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Long time no see, soapbox.
Mar. 19th, 2009 09:28 am
Drawing by Yllya because she resumes it so well and I love her.
Around the LJ has been circulating some kind of *express your geekdom* thing, du to the fact that the Sci-fi channel is changing it's name to Syfy to attract a larger demografic, play shows that don't fit in the Sci-fi style and also avoid being pinned as *a television channel for geeks, nerds and dweebs.*
Working in communications, I can see why they did that. Even if being a geek, or an otaku, or a nerd, or whatnot, is now a culture in itself rather then just a cultural sideline to the cool and normal people, most people still see it as a sub-culture of sweaty fanboys. Sci-fi (or rather Syfy) is not trying to offend geeks. It's trying to attract the muggles who still believe in the fanboy stereotype. I just hope they do it well, because in the process of gaining a larger audience, they might scare off their original audience who already openly mock them for trying. I admire them for trying, but I wish to remind them that a hell hath no fury like a geek wrongned and that while they try to call in the muggle democrafic, they gonna make sure not to flip off the geeky demographic that paid for their programming for 16 long years.
But back to the geek pride thing. Yes, geekdom has alwats been kindoff a sideline to the muggles. But now, it's a culture. And it's a pretty rich and economically flourishing culture. The same way homosexuality is now associated to a culture when it used to be all hush-hush. Now geeks stick out their palm pilots and wear their leet t-shirts outside in the real world because geek is chic. However, the flop-sweating fanboy still exists. That's the thing with stereotypes, they don't concern everybody, but the fact that they exist and resist to time so gosh darn hard is because they do live and breathe and small numbers. And those small numbers are what the muggles see because... well, the chic geeks look too close to muggles. They aren't scary and are therefore ignored (unless you climb a mailbox and scream yatta!) when the awkward fanboy in a corner is pointed and laughed at because he's got obvious defects. Ah, fear of the unknown...
The way it breaks down to is that ALL social groups are stereotyped in some way and that all social groups feed off the stereotypes of the other groups. The jocks, the pops, the fashions, the geeks, the nerds, the goths, the greasers, the punks, etc. Please confirm that like...a million stereotyped images jumped in your head when you read that. Otherwise you are lying.
Bottom line is, be proud of your demographic, and realise that others will always see in you a stereotype. But then they get to know you and realise geek is chic and you're pretty cool. Whether you're greatest memory when you were twelve was kissing that awesome boy in class or beating the crap out of Secret of Mana it's all okay. What's important is how happy you are. Don't be a geek just because you don't fit in with the other groups. Be a geek because you love it. I know I do.
As a final note, I think the best part of being in a democraphic like *geek* and loving it is that you yourself, get to openly mock your own stereotype.
Over and out.
-Isa
