Wil's just written a blog post that I am somehow unable to comment on, so I'm writing my response here. I'll try to draw it to his attention - maybe wrap it around a bouncy ball and throw it down his chimney - but the likelihood is he won't read it. Never mind eh!
See, all this kerfuffle is about this video saying it's ok to be a geek. That you don't have to play D+D to be passionate about tech things. Wil feels that this casts 'traditional' geeks, like himself, in a derogatroy light.
Wil, I think I speak for all of me when I say: WAT.
I can't tell you anything about Slackware and Debian, am I not a geek? Or have I accrued enough Geek Points in other areas to be grudgingly permitted to associate with those like you?
"It's like a slap in the face to be associated with these people who claim to be like me." I know it's not what you intended, but that looks like dickery from here. It looks like an elitist jab at people who are trying to redefine what was once an insult. You've embraced the stereotype, they're challenging it. Does that make them wrong? Just how separatist do you have to get about a label that can't even be defined?
I agree with Wyldfire42. However much it might irk you to be lumped in with celebrities, geek isn't binary - it's a spectrum.
Bear
Tuesday, 12 May 2009
FAO Wil Wheaton
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Susan Calvin is the ultimate female geek, and a personal heroine of mine. Also - first post? See, I do pay attention!
ReplyDeleteI don't think it's derogatory, but I also don't think that just because you use the internet means you're a geek. I mean, most of the people there mentioned popular things that are simple, so I think they're trying to redefine geek. I don't understand why. I mean, why is it so important to be called a geek all of a sudden?
ReplyDeleteSo ridiculous.
Anyway. D+D is a fun game. shh.
I've been a geek as long as I can remember. All my life. I'm currently in quizbowl, and a former friend said a bunch of stuff that basically went along the lines of "I'm glad to be normal, and not a loser geek like you". He actually told my girlfriend she was less cool because she was dating me.
ReplyDeleteWhy are geeks discriminated against? Darn those who do!!
Boyd, I've never understood that attitude! personally, I love a lot of things that are considered 'geeky,' and it's a constant source of frustration that I've never played D+D. One day, one day...
ReplyDeleteAmen. If you think you are a geek, you are a geek.
ReplyDeleteD&D is fun though.
I'm sorry, but I do not agree with your take on this, or your take on Wil's stance on it.
ReplyDeleteWell that's ok Melby, it's always gonna be open for debate! What do you think I've missed here?
ReplyDeleteGeeks are impossible to categorise, just like marsupials..
ReplyDeleteWell I think you missed his entire point, really. He was not remotely saying anyone had to have the same "geek creds" that he has. The D&D statement in the video, may have been INTENDED to say "you don't need to rpg/larp/etc to like tech stuff," but what it came off was, "well WE are cool geeks and WE don't do those ridiculous things, see, geeks aren't ALL lame like that!" This is what Wil was saying, and what most people who commented agreed with. That their target may have been good but their aim was WAY off. They did a piss-poor job with it and it just cast a really bad light on "true geeks" who actually do anything more than just own Apple products. Which frankly, does nothing to make someone a geek.
ReplyDeleteAnd, THEY are the ones redefining it, and changing it into something it's not. He wasn't saying "oh I would die if I got associated with these people, they are 'cool celebs'" he was saying, these people do not appear whatsoever to actually BE geeks and were simply doing a gig their publicists pushed on them and totally faking it, they're not real geeks and it's a total mockery of those who are. THAT is what he didn't want to be lumped with.
(also, I hope I didn't come off as overly snarky, it was not my intent, I just feel... well I suppose I feel as passionate as Wil (or somewhere along those lines anyhow) about it so I may come off a little heated, I am not intending to cop an attitude with you or anything.)
ReplyDeleteI think the difficulty I have is with someone saying "They are not real geeks." Who gets to decide that? Who gets to say who's a geek and who isn't? I don't, you don't, not even Wil Wheaton does :) it's a complicated term, and as with any lable, no two people will ever completely agree on what it means.
ReplyDeleteI agree on the slightly critical tone used of WoW and suchlike, that is unnecessary and more about publicity than it should be, so you've definitely got a point there. But I maintain that we shouldn't be so judgmental of people who aren't 'our kind of geek.'
No worries Melby, no hate here either! It's just a really interesting subject, hence the epic debate at the original post. Thanks for being so cool about it. I likewise am trying to live by the wise proverb "Don't be a dick."
ReplyDeleteThe thing is, and Wil admitted it and I agree, that yes, they COULD be geeks, but what then, it's such a horrible stigma that they have hid it all these years and are only just now saying, "oh it's ok after all, I can tell the world now"? I mean, even if that IS the case, to me that is just adding MORE stigma to it, that these big "cool celebs" would see it as such a "bad thing" that they would HIDE IT from the world for all these years... And their reaons for being geeks ("oh I own an iTouch!" uhhh >_>) were totally absurd in most cases.
ReplyDeletePoint being, neither he, nor I, were judging their geekness, but questioning the legitimacy of it. He believes, as do I and most others who commented, that it was ONLY something they did because their publicists told them to, and not because they actually ARE geeks. That they were simply acting in a gig, not standing up for something they believe in, as he was doing.
uh oops, that was me. >_>
ReplyDeleteI'm not a geek but I have my moments haha. So yes, spectrum for sure!
ReplyDeleteHey, Anna, you got me a google-whack. I googled "Alooba Looba" and found part 1 of Manic Lullaby on your creative splurges blog. :D
ReplyDeletePfft, Katie, what do you take me for! Alooba and looba aren't real words, and therefore don't qualify as bona fide googlewhacks ;)
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, I never cease to be impressed that you and Neil still remember it after all these years. Maybe I should post the whole thing up somewhere.
Having read Wil's post, I have to say that I read it differently. There are all kinds of geekery - science, gaming, sci-fi, maths, music, fantasy, Macs, food, photography, chess,... in short anything that's not mainstream and involves some application of your IQ. And it seems to me that's the point you and Wil are agreed on.
ReplyDeleteI was a "nerd" in high school because I got straight A's not because I was into the high tech stuff. Back then, computers filled a whole room and I took typing, not keyboarding. "Geekdom" has changed over the years along with technology. I love Wil's blog, but I read it for his family and TNG stories. Thanks for the post!
ReplyDelete