Michael B. Duff

At first I wasn’t sure I wanted to use “geek” in the name of this blog. To some people geek is still a pejorative term, an insult used by people who think they’re still in high school.

The Urban Dictionary defines “geek” as: The people you pick on in high school and wind up working for as an adult.

All this really proves is that the Urban Dictionary is written by geeks.

A somewhat more reputable dictionary defines “geek” as:

1. a peculiar or otherwise dislikable person, esp. one who is perceived to be overly intellectual.
2. a computer expert or enthusiast (a term of pride as self-reference, but often considered offensive when used by outsiders.)
3. a carnival performer who performs sensationally morbid or disgusting acts, as biting off the head of a live chicken.

Ouch. With definitions like this, the Random House Dictionary company must have a kick ass softball team.

The 90s Internet boom gave geeks an air of wealth and power — and maybe even some credibility, if you think money can buy such things. In 2008 I would say we are well on our way to reclaiming the word geek and turning it into a status symbol, maybe even a compliment, if it’s used in the right context.

I used geek in the name of this blog because I don’t think it’s a dirty word. I wear the label reluctantly but with a little pride. I don’t like the image of the pale, flabby geek stereotype, but I do like being an opinionated, computer-savvy intellectual.

Ultimately, this is a blog about stuff that geeks like. I’ll cover the usual stuff like blogs, toys and video games; but I’ll also cover music, movies and pop culture. We know Battlestar Galactica is a geek show, but what about Boston Legal, CSI and Weeds?

I know geeks who watch all these shows and dissect them with as much passion as any conventioneer in a Star Trek uniform.

The truth is, there’s more than one kind of geek, and everybody’s a geek for something. The Internet has created a thousand tiny subcultures, each with its fair share of passion and prejudice. Like it or not, we’re living in a world of geeks — music geeks, sports geeks, political geeks and more.

So before you turn your nose up at the kid with the pocket protector, take a good look in the mirror, and recognize the geek in yourself.