Fact or Faked?

By Sandra D. Sukraj

It’s a growing phenomenon throughout the geek world. If you’ve ever gone to a convention – for example, Fan Expo or Comic-Con – you may have seen them wandering by, hips sashaying, bodies scantily clad in popular fandom* attire.

It’s the fake geek girl.

But what exactly is a fake geek girl?

“She’s the girl who buys into the sexist aspect of comic books,” said reverse engineer Aimée Martinez.

Martinez, who is also a self-proclaimed Trekkie*, admits that she’s been criticized for being a fake geek girl and had to build her credibility.

She believes there are many definitions of fake geek girls, simply because they “have boobs.”

“This is still very much a boys-only club,” Martinez said. “I am nervous to offend any girl who is actually a n00b*, but is being razed as fake.”

Hope Nicholson, a comic book historian and publisher of 1940s Canadian comic book reprints, defines this as “a term coined by fans who feel upset that their particular fandom is becoming popular outside of the few hardcore fans.”

She also describes it as a phrase used to mock women who are newer to fandoms or who appear less knowledgeable. She said it’s used to try to control the demographics to be primarily male.

“Fortunately, it does not appear to be working well,” Nicholson said. “More and more women are showing their presence and passion online and at conventions, and are fighting back against the concept; along with a healthy amount of male allies.”

So, who is alleging these women and girls are fake geeks? Nicholson said it’s mostly male fans, but also a small percentage of females.

But in a world where people are constantly changing interests and finding new ones, is there really such a thing as a fake geek girl?

Meghan Bell, managing editor of www.roommagazine.com and digital communications co-ordinator at the Vancouver International Film Festival and Vancity Theatre, doesn’t buy into this phenomenon.

“I don’t believe there is a such a thing as a ‘fake geek,’ whether male or female,” Bell said. “The whole concept of the ‘fake geek girl’ is incredibly sexist and elitist.”

With the convenience of the Internet, the involvement of females within geek culture has risen. But there is still criticism from the minority who feel threatened by the growing accessibility to the public in any way.

“The real geek and nerd community is made up of pockets of tight-knit groups,” Martinez said. “While we welcome new people, you really have to want to find us. You really have to have something to bring to the table. You have to put in actual time and effort to learn any subject, not just once a year for Fan Expo.”

The concept of the fake geek girl might seem like the new mainstream fad, but Nicholson said it’s been around since fandoms have existed. However, fandoms were less exclusionary when it was more a part of society – for example, when comics were available on newsstands.

“When comics went underground and into specialty stores, that’s when the exclusion of female fans started to occur,” Nicholson said, “as well as the ‘geek-shaming’ and gatekeeping of the fandom.”

Many characters within fandoms are obviously sexy – think Catwoman or Wonder Woman – but some would say that’s hardly enough of a reason to label a women as a fake geek.

“I would wear a Catwoman outfit because it’s sexy, yes,” Martinez said. “But I know exactly why she’s sexy and I’m doing it for me.”

The concept of the fake geek girl is widespread. By simply conducting a quick Google search, you’ll find numerous memes and even online quizzes you can take to determine if you are a fake geek or not. But with most male-dominated areas, women are uniting and breaking stereotypes and forging their own dominance.

“People should be able to like the things they like to whatever degree they like it,” Bell said, “without their fandom being judged as ‘fake’ or ‘real.’”

You can find more of Meghan Bell's work at RoomMagazine.com/meghan-bell

You can also follow her on Twitter @meghanlbell

#geek #geekgirls