Fake geek girl
"Fake geek girl" is a pejorative term for a woman accused of feigning interest in geeky topics such as video games or comic books to gain attention from men.[1] The topic generated controversy in 2012 and 2013, with various articles expressing support or condemnation of the concept.[2][3]
Origin
Much of the controversy surrounding the concept of fake geek girls began in March 2012, when Tara Brown published an article on the Forbes website titled "Dear Fake Geek Girls: Please Go Away".[3] In the article, she discussed the difference between genuinely interested geeky women and "pretentious females who have labeled themselves as a 'geek girl' [who have] figured out that guys will pay a lot of attention to them if they proclaim they are reading comics or playing video games."[1]
Joe Peacock further criticized this in a July 2012 blog post for CNN titled "Booth babes need not apply", discussing booth babes and female cosplayers who might be falsely interested in geek culture or playing the role of a model.[4] Comic artist Tony Harris posted a Facebook comment, described by The Daily Dot as a "diatribe", in November 2012 regarding female cosplayers lacking knowledge about the characters they represented.[5]
Criticism of fake geek girls led to other phenomena, such as the "Idiot Nerd Girl" image macro.[3][6]
Criticism
These articles sparked significant debate. Some argued that "fake geek girls" were rare or nonexistent, or that those perceived as such were simply varying in their interests.[7] Others criticized the criticism as misogynistic and a form of gatekeeping.[3][8]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Brown, Tara (26 March 2012). "Dear Fake Geek Girls: Please Go Away". Forbes.
- ↑ Berlatsky, Noah (22 January 2013). "'Fake Geek Girls' Paranoia Is About Male Insecurity, Not Female Duplicity". The Atlantic.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Reagle, Joseph (5 August 2015). "Geek Policing: Fake Geek Girls and Contested Attention". International Journal of Communication. 9.
- ↑ Peacock, Joe (24 July 2012). "Booth babes need not apply". Geek Out!. CNN. Archived from the original on 13 December 2019. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
- ↑ Romano, Aja (13 November 2013). "Sexist rants against "fake geek girls" hit new low". The Daily Dot.
- ↑ Zuckerman, Esther (10 September 2012). "Taking Back a Meme: Idiot Nerd Girl". The Wire. Retrieved 2016-02-12.[permanent dead link]
- ↑ Hamilton, Kirk. "The Fake Threat of Fake Geek Girls". Kotaku. Retrieved 2016-02-11.
- ↑ Griffiths, Daniel Nye (26 July 2012). "'Fake Geek Girls': How Geek Gatekeeping Is Bad For Business". Forbes. Retrieved 2016-02-11.
