This photo was taken at the Massachussetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and shows how seriously those folks take their hard-studying ways. A lovely way to alert people to their wonderful sense of humour and self-consciousness, don't you think? At the same time I wonder if it doesn't help people to fit MIT into unhelpful stereotypes. What do you think?
A blast from the past, 'Never Gonna Say I'm Sorry' was a hit single from Ace of Base, offering lyrics which could seem a bit contradictory at first. Compare the depreciating 'I'm a loser,' in the first verse versus 'I'm always here, like the sun,' a positive affirmation in the chorus and you'll see a multi-layered identity emerging this song about appreciating one's geeky side. "I'm not normal; I know it; I don't care," declares Jenny.
The video itself is very multi-layered and fragmented, hallmarks of geekiness which place it snugly within a postmodern frame. We have faces being altered by what I'll describe as the funhouse mirror effect, many juxtapositions of images, and fragmented body parts appearing on the screen, making it a gorgeous piece to deconstruct.
Hi! My name is postmoderncritic and I can name all the 144 episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer in chronological order... I also have almost all of them on DVD and happen to own two posters, two comic books, and eveb used to walk around with a burgundy backback showing off a golden Buffy logo at the height of my obsession. I also have been known to sample slash (especially real person slash) in great quantities when I have
nothing else to do . It's one of those things which might endear me to you, or alternatively make you raise an eyebrow at what you regard as my dubious taste. But whether someone's geeky obsession makes you 'squee' or 'squick'...
It's time to reveal your own!
What text(s) gets you hyped up for reasons that remain obscure to the merely unenlightened?
Are you a passionate collector of something (and does my Lonely Planet library count??)?
What is your rare and quirky speciality and how does this affect your interaction with your other non-geeky affiliations?
Do you hide your fanhood status from your friends or declare it from the hilltops?
Yes, it's time to 'fess up to the true extent of your geekiness. ; o )
Most geeks would be familiar with the fantastic Mac versus PC advertisements. This concept has been taken to a whole new level of geekdom, with these parodies. They pit against each other Marvel and DC, the two iconic comic book companies, with most of the content relating to their recent forays into film. Not being a comic aficionado, I can't really comment on the legitimacy of the claims made within the videos, but they are still a fun watch.
I hadn't realised how long it was since I last posted on this blog. Curse real life for getting in the way of my online one! Some of you may remember that, an eon ago, I posted asking for suggestions for a new geek quiz. This quiz would hopefully be more representative of the views of actual geeks, particularly those that frequent Orble.
After going through the comments, I've come up with a rough outline for some questions. They are not all inclusive, and can certainly be changed. More questions are needed also to fill in the gaps that I have left. For the moment, it is done in the format of one answer per question
The responses to yesterday's post highlighted that there were definite omissions from the Geek Test. In his comment, Cibbuano stated that a new geek test was needed, and that Orblers could make suggestions pertinent to their own areas of geekdom.
Some categories that I think should be included are
DuskDevi was kind enough to send me a link to this How Geeky Are You? Quiz. I had already done some basic searches, attempting to find a Geek test to feature on the site, but most were either too simplistic or too complex.
I like this test because, as I have stated before, Geeks are not an homogeneous group. This quiz showcases some of the most prominent geeky attributes. My results are as follows
The term geek can be hard to define; it is used liberally, but most find it difficult to articulate what it truly means. This is mostly due to the fact that it has moved so far from its routes, and it continues to evolve even now.
A geek originally referred to a carnival
Zero Wing Humour - Still geeky or now too mainstream?*
performer that swallowed live animals, most notably those that bit the heads off chickens. This is light years away from the geeks of today, although there is still an element of social pariah to both. However, the geek's position at the fringe of society is rapidly changing; the term is now being used as a badge of honour and of self-identification. As the saying goes, geek is chic, but the real question remains - what exactly is a geek?
Welcome (back) to The Geek Speak! The blog has a new look and is under new management. Many of you know me from TV Babble, but I am also a geek at heart. This place will be a shrine to the emerging and evolving geek and nerd culture that has swept society.
This is an open blog, so if you have a passion for all things geek it would be great to have you on board. Just click the link on the right to apply