Comments on: A New Era of Geek Elitism

By: geekindenial

geekindenial — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 20:54:01 +0000

I share your concern regarding this elitism; in a way, we've become no better than our former oppressors. However, I don't think open-mindedness in of itself is a solution. These geek communities are sanctuaries for many people-even full grown men and women. They need a 'secret club' of sorts where they can just be themselves. What is required is a basic civility and respect: no attacks on each others' character or interest, nor approval. Geek related interests-whether exoteric or esoteric-are not life and death matters. Thusly, they do not merit lengthy discussion outside the constraints of the particular subject at hand.

For example, instead of attacking a person for liking McKeller's books, the objectioner should direct his attacks against the book itself: Why is it juvenile? Why, exactly, should no one use a certain programming language?

By: something sensual

something sensual — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 20:37:25 +0000

bring back fig leaves! Although I would need the whole tree

By: Jeff

Jeff — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 09:02:45 +0000

The annoying thing about this list is that sexiness in geek terms should stretch beyond G Strings at least a little, and this list ignores that. It's like let's go find people who look like greek statues and say they like WOW or actors who play geeky people.
Geek sexiness should allow for a little bit of physical lee-way. Marti Noxon has never posed nude or been objectified but she's incredibly talented and pretty. I think she's sexy. There are quite a few people like this that. Someone like Diablo Cody who has legs for days while being a huge nerd. The point is I think people are attacking the list for it's shortsightedness. Geeks can be sexy without having 18 packs. That should be the point. What could be a hugely fun thing becomes a quest for blondes with with X Boxes and double D's.

By: Robin

Robin — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 06:49:09 +0000

"I guess I need to start thinking of the internet as one big middle school cafeteria. "

It pretty much is. :-

By: AlphaGirl

AlphaGirl — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 04:08:30 +0000

I found that within certain circles at my school, too. There was the popular circle of being beautiful, but if you didn't fit into that you could always go smart, or go band, or whatever. And within the smart circle, it could get ugly, too. I got dropped from AP chem to standard in 10th grade and it was a scandal among my friends.

By: AlphaGirl

AlphaGirl — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 04:04:01 +0000

I agree that there are people on there that really shouldn't be, including the cast of Firefly, among others. I also get that middle school feeling of being shut out of a certain lunch table. I guess I need to start thinking of the internet as one big middle school cafeteria.

By: Robin

Robin — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 03:45:32 +0000

I have to agree with some of the Wired commenters that not all of the people submitted for voting are geeks unto themselves. Some of the actresses, in particular, have merely been in geeky shows, rather than actually being geeks. (Morena Baccarin? Sweet lady, decent actress, very pretty, but not a geek except maybe about theater. In the context of Wired, not so much.)

That said, most of the other complaints / criticisms over there are clearly petty trolls who refuse to acknowledge any opinion other than their own. I was especially annoyed by the person who demeaned Danica McKellar's books. They aren't aimed at "tween bimbos"; they are aimed at smart girls who might stop trying to achieve academically under peer pressure to be cool. It's an undeniable trend among middle school children, and I for one am proud of her for doing something to combat it. Smart needs to be more widely accepted as sexy.

By: Rhea Dee

Rhea Dee — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 02:11:01 +0000

Some of those comments are ridiculous ways to measure one’s geekiness—the difference between a Blackberry and an iPhone? Seriously? THAT is the bar they’ve set?
I find the idea of social fascism interesting. My math grades also dropped in middle school—but I really wasn’t getting it. And because everyone else was getting it, I was too scared to say that I wasn’t getting it. Basically, what I’m saying is that my middle/high school social fascism (or popularity meter) was built around how smart you were; if you were in all the honors classes, etc. Whenever a classmate didn’t get and made it known, there was eye rolling and backstabbing about how dumb that person was for not understanding Chemistry. This one douchebag I knew publically outed me in Honors Government because I’d failed a test. Publically outed me! Like I was a witch or something.
Anyway, I love this post. I'm glad that you exposed the moronitude of those sexist, elitist commenters.