Geeks


 * The Geek**
 * by Thao Hoang **

Have you ever called someone a geek in a derogatory manner? Worse yet, have you ever been called a geek yourself? If so, then you probably already have a good idea of what a geek actually is. Or do you? If you were asked to define what a geek exactly is, what would you say? Most likely, your response would have something to do with a lack of social interaction and possibly the lack of sanity to some degree. However, that answer would not accurately reflect the true core of a geek. Although geeks may be misrepresented by stereotypes such as their social awkwardness and insanity, a true geek is simply obsessive: still perfectly capable of heroism, empathy, and normal social interaction.

 It is true: a pure geek is just a person who happens to be obsessed with something of some sort. Obsession is defined by the Random House Dictionary as "the domination of one's thoughts or feelings by a persistent idea, image, desire, etc." When a person is obsessed with a certain subject, he/she will often find it necessary to immerse himself in it and incorporate it into his/her everyday life. Computer geeks tend to waste away long periods of time using their computers. Literature geeks will spend great amounts of time reading and analyzing works of literature. Comic book geeks-- need I go on? These fixations can, in extreme cases, lead to a removed behavior, which explains the negative ideas associated with the archetype. Despite these complications, however, not all geeks are antisocial and bizarre. Actually, most are neither. A geek is simply just infatuated with //something// that causes him/her to stand out amongst others; whether or not one does that like a sore thumb depends on the person in particular. There are many geeks who we fail to even properly recognize simply because they do not display the commonly perceived traits of geeks.

 Still, it is not at all difficult to understand why the geek image is so greatly skewed. Unfortunately, media depictions of the geek archetype are typically negative, and in some cases, highly offensive. Geeks are just so commonly misrepresented that it would be a wonder if most people did not believe all of them to be lunatics. Worse even, some of the most well-known geek characters are negatively depicted. One of the most prominent examples would be that of Steve Urkel, whose every trait is representative of the archetypical geek. Originally a supporting character on the television show __Family Matters__, Urkel soon rose to fame and became a favorite for his comedic antics. Urkel constantly exhibits poor social skills (breaking through windows is not socially acceptable in most societies), is hyperactive (such as sitting on the edge of his seat and clamoring to answer a question in class), easily excitable ("Oh, I can't, Carl. I'm too excited. I'm in Urkel Overdrive!"), and overly clumsy (accidentally pushing other people onto gingerbread houses and ripping dress straps, in this example). He speaks in a high-pitched, nasally voice, and dresses in the most unattractive manner imaginable, wearing thick glasses, unflattering clothes, and suspenders. Then there's Sheldon Cooper, an obsessive-compulsive geek with terrible social skills. A theoretical physicist on __The Big Bang Theory__, Sheldon also quickly grew to become a favorite of the audience. In the episode titled "The Einstein Approximation," Sheldon is seen swimming in a child's ball pit and fanatically arranging the balls into the structures of carbon atoms. He resists authority in a childish manner and even uses a nonsensical catchphrase as he does so. ("BAZINGA!") These popular characters overplay the geek's obsessive nature and social awkwardness. Finally, there's Comic Book Guy from __The Simpsons__, who is antisocial, overweight, and addicted to __Star Trek__. He is literally thrown out of Moe's Tavern and finds the need to translate his frustration into Klingon with his handy pocket dictionary. The behavior of these characters makes all geeks seem to be crazed and pathetic people who lack empathy. Unfortunately, these manipulated characters in the media cause the public to misunderstand geeks.

 However negative most examples of geeks may be, there are, luckily, a handful of positive representatives. Some of them are geeky characters who end up achieving greatness and being accepted by society. Hermione Granger, for example, is a sort of knowledge geek (also known to many as a nerd) who has a hand in saving the wizarding world in J.K. Rowling's final book, __Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows__. She is well-versed in her spells and general knowledge about magic in general, spending much of her time reading and pursuing knowledge when she's not busy helping Harry save the world. Spider-Man, as well, begins as a geek, a science genius. Actually, he gets the radioactive spider bite that gives him his powers while at a science exhibit. He then evolves into this powerful mutant superhero and saves countless lives with his newfound skills. These characters are both highly admirable for their heroism. Of course, it is not always necessary to save the world to be a positive example. Phineas and Ferb, a geeky team of inventive brothers, may also be heroes, but their most prominent positive characteristic is the fact that they have a multitude of friends. They do save the world in "Phineas and Ferb: the Movie," but they do it with the help of all of their friends, who have long since been supporting them in their pursuits. Thankfully, these examples prove that geeks are capable of normal social behavior and, as a rather nifty bonus, also have the potential to accomplish great feats of heroism.

 Some may still continue to argue that geeks are mostly strange people because of the sheer number of media examples that they can find. However, just because there are more bad fictional examples than good does not prove that the same proportions will realistically translate to the real world. The characters are fictional, after all. Take notice of the geeks that surround you: see how they act more like normal humans than aliens? Despite an abundance of negative representations, geeks are not all as extremely terrible as they may seem.

**Works Cited**


 * 1) Dan Martell. //The Evolution of the Geek//. N.d. Infographic. FlowtownWeb. 3 Jan 2012. <http://www.flowtown.com/blog/the-evolution-of-the-geek >.
 * 2) Groening, Matt, writ. //The Simpsons.// Fox Broadcasting Company: Television. .
 * 3) "Obsession." //Dictionary.com Unabridged//. Random House, Inc. 14 Dec. 2011. Dictionary.com. .
 * 4) Parsons, Jim, perf. "The Einstein Approximation." Dir. Mark Cendrowski. //The Big Bang Theory.// CBS: Television. .
 * 5) Parsons, Jim, perf. Dir. Mark Cendrowski. //The Big Bang Theory.// CBS: Television. < http://youtu.be/Qn2S7fq_p1E>.
 * 6) Povenmire, Dan, writ. "Phineas and Ferb: the Movie." Writ. Jeff Marsh. //Phineas and Ferb.// Disney Channel: Television. <http://youtu.be/ClI81yBD55M>.
 * 7) <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; padding: 10px; text-indent: 22px;"> Rowling, J.K. //Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows//. Scholastic, 2007. Print.
 * 8) <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; padding: 10px; text-indent: 22px;">Scott Johnson. //The 56 Geeks//. 2007. Photograph. FlickrWeb. 3 Jan 2012. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/scottjohnson/2086153791/sizes/o/in/set-72157601200807582/>.
 * 9) <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; padding: 10px; text-indent: 22px;">"Spider-Man (Peter Parker)." //Marvel Universe Wiki.// Marvel & Subs., n.d. Web. 30 Nov 2011. <[|http://marvel.com/universe/Spider-Man_(Peter_Parker)]>.
 * 10) <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; padding: 10px; text-indent: 22px;">White, Jaleel, perf. Writ. William Bickley. //Family Matters.// Youtube: Television. <http://youtu.be/eY-i3bClGyQ>.