The word 'geek' can be a positive or negative term depending on who's using it and why, but basically geekery is a subculture. Geeks are unusual in that they are extremely enthusiastic about something that mainstream culture suggests isn't 'cool' or a worthwhile pursuit. Their ability to immerse themselves in a subject that most people consider inconsequential or silly and take it completely seriously is what makes them a geek. You can be geeky about almost anything, but the usual areas you see this in are popular culture and technology (although techno-geeks often evolve into nerds due to the amount of time this pursuit demands from them. Let me explain...)
Important: Geeks and nerds are not the same thing, although there is an overlap. This WikiHow page describes it pretty well, and they have this neat little chart that lays it out.
Basically:
1) Geeks tend to have a little more social nowse than nerds, (if I, a geek, am having a socially inept moment I may describe myself as being nerdy) but this is often by choice as...
2) Nerds are smart and dedicated, but not as social. They tend to aim their obsession at more practical pursuits such as technology and science, and these things take time to master. Geeks (while often very smart) are more relaxed about their interest. They are often involved just for the fun of it rather than for any particularly useful goal so they are happy to share with noobs (newbies, a.k.a those who are new to geekdom).
3) Dweebs are smart but you never get to find out about it because they're kinda socially dense. It's not always their fault, sometimes they're just out of practise.
1) Geeks tend to have a little more social nowse than nerds, (if I, a geek, am having a socially inept moment I may describe myself as being nerdy) but this is often by choice as...
2) Nerds are smart and dedicated, but not as social. They tend to aim their obsession at more practical pursuits such as technology and science, and these things take time to master. Geeks (while often very smart) are more relaxed about their interest. They are often involved just for the fun of it rather than for any particularly useful goal so they are happy to share with noobs (newbies, a.k.a those who are new to geekdom).
3) Dweebs are smart but you never get to find out about it because they're kinda socially dense. It's not always their fault, sometimes they're just out of practise.
That's the stereotype at least.
Why are geeks so weird?
Weirdness is relative - we only think geeks are weird because they don't like what the mainstream likes. So the better question is why don’t they?
As I said, you could be geeky about anything but the most obvious place you can spot a geek is in the area of culture: literature, movies, history, visual arts and so on. Heck, there are conventions especially for people who like this stuff, such as Comic-con, FanExpo in Canada (I would personally LOVE to go to that one), and the Star Trek Convention because it is such a specialist subject. Hardcore geeks will completely immerse themselves in the world of their chosen fandom to the point of learning imaginary languages which they will use to talk to each other (such as in the Klingon Opera), writing novels and papers to expand on the main story, and dressing up as canon or self-invented characters from it. So what's the draw? Why this instead of what everyone else likes?
As I said, you could be geeky about anything but the most obvious place you can spot a geek is in the area of culture: literature, movies, history, visual arts and so on. Heck, there are conventions especially for people who like this stuff, such as Comic-con, FanExpo in Canada (I would personally LOVE to go to that one), and the Star Trek Convention because it is such a specialist subject. Hardcore geeks will completely immerse themselves in the world of their chosen fandom to the point of learning imaginary languages which they will use to talk to each other (such as in the Klingon Opera), writing novels and papers to expand on the main story, and dressing up as canon or self-invented characters from it. So what's the draw? Why this instead of what everyone else likes?
I have a personal theory on this, and it comes down to three things.
1. New Myths
Most * of the main geek fandoms follow storylines that have been around for millenia and are embedded in classic literature. There's a theory that there are really only seven stories in the world. The characters are often archetypes, such as the hero, anti-hero, big bad villain, damsel in distress etc, so their personality traits are familiar and easily recognised by their audiences. These seven plots deal with the fundamentals of human life - love, hate, birth and death, fear and hope, family, good and evil, all the big ideas - and thus have been repeated over and over throughout history with different characters, in different places, and with slight tweaks here and there. These transcend culture and time, and are universally relatable subjects, so each new society that comes along is able to modify the same story and reuse it in their own form.
I'll give you an example. One of the most well-know of the seven storylines is The Quest, in which our heroes go on a journey to achieve the goal or object which someone really needs for an important reason. (Incidentally, every Roadtrip movie you've ever seen is also a Quest movie.) The story is how they make that journey and what the consequences are for everybody. These are as old as the hills.
Jason and the Argonauts: Ancient Greek Myth where a hero has to go and find a legendary Golden Fleece and claim his rightful throne from the wicked king. He is accompanied by his friends and they must defeat lots of obstacles to reach their goal.
Most * of the main geek fandoms follow storylines that have been around for millenia and are embedded in classic literature. There's a theory that there are really only seven stories in the world. The characters are often archetypes, such as the hero, anti-hero, big bad villain, damsel in distress etc, so their personality traits are familiar and easily recognised by their audiences. These seven plots deal with the fundamentals of human life - love, hate, birth and death, fear and hope, family, good and evil, all the big ideas - and thus have been repeated over and over throughout history with different characters, in different places, and with slight tweaks here and there. These transcend culture and time, and are universally relatable subjects, so each new society that comes along is able to modify the same story and reuse it in their own form.
I'll give you an example. One of the most well-know of the seven storylines is The Quest, in which our heroes go on a journey to achieve the goal or object which someone really needs for an important reason. (Incidentally, every Roadtrip movie you've ever seen is also a Quest movie.) The story is how they make that journey and what the consequences are for everybody. These are as old as the hills.
Jason and the Argonauts: Ancient Greek Myth where a hero has to go and find a legendary Golden Fleece and claim his rightful throne from the wicked king. He is accompanied by his friends and they must defeat lots of obstacles to reach their goal.
Star Wars: Science fiction movie where a hero has to go and learn how to use a legendary power which will help him save the world from the wicked Empire. He is accompanied by his friends and they must defeat lots of obstacles to reach their goal.
Even though they are set in completely different places and times the stories are essentially the same. Replace the word 'spaceship' with 'sailing ship' in any science fiction film, and make outer space an ocean. The setting may change dramatically but the emotional journey of the plot will not. The story is the same, just translated.
Even though they are set in completely different places and times the stories are essentially the same. Replace the word 'spaceship' with 'sailing ship' in any science fiction film, and make outer space an ocean. The setting may change dramatically but the emotional journey of the plot will not. The story is the same, just translated.
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(*) The exception to this rule is that geekdom is now very self-aware and will deliberately parody itself, subverting its own rules. For example, KickAss, a story about a superhero with no powers whatsoever who is, frankly, a bit rubbish. This is just part of the re-spinning of these old myths and the new twists just add to the bank of familiar stories.
2. Escapism
Let's face it, there isn't a convention of Eastenders geeks where fans turn up dressed as Pat Butcher. Almost all the tales that attract geeks are set in the past, a hypothetical future, or a completely fictional world and time. Even those that are set on modern day Earth like Doctor Who or Buffy the Vampire Slayer have elements that just aren't 'realistic' like superpowers and monsters.
Whether it's due to nature or nurture, geeks (and nerds to a greater extent) traditionally have some trouble fitting into the social shoes they were assigned and might feel isolated or just intellectually unchallenged. This isn't to say that every geek grew up traumatised and freakish, just that they didn't immediately find their niche in the society.
Unsatisfied or bored with their circumstances, those that don't fit the mold turn their brains to imagining new situations. They mentally construct other places where more interesting things might be happening and insert themselves into this fictional world as someone who is accepted by the alternative culture they have made (which explains the popularity of warriors and elves in role-playing games). Geeks create vast and intricate imaginary worlds to live in and explore. When they encounter someone else who has also built one of these mental worlds the natural response is to combine. The bigger and more detailed the world becomes, the deeper they can go and the more they enjoy themselves. Here they can excel, reinventing the rules and their own images, connecting with other similar people, exercising their brains, and expressing their creativity. This world could be somewhere safe and comforting, but more often than not it's somewhere challenging, full of puzzles and dilemmas where their fictional selves can earn success and acknowledgement on their own terms. It's not so much that getting interested in geeky subjects causes you to not fit in. Rather, people that don't feel they fit in are more easily drawn to geek culture.
3. What’s with all the elves?
Myths don’t tackle real life issues directly, they do it by talking about something else. Jason and the Argonauts isn’t really about how amazing golden sheep are, it’s a metaphor about personal growth, facing the unknown, and fighting for what’s right (actually, a lot of myths are about this). For me this explains the large amount of fantasy, science fiction, and super-realism that exists in geekdom.
Setting a tale in a place that isn't familiar helps us to separate it from what's going on in our own lives and look at the story objectively, meaning we get more out of it than we would if it were set closer to home. Science fiction and fantasy genres have allowed producers and authors to tackle issues like racism, sexism, justice, artificial life, and the morality of war without being ham-handed or overly obvious. A story with a dragon isn’t just talking about an actual dragon – that dragon could represent anything in your life that is difficult, therefore that hero facing it could be you, and seeing the beast defeated resonates with you when you read about it. Author G.K. Chesterton (whom I love unreasonable amounts) said it best; “Fairy Tales are more than true; not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.”
By giving us that distance, science fiction and fantasy stories can be more relevant to us than tales set in the real world because they can bypass all the niggling everyday problems in a grand sweep of imagination and get right to the root of the real issue. These big epic tales of heroes and villains give us a break from what life really is, and allow us to imagine all the possibilities of what it could be.
By giving us that distance, science fiction and fantasy stories can be more relevant to us than tales set in the real world because they can bypass all the niggling everyday problems in a grand sweep of imagination and get right to the root of the real issue. These big epic tales of heroes and villains give us a break from what life really is, and allow us to imagine all the possibilities of what it could be.
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