The one thing that REALLY matters in the "fake geek girl" debate.

[Erttheking]

[Snip

....Yeah I'm going to have to throw my hat into the ring with everyone else and say that this does kind of feel sexist. They're not allowed to dye their hair? Not allowed to be comfortable with their sexuality? Not allowed to play FPSs?

This...not cool man.

 

[TehCookie]

I'd save my dog from drowning in a whirlpool-- oh wait wrong thread.

My response is ask them why they hate themselves so much they pretend they're something they're not.

Also fake gamers at a con? The ones I've met thought buying a console was a waste of money, and don't know what a con is.

 

[Zhukov]

Can't we just, y'know... let 'em do their thing?

I mean, it's not like they're hurting anybody...

 

[IllumInaTIma]

Can't we just, y'know... let 'em do their thing?

I mean, it's not like they're not hurting anybody...

BUT THEY ARE TEWKING OUR JOBS GAEMS!

Yeah, I also could never understand what's the big deal is. Cute girls who want our attention? FUCKING SOLD!

 

[keniakittykat]

Fair enough, they exist, but why does it matter? Have you ever been personally aggravated by one of them?

EDIT: Also, what's with the preppy attitude of calling people on their nerdiness? We're supposed to be an inclusive, welcoming bunch, dammit.

*slow clap* You are 100% right! When did we become the popular kids bullying the 'posers'? What should we do? Nothing! Think about it: sure, our 'culture' might get a bit watered down while faring the mainstream rapids. BUT it means that we won't get ridiculed for our interests, our favorite shows, games and merchandise have been more available than ever, and we're no longer the designated pee-pole!

We shouldn't be fighting among ourselves, but embrace our social acceptance while it lasts. The same thing happened when the whole 'punk-goth-rock' thing became popular around 2007. People got pissed, the former social outcasts started casting out people themselves, and before you could light your torches and chant ''Burn down hot topic'' the trend fell off the face of the earth. The same exact thing will happen. Just be patient.

 

[Lil devils x_v1legacy]

Maybe this is something that is regional, or maybe I just didn't hang out with people who bullied others in the first place, but I don't remember anyone ever being put down here for playing games. I do remember kids being bullied for looking weird, wearing certain clothes, Goth makeup, listening to different music or saying stupid things but never can I recall anyone here being bullied for games. Popular kids always played games here, so the idea that you had to be awkward, unattractive, and bullied to like video games comes across as weird to me in the first place.

I would be considered what people consider " one of the popular kids" I was good at everything I did. I fall out of bed looking great. Hell they didn't even put makeup on me for some of my photo shoots. I was a cheerleader, captain of the gymnastics team, had my own apartment at 15, and threw insane parties. I also started making money playing games at 8 years old, played DnD nightly that lasted 4 years in high school, have built many computers, do case and board modding, do dioramas, cathode and sheet metal art, competed in odyssey of the mind, and many more activities that would be considered " reserved for geeks".

The idea that someone is somehow not a gamer because they are attractive or popular is strange. The idea that you have to be stupid if you are attractive, or that you have to meet these "awkwardness criteria" standards to be considered a " real gamer" is absurd. I am more of a hardcore gamer" than the majority of people I play with and never had to deal with people bullying me, nor do I consider that part of the " gamer experience".

EDIT: I don't wear weird fashion glasses, I don't take pictures with my controllers, I don't wear strange eye makeup, or have unnatural colored hair. I am not going to change how I am to appease anyone. LOL

 

[Foolery]

Eh. Nice wall o' text, Lilani. If they really do exist, I'll deal with them the same way I deal with other posers. Which is to do pretty much nothing. I won't seek them out, but if I come across one, I'll correct them if they don't know what they're talking about. Or even invite them to do something geeky for real. Jeebus. Is this that much of an issue?

 

[wintercoat]

-snip-

So, "real" geek girls aren't allowed to wear fashion glasses, play FPS's, have hair that's an unnatural color, have a tattoo in a place that can be interpereted as "attention-seeking"[footnote]Because if there's one thing that is never an aspect of having a tattoo, it's attracting attention.[/footnote], or express any kind of sexuality. "Real" geeks are plain, asexual, and have no distinct style about them.

Because guys NEVER wear fashion glasses[footnote]Excluding Doctor Who[/footnote], play FPS's exclusively[footnote]Excluding huge swathes of those communities[/footnote], have their hair dyed different colors[footnote]Excluding the guys that do[/footnote], have tattoos in attention-seeking places[footnote]Except guys with big tattoos on their biceps, chests, or backs[/footnote], and are never ever EVER obnoxious or loud or attention-seeking in online games.

Nobody should be allowed to wear fashion glasses. Ever. And anyone who does should be poked in the eye.

As to the topic of fake gamer girls...ehh, who cares? They aren't hurting anyone. All they're doing is latching onto something popular. No harm in that. Who cares if they don't have "The Cred" to hang with the hip crowd. You(general you) aren't the gaming gestapo who gets to decide who's allowed into your clubhouse, and who gets "removed".

I mean, fuck, there are probably more fake gamer guys than girls. Don't see anyone bitching about them.

 

[Gethsemani_v1legacy]

What I really would like to know is if these "fake geek girls/guys" would label themselves as posers if they were to give an honest answer. As far as I can tell, the whole issue is not so much about whatever or not someone is "fake", as it is about that some gamers have set an arbitrary standard for what you must do or know to be a "real" gamer. As IceForce's picture shows and Phasmal's reply both seem to indicate, the real distinction isn't whatever or not the person laying claim to being a gamer knows a lot about games or not, it is whatever or not they might be considered an attractive girl.

I mean, if these girls do exist the interesting issue is whatever or not they are just looking for attention or if they are sincerely interested but are still relatively new to the gaming scene. Let us be honest here for a moment: Does anyone really believe that these girls would spend all this time trying to get into the good graces of a subset of guys that are well known for their sexism and generally anti-social ways (whatever this stereotype of gamers is true is another discussion) if they weren't sincerely interested in games? If they are doing it just for the attention, is that so they can be sexually harassed at Comicon , E3 and whenever they decide they want to play online?

Either way, I think the way to treat these girls ought to be the same: Afford them the same respect as anyone else. If they are interested, they'll remain so and stick around to become another contributor to the community. If they are only posing, chances are they might like the community enough to stick around and continue gaming anyway. If they don't find it interesting, they'll leave sooner or later. It is not like any of us are losing out by adopting a "game and lets game"-policy.

 

[Ickorus]

Treat them equally? C'mon, that's silly.

We should weigh them on a scales with a duck and if they weigh the same we'll burn 'em.

But yeah, honestly, I try to treat everyone equally in all aspects of life as is, personality decides how I treat you, just so happens that the 'fakes' tend to be attention seekers and I really don't like that personality trait.

 

[Foolery]

I mean, if these girls do exist the interesting issue is whatever or not they are just looking for attention or if they are sincerely interested but are still relatively new to the gaming scene. Let us be honest here for a moment: Does anyone really believe that these girls would spend all this time trying to get into the good graces of a subset of guys that are well known for their sexism and generally anti-social ways (whatever this stereotype of gamers is true is another discussion) if they weren't sincerely interested in games? If they are doing it just for the attention, is that so they can be sexually harassed at Comicon , E3 and whenever they decide they want to play online?

Nah. But they might do it to make money on youtube or a twitch feed. No big deal really. I don't watch those kinds of videos anyway. Good for them. Though, when it comes to something like booth babes, I always prefer someone that has an interest and knowledge in whatever they're representing.

 

[Lil devils x_v1legacy]

I mean, if these girls do exist the interesting issue is whatever or not they are just looking for attention or if they are sincerely interested but are still relatively new to the gaming scene. Let us be honest here for a moment: Does anyone really believe that these girls would spend all this time trying to get into the good graces of a subset of guys that are well known for their sexism and generally anti-social ways (whatever this stereotype of gamers is true is another discussion) if they weren't sincerely interested in games? If they are doing it just for the attention, is that so they can be sexually harassed at Comicon , E3 and whenever they decide they want to play online?

Nah. But they might do it to make money on youtube or a twitch feed. No big deal really. I don't watch those kinds of videos anyway. Good for them. Though, when it comes to something like booth babes, I always prefer someone that has an interest and knowledge in whatever they're representing.

I would think the problem with finding booth babes that actually play games is the majority of female gamers wouldn't want to be a booth babe and find it insulting. I sure as hell wouldn't do it. I wouldn't do you tube videos either though, so it could just be me.

 

[Foolery]

I mean, if these girls do exist the interesting issue is whatever or not they are just looking for attention or if they are sincerely interested but are still relatively new to the gaming scene. Let us be honest here for a moment: Does anyone really believe that these girls would spend all this time trying to get into the good graces of a subset of guys that are well known for their sexism and generally anti-social ways (whatever this stereotype of gamers is true is another discussion) if they weren't sincerely interested in games? If they are doing it just for the attention, is that so they can be sexually harassed at Comicon , E3 and whenever they decide they want to play online?

Nah. But they might do it to make money on youtube or a twitch feed. No big deal really. I don't watch those kinds of videos anyway. Good for them. Though, when it comes to something like booth babes, I always prefer someone that has an interest and knowledge in whatever they're representing.

I would think the problem with finding booth babes that actually play games is the majority of female gamers wouldn't want to be a booth babe and find it insulting. I sure as hell wouldn't do it. I wouldn't do you tube videos either though, so it could just be me.

That's a good point. I'm not overly fond of booth babes. I'd rather just talk with the developers or creators. PAX actually banned booth babes at one point, which I thought was a good choice overall. Cosplayers are cool people though.

 

[Norithics]

The dirty secret here is that all of us are or were fake geeks about something or another at one time. Somebody brings something up and wants to talk about it, you've heard a little bit, so you feign a deeper knowledge for the sake of conversation and social bonding. Gasp in horror!

Here's an idea: If they're "fakers" and don't really know about things, why not, I don't know, educate them? Show them something neat, actually get them into things they might like.

It's like when I have conversations with my friends about, say, football. I don't know jack about it, but I'll notice what I can and they supplement me with knowledge I didn't have because that's the entire point of knowledge, it's transmittable. These information misers are completely bizarre to me.

 

[Lilani]

Nah. But they might do it to make money on youtube or a twitch feed. No big deal really. I don't watch those kinds of videos anyway. Good for them. Though, when it comes to something like booth babes, I always prefer someone that has an interest and knowledge in whatever they're representing.

"Booth babes" are professional models who are hired out for random jobs that require them to stand around and look pretty. Their profession is looking appealing in various situations, such as in commercials, in magazine ads, car promotions, those sorts of things. They aren't always hired out to be "booth babes," and nor do they always have the time or obligation to know anything about what they're representing. To them, it's just another modeling job, no different from a gig where they stand next to a 2014 Mustang at a car show. I imagine the companies that hire them (as in, the game and console companies that hire them to work conventions) can stipulate that they know a few surface-level things, but asking them to be very well-versed in the product is just silly. That isn't their job. Their job is keeping in shape and looking as appealing as possible even under humiliating conditions.

They don't seek out gaming conventions--their interest is modeling. The fact that they're at the convention is simply a consequence of their profession. If they are lacking in knowledge about the product they're representing, then that's the fault of the company that hired them for either not stipulating that they know a few things, or for opting to hire professional models who specialize in looking good rather than professional marketers who specialize in selling stuff.

And because of that, they also don't belong in the "fake geek girl" debate. They aren't fake, they're doing exactly what they were hired to do.

 

[Lil devils x_v1legacy]

I mean, if these girls do exist the interesting issue is whatever or not they are just looking for attention or if they are sincerely interested but are still relatively new to the gaming scene. Let us be honest here for a moment: Does anyone really believe that these girls would spend all this time trying to get into the good graces of a subset of guys that are well known for their sexism and generally anti-social ways (whatever this stereotype of gamers is true is another discussion) if they weren't sincerely interested in games? If they are doing it just for the attention, is that so they can be sexually harassed at Comicon , E3 and whenever they decide they want to play online?

Nah. But they might do it to make money on youtube or a twitch feed. No big deal really. I don't watch those kinds of videos anyway. Good for them. Though, when it comes to something like booth babes, I always prefer someone that has an interest and knowledge in whatever they're representing.

I would think the problem with finding booth babes that actually play games is the majority of female gamers wouldn't want to be a booth babe and find it insulting. I sure as hell wouldn't do it. I wouldn't do you tube videos either though, so it could just be me.

That's a good point. I'm not overly fond of booth babes. I'd rather just talk with the developers or creators. PAX actually banned booth babes at one point, which I thought was a good choice overall. Cosplayers are cool people though.

TBH from a personal standpoint, I don't like going to conventions at all. The guys there are worse than going to bars. You feel like a piece of exposed flesh in a piranha tank. Since then, I have friends get me loot and bring it back. Though I do like modding events better than the larger gaming events and am more likely to attend that. LOL

 

[Foolery]

snip!

Fair enough. Solid reasoning to me. Can't argue with that. I didn't say they were fake though, just less likely to have an interest in whatever they are representing beyond modeling.

TBH from a personal standpoint, I don't like going to conventions at all. The guys there are worse than going to bars. You feel like a piece of exposed flesh in a piranha tank. Since then, I have friends get me loot and bring it back. Though I do like modding events better than the larger gaming events and am more likely to attend that. LOL

Not a fan of crowds myself. Conventions are usually good fun anyway. Can't say I know what's like to be leered at.

 

[Lilani]

Fair enough. Solid reasoning to me. Can't argue with that. I didn't say they were fake though, just less likely to have an interest in whatever they are representing beyond modeling.

Yeah, I know you didn't say that, that was just me trying to tie it back to the topic, lol. I shouldn't let myself go into tangents in my own thread.