Geeks are a nation! Strong and proud!
Well, to be fair, many of us don’t do as many pushups as we should, and we hide in basements staring at our computers all day, but still…..(pause for comedic effect)
And like any strong nation, we need women. Straight or gay, a real geek appreciates women. From the girl who’s mother drive us both to the game store to countless girlfriends (some of them my own) who sit through hours of superhero movies, Miyazaki Animated Films and even go with us to conventions to be leared at by lesser life forms…we love them all.
But the “Geek Girl”, that special breed of the female species, the girls who plays World of Warcraft because she loves it, not because it’s a chance to check up on her boyfriend – the women who recommend their favorite anime based on one you like, and even loan you the DVDs – the gorgeous young woman you meet at the comic store who has to talk to you for an hour or two about Star Trek because her boyfriend doesn’t understand (yes, that happned to me, and yes it was great) – all these and more we pay homage to.
Let’s be honest, science fiction, fantasy, superheroes – all of these genres, like most genres of writing, television and film – tend to be male dominated. It is a male-dominated business. More stories are going to be aimed at young men than women. There are notable and wonderful exceptions. And there are works made by men (the above mentioned Miyazaki films) that appeal to wider audiences. But “Geek Girls” are a special breed that find their love of fantastic stories transcending the boundaries of societal norms. Like “Tomboys” who play baseball as little girls, climb trees and like to hang out with the boys, Geek Girls just like what they like. It doesn’t matter that they are liking something that they’re not really supposed to. And who the hell’s business is it what they like and don’t like anyway?
Geek Girls are funny, smart and sexy as hell. They break from traditional molds and turn us on in non-traditional ways. Geeks tend to seek the unusual, the novel, the new. Geek Girls represent another option in dating. A girl of consummate creativity. A woman with sensibilities similar to our own. Even if were not interested in dating her, a new companion in Geekdom with a fresh point of view and a new way of talking about and looking at the same old things is always welcome.
I’ve often been disappointed that women are sometimes taught to hide their intelligence and their sense of humor for fear of scaring off potential mate. But how wonderful it is to meet a woman who doesn’t give a damn about the standard male/female myths and enjoys just being herself in all her geeky glory. A woman doesn’t have to be covered in tattoos, have a Betty Page haircut or an apartment filled with action figures – not that any or all of those disqualify a woman in my eyes. Far from it. But like a male geeks, female geeks come in many different shapes and sizes. And they are all appreciated because they dare to be different. Sometimes I believe that society weighs more heavily (when it comes to restrictions) on women as opposed to men. Men are supposed to be assertive, aggressive and blaze their own trail. And women are meant to be deferential to some male in their life.
But of all the different types of women that stand apart, Geek Girls obviously have a very special place in my heart.
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