Fake Nerd Guys: We're on to you, geek wannabes!
Think geek girls are pandering to guys? Think again. This satirical Tumblr flips genders to show how silly it is to judge a geek by his or her glasses.
As a geek girl myself, I've been accused of wearing a "Star Wars" shirt to "get attention from guys who actually care if Han shot first." I've been told to move to the side and let "real gamers" -- who happen to be guys -- play the demos at conventions. I've even been branded a panderer for saying I liked Godzilla, supposedly just to get a date with a man cosplaying as Gamera.
Lately it seems elements of the geek community have become a lot less of a welcome wagon and more of a judgmental Jedi Council that refuses to let newbies in, especially if they happen to be girls. In a community once known for celebrating outcasts and underdogs, it sometimes now seems like you have to take some sort of Voight-Kampff Test to prove your geekdom is legit.
For the record, I've been a proud nerd since birth. I've watched "Doctor Who" since Tom Baker was handing out jelly babies to Daleks. I made my first lightsaber from a foam pool noodle at a slumber party. I do a wicked Chewbacca roar. I know how to say, "Would you like me to buy you a warrior's drink?" IN KLINGON. So dudes accusing me of pretending to be a geek to get their attention makes me want to rip out their hearts Mola Ram style.
The Fake Nerd Guys Tumblr takes those same sexist accusations against women and flips the gender to show how pointless and inane they really are. Even the blog's motto made me want to cheer: "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man who identifies as a nerd/geek/gamer must be in want of female attention. This blog exposes fake nerd guys for the casual shams they are."
While Fake Nerd Guys blog shows us how ridiculous it is to accuse girls of pandering to geek guys, it is meant to be in good fun. After blowing up on Reddit, the blog posted this statement:
This blog is purely satirical. I do not personally believe that you have to "earn" your nerd cred, nor that there are any fake gamer guys. Anyone is free to identify as a nerd regardless of who they are or what they do. However, this blog is about showcasing some of the common "proof" that "fake girl nerds" exist, such as: Girls that are "too attractive" to be a nerd. Girls that wear nerdy clothes/nerd glasses. Girls that watch nerdy TV shows/movies that are mainstream. Girls playing games that are casual. Only reversing the genders so that it applies to guys. People are quick to judge female nerds based on just tiny bits of information, it's unintuitive do the same with male nerds -- and I hope my blog shown that.
Hopefully this blog will help the geek community think twice before accusing women of faking their love of all things geeky. If not, feel free to challenge me to a lightsaber duel. I dare you.