Jimquisition: Fake Nerd Girls

[bluepilot]

Thank you so much for this one.

I think that the whole "fake nerd" thing stems from the fact that some of us discovered our beloved games and characters when we were every young though saturday morning TV, comic books, and cartridge games (floppy disk in my case). On the other hand other people discovered the same things through more mainstream channels. Of course, the knowledge of the latter can never been compared to the knowledge of the former. It is different to have grown up in the culture, and to have found it later in life. I welcome both of course, but I love to meet kindred spirits who grew up the same way I did.

I have never been accused of being a faker, but then again since I started video gaming with Rodland on the amiga 500, have a huge comic collection, speak and read Japanese fluently (hence a huge manga collection in the original language ), multiple plushies and action figures. and an extensive knowledge of the marvel and DC universe...well...it would be pretty hard to find something to call me out on.

I do not know if these things make me a nerd or a fake or whatever, but I do not care (dives into huge totoro plushie pile)

 

[Jenvas1306]

Yea, I already figured, that you where just one of those guys who just went with the flow, you have no idea what this is about, so you should really stop talking about is .

so you decide who is a real gamer now? what puts you into such a position? and why should we consider you a real gamer?
Is it now necessary to take a test to be a real gamer? a real nerd? (thats not a title, thats originally an insult)

 

[Okulossos]

Yea, I already figured, that you where just one of those guys who just went with the flow, you have no idea what this is about, so you should really stop talking about is .

so you decide who is a real gamer now? what puts you into such a position? and why should we consider you a real gamer?
Is it now necessary to take a test to be a real gamer? a real nerd? (thats not a title, thats originally an insult)

Than is not what I said. I never used the term "gamer" but it is a fact, that you are just in it because it is now a cool thing. You lack the background and understanding. This does not make you a non-gamer or non-nerd, it just makes you someone who can not understand what is going on in this discussion. You are part of why things have gone that wrong and the way you argue makes this even more clear. You are now part of this culture, but you are not part of what this culture used to be.
You see, you might be a gamer, but you are in no position to make statements on this subject.

 

[Jenvas1306]

Yea, I already figured, that you where just one of those guys who just went with the flow, you have no idea what this is about, so you should really stop talking about is .

so you decide who is a real gamer now? what puts you into such a position? and why should we consider you a real gamer?
Is it now necessary to take a test to be a real gamer? a real nerd? (thats not a title, thats originally an insult)

Than is not what I said. I never used the term "gamer" but it is a fact, that you are just in it because it is now a cool thing. You lack the background and understanding. This does not make you a non-gamer or non-nerd, it just makes you someone who can not understand what is going on in this discussion. You are part of why things have gone that wrong and the way you argue makes this even more clear. You are now part of this culture, but you are not part of what this culture used to be.
You see, you might be a gamer, but you are in no position to make statements on this subject.

you dont read too much huh? im a different person than vault101.
I've been a nerd all my life, got a gameboy with 6, a super nintendo with 7 (still got that thing), I've allways been interessted in computers, even when the internet became slowly more known here in germany and i barely understood when my father explained it to me (also around the time I was 5 or 6 (1995/1996).
Pokemon cards was quite a thing for me, so were games later on. My father is a tech nerd, but not a gamer.
So how do you judge that now?

and do you want that 'that culture' never changes? what is that culture anyways? who is in it? when are you in it? how do you know if you are a nerd/gamer?

And do you seriously say that an open mind to change makes me not a gamer? ever heard the term 'fascism'?

 

[Vault101]

I think that is is just awesome how you don't even read the posting... I am not bitter, I am ju8st saying that i understand the point of view.
It is not stupid and it is not about suffering, but you can read that in my other postings.

I was not directing at you per se..just the attitude, even if it is somwhat justified its not healthy and I'd argue its part of some of the problems (like the sexism thing) its a "us vs them" metality...a "special club" mentality

[quote/]Yea, I already figured, that you where just one of those guys who just went with the flow, you have no idea what this is about, so you should really stop talking about is .[/quote]
"go with the flow"?
I think I know what I'm talking about thankyouverymcuh

Than is not what I said. I never used the term "gamer" but it is a fact, that you are just in it because it is now a cool thing. You lack the background and understanding. This does not make you a non-gamer or non-nerd, it just makes you someone who can not understand what is going on in this discussion. You are part of why things have gone that wrong and the way you argue makes this even more clear. You are now part of this culture, but you are not part of what this culture used to be.
You see, you might be a gamer, but you are in no position to make statements on this subject.

are you talking to me or jenvas now?

 

[Jenvas1306]

are you talking to me or jenvas now?

I dont think he knows who he is talking to...or what he is talking at all

 

[Jenvas1306]

Is this dead now? I hope so.
Everyone who has so elitist opinions about being a nerd/gamer or gamer/nerd culture, surely only shows how scared they are.
With some common sense, lets welcome everyone who wants to get more into games or other things along these lines.
If there is such a culture, let it be open and friendly.

 

[Vault101]

are you talking to me or jenvas now?

I dont think he knows who he is talking to...or what he is talking at all

but I want a chance to flash my "nerd cred" card with rightous RAGE!

seriously I never get to do that

 

[Phasmal]

Actually from what I recall, the article was incredibly sexist, regardless of it's intended message. "A six trying to act like a nine? THE NERVE! LEARN YOUR PLACE, ATTENTION WHORE!"

Yeah it was pretty shitty.
I liked this: http://whatever.scalzi.com/2012/07/26/who-gets-to-be-a-geek-anyone-who-wants-to-be/.
Summed up my feelings on things pretty good.

 

[Oskuro]

But if I go up to a good looking girl and say, "hey, I like your Kingdom Hearts shirt," I'm suddenly met with stares like I was rubbing my hands and licking my lips while staring at her tits. I genuinely thought a girl shared my common interest of the Disney/Squaresoft JRPG.

Well fuck her. I didn't do anything wrong and now she thinks I'm going to rape her because I SOMEHOW know the origin of her shirt? Shy should I have to be rejected in such a bad way.

I think this is the issue. Guys who think they have a shot because they've finally found a hot girl that shares their (nerdy) interests, only to feel rejected when they find out the girl isn't that much into it.

Or, to put it in a more rude way, lots of horny men angry at women that won't sleep with them.

Sorry to be blunt. I can sympathize, believe me, I'm there too, I'd love to meet women with my admittedly nerdy interests, rather than feel like an alien when their interests are about wine, historical novels or interpretative dance. But seriously, shut the fuck up.

A woman, like anyone, has a right to wear or do as she likes. If she wants to pretend to be geeky, let her. If she wants to dress so slutty as to make Bayonetta blush, it's her right to do so. And none of these things should have any bearing on the respect granted to them as human beings.

 

[chiefohara]

All the best to Megan and Jared, hope ye have a great life together

 

[Okulossos]

I was not directing at you per se..just the attitude, even if it is somwhat justified its not healthy and I'd argue its part of some of the problems (like the sexism thing) its a "us vs them" metality...a "special club" mentality

Yea, seeing sexism as a problem is of cause part of the sexism problem... sorry, but no!
Sexism was not present when I started, all this trolling and flaming began when people started to join in who had no place there.

"go with the flow"?
I think I know what I'm talking about thankyouverymcuh[7quote]
I think you don't.
I even think you can't! How could you after all? You have not been there, you have no Idea

 

[Entitled]

The analogy would be more fitting if the young black voters would be explicitly comparing themselves to the heroes of the Civil rights movement, abusing the fact that the significance of going to vote has changed, and they are not bravely fighting authority as the old man did.

The problem is not that young people are having a good life, but that they are belittling the memory of those who weren't as lucky as them.

Gaming is now a worldwide mainstream cultural phenomenon, with facebook games, iPhone apps, etc. That's good, I guess. Comic Book adaptations are being turned into blockbusters. That's pretty neutral to me, I don't care about comics anyways. Sci-fi shows are common, zombies are more mainstream than football, good for the artists, otherwise whatever.

I don't mind them loving their own, changed versions of these. But couldn't they enjoy them without ripping off the mannerisms and surface elements of that weird subculture of loners and freaks a few decades ago, who pursued "childish" hobbies, who obsessed over hated genres, whose entertainment often actually got BANNED, and who went the hard way to do the unusual, the freakish, the unacceptable?

The heros of old didnt fight for personal recognition or merit. They probably knew they would recieve none and many would bastardise their cause. The "heros of old" wouldnt mind becaue the fact that these people exist to do this proves their fight is won. Im VERY happy people can now use our mannerisms and surface elements without being persecuted. Im happy that the fruits of our labour went to make others happy. I dont mind that they "Rip us off" or that they enjoy the original without "Fighting the good fight". Just because they werent around, old enough or in the right place to "Fight the good fight" doesnt mean they arnt entitled to the original experience we fought so hard to just enjoy ourselves.

Well, that's just it. Nerds are NOT "heroes of old". They were not "fighting for" anything, and especially not for nerdiness being mainstream, just wanted to be left alone as a subculture.

And that's why your analogy is inherently faulty. a civil rights activits who hates present kids having civil rights, is a HYPOCRITE, because his acts are going against his claimed goals.

But not every group can be expected to struggle for total inclusiveness.

For example, it would be pretty weird to say that the original punk rockers should feel happy about big corporations commercializing their mannerisms, and kids imitating their "popular" clothing and hairstyles. After all, these these would be pretty much directly opposed to their whole underlying ideology, about being anti-consumerist, anti-mainstream, and anti-normal.

Or that indie game fans shoul feel happy about Electronic Arts releasing a so-called "indie bundle". Even if it imitates typical indie games with cheap small games, the indie commnunity was also about something more than that, about independence, and free artistic thoughts, so EA of all things imitating them is pretty crude.

You are talking as if the mainstream trying to jump on a bandwagon by copying references, would automatically count as "winning the good fight", so we should all lay back. But that's not the case. Just because EA is publishing something that it calls an "indie bundle", doesn't mean that the indie movement defeated EA's corparate system, quite the opposite.

Likewise, just because now the most ordinary, popular, socially and phsysically attractive people are calling themselves "nerds" while they are watching the most popular movies of our times and playing on their phones just as the giant billboard ad tells them to, doesn't mean that the older underlying paradigm of the subculture that they imitate, has won. Quite the opposite.

Traits like being socially awkward, or being obsessive about a niche interest, are just as mocked as they ever were, it's just a shift of brandings, where the old nerds' identity was recycled for mainstream usage, and now we have to reclaim another insult for ourselves.

 

[Okulossos]

you dont read too much huh? im a different person than vault101.
I've been a nerd all my life, got a gameboy with 6, a super nintendo with 7 (still got that thing), I've allways been interessted in computers, even when the internet became slowly more known here in germany and i barely understood when my father explained it to me (also around the time I was 5 or 6 (1995/1996).
Pokemon cards was quite a thing for me, so were games later on. My father is a tech nerd, but not a gamer.
So how do you judge that now?

Well... Pokemon... ok
Then you should know what I am talking about... except if you have not been part of the Internet at that time...

and do you want that 'that culture' never changes? what is that culture anyways? who is in it? when are you in it? how do you know if you are a nerd/gamer?

I have not made any comments about what it takes to be a nerd or a gamer or whatever, you can be what you want. All I said was, that there is a difference and that there was a problem with nerd culture being part of the popular culture. I am not making assumptions about who does and who does not belong (except for obvious cases). this is not about the change of a culture, but about the destruction of one.

And do you seriously say that an open mind to change makes me not a gamer? ever heard the term 'fascism'?

I am saying that there is a difference between an open mind and an open door for every one. If you go through with what you said you should be inviting everybody you meet into you home. You would never do that, so stop acting like you would .
For a fact, there are a lot of people out there that break what has been great once on a daily basis and feel fantastic about it. And that is just sad.

 

[Okulossos]

Your English needs work. I am having trouble understanding your exact meaning.

In that case it is not my English that needs work, now is it?
Yea, we are there already... Out of arguments and into criticizing spelling... that is just sad...

 

[Jenvas1306]

Yea, seeing sexism as a problem is of cause part of the sexism problem... sorry, but no!
Sexism was not present when I started, all this trolling and flaming began when people started to join in who had no place there.

"go with the flow"?
I think I know what I'm talking about thankyouverymcuh[7quote]
I think you don't.
I even think you can't! How could you after all? You have not been there, you have no Idea

People started to join in who had no place there? like black people in the front of the bus?

and where have you been that entitles you so much? a certain epic D&D campain? vietnam?

WTH are you talking about?