So the geek-o-sphere is a buzz with the latest attempt to market what is and isn't a geek, and what is and isn't geek-chic. Already the arguments rage across twitter and the blag-o-sphere. The big beef seems to center around Ashton Kutcher and Shaq claiming to be of geek persuasion, as well as various comments about Magic and DnD. Apparently this is bad, this whole notion of breaking down the geek stereotype.
And I think that is the real objection that a lot of people are having towards this whole Geek Advancement ( dot com! ) project. It breaks down the a set of stereotypes that are critical to the self definition of a lot of 'geeks'. Placing people of high blankness in positions of cool, geek, chic, hot, and athlete all at the same time certainly denigrates the social tribe that is geekdom. But in a way what I find interesting is that this is exactly what geek culture is about. Geeks, like any of the artificial tribes that populate our connected-disconnected world, have various tiers of authority and worth. Wil Wheaton says the people over at Geek Advancement ( dot com! ) missed the point, that they should have been focusing less on the 'Cool Kids' and more on the gods of geekdom. But who honestly wants something like that, which speaks only to the 'in tribe' members of the geek world?
Not even geeks, if you ask me. For what else is more 'geek' than being argumentative and engaging in debate? It is what we -DO-, it is how we -LIVE-. Be it arguing with our DM over applicable uses of the Cantrip spell or griping about how Blizzard nerfed some-class-or-another, geeks live to gripe. And then gripe about the gripers. Ad infinitum. What sort of value would there be in having the gods and heroes of geekdom droning on about things that most geeks don't get? It is of value only to the 'in' members of the tribe, those outside the phyle are left confused.
I am sure what we are seeing is the early stages of the geek tribe fragmenting much like the Goth tribe did, blasting itself into groups like Glitter Geeks, Mama Geeks, L33T G33K5, Art Geeks, etc. Quite frankly being a 'Geek' is a spectrum ranging from moderate to hard core, and sure, maybe Ashton Kutcher is pretty low on the geek-o-meter, but he probably has a bit of geek in him. Maybe not.
And I think that is the real objection that a lot of people are having towards this whole Geek Advancement ( dot com! ) project. It breaks down the a set of stereotypes that are critical to the self definition of a lot of 'geeks'. Placing people of high blankness in positions of cool, geek, chic, hot, and athlete all at the same time certainly denigrates the social tribe that is geekdom. But in a way what I find interesting is that this is exactly what geek culture is about. Geeks, like any of the artificial tribes that populate our connected-disconnected world, have various tiers of authority and worth. Wil Wheaton says the people over at Geek Advancement ( dot com! ) missed the point, that they should have been focusing less on the 'Cool Kids' and more on the gods of geekdom. But who honestly wants something like that, which speaks only to the 'in tribe' members of the geek world?
Not even geeks, if you ask me. For what else is more 'geek' than being argumentative and engaging in debate? It is what we -DO-, it is how we -LIVE-. Be it arguing with our DM over applicable uses of the Cantrip spell or griping about how Blizzard nerfed some-class-or-another, geeks live to gripe. And then gripe about the gripers. Ad infinitum. What sort of value would there be in having the gods and heroes of geekdom droning on about things that most geeks don't get? It is of value only to the 'in' members of the tribe, those outside the phyle are left confused.
I am sure what we are seeing is the early stages of the geek tribe fragmenting much like the Goth tribe did, blasting itself into groups like Glitter Geeks, Mama Geeks, L33T G33K5, Art Geeks, etc. Quite frankly being a 'Geek' is a spectrum ranging from moderate to hard core, and sure, maybe Ashton Kutcher is pretty low on the geek-o-meter, but he probably has a bit of geek in him. Maybe not.
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