03.11.03 this just in my inbox…
From: Dr. Wank
Subject: Dorkdom is safe after all
A few days ago I mentioned a article about how geeks might lose their creative energy because they are becoming accepted and thus might miss out on the resentment and solitude that has fuelled their efforts in the past.
Salon readers responded to the article with a chorus of “bullshit!” An excerpt:
“I’m speaking as a 33-year-old dork veteran here, not a quasi-hip “dork”; and I say, don’t worry about the creative dorks of the world disappearing. The fact is, it’s not really cool to be a dork. It’s just cool to look like a Tommy Hilfiger model and wear dorky glasses. Big difference.”
“Real dorks still don’t get laid. Cheerleaders do not attend prom with the best computer science student in school; they just use them for homework help; and that alone will guarantee the dork fire of creativity for generations to come.”
Just thought you’d like to know; we’re safe, for now…
Chuck.
I tend to agree with the guy. At least in my line of work, it’s not exactly hip to be square. This summer, a client asked me what my five favorite movies of all time were. The fact that I enthusiastically responded without even taking time to think, indicating that this is something I had devoted some thought to, made everyone else at the table look at me funny. (plus the response was The Fellowship of the Ring, Chasing Amy, Blade Runner, The Matrix and The Empire Strikes Back). Jokes abounded about how my coolness was but a thin veneer, and I admit I did feel like kind of a loser for a moment. I mean, these were sys admins, MALE sys admins, marvelling (negatively) at how much of a dork I’d just revealed myself to be.
Of course geekdom is contextual. I love Sci-Fi and Tolkien, but consider myself less geeky than people who play RPG’s more than once a week. And I’m queen cool of the universe compared to (Live-Action Role-Playing). As the put it, Sci-Fi TV fans think they’re cooler than Trekkies, who think they’re cooler than Trekkies who speak Klingon, who think they’re cooler than Trekkies who get married in Klingon garb.
What do you think? In your experience, is it still generally chic to be geek? Was it ever? And bonus question: what the geekiest class of geek?