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A geek ( or ) is a person who is fascinated, perhaps obsessively, by obscure or very specific areas of knowledge and imagination, usually electronic or virtual in nature. Geek may not always have the same meaning as the term nerd.
Etymology It is commonly believed that the word "geek" originates with side-show "circus geeks" — performers at carnivals who swallow various live animals, live insects, and so forth. Sometimes this would extend to biting the heads off of chickens or other small livestock. "Sicilius Leonatus: Why did you suffer Iachimo, Slight thing of Italy, To taint his nobler heart and brain With needless jealousy; And to become the geck and scorn O’ the other’s villany?", Shakespeare's Cymbeline Act V, Scene IV, (around 1609). A possible turning point in the American usage of the word geek was the slogan "pencil-neck geek" coined by the wrestler Freddie Blassie in 1953 and popularized by him thereafter. Blassie also turned it into a song in 1976 *. The song is a bridge between the old and new meanings of the word "geek". It defines a geek as a circus freak, but then portrays a geek as someone who deserves to be harassed and assaulted, by implication a social outcast. Blassie plausibly popularized current usage. Geek Definitions The definition of geek has changed considerably over time, and there is no definite meaning. The social and rather derogatory connotations of the word make it particularly difficult to define. The difference between the terms "geek" and "nerd" are widely disputed, as the latter might be identified as someone who is intelligent, and the former as someone who has an unusual eccentricity towards a certain category or topic. Below are some definitions of the word; all are still in use to varying degrees. Reclaiming and self-identification Geek has always had negative connotations within society at large, where being described as a geek tends to be an insult. The term has recently become less condescending, or even a badge of honor, within particular fields and subcultures; this is particularly evident in the technical disciplines, where the term is now more of a compliment denoting extraordinary skill. There is an increasing number of people who self-identify with the term, even when they are nontechnical or do not fit the classic geek archetype. Nontechnical Because geek is no longer purely pejorative there are many self-labeled geeks who disagree over the use of the label. Similarly many older geeks in whatever field of devotion become upset when their field becomes popular and wish to set up standards that exclude late adopters or whole subjects of interest as not being truly "geeky". While in the past the dispute would not have been over use of the term "geek", this is not a new phenomenon by any means. There were loud disagreements in the 1960s and 1970s among science fiction fans over the use of sci-fi or science fiction, with some science fiction geeks trying to get sci-fi to be only used for what they defined as bad science fiction. Later there were fierce debates among geeks over the use of hacker and cracker and the adoption of "leet" speak by less technically adroit computer users. Today geeks devoted to technical pursuits want to distinguish themselves from people they see as falsely holding themselves out to be intellectuals, in particular people who are most interested in the arts or entertainment as they can be approached more casually as opposed to techie subjects which require vast amounts of serious study and commitment, thus appearing more like work than a hobby to outside observers. Indeed, a trait of genuine "geekhood" is workaholism. For the most part the general public and even most geeks are unaware of the distinction and would be likely to see the computer geek and the genre fandom geek as being more similar than dissimilar. Many teenage and college students adopt the stereotypical outward traits of geeks in order to fit in with the so-called geek subculture. It has been observed that many of the classic eccentricities associated with geeks has been due to their social awkwardness and were thus naturally occurring instead of contrived behavior. However, in the recent decade, many geeks have cultivated for themselves a number of behavioral traits that one sports as an indication of being "in the know" and "out of the mainstream". These range from geek humor and obscure references to T-shirts sporting references to geek culture or interests. Also, Many adults (both male and female) cultivate personality quirks and eccentricities in an effort to appear more interesting or generate mystique. While this practice was classically associated with artistic types, it is becoming increasingly common with college professors and other intellectuals who wish to avoid the widespread stereotypes of being shy, reserved, dry, or straightlaced. While technical geeks are grudgingly acknowledged for being absorbed in a craft that at least has real life career potential, it is often argued that while not impossible, genre geeks who aspire to a profession in that genre (for example comic book artists and writers) are more likely to face the scenario where many are called but few are chosen. Nonetheless, the derogatory definition of geeks remains popularized as that of a person engrossed in his area of interest at the cost of social skills, personal hygiene, and the general responsibilities of adulthood such as having a steady job and one's own place to live. One of the widely perceived criticisms among geeks, whether their geekiness stems from career choice or extracirricular activities, is the widespread notion that they need to get a life. Elements of the slacker culture have merged with the geek culture particularly because of the wider availablility of consumer-based pop culture and entertainment in contrast to previous decades. The characters Jay and Silent Bob of Kevin Smith's Jersey movies are examples of self-styled geeks who are adept at absorbing genre trivia but not particularly intelligent, educated, or productive otherwise. TV shows Geeks have gained a cult status, and some TV programs have cashed in on this image. Notes See also Geek subtypes/qualities | ||||||||
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