Geek culture seems to have a love-hate relationship with women. On the one hand, where would so many classic science fiction and fantasy tales be without a princess to rescue? But on the other hand, as soon as women try to involve themselves in geek culture, asserting their right to be there as fans of the multifaceted culture, there’s a lot of pushback from the men. A LOT. In Defense of Lady Geeks argues that while women are “appreciated for our decorative qualities, we certainly shouldn’t expect to be welcomed beyond that as active participants. Continue Reading →
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Recent posts
“Sapiosexual” – My New Favorite Neologism
You know that feeling when you find a new word that describes an identity or characteristic and you just think, “OMG! That’s totally me!” and you get really excited? It’s that feeling of shared reality and lack of aloneness that comes from realizing you aren’t a freak (or are at least, you’re one of many freaks). I can remember feeling this way the first time I heard the term “sex geek” but more recently I felt this way when I learned the word “sapiosexual.” Continue Reading →
‘Baby, I’m Your Natural Selection’- New Scientist Magazine’s Dating Website
There’s something about geek romance that just delights me. Perhaps it’s the idea that people historically undervalued as dating partners finding connection, or, the joy that someone’s found a partner that totally ‘gets’ them. Either way, I love a good n’ nerdy how-we-met story. Case in point: a friend of mine once told me about the moment he realized he’d found ‘the one’ was when, during a walk on the beach with a new girlfriend, she picked up a rock and said, ‘This looks like a phaser!’ In a previous post, I described how I overheard the best nerdy pick-up line in the bar at the Star Trek Experience. Continue Reading →
Gender, Gaming, And Safe Spaces
Gaming and geek cultures are increasingly a part of contemporary people’s hobbies, lifestyles, and social options. Notice that I said “people” and not just “guys,” because, as it turns out, many gamers are also women–around 42% according to some studies. However, a lot of these women don’t feel safe or welcome while playing in large online games, so they hide their gender, or otherwise try to downplay their real-life identities. Why? I’ve been reading posts by Lesley, a blogger who’s also a gamer, on this topic in an effort to understand. Continue Reading →
Gender-Bending Superheroes
Many Americans are coming to terms with the fact that their beloved superheroes are often portrayed in sexist and gender-specific ways. The results of this realization are amusing and subversive. For instance, a group of cosplayers attending San Diego Comic-Con cross-dressed as their favorite Justice League characters (click the link to check out the pictures, they’re great!). And there are drawings of male superheroes posed in the same pose as Wonder Woman (again, hilarious pics, check them out!). I’m in favor of playing with gender roles to illustrate their effects, and I’m glad that comic book fans are on board. Continue Reading →
Everything I Know About Sex I Learned From Star Trek
A few years ago, I heard the best pick-up line I’ve ever heard uttered in real life. Some friends and I were paying nerd homage at Quark’s Bar in the Start Trek Experience in Vegas and we overheard a woman trying to chat up a man on the other end of the bar. In a sexy, low voice (and in all seriousness), she purred, “So… Do you speak Klingon?” I laughed so hard, my Risa Colada nearly went out my nose. Still, I had endless respect for the incredible geekiness we were witnessing, and it warmed my heart to see people find such compatibility. Continue Reading →
GameCrush: Online Playdates For Lonely Gamers
A look at the demographics of the website GameCrush reveals that there is still a large gender disparity in gaming. Users of the site can pay to play games via webcam with “playdates,” most of whom are female, in games ranging from board games to first-person shooters. This report emphasizes the interactive nature of the site, stating that paying to game with a hot girl is not unlike buying her a drink at a bar–simply a way to introduce oneself and ask for her company for a little while. Sex-chatting and raunchiness are apparently discouraged and could get one booted from the site. Continue Reading →
Another Sexy Geek Girl Video, Another Round Of Ambivalence
Geek and Gamer Girls Song – Watch more Funny Videos
The new “Geek and Gamer Girls” music video is entertaining, upbeat, and sexy–and, moreover, produced by the girls themselves and filled with references to geek and gamer culture. Sounds empowering, right? Continue Reading →
Bookworm Lust And Ray Bradbury (NSFW video)
“Staying in to read” takes on a whole new meaning in this amusing and very sexed-up tribute to science fiction author Ray Bradbury. I appreciate the message that reading is sexy, and I’m intrigued by the singer’s use of book as masturbation tool. However, it seems like the video might be packaging geek culture in sexy mainstream drag, rather than affirming that bookworms and nerds can be sexy on their own terms.
Follow us on Twitter @mysexprofessor. Follow Jeana, the author of this post, @foxyfolklorist Continue Reading →