geeks. Also, wearing retro clothes for the sake of being silly is not ironic.

 

[xc00l n3rdx]

Why can't people just be whoever they want???

Why does everybody have to have a label??? Chavs, Emos, Geeks, Rockers, Mods, Goths or Skaters

Why does everybody have to follow the rules of their 'group'... why can't you just be you and be happy with that????

It just seems to me that if you haven't got a label then you don't seem to exist in this world!

 

[Nieroshai]

Here's a name you can use since most people don't want to wear it: sociopath. It fits...

 

[Caliostro]

It used to be that the few of us who were known as nerds or geeks were fashionably unconscious, smart, and social outcasts. And we didn't care.

But now it seems the term "geek" has been hijacked by hipsters wanting to break away from the old archetypes. Everywhere now I see "ironic" retro gaming t-shirts, jewelry made from video game cartridges,store bought steampunk gear and worse, being worn by the kind of people I spent my childhood years playing videogames to get AWAY from. You know, the fucking Beautiful People.

So I propose a new word for the socially malnourished outcasts I associate with. Let's have some suggestions!

(/angry old man rant)

So, to you, "geeks" are socially inept functionally retarded uglier than sin virgins with all the tact and charm of down's syndrome? And this was the group you chose to associate yourself with? My god, that's a group I'd RUN from. Even if I was the ugliest person on this planet.

First and foremost let me front the idea that social labels are always a negative point to your character (or, more specifically, lack there of). You identify yourself with a certain "label" ("geeks", "jocks", "goths", "metalheads", whatever) because you're either too simple, or too incompetent, or too scared, to simple accept yourself as whatever you are. It IS easier to follow. It is easier to simply look at a set of predetermined standards and just blindly follow those than be who you are. First because no matter how shitty things get with everyone else, you have bought yourself a support group through your subservience. "You join us, we'll back you up!" is the unspoken contract of these things. Second because you just don't have to think... Thinking is such a tiresome thing. You have to decide what you stand up for, what you like, what you dislike, what you want, what you feel... Every bloody minute of every day... Over everything... Isn't that tiresome? So much easier if someone else just does it for you, and you just subscribe to their newsletter.


Why? Why must we bear this crux of penance, this sword of damocles, that if we happen to enjoy something we must immediately adhere to whatever other tastes the loudest group of fanatics happen to advocate? Can't I not enjoy a game without being a socially maladjusted 300 lb piece of ugly who instantly ejaculates the moments he comes within 5 ft of a female? Am I forced to lobotomise myself, say "bro" five times per sentence, and become incapable of tackling any situation that isn't solved by punching if I enjoy playing sports?

Can't you be healthy, socially adjusted AND enjoy gaming? Are we so pathetically shallow that we can't enjoy the things we enjoy? That we need to constantly evaluate whom else shares tastes with us, so we can better fit this ridiculous notion we created for ourselves based on a pre-determined model?

If you enjoy games, enjoy your fucking game. Why does it matter who else enjoys it? If you suddenly discovered the worst person in the world enjoyed your favourite activity, would you stop?

/rant.

 

[TheTygre]

If you're still sick of the 'cool kids' taking 'your' stuff, then it's time adapt. Sink to where they cannot follow. This is the way of things.

 

[TimeLord]

It used to be that the few of us who were known as nerds or geeks were fashionably unconscious, smart, and social outcasts. And we didn't care

I agree but at the same time, appalled by your stereotype of geeks. The description you make is how geeks are shown in any Hollywood movie you care to mention. Not how [most] geeks are today.
I am not a social outcast. I am smart, yes (more than anybody else in my social circle at least).

But fashionably unconscious?

Never!

 

[hyperhammy]

Hey, at least they aren't actually pale basement-dwellers like the normal geek stereotype.

Why do you like geeks being social outcasts, again?

I agree, it honestly would help the gaming community to clean up their image a little.
HECK! I consider myself more of a hipster than a geek!

 

[Mordwyl]

Are you implying all geeks are ugly? That's an unfair stereotype. :<

 

[astrav1]

You used Ironic incorrectly. But no one actually thinks of them as nerds, only hipster douches.