We’ve all seen the stereotypical teenage films that consist of the different cliques set in American High schools: The jocks, the goths, the preppies, the mean girls/Regina George-a-likes…but of course this list wouldn’t be complete without the geeks. But before you judge, by geek I don’t mean the glasses-wearing, science loving dork that is so often portrayed in the media. Embracing your inner geek is all about opening yourself up to experiences that you have either never considered before, or were too ashamed to admit you enjoy.
For example, take video games. It is highly likely that many of you who read this article will have at some point played Pokémon on a Game Boy in your life. It is also highly likely that a handful of you may have secretly indulged in playing on your brother or boyfriend’s Xbox. Now here’s the question, which out of those two are you more likely to admit to playing? If you’re not quite ready to step into the realm of ‘geekdom,’ don’t worry! This guide will help you through the baby steps, so that you’ll never be embarrassed to admit that you sobbed your heart out at the latest episode of Doctor Who, blurted out the word ‘bazinga’ in public, or spent a good two hours of your evening playing Call of Duty with your guy friends. So without further ado, here are my top two tips on opening yourself up to geekdom.
1. GET GAMING
Like I said above, you can’t really embrace your inner geek until you have a go at what is ultimately the backbone of all that is good and nerdy. This means playing anything from Mario Kart to Mass Effect, from Crash Bandicoot to Call of Duty and so on. Now, you may be one of the many people who have never owned a video game console let alone played one. On the other hand you could be a hardcore gamer already, with a Playstation, Xbox and a top of the range gaming computer. If you’re starting from scratch then I won’t lie to you, games consoles are EXPENSIVE and it could take a fair bit of your student loan to pay for one, not that I recommend spending all your money at once, leaving you with nothing to eat for the next month. Luckily there is a solution… boys! Simply ask your boyfriend or male flatmate if you can have a go on his Xbox and you’re set; load up a game and have a go! And don’t worry if you suck at killing Nazi zombies on your first try, I was exactly the same (in fact I’m still terrible at it). Of course, it might be that shooting games aren’t your thing, so in that case I recommend having a go at what is actually one of my favourites, Assassin’s Creed, or maybe something on a handheld console like the ever popular Pokémon. No matter what, don’t give up on your first go.After all practice makes perfect.
2. DOCTOR…WHO?
Another key way of embracing your inner geek comes in the form of John Logie Baird’s invention: television, or rather the programmes you can watch on it. So next time you sit down with the intention to watch the latest episode of the X Factor, why don’t you broaden your horizons and have a look at some of the geekiest TV on offer. And don’t worry, not all ‘Geek TV’ is about slaying dragons and wielding lightsabers in a galaxy far far away, most of it is pretty decent and is likely to tug on your heartstrings. For example, a popular favourite across the globe comes in the form of The Big Bang Theory, a sitcom based on five nerdy guys and their typical all-American neighbour Penny. It could be that many of you have already seen the show and found it to be hilarious. That’s not surprising seeing how it already has two Emmys and a Golden Globe under its belt just for a simple show where most of the punch lines revolve around geek culture.
If you’ve never seen The Big Bang Theory before then don’t fret; these gags are a great way to broaden your geeky knowledge. Just like the show’s character Penny, you’ll go from being clueless to having an extensive nerd encyclopaedia stored in your brain knowing everything from superheroes to Ned Stark. And if you’re like me and have boy flatmates, The Big Bang Theory is a piece of television that you’ll all enjoy watching, so no more arguments about football and America’s Next Top Model!
Of course I can’t bang on about geek TV without mentioning the cream de la crop AKA Doctor Who. I highly doubt many of you won’t know what this TV cult show is, but for those who don’t the series is about a timelord who calls himself ‘The Doctor,’ who travels through space and time in a 1960s blue police box. Sounds pretty daft huh? Try telling that to the show’s fans, also known as ‘Whovians,’ who watch the show religiously. In fact you probably needn’t look far to find a Whovian, as most of our parents watched it during their childhood, hiding behind the sofa from the Daleks every Saturday night. Of course the show’s changed a lot since those days with the costume department having a decent budget (the old episodes’ aliens look like they were made with paper-mache), and the quality of the writing has improved. You only need to watch the most recent episode and I can guarantee by the end you’ll be shedding a tear or two. Jack and Rose? No it’s all about Rory and Amy.
So there you have it, our starter guide to embracing your inner geek. Hopefully after following these baby steps, you’ll quite happily fan-girl over Doctor Who, kill some Zombies on Resident Evil and put up that Sheldon Cooper poster in your bedroom. You know you won’t regret it.