All Geeks: Come On Down
In the last few days the Internet has been flooded with comments related to an ugly article written by one Joe Peacock in which he claims the power to designate who is, and who is not, a geek, and, as being a member of geek culture is a precious thing, he’s not allowing in attractive women cosplayers.
It is a bizarre thesis, and disturbing, and I admit having the urge to psychoanalyze him. What makes him so angry with hot, spandex-clad females? But that leads us into ad hominem territory, so best to leave Mr. Peacock’s mental state in untouched shadows. I’ll stick to his disquieting statements.
For those lucky enough to have missed it, Peacock, writing on CNN (which should know better) states that there are women appearing at geek events who he objects to in the way I might object to a group of neo-Nazis appearing in my living room.
What I’m talking about is the girls who have no interest or history in gaming
I get sick of wannabes who couldn’t make it as car show eye candy slapping on a Batman shirt and strutting around comic book conventions instead.
Generally he calls them “booth babes,” which allows him to consistently confuse two groups of people: paid models who appear at company booths at conventions (the normal subject of the term) and female convention attendees who enjoy dressing up in costumes (cosplayers). His vitriol showers both:
I’m talking about an attention addict trying to satisfy her ego and feel pretty by infiltrating a community to seek the attention of guys she wouldn’t give the time of day on the street.
But as pretty much nothing he says applies to paid models, who are not there for their egos, but to make a living (and more power to them), I will forget about them as quickly as Peacock.
The flaws in his reasoning, such that it is, are numerous and glaring, but as I lack the patience to take them one by one, I’ll just go after the give-away.
And be it known that I am good friends with several stunningly beautiful women who cosplay as stunningly beautiful characters from comics, sci-fi, fantasy and other genres of fandom. They are, each of them, bone fide geeks. They belong with us.
“Us.” There is the rotted foundation to his house of filth. You see, there is an “Us” and a “Them” and we certainly don’t want any of “Them” hanging about with “Us.” The “Us” is geeks, and apparently we’ve become a gated community. “Geek” is not a vague term referring to many people and their interest in some sub-section of a wide variety of subjects and activities including comic books, science fiction, computer gaming, fantasy movies, etc., etc., etc., including cosplay. No, it is a rigid secret society with a strict entrance policy containing a completely homogonous group.
Peacock has taken it upon himself to be the membership board of the Geek Club, and announced that cosplay alone is not enough. Without a “thorough and complete knowledge of the history of gaming,” you are not allowed through the golden doors (and keep away from our conventions you posers!). And if you are only interested in one of the items required of true geeks, then you sicken Peacock. Poor fellow must have a rough time outside of conventions, where every human about him must induce him to vomit.
I cannot help but wonder how I would affect him. You see, I don’t play computer games (with the exception of a couple tower defense apps on my phone). And I’ve never been much into comic books. I have to assume I’d make him gag. Now I started playing D&D in 1978, when the only way to get the game was to travel to Lake Geneva Wisconsin and find a tiny dark shop on a corner. I also participated in and ran LARPs for years and was a tournament MTG player (I have two sets of the Power 9 — in case anyone would like to buy one). I started reading SF in 4th grade. I grew up on Godzilla and Speed Racer, and study fantasy, horror, and SF films like a fiend. I am also a director at Dragon*Con. Yet, I doubt I qualify as a true geek to Mr. Peacock.
Getting past his self-crowning as King of the Geeks (which is hard to get past as I could come up with 100 people I personally know with more “credentials” for the job): it is the idea that there is an exclusive club that really stinks up the place. I would have thought anyone with any vague notion of “geekdom” would know the folly, cruelty, and sometimes evil of exclusivity. But not Peacock.
This is painfully silly, because Peacock is not alone in being a buffoon. Recently a minor blogger (now there’s a phrase) attacked Felicia Day via Twitter for not being enough of a geek. His jack-assery was not of the insidiously poisonous nature of Peacock’s, but it was foul enough and made quite a stir in the twitter-verse. These are but the latest puss-filled explosions of a flawed philosophy that reared up over a year ago when Team Unicorn (icons of geekdom to whom I tip my hat) created their Geek & Gamer Girls video. Loved by most, there was a minority who complained about it, saying that the four girls were too cute to be true gamers, and thus shouldn’t be making what was a very amusing video about being a geek…and a gamer…and a girl…
It’s really quite simple: There is no club. There are no walls. There are no rules. There is no “Us.” Everyone is invited. If you like to game and read comics, great. Come on down. If you only read science fiction, wonderful. Come on down. If you loved The Avengers movie and would like to see more of these things called “super hero folks,” excellent. Come on down. And if you happen to be an attractive girl and you want to dress up like super girl, then please, come on down.