So it has been a while... I know. But here is something that has really been eating at me lately... so as a form of personal therapy... here it is.
Okay... so this post may upset those of you who are easily offended. But it needs to be said and frankly... if your offended... you should go start a group for people who can't take a joke because they have huge sticks up their asses and are still suckling their mom's breasts for nutrition.
It was brought to my attention that some people, a lot from Eugene/Springfield and even a few here in Salem are offended by the word Geek; like this is 1980 and geek is still being thrown around as a slight like some poorly adopted episode of Freaks and Geeks.
Some even go so far as comparing the word Geek to disparaging racial epitaphs.
Guess what, Geek as a word does not carrying the same history with it as words used to disparage a race of people. Geek is not comparable as slavery. It is not the same as Jewish ghettos of WWII. It is not the same as crimes committed against native Americans... stop trying compare those racially disparaging words and atrocities to the word Geek. It is making it so every time you open your mouth, it's simply just to change the foot your already had in there.
The word Geek is slang. It originally described eccentric or non-mainstream people. Then, Geek was a pejorative, a burn, slander; defined as "one who is perceived to be overly intellectual, unfashionable, or socially awkward."
Today, the word means an enthusiast or a person obsessed with a topic or hobby. Really all Geek is anymore is a term that describes someone with passion about something. Comic Geek, Book Geek, Gaming Geek, Movie Geek, Sports Geek, Photo Geek or even just plain ole Geek.
Today, the word Geek is used without malice or in the case of self referral; as a source of pride. Even if someone tosses the word geek at someone with attempted malice, the malice just falls on deaf ears.
Guess what... this isn't 1982. Geek doesn't have any real malice behind it any longer. It is embraced by every generation as a positive; as a definition of something we have in common instead of what makes us different. Isn't this a good thing? We spend so much time focusing on our differences and what has that gotten us? Hatred, bullying, murder, war... nothing good comes from looking at our differences.
Geek is a bonding agent. It brings us together. It makes friends out of complete strangers who would have otherwise never known each other existed. I have met some of my best friends because of various things I have "geeked out" over the years.
I know it's a trendy thing today for so many people to be offended by just about anything and everything. It seems so easy for people to feel slighted by the littlest thing.
Peanutbutter... I'm sure I offended at least one person with that one word. None that is a friend of mine, but someone in the world would be willing to start a petition against me for the use of that word.
I'm but the reality is if you're going to be offended all the time, maybe the internet isn't for you. Maybe our society isn't for you.
Geek is here. It's always been here. It's never been hiding under a rock, hiding behind closed doors. Geeks have been flocking to events since the advent of theater. Geeks have been collecting everything under the sun since the dawn of man. It's always been out in the open. Rock concerts, broadway plays, sporting events and tailgate parties... Collecting thimbles, dolls, toys, music.... Geek has been around longer than any of us have been alive. So get over it... no really I should say, get over yourself.
The fact of the matter is; if you are offended by anything, including the use of the word Geek, you should likely blame your parents... cause they raised a pussy. Seriously... If you believe that you have to the right to be protected from being exposed to any type of real feeling... you are a pussy and your parents are to blame.
And if you are offended by these words you shouldn't bother wasting your time telling me about it... I'm an Old Geek and frankly, I ran out of Fucks to give about 25 years ago. So suck it up princess... cause I'm only getting started.
And that concludes this Geeky Public Service Announcement.
0 comments:
Post a Comment