Accepting the geek – Part IV: The queens of geek

Welcome aboard the Bitter Trolley, and since I’ve collected your tickets and everyone is comfy, let’s get the Bitter Trolley underway.

As I mentioned in “Accepting the geek – Part I” - http://bittertrolley.blogspot.com/2011/03/accepting-geek-part-i.html -it was a long trip for me to accept who I am, a geek. I say it proudly, and without reservation, and if anyone has issues with the person I am, then too bad for them. I like the person I have finally discovered I am, and I have made some amazing friends in this process of realization.

That’s what I want to talk about today, some of the people I’ve met as I’ve opened myself to accepting my geek. In particular, the women I have come to know. The geek women.

I will be up front and admit, like many, when I would think of geeks I had the image we’ve been fed by popular media for years, the nerdy, out-of-shape lonely guy living in his parent’s basement. If a woman is portrayed as a geek, she’s either fat or painfully thin, again with the glasses and so shut off from reality it’s scary.

Well guess what. Geek women are some of the smartest, sassiest, most quick-witted and beautiful women in the world. It’s interesting that if I hadn’t relented and finally got a Twitter account, I would never have known about the universe of geek women out there, and my life would be a lot duller than it is now.

One of the things I tell people that ask about Twitter is that with Facebook you can keep in contact with friends in a general way, but with Twitter you can expand your knowledge and meet people for whatever niche you choose. I was so lucky that early on in my Twitter journey I met a really wonderful lady named Terry, and we became friends quickly. Through her I started meeting scores of others who love sci-fi as much as I do, and in many cases more, many of them women. My world became richer and my intellect constantly challenged by these women, and I love that.

These are not the overall wearing types pop culture purveyors like to present (yeah, I did that on purpose LOL) – not even close. These are professional, educated and very intelligent women (and intelligent is so sexy) who can discuss how women are portrayed in sci-fi, then switch to nitpicks of episodes and explain the science of their argument then discuss their gaming adventures in the blink of an eye. Then say, “Sorry, gotta go, about to go for a 10-mile mountain bike ride.”

As I stated in an earlier ride on the Bitter Trolley, I am an avid Star Trek Online player, and the amount of women players astounds me. Sure there are guys that make women characters, but being able to hook into Ventrilo and talk to the other players, there are some stunning ladies (intellectually as well as physically) playing the game.

So what I have to wonder is why do so many of those who decide to present women like this do so? Are they scared of smart women, confident women and women that are not afraid to tell you what they are thinking?

It’s funny, when the amazing Jeri Ryan was cast as Seven of Nine, so many people derided it as a casting stunt, and the joke flew about geeks having their pin up girl. The truth is, if you have ever heard her talk, if you follow her on Twitter or read her writings, Jeri Ryan should be a role model for young women, and the fact she’s drop-dead gorgeous, well, that’s just a bonus for the geeks out here.

I have some coworkers that were discussing MTV’s 16 and Pregnant, but when they heard about a debate I was having with my geek women friends about the Star Trek Deep Space Nine finale “What You leave Behind” – they thought that was so odd. Really?  I still love the episode, but some things were pointed out to me about the ending no man ever had ever said to me. I like that. Oh, but it’s set in space, it must be silly. But real housewives shows aren't. Uh huh.

So who are the queens of geek? It's simple, it's not some actress or writer, it is the everyday woman out there who enjoys the adventure, the learning and the fun of sci-fi/fantasy/gaming. It's the women I am lucky to meet every day.


In the end it all boils down to one thing for me, geek women are the best of us, and I could not be more privileged and proud that I know them, and they accept and love me for who I am.


It is truly the geek man that is lucky, because geek women are more than a pretty face, they have the brains to keep us interested.

If you choose to make fun, to belittle or to tell us, “Get a life!” then you don’t get it. We have one, and it’s damn good.

Thanks for reading. And as always, thanks for riding the Bitter Trolley, and please, remember us for your future travels.


Oh, before you leave the Trolley, check out the following blogs by some wonderful geek women, it's worth the time:


http://scifichick.com/
http://blackbootedblogger.blogspot.com/