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

[tyriless]

Wait a second, I see what you are doing here. You are posing as a Geek Girl, trying to stir up debate about Fake Geek Girls in a attempt to get us to buy in that you're the real deal. Very clever Lilani. You almost had me going but I see through your ruse. Your posts are only to tempt and inflame us boy gamers all near 8,000+ of them. Well, I will have none of it unless you prove to me that you are only interested in games and not the lovely men-children like me that play them. Until then, shame on you, you mock nerd vixen!

 

[tyriless]

I'm looking at this pic here and I'm wondering: So what the heck is the problem? Scantily clad and willing to show what she has? Probably wouldn't introduce her to the family, but there's a decent chance of getting laid. Plays the 360? I don't particularly like the console because it's not for me, but it has decent games and if she's into the military shooters it would be funny to turn her on to the single player side of Spec Ops. Fake glasses and unnatural hair color? Plenty of genuine nerdy gals and cosplayers do that, no big deal.

Loud, attention-seeking, and obnoxious? How the hell is that different from every person on the frickin' internet?! Or extroverts in general?!

Oh how I wish I could talk about the insecurities and mindsets that make a guy so up in arms about "fake geek girls," but alas that would probably get me banned.

oh, please do. There is definite insecurity issue going on here and it is pretty darn sad. You got gamers here that see a pretty lady way out of their league (mine too), and go, "No way she's into stuff that I am into and look that fantastic. She just wants me to oogle her juggies."

If that is the case, so what? It isn't new. Woman have been dressing up for men since people had clothes to put on. Now, since our demographic is large enough to get this kind of attention, we are suddenly all up in arms. Besides, I've plenty of male beefcake in 300 cosplay, Namor man-thongs, and have a superhero physique and I heard nothing about them being fake.

 

[Trivea]

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.

Just scanning over this topic and, I gotta say, I disagree with that. Just speaking from personal experience; I'm a professional model (commercial modeling, not runway) and actress and I still have weirdly fond memories of Quake III, mostly because it was the first game I ever played on a LAN and not due to it actually being, you know, any good. I've gotten the "fake girl gamer" quiz, usually when wearing my Welcome to Termina shirt (oh yeah well what does every single mask in Majora's Mask do and how many are there) because I don't look like a typical gamer.

I have to say, I really do feel sorry for the booth babes, mostly because 1) it's a really, really crappy job (standing in those heels for so long? Murder) and 2) you have to realize that all jobs are offered, not just assigned, when it comes to modeling work. No agency is going to take a booth babe job on a resume seriously, and if it's not for career advancement, their only choices are either liking having what we're apparently calling the average gamer drooling over them (when they could go to a bar and get that while sitting down and drinking) or actually liking the material they're helping pitch.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

What now? What do we do? Vilify them? Seek them out? Burn them at the stake? And another big question, is it alright to assume someone is fake even though they may not be, just so we can be sure we vilify ALL the fakes? Or to put it another way, is offending and isolating certain members of our group by "checking" their authenticity as a geek acceptable collateral damage in this fight against fakes?

you don't really need to do anything...but to answer all your sporadic questions in a row.

We simply correct them if they're wrong or tell them they don't need to pretend. No. No. never assume someone is fake, their actions and verbal usage will tell you just about all you need to know, there is no reason to test everyone other than dick stroking your own ego.

it is not okay to do any of these extremes, and if i ever see someone quizzing someone for no reason, especially out of the blue, then they are a righteous fuckhead.

(note, everything i've said is genderless, yes "fake geek girl" is the big bad boogaloo right now, but i am addressing it more as a genderless thing)

Though I think the BEST way to address these "fakes" is to simply go on treating them like an equal. If you learn they are ignorant about something--even if they lied and previously claimed they knew all about it--just respond with "Oh, really? Well let me tell you about it, I think you'll really like it!" The point of going to conventions is to share our passions with others, correct? So why should that welcoming hand only be extended to those who are already game?

I would quite agree with you on this point, however, in quite a few of my experiences with posers/fakers, they tend to respond in a very hostile manner, like if i were to respond to you as some of the people i've encountered before, this is how they would go about it:

"Fuck off, I don't give a shit nerd, who cares what you have to say" and they tend to walk off to sneering to find someone else to "dupe".

(Not kidding in the slightest, I was in utter shock the first time I got a response in such a manner)

now, that's not to say anyone/everyone else would react in such a manner, but I am just pointing out that responding with the right answer or enthusiasm can have its drawbacks (when dealing with a faker)

last notes:

The fact that realistically, this is concentrated more on women is quite disappointing to be honest, anyone can be a nerd/geek/etc.. gender has damn all to do with it, let alone fitting some certain "stereotype".

however, I do think this is nothing new and that posers/fakers/weeboo's (one i just thought of there) have been hated for a longggggg time, and its just now hitting the spotlight with gaming, so hopefully the faking part dies down to the molehill it is rather than the real problem of women not being treated on equally social grounds as men do when it comes to all things nerdy.

 

[randomrob1968]

don't know if this has been brought up, but I'll just throw it out there-

Geek culture used to be fringe, now it's mainstream. Though it is mainstream, it has still internalized
the narrative that it is an embattled minority of sorts, even though it really isn't at all.

And all that baggage is male oriented. It's the same thing as back in the day, guys playing cards, or bowling, on a Friday night. They make it a 'thing', it's 'our' game, we're gonna eat unhealthy food, drink beer, gonna smoke cigars, and talk about cars, etc. We're cool , we're special, etc.

When a girl sits down at the table, it becomes awkward for the guys, they don't know how to act. Trying to concentrate on the game, but now there's a girl here, etc. Oh, wow, she's hot, too... what's up with that? Is she here to play or to check us out, etc. She's gonna break up the game. If someone makes a mistake, it must be because there's a girl there.

It's just plain old garden variety sexism. Divide and conquer. You're not a 'real' fan. Etc.

I also think it's an attempt by men to troll women into reacting and fighting with eachother over essentially nothing, but it may be more of an emergent, wish fulfillment thing more than a conscious one.

-just sayin'

Carry on

 

[Windcaler]

Im not sure what qualifies someone as being a "fake" geek girl or gamer girl. However I truly believe that our best approach is to be inclusionary about our hobby. No one knows everything about anything when it comes to "geek" culture. Our children, our friends, and our families may want to learn about our culture and we will include them why don't we include these women who are interested in it?

When I was a boy growing up in junior high and high school I swore to myself that the people who bullied me, brutalized me, and abused me because I was a "geek" were people I would always aim to be better then. Ive kept that promise to myself but Im only one man who happens to like "geek" culture. To continue that promise I can be nothing but inclusionary toward men and women who take an interest in the same culture that I enjoy so I believe that's what we should do. Include them in all aspects of "geek" culture through discussion, debate, education, and even arguing. That is the best thing we can do with people wanting to join our culture

 

[Jordy Hartog]

Just scanning over this topic and, I gotta say, I disagree with that. Just speaking from personal experience; I'm a professional model (commercial modeling, not runway) and actress and I still have weirdly fond memories of Quake III, mostly because it was the first game I ever played on a LAN and not due to it actually being, you know, any good. I've gotten the "fake girl gamer" quiz, usually when wearing my Welcome to Termina shirt (oh yeah well what does every single mask in Majora's Mask do and how many are there) because I don't look like a typical gamer.

I think that in the case of Booth Babes it should really be more a matter of expectation. They're part of the paid marketing staff and any possibly fake interest they could show would be a part of their professional obligation over, say, some hidden nebulous agenda that is designed to seduce a "real geek".

If a booth babe has an actual genuine interest in the product she's hired to promote, that is a nice bonus, true, but it should not be a requirement.

As for the topic itself, pretty much all that I would want to say on the matter has been said already. I personally find the debate laughable and it baffles me that it's still going on. Even if, for the sake of argument, we assume that these peopl exist, then by extension there should also be a point where "interest" turns to "geekiness" in order to separate fake from real, not to mention some sort of governing body of geekdom to determine where these points should go.

I don't ascribe to the opinion that this is a problem, or at the very least not at the level that some "real geeks" seem to think it is. I also don't react to it in any way other than amusement at the idea that there are still people out there who would prefer to adopt a stereotype over forming an actual identity.

I will say this, though: I used to be proud to be a geek, seeing this debate take the turns it has and the amount of sexism still present within the geek community makes me less proud to identify as a geek every time I see it. You would think that a community that is built on the concept of really liking certain things would be a lot more open and accepting about potential new members to that community.

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

I think that fake gamer girls exist, but the thing is I think that they're such a miniscule minority that I have no freaking idea why they're the cornerstone of such controversy. Frankly the reaction some gamers react to them is like learning that there's a bee's nest in the back of their yard, a little bit of a problem but its too far away to sting anyone so its ok, and ordering a tactical carpet bombing on it. Just ignore them and they'll go away if they're REALLY bugging you, but frankly the attitude towards them needing to "prove" themselves reminds me of the hatred towards causal gamers. Seriously, we just need to stop being so hostile to people that are as hardcore as us, ok? Christ, I mean Borderlands 2 even made fun of this concept.

I mean yeesh, you don't see me asking you what the pig mask in Hotline Miami does to prove your geek credentials.

To add to this, I think fake gamer girls exist in roughly the same numbers as gamer guys who really do see it as a guys only club, and treat all girls as fake until proven otherwise -- which is to say absolutely minuscule. I swear I think half the "issues" we debate on these forums only exist on the internet, not in real life. Best thing to do with both groups is ignore them.

I will say this: somewhere between 2008 and 2010, when "geek chic" was actually a thing, and shows like The Big Bang Theory were hot new shows, this debate would have made sense. Not so much now; most of the fakes have moved on to whatever the next big thing is. I'd say what it is, but I guess I'm not cool enough to know yet.

 

[Vegosiux]

I'm just wondering, how exactly do we spot these "fakes"?

Is there some sort of 'litmus test' that determines "fakeness"?
Just how many characters and other small details of some obscure videogame must you know, before you can be definitively proven to NOT be a "fake"?
Where exactly do we draw the line between "fake" geeks/gamers and "true" ones?

We must decide who is "fake" and who is not, before we can decide what to do with the "fake" ones.


The whole thing just seems to be a bit of a "no true scots-gamer" fallacy to me.

Uhh, I'll go out on a limb here and say that I suppose it would be a case of them pulling a "most definitely not X". So, if they're asserting their geekiness a whole lot more than actually talking about geeky stuff. Not a very accurate litmus test, but I like of like that trope.

But let's assume I ran into a "fake geek girl". I would try to strike up a conversation. Two options here. They might be interested in geeky stuff, but simply new to the scene and being a bit awkward about it.

Or they might not be all that interested in geeky stuff, in which case I suppose I wouldn't end up talking to them about geeky stuff, but depending on how they seem as a conversational partner, about something else. So I suppose my opinion on "what to do with them" is "try to strike up a geeky conversation and see what happens."

Now let me just footnote that I personally define "gurrrl gamers" as something else - "Gamers, not necessarily female, who exploit female sexuality and flirtatiousness in order to get what they want." Like, dancing naked on the mailbox in Stormwind in hopes they'll get tips. I actually think male gamers are worse offenders on "being a gurrrl gamer", by the way.

 

[Smeggs]

What do I consider a fake geek?

I couldn't give two shits less.

Geek isn't even a culture, and it's idiotic that people have started referring to it as one. For an example, it's sort of like how black rappers and "gangstah's" adopted the n-word and use it in casual conversation with one another. People suddenly throw the word Geek around as though it's some sort of shining pedastal or secret cool kids club to belong to, when in reality it was used for the exact opposite meaning.

I sure as hell don't refer to myself as part of Geek culture, but then that's because I don't think it's any sort of culture. I like what I like, and I like video games and the occasional anime. That apparently suddenly makes me part of some clique?

You all do realize you're calling yourselves social outcasts when using that word to describe your "culture", right? Which is odd, considering that an entire culture of social outcasts means that you wouldn't be such within said culture. You see the issue? A great gathering of like-minded individuals who make up their own culture.

You're not angry at these girls.

You're not angry at the frat boys.

You're not angry at the CoD players or the mindless Shooter drones.

You're angry at lying, at feeling as if your personal space has been invaded. You're angry at them because suddenly it's considered socially acceptable to be considered a "Geek", and you hate that. You hate it because you were picked on growing up for liking what you like, and now suddenly the people who picked on you want to be what you are without going through the same pain and sadness you went through.

This is all one big temper tantrum, because gamers don't want to share their toys with those they deem unworthy. The true question you should be asking yourself is why the idea of a "fake gamer girl" makes you angry, and why you even care? Who cares? Do you honestly care if some dumb bimbo is playing CoD and flashing her tits on Facebook? Do you honestly care? If you can actually sit at your keyboard and tell me without hesitation that you truly care about any of this, please, tell me why.

God willing, they could be taught by you about whatever hobby you're trying to alienate them from, and in the end, there'd be one more to add to the fold. Unless you came sliding out of your mothers loins with a controller in your hand and your first words were the Konami code, you at one time knew nothing about games either.

What is the point of knowledge if you aren't willing to share it? What the hell is the point of a CULTURE if you don't want anyone else to be a part of it?

 

[Fiz_The_Toaster]

It's interesting to me that there are "fakes" (is that what we're calling them now?) in just about every hobby or group and most of the time they get called a poser, and the poser caller just moves on. Why can't we do that? I mean, it's not like we're gonna get an achievement for spotting the faker and shaming them.

I haven't ran across a "faker" mainly because it would be weird to me that some chick or dude would want to impress me for attention because, let's be honest, have you seen me? But I digress. However, I suppose that if I ran across one then I would just roll my eyes and move on in my life. That's how much I care.

So what if they're faking an interest, who does it really hurt? The community? We've been doing a great job of that by ourselves, thank you very much. Also, treating them with hostility really isn't going to solve anything, and will probably make things worse. So, in short, why can't we just be that awesome Beatles song (or so I'm told since I don't like them) and just let it be, dammit.

[sub][sub]They never said 'dammit', but it would be pretty damn hilarious if it did. Just saiyan[/sub][/sub]

Geez, I don't really understand why we MUST do something about "fake geek girls". There are "posers" in pretty much every subculture, be it sports, music, fashion, and yet we don't see as much persecution (okay, maybe when it's about music) there as we see in gaming.
Also, fake geeks have been around for quite a while now. I honestly didn't expect this to turn into such Spanish Inquisition all of a sudden.

What are you talking about?

It's the perfecting timing because no one expects the Spanish Inquisition!

 

[Lilani]

I think a huge issue with talking about this issue is perfectly summarized in this picture. Not the girls whose sex appeal is being used as a marketing tool, but the way they're labeled. That picture doesn't call them by what they really are: advertising models. No, they just call them "female gamers." Which is wrong on two counts, because one these women are marketing tools rather than gamers, and two people who are actually female gamers are not like these women (as in, they don't play with their consoles unplugged).

And the funny thing is, you yourself were championing female nerds being just as real as male nerds, yet this didn't even phase you. I'm sure you meant nothing by it, but I think it demonstrates a huge breakdown in this conversation. The way even the most well-meaning people talking about "fakes" can so indiscriminately throw around the term "female gamer" to mean either a female who plays games, or a woman who uses games as a way to flaunt her sex appeal. If we can't even decide if the term "female gamer" is positive, negative, or neutral then how are we supposed to decide whether females who play (or claim to play) games have a positive, negative, or neutral affect on our "culture?" If we can have the same person saying "female gamers" are okay and then turning right around and using the term "female gamers" in a derogatory way, then it's no wonder that so many female gamers who don't deserve any hostility get it anyway.

 

[Lilani]

These threads just need to stop. For the love of god, make them stop.

And your bump has been very helpful in stopping them ;-)

 

[mateushac]

Geez, I don't really understand why we MUST do something about "fake geek girls". There are "posers" in pretty much every subculture, be it sports, music, fashion, and yet we don't see as much persecution (okay, maybe when it's about music) there as we see in gaming.
Also, fake geeks have been around for quite a while now. I honestly didn't expect this to turn into such Spanish Inquisition all of a sudden.

What are you talking about?

It's the perfecting timing because no one expects the Spanish Inquisition!

Thanks! I thought my set up was going to be ignored

 

[generals3]

These threads just need to stop. For the love of god, make them stop.

Come on, what am i supposed to with my pitchforks than? It's not everyday you get called to a witch hunt.

 

[Weaver]

Giving the "inquisition" to someone minding their own business makes you a huge asshole. If you're wearing an iron man shirt and someone comes up to you and demand you recount the thousands of iron man comics to detail, they can go fuck themselves in my opinion.

You shouldn't have to "prove" anything to anyone if you're just living your life how you want to and partaking in the hobbies you want to. No one has the right to grill a female DnD player if she says she's been playing for 10 years or whatever. However, there is a difference between grilling someone and just asking questions.

In this case, if they ask if you like 3.0, 3.5 or 4.0 better, or what your favourite setting is, or if you've ever DM'd; etc. These are all something a 10 year D&D vet should have an opinion on / experience with. And, moreover, I imagine they're just asking to get to know you and make conversation, not to force you to prove anything.

Basically, just believe what people say until it's obvious they're lying to you.

 

[Coreless]

I'm just wondering, how exactly do we spot these "fakes"?

Is there some sort of 'litmus test' that determines "fakeness"?
Just how many characters and other small details of some obscure videogame must you know, before you can be definitively proven to NOT be a "fake"?
Where exactly do we draw the line between "fake" geeks/gamers and "true" ones?

We must decide who is "fake" and who is not, before we can decide what to do with the "fake" ones.


The whole thing just seems to be a bit of a "no true scots-gamer" fallacy to me.

You and I are on the same wavelength when it comes to this discussion. It all comes off as juvenile and reminiscent of high school clique behavior were you had to meet some kind of unspecified requirement that meant f**k all or be called out and questioned. I find it baffling in this day and age that people are still seriously trying to pull the nerd card on women as if they some how haven't been involved or weren't as dedicated to the culture as males since the very beginning.

 

[Something Amyss]

FROM THIS POINT FORWARD, WHETHER OR NOT "FAKE GEEK GIRLS" EXIST DOES NOT MATTER. THAT IS NOT A POINT OF DEBATE IN THIS THREAD. IF YOU MUST ASSUME SOMETHING ABOUT THEM, THEN SIMPLY ASSUME FOR THE SAKE OF THIS DISCUSSION THAT THEY ARE REAL.

Good luck with that. Whether or not they exist is almost inextricably bound to what to do about them, and good luck getting the internet to assume they do even for the sake of argument (hypotheticals also seem above a lot of folks' grasp).

Just to deal with the questions at hand, however....

is it alright to assume someone is fake even though they may not be, just so we can be sure we vilify ALL the fakes?

This deals with the rather nebulous nature of the "fake geek/gamer girl" in the first place. Now, this isn't questioning whether they exist, but rather, what they are. Women have been suspect in geekdom since well before "geek chic" was a thing, so the FGG belief has existed well before the label itself (or any real cause for alarm (still assuming there is one)).

So what is a FGG? What are the necessary criteria? The elephant in the room is that the answer is generally "boobs." Not everyone, not everywhere, not every time, but having a vagina is kind of the standard for suspicion because of the underlying notion that "girls don't like X" where X is whatever is sufficiently nerdy/geeky. The common application of the FGG is rigged to oppose women, period. I don't care how people rationalise the label, that is the reality.

As such, how does one address the FGG without assuming your average girl is a fake?

It would be nice if the theoretical, species definition was accurate, but it's not.

is offending and isolating certain members of our group by "checking" their authenticity as a geek acceptable collateral damage in this fight against fakes?

Well, gee. I don't know. If the stakes are so high, maybe we shouldn't stop at women. Maybe we should set the same impossible standards for men, too. I mean, we don't want to be infiltrated, right? It's not just boobs that scare us, right?

In seriousness, though, the answer to this entire debate is generally summed up in the question of "how does this affect me?" Personally, I can't say I've ever been damaged by someone (of either sex) saying "OMG I'm such a geek" on Facebook, and I've never been harmed by anyone sneaking into one of my gaming groups with ulterior motives or some sinister plot to exploit me or mine.

Unfortunately, what I infer from people who have sounded off in these threads is that to some people the word is a crucial part of their identity that has developed from years and years of battle scars and that I'm an outsider even within nerddom because I am a semi-functional human being. People have no choice but to be in this space, and they seem to resent anyone else (but mostly girls).

I'm not sure there's much to do to stop such people from taking imagined offense and going on a very real offense in response.

Personally, I still couldn't give a crap. I have trouble imagining the long game in this one, what harm could possibly be done by these frauds.

I've never understood the exclusionary attitude so many gamers seem to hold, not just toward women but even just toward other 'cliques' that were never "nerdy" in high school. The guy who obsesses over Fantasy Football is just as much of a nerd as the guy who can name all 600+ Pokemon, just about a different topic.

"Nerd" behaviour is generally characterised as outside of the social norm, so no, he's really not as much of a nerd. The difference between "nerd" and "not nerd" generally comes down to whether or not the act has social, mainstream acceptance. That's why dressing up like an extra from Braveheart is okay if you're supporting a football team but not if you're going to a movie or LARPING.

I take your overall point, and I don't get it myself, but a lot of people have outright stated that they get a little revenge chubby from the act of being exclusionary towards others in some sort of payback for their own treatment in high school.

Personally, I found the nerds in school to be some of the biggest dicks around. Maybe that's why I don't associate behaviours with given cliques; my gaming group included people who played sports, people who happened to have boobs, and people who happened to be functional members of society. I think if you included the entire group, gaming was about our only common interest. Apparently, this sort of gathering is to much of the site (and geek culture as a whole) a sign of the apocalypse.

And I have never met someone who wanted me to prove my worth to them who was actually worth knowing.
So, please, let's just stop it.

You may have just discovered an upside. It's not a measure of your worth as a geek, but their worth of your time.

 

[KingWein22]

Oh boy, this thread again! Yes, but I'm narrowing it down a bit more, so chill out. If you don't want to read through my explanation/rant, then just look for the bolded stuff to get the gist of it.

As all these debates about the "fake geek girl" have swirled, I've noticed two separate discussions that are constantly getting mixed up. The discussion of whether or not "fake geek girls" exist, and the discussion of what we should do about them. For the sake of this thread, I want to isolate these two and focus on the latter subject.

Because the way these discussions go, seems to be a weird assumption that occurs. It's assumed that when a person believes these fakes exist, they also believe that it's alright to persecute anybody who even looks sort of like one of these typical "fakes" for the sake of persecuting fakes. I think that's a bit of an unfair assessment, and detracts from the most important question in this whole debate: What do we do about the fakes? So, without further ado:

FROM THIS POINT FORWARD, WHETHER OR NOT "FAKE GEEK GIRLS" EXIST DOES NOT MATTER. THAT IS NOT A POINT OF DEBATE IN THIS THREAD. IF YOU MUST ASSUME SOMETHING ABOUT THEM, THEN SIMPLY ASSUME FOR THE SAKE OF THIS DISCUSSION THAT THEY ARE REAL.

The real discussion I want to have is, what do we do about them? So they've crossed our borders and have begun to traverse our lands. What now? What do we do? Vilify them? Seek them out? Burn them at the stake? And another big question, is it alright to assume someone is fake even though they may not be, just so we can be sure we vilify ALL the fakes? Or to put it another way, is offending and isolating certain members of our group by "checking" their authenticity as a geek acceptable collateral damage in this fight against fakes?

Those are my questions to you, Escapists. Enough of this talk of whether or not they exist. The only thing that really matters is, if we happen to encounter these "fakes" or someone who might look like one, what do we do about it? What should be our approach? Our actions are what define our community, so in this discussion I think the most important thing we can figure out is what actions we should take in these situations. My opinion on this matter is enclosed within the following spoiler box, if you're curious or want to "call me out" on anything.

Spoiler

I think an acceptable way to address any "fakes" you might feel hostility toward is passively ignoring them. All they want is attention, so by not giving them that attention you've already punished them enough. And not only that, by simply ignoring them the collateral damage against those who aren't actually "fake" is minimal. At best you've starved an attention whore of attention and at worst you've ignored one of THOUSANDS of random strangers at a convention, or wherever you might be.

Though I think the BEST way to address these "fakes" is to simply go on treating them like an equal. If you learn they are ignorant about something--even if they lied and previously claimed they knew all about it--just respond with "Oh, really? Well let me tell you about it, I think you'll really like it!" The point of going to conventions is to share our passions with others, correct? So why should that welcoming hand only be extended to those who are already game? I don't think these "fakes" are any sort of a threat to our community. Though I think a HUGE threat to our community is the threat of us becoming so insular and hostile to outsiders that eventually we collapse in on ourselves, and become the same sort of exclusive jerks that we claim vilified us as children.

And if they back off at that point then just let them. They're at a convention, and you're the majority. If they are a bit weirded out by your enthusiasm, then at least you're secure in the knowledge that THEY are the weird one, not you. With this approach, at worst you were kind to a random stranger, and at best you've possibly gotten someone interested in something they weren't interested in before. Passively ignoring them is neutral and outright hostility is GUARANTEEING they never become truly interested in geek culture, but the most positive results can be gleaned by the most positive approach.

Just forgive and forget, and treat them like any other person you're trying to introduce to a fandom. It's not like we've never done stupid things to make ourselves look and feel better.

THANK YOU!!