The Five Stages of Geek by Adele

Today's guestblog was written by Adele. Adele blogs at Persnickety Snark and The Sarah Dessen Diarist. She hosts podcasts at The Read Carpet and The Fringe Dwellers. And, um, did you know that her podcasts can be downloaded at iTunes? How cool is that?!
Star Wars:
I was a Star Wars girl from the moment I watched the original trilogy back to back to back. I wasn’t into the robots, the intergalactic battles or even the wicked cool creatures. I was into Leia –get your mind out of the gutter – she was this amazingly forceful, independent, resilient female and I wanted to be her (without the hair issues). I can’t recall watching a female character like her before. So I guess you can say that my need for a strong female protagonist pushed me into geek world. Actually there was one more thing too....Han Solo. Two words – Harrison Ford. Be still my fluttering nine year old heart.

Buffy:
I read a lot as a teenager, preferring my literary crew (aka Mr Darcy) to hanging out down the main drag. To most of you this might sound pathetic but to me, it was heaven. I think that my voracious reading kept the geekiness in check for most of the teen years until Buffy: The Vampire Slayer debuted on Australian screens when I was sixteen. Finally! A strong, decisive, funny and confident girl with extraordinary powers who was suffering through high school with the same issues I was experiencing (unfortunately at no point was my problem, vampire with a soul, Angel). The metaphors used in Joss Whedon’s show resonated with me on a personal level and I have adored of that show since its inception.

Kevin Smith:
I still didn’t consider myself a geek at the Buffy stage...although many others would. What tipped me into the world was Kevin Smith. Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Clerks – all movies that referenced geeky subject matter that I was deeply familiar with. There is a highly inappropriate discussion about Lois Lane and Superman in Mallrats that I just adore because I always wondered how they were intimate without causing her harm. It was then that I realised that I was indeed a geek and I embraced it. I labelled myself, owning it with glee, cuddling it to my chest and choosing to use it as a positive moniker.

Podcasting:
I bought an iPod two years ago and very quickly discovered the beauty of the podcast. I loved hearing likeminded, usually American fans discussing the latest episode of Smallville, a screenwriter’s explanation of the script writing process or creators revealing secrets of their shows. I was sucked in immediately.

Within a year I decided I would podcast. I got myself some free and legal audio recording software, a mic and started mucking around. Within a week I was invited to guest host on a podcast I listened to and from there I started a podcast with two other girls called Three Chicks and a Mic. We had bonded over Twilight and decided to start a podcast about geekdom from a chick perspective. I had found my geek home in the podcast section of iTunes. I also started a weekly podcast on FOX’s Fringe, Fringe Dwellers which has opened my up to science geekdom – a whole new branch of geekiness.

I have since branched out and used podcasting in association with my blogs. The Sarah Dessen Diarist podcast is decidedly low-tech and infrequent but listeners seem to respond to my reactions. I tend to think it’s due to my Aussie accent, more than my opinions but I guess they wouldn’t listen either way if they weren’t enjoying it. I have just started The Read Carpet to spread the world of YA literature brilliance. Through this project I am teaching others about the joy of podcasting (and maybe being a geek too.)

Comics:
It is the last frontier of geekdom and I am crossing the threshold at a snail’s pace. From all the friends I have made in podcasting I heard more and more about comics. The recent explosion of comics-based film also raised the interest. At this point I have read a lot of Jeph Loeb’s Catwoman, Kingdom Come, Red Son, Justice, Supernatural: The Rising Son, Bufffy Season 8, Runaways, etc. I find I put more emphasis in the words than the art but I am developing an appreciation for the medium. You won’t find me at a convention but I do know my way around a comic book store, and I will be first in line at the Wolverine movie.


In a nutshell, geeks are my people. I am a geek. Hear me roar!