Calling all Geeks

So I decided to join the masses and start a blog. Whoop-de-do.

Anyway, what got me going is this - I'm a Geek. I love being a Geek. I am *proud* to be a Geek. And guess what? I'm also a girl. *Gasp*! Say it ain't so! Dear Lord! The sky is falling!

I was listening to the radio the other day, and the host was ragging on a guy for identifying a "geeky" movie clip (can't remember for sure what movie it was, but I think it was TRON). Anyway, he was going on about how the poor guy probably never leaves his mother's basement, how he's probably never had a girlfriend, how he probably has poor personal hygiene... and so on and so on. This seems to be the prevalent attitude towards the typical "geek" these days, and it got me thinking. While the male side of geekdom is still derided and stereotyped, the female side is often overlooked. We aren't non-entities, dammit! And even when our existence is recognized, people still assume that we are going to fall into those same old stereotypes, namely:

1) Being hideously overweight / unattractive
2) Few social skills / no social life
3) Having a small group of equally unattractive friends
4) Having a less than desirable job / dead-end career path

Basically, geek girls are thought of as falling below the geek guys on the barometer of social acceptability. Because how can one be a geek, and still be cool? They are mutually exclusive, aren't they?

I remember the year I went to Comicon. I was sitting, waiting for a panel, and two guys tapped me on the shoulder. They asked if I was waiting for someone. I'm like, nope, just me. "Wait, you want to be here? Really?" I think I fried their little minds. They looked completely shocked.

Why, you ask? Because I like to think that I don't fall into any of those stereotyped categories.

1) I am not a troll. While I am certainly not a lingerie model, I also don't belong under a bridge, frightening billy goats and small children.
2) I have a social life. Sure, it often involves other folk of the geeky variety, but I can get along in pretty much any social situation that I am thrust into. It's a skill.
3) I have some very attractive friends. Some of whom, yes, are geeky, just like me. Others aren't. But you wouldn't think "GEEKS" just by looking at us.
4) I have a real job. I'm a professional. I've spent more time than I care to think about wandering the halls of an institute of higher education. And in all likelihood, I'm going to go back one day.

So what is this blog all about? It is about proving a point.

Geek girls DO exist. And dammit, some of us are actually attractive, functioning members of society.

This is going to be a blog for those with an XX chromosomal set to dish about all things geeky. Whether the genre be science fiction / fantasy / anime / roleplaying etc., and whether the medium be television / movies / comics / games or literature... feel free to talk about it here. I'm sure most of the initial blogs are going to be my own geeky ramblings... but I'd love to have guest bloggers post on here as well. Hopefully guests with more skill with the prose than me! Also, should it be possible, I'd love to have a "Geek Girl of the Month" section, where each month, a new picture of geeky gorgeousness will be featured. You know you're out there. ;)

My own main geek favourites include, but are not limited to the following: Buffy / Angel / Firefly / Basically anything Joss Whedon related, Doctor Who, Battlestar Galactica, Terry Pratchett, Farscape, Star Trek, Star Wars (pre violation from the plaid one), Lord of the Rings... and so on and so forth.

So that's about it for my introductory post. Now, I'll just have to keep with it, and make sure I actually post on occasion. Unlike my Live Journal and My Space sites. Tee hee.