The Recent Evolution of 'Geek'.

Back in the earlier years of secondary school, I remember being bullied. The reason I was picked on was in fact not a reason, but three reasons. One, I did not have the most athletic of builds (unless, if when I say ‘athlete’ you think of those partaking in shot put, weightlifting or a hot dog eating contest. In that case, yes I had a very athletic build); Two, I had a lot of hair that made me look like a ‘Mega Bloks’ figure (Not a ‘Lego’ figure. Lego figurine hair was way cooler than mine); and Three, I was really smart. I was called a geek and a nerd and I hated it. Now, however, the term “Geek” and “Nerd” are thrown about all the time, sometimes in instances that could be described as inappropriate. Here’s the dictionary definition of those two words.

Geek, noun.

1: An unfashionable or socially inept person.

2: A person with an eccentric devotion to a particular interest.

Nerd, noun.

1: A foolish or contemptible person who lacks social skills or is boringly studious.

2: An intelligent, single minded expert in a particular technical discipline or profession.

"Oh my gosh! They seriously used Comic Sans in a widely published academic textbook?!"

Do not assume that the message here is that these words should be solely used in the way that they were spat towards those who were regarded as “unpopular”. Rejoice in the fact that they are now used as a non-offensive term. Screw it, create Nerd Day if you want, a day when everyone fixes every problem with maths and duct tape; a day when people learn what “127.0.0.1 is where the heart is” actually means; a day when everybody types at thirty five words per minute. Go nuts!

What could be seen as disagreeable is when people use it to describe themselves for the wrong reasons. Some may say that Chuck Lorre holds some of the blame. Well, not Lorre himself, but one of his creations.

Back in 2007, Lorre’s award winning sitcom, The Big Bang Theory hit screens. American television was still trying to find a show to take on the role of the late cash cow, Friends. The Big Bang Theory (along with other ‘Friends-type’ comedies such as How I Met Your Mother) was a welcome replacement, and could appeal to the largest audience. With its references to science and stereotypical geek culture as its main selling point it appealed to geeks and nerds the world over. At the same time its humour, though relying on science and geek culture references, was simplified enough so that anyone watching the show would probably get the joke.

"The Big Bang Theory cast."

The existence of The Big Bang Theory should not be loathed in the slightest. It is a funny, clever, well-written show with a team behind it that has worked hard to make it as popular as it is today (though featuring Kaley Cuoco in some skimpy outfits couldn’t have hurt). However, it is from this blend of simplified jokes based around scientific subject matter and a set of storylines which have already been tried and tested by Friends and Seinfeld, which created a group of viewers who think themselves geeks, yet are not. Not even in the sense of the newer definitions that were mentioned earlier.

Someone being obsessed with shoes or football, and dubbing themselves a ‘geek’ or ‘nerd’ of that particular topic does indeed conform with the most recent changes in the definitions of the terms, and they may be (in my opinion, rightly) told “Go ahead, live your geeky life to its nerdy fulfilment. You have my blessing.” Yet can someone who simply, finds the jokes featured in The Big Bang Theory funny, class themselves as a geek? Is it an example of someone attempting to identify with a group as part of a need to be ‘Safe in Numbers’? Perhaps it’s a sign of people wishing they were smarter, and believing that labelling themselves as a geek is the first step on that journey, or is it merely that language is evolving so fast that the terms ‘nerd’ or ‘geek’ already mean something else? Maybe they are now used to refer to someone who can understand humour which has been simplified especially for them, and if that is the case, does it even matter? Am I getting involved in a debate that just doesn’t need to happen? As always your thoughts and comments on the matter are welcome.

I’ll see you when the light that radiates from the sun is reflected off your body, enters my eye and is then processed by my brain.