Poll: Fake Geek Girl Meme

[antipirate]

I agree with the 2 on topic images that have been posted in responses. Personally I'm wary of disingenuous people in everything that I do and there are geeky situations where I would be more wary of women than men because they are more likely to pose as geeks (men can do it too). Mind you I generally don't care about how much someone knows about something but rather how interested they are in it.

I would guess this would be more of a problem with particular fandoms than with geekyness in general. Fledgling fans could protect themselves by the language they use (I'm really interested in X vs. I'm a big fan of X).

Regards,
Jordan

 

[Lionsfan]

Will I make a big deal out of it though? No. It's a fad, this will all pass and soon geek culture won't be 'cool and hip' anymore. I think 80's hair metal bands are making a come back JUST MARK MY WORDS!

I actually had an idea that I should start a hair metal band to prepare for the inevitable revival of hair metal.

I'll get the cocaine and heroin ready. Somebody bring the unhealthy amount of booze

AYE. booze at the ready for the second coming!

Let it be known that on this day we brought hair metal back from the grave. Prepare yourself mortals, you cannot handle the shitstorm of hair and crazy guitar licks coming your way.

We brought hair metal back from the grave..........
..........
[HEADING=3]we brought hair metal back from the grave[/HEADING].........
.............
[HEADING=2]we brought hair metal back from the grave[/HEADING].........
..........
[HEADING=1]we brought hair metal back from the grave[/HEADING].........You've sealed your own fate now. Don't come crying to me when the people rise up against you and crush you like an ant

 

[Bara_no_Hime]

Yuri manga is made for straight men. The equivalent for heterosexual women is yaoi.

Incorrect. About Yuri that is - you're spot on about yaoi.

Yaoi is gay male anime/manga written by women, for women.

Bara is gay male anime/manga written by gay men, for gay men.

Yuri is lesbian anime/manga... period. It can be written by men or women, and targeted to men or women. Most yuri attracts fans of both genders, and various orientations. Many Yuri authors (around 50%) are lesbians or bisexual women. The rest (the other 50%) is written by straight or gay males.

The issue is that gay men find the relationships in Yaoi off-putting. Yaoi is very clearly a women's fantasy. Likewise, most women don't like Bara because it deals with realistic gay male relationships and is not catering to their fantasies.

On the other hand, yuri doesn't have a divide like that. It contains both. In part because stories written by lesbians are still appealing to the male reader, and in part because many (not all) of the male authors are very sympathetic to the gay/lesbian community, so don't portray the issue as pure fantasy.

 

[Hjalmar Fryklund]

Yuri manga is made for straight men. The equivalent for heterosexual women is yaoi.

Not quite.
Hentai manga definitely is, but normal yuri manga is more often than not shoujo manga. Meaning manga for girls.
In fact, due to the culture in Japan, both yaoi and yuri manga (non-porn) are almost always shoujo manga.
Romance isn't manly enough, especially not when something 'weird' like homosexual relations are involved.

I did kinda knee-jerk about the term there, it seems.

But yes, you are pretty much right. Shoujo yuri and josei yuri are the proper terminolgy when it is intended for women, to be precise.

snip

Gotten corrected already. I am off to the Edit button!

 

[Yohaun]

Fakers gonna fake.

This reminds me of this:


I shiver everytime I see this.

 

[doomspore98]

It happens to both genders. I personally have never been excluded or thrashed for not reading an obscene amount of batman comics. I also have never met a female poser and have only heard of them through myths and tales of yore.

 

[Evil Smurf]

If it makes you feel any better, I like fashion and I get similar treatment because I'm a guy and even once its "accepted" that I like fashion, I'm accused of being gay-which is crap, I'm straight.

I know that feel, I work in child care. So I sometimes get discriminated against because arseholes think I must be gay or a pedophile. I can't as a male just want to be a positive role model. And I am so straight! Fun fact: I was kicked out of a placement because of this discrimination.

 

[Bara_no_Hime]

Gotten corrected already. I am off to the Edit button!

I just saw that. Ah well, it gave me a chance to remind people about the existence of Bara (which, considering my forum name, makes me laugh a bit).

I was actually just about to edit my post to talk about collaborations between male and female authors in yuri. One of the (many) reasons why yuri (particularly shoujo yuri) is so hard to pin down is how do you even classify a yuri project that had one female creator and one male creator (and is marketed to both straight and gay female readers)?

Anywho... I'm not going to add anything actually on topic. For two reasons - one of which is actually that, as a female gamer, I haven't had too many problems with the "fake geek" thing where I'm at. Either because I live in a very liberal part of the USA, or because I met a lot of my geek friends while recruiting for D&D games. When you're a woman Dungeon Master, no one really questions how geeky you are after that.

 

[DoPo]

The closest I have come to "Geek to get attention" was a chick in my guild who used to strip on webcam for the guild master to get gear. It was annoying but not as much "Pretending" to be a geek to get things, just being a desperate enough geek to let strange Norweigens look at her boobs for gear.

I think I found an answer to weeding out the false geeks among us! Just use this pickup line: "Hey, baby, I'll fully equip your WoW char if you show me those boobs." But maybe we can make it unisex: "I'll give you HL 3 if you strip right now."

This will make sure only hardcore geeks/nerds are left in the world. Everybody else will be too creeped out to claim to be one.

 

[Kargathia]

To state it mildly: I'm completely unfamiliar with this. There's quite a lot of geekiness going around between my friends, but holding pissing contests about who's the biggest dork? Laughable.

It might help I'm not claiming any kind of identity from being "geeky". I do whatever I like, and if that helps you sleep better at night, then yes, that partially intersects with multiple social stereotypes. Pick one you prefer.

 

[ExtremePhobia]

... Are we talking about Geeks or Nerds? They are very different things. Geeks read comics, watch sci-fi, and are enthralled by technology. Geeks have quirky personalities and tend to be very passionate about things. However, what REALLY makes a geek is the appreciation of knowledge for what it does.

Nerds read thick books, don't watch TV, and are enthralled with knowing things that you don't. They are socially quirky and tend to be very detached from things. What really makes them a nerd is their desire to know far more than you and look down upon you.

If you'll notice, there really isn't a whole lot that's mutually exclusive. You can be both a Nerd and a Geek. However, being one doesn't really make you the other. Geeks think Batman is awesome - Nerds think Batman is from a picture book.

Which one are we talking about her?

 

[Navvan]

Do guys ever get quizzed about their geek cred before they're accepted as a 'true' geek?

As a male who got into what is today called "geek culture" a bit late in his life by some standards (~16 or so) I can confirm that it does. It isn't a universal thing, but like anything with a sufficiently large population it has noticeable sub-population of assholes.

You don't need to know everything (or even very much) about something to be interested in it. That said there are very clearly some people who feign interest only because its currently "popular" but as its almost impossible to tell the difference in most circumstances you shouldn't judge.

Thanks to the territorial nature of some people you can't make that call if you catch the person claiming to know about something they clearly don't. They could just be trying to fit in.

 

[Evil Smurf]

I think the phenomenon started thanks to dumb 12-year old gamers who instantly fawn over any female they see or hear doing something "nerdy" (presumably in the hopes of getting sex, that's 12-year olds for you). This caused a small number of female attention whores, like the one in the meme, to start calling themselves "nerds" and "geeks". In typical internet fashion, males then overreacted and started assuming that any female gamer was non-legit. Conclusion: The internet makes everything worse.

I think that, in nerd culture, posers are predominantly women, for the reasons I stated above. However, posers aren't always women. In metal, we've hated posers since the 80's, be they male or female. In fact, most of them have been male, because they think that screaming into a microphone and murdering guitars makes them seem "tough" and "deep". I think most poser-ness is caused, on some level, by attention whoring.

EDIT:

Will I make a big deal out of it though? No. It's a fad, this will all pass and soon geek culture won't be 'cool and hip' anymore. I think 80's hair metal bands are making a come back JUST MARK MY WORDS!

I actually had an idea that I should start a hair metal band to prepare for the inevitable revival of hair metal.

I'll get the cocaine and heroin ready. Somebody bring the unhealthy amount of booze

AYE. booze at the ready for the second coming!

Let it be known that on this day we brought hair metal back from the grave. Prepare yourself mortals, you cannot handle the shitstorm of hair and crazy guitar licks coming your way.

We need a ridiculously ostentatious band name now, however...

May I recommend: Hyper Sexcock

we need to wear tight jeans so our third legs are showing. If it is Good Enough for Jimmy Page, it is good enough for us.

 

[ClockworkPenguin]

... Are we talking about Geeks or Nerds? They are very different things. Geeks read comics, watch sci-fi, and are enthralled by technology. Geeks have quirky personalities and tend to be very passionate about things. However, what REALLY makes a geek is the appreciation of knowledge for what it does.

Nerds read thick books, don't watch TV, and are enthralled with knowing things that you don't. They are socially quirky and tend to be very detached from things. What really makes them a nerd is their desire to know far more than you and look down upon you.

If you'll notice, there really isn't a whole lot that's mutually exclusive. You can be both a Nerd and a Geek. However, being one doesn't really make you the other. Geeks think Batman is awesome - Nerds think Batman is from a picture book.

Which one are we talking about her?

I agree with that apart from the bolded line. As a lifelong nerd, I don't want to know more than other people. I just want to know more, period. I enjoy learning for its own sake, there is this inbuilt desire to understand everything I see. Sort of like a non-homicidal Sylar.

Whilst I'm not dishonest enough to pretend I don't enjoy the boost in status that can come from being knowledgeable, that's a bonus, not the motivation.

Also watching TV and reading regularly aren't mutually exclusive. What do you think bedside lamps are for?

 

[Mr F.]

The closest I have come to "Geek to get attention" was a chick in my guild who used to strip on webcam for the guild master to get gear. It was annoying but not as much "Pretending" to be a geek to get things, just being a desperate enough geek to let strange Norweigens look at her boobs for gear.

I think I found an answer to weeding out the false geeks among us! Just use this pickup line: "Hey, baby, I'll fully equip your WoW char if you show me those boobs." But maybe we can make it unisex: "I'll give you HL 3 if you strip right now."

This will make sure only hardcore geeks/nerds are left in the world. Everybody else will be too creeped out to claim to be one.

I guess this is the asshole in me, but bear with me.

Why chase away the fakes? I mean, sure, they are a bit annoying. But to deliberately try and lie about nerd cred in order to hang around with a bunch of nerds because you are that desperate for attention?

Really?

Why do people chase these mythical creatures away? Seriously, if 15 year old me had the ability to get off with someone who would occasionally make asinine portal references I would have tapped that so hard... I was going to turn that into a metaphor or something. I just do not have the energy.

But that is sorta my point. If someone is so desperate for attention that they are hanging around with a bunch of nerds, and considering that it would be uber-nerds that would chase these predominantly womenfolk away, it seems a bit self-sabotaging to remove these creatures from the social circle. Yes, they are posers, but they want the attention. Let them spend time around you. Worst case scenario, you get sex from some attention starved emotionally damaged poser. Best case scenario, you realise you were wrong and they are not a poser. Seriously, the kind of ubernerd who would react to a poser negatively probably has very few options overall anyway.

Everyone wins!

I hate the entire idea of a "False Geek". Just sounds like Geek Orientated ethnic cleansing. So what I have never, and will never, watch anime that doesnt appeal to me (So far everything but Deathnote and, uh, some weird thing that I watched with my sister. It was set in a private school, was hilarious, and one of the main characters is pretending to be a boy during the fist episode. Man I wish I could remember what that was called) I can still, and regularly do, quote Firefly and Serenity at length and I used to be a tournament class gamer (Till WoW killed all online competitive multiplayer for me and CoH become "Company of Pay to Win" or, as I like to call it "Starcraft: World War 2 Edition")

What was I saying? Oh yeah.

tldr; Stop chasing away posers, morons. If you care that much about geek culture it is safe to say you do not get much attention from the fairer sex. Let them stick around. If they are just posers, you get sex. If they are not just posers, you get friends. Either way, everyone wins. Nerd elitism just makes me want to fucking kill things. Same reasoning behind my utter refusal to tell people what kind of music I like. One more Indy Music Cred Fight and I might haul off and beat someone to death with a club made out of Arcade Fire CD's and welded together with the blood of Tool fans.

tldr;tldr; Fuck it. Be happy.

Bacon.

 

[Schadrach]

I have never come across a female "Posing" as a geek. I guess it is an American thing. Like liking Red Hair, it just doesn't happen in the "Real" world.

Wait, no one likes red hair? When did that happen? I've had things for multiple redheads in the past...are you suggesting I'm some kind of freak? =p

The closest I have come to "Geek to get attention" was a chick in my guild who used to strip on webcam for the guild master to get gear. It was annoying but not as much "Pretending" to be a geek to get things, just being a desperate enough geek to let strange Norweigens look at her boobs for gear.

Closest I've personally seen to that was a female guild leader/raid leader/main tank who offered to make a topless jumping jacks video if we'd just get the damn Lich King fight right this time so she could get some sleep. It took three more attempts, so no bouncy-bouncy jumping jacks for us. =p

When you're a woman Dungeon Master, no one really questions how geeky you are after that.

Wait...when you show a working knowledge of something that extends beyond the most superficial aspects thereof, people don't question your subcultural identity related to that thing? even if you are a woman? HOW CAN THIS BE?

 

[Eclipse Dragon]

... Are we talking about Geeks or Nerds? They are very different things. Geeks read comics, watch sci-fi, and are enthralled by technology. Geeks have quirky personalities and tend to be very passionate about things. However, what REALLY makes a geek is the appreciation of knowledge for what it does.

Nerds read thick books, don't watch TV, and are enthralled with knowing things that you don't. They are socially quirky and tend to be very detached from things. What really makes them a nerd is their desire to know far more than you and look down upon you.

If you'll notice, there really isn't a whole lot that's mutually exclusive. You can be both a Nerd and a Geek. However, being one doesn't really make you the other. Geeks think Batman is awesome - Nerds think Batman is from a picture book.

Which one are we talking about her?

I believe we're talking about geeks and those girls who pose with game controllers and fake guns,
and think just because they've played one session of Soul Calibur that they're somehow now a geek.

As opposed to nerds and those girls who pose with thick glasses (taped together) and text books in their hands.

You're correct the two words do often get confused,
but they both face a similar issue in these girls who normally don't identify with them posing as them for some reason.

-----------------
OT: Well I can't speak for those girls who say "Oh I spent an hour playing Mario I'm such a geek tee hee.",

My sister, who is in no way interested in comics, got a movie offer to play the lead villainess in a film based on a Sci-fi comic.
She got the role because she's good looking and the producers wanted to market the movie to geeks.

She turned down the role because they showed her the source material and it all just seemed "To weird" for her.
That and the villainess is spider themed and she's arachnophobic.

 

[DoPo]

-snip-

'Twas a joke, man. Embracing the stereotype of weeding out "unworthy" geeks, pushing it to an extreme to underline the pathetic part - it makes the "geek inquisition" look weird in the eyes of the everybody else.

 

[Eternal_Lament]

As I guy I've personally never experienced this, but I have seen this happen to guys. They go through similar accusations, that both are seeking attention. Now, to be fair more often than not when a guy gets called out on it it is usually on the nose, although with women it varies. The problem is that when someone fakes being "geek" it's really quite clear, and this is something that both genders can easily be accused of doing. To deny the existence of those latching onto trends such as the "geek" trend would be naive, however when you look at how geek culture was predominantly male, those who were there in the beginning are weary when new faces show up, an attitude that has carried over it seems.

As for if there is a male version of gatekeeping, most definitely, just more in other cultures. Things such as fashion are seen as a primarily female thing, with guys interested either accused of being gay or doing it for female attention. Wish to go see a G or PG film? Only if you have an extra X chromosome or a kid with you, otherwise you'll likely be questioned as to why you're there.