This Beer Tastes Nerdy

Kind of a nifty thing.

I just found out that Sun King Brewery, a local brewer here in Indianapolis (who makes a delicious cream ale that is my go-to when I treat myself to a beer) is going to be making a new brew inspired by Gen Con for 2013's convention.

The nerds are also getting our own beer garden this year on Georgia St. - across the street from the Indianapolis Convention Center.

I am so looking forward to that. I am a big fan of our local Sun King. They have some really great flavors at decent prices (considering that it's not a massive nation-wide brewer). I have yet to run into their Beer Bus while it's operational, but it amuses me nonetheless that it exists.

Maybe it will encourage me to drink enough water this year so I don't suffer heat exhaustion like I did the year before last. That corset wasn't such a good idea...

Creating the Dovahkiin

Realistically, this is my first cosplay.

I've dressed up before to go to conventions or nerdy gatherings: I wore my best Browncoatesque Western/Chinese hodgepodge to the premiere of Serenity, with the Chinese character for Serenity painted on my cheek. I threw together a pretty impressive closet Steampunk for a trip to Gen Con last summer that I didn't think would happen. I even went to SDCC in a costume for one of the days... though it wasn't one I was particularly proud of or would have picked for myself.

But this is my first time actually picking a fandom I am passionate about and constructing a costume that replicates it's source material to the best of my ability.

I am not a total n00b when it comes to fabrication and costume work. I have a pretty extensive background in theatre (though I haven't been in that world for many years now) and have a fairly wide variety of experience in arts and crafts. Still, I've never faked armor. Or prop weapons. Or done any work with wonderflex, friendly plastic, or many of the other materials that cosplay costumers use.

Also, I'm generally pretty strapped for cash.

This will be a journey into frugal cosplay. I have a passion for fabrication and look forward to pushing myself into recreating as much of this costume as possible while also pinching my pennies. I don't have a workshop or a garage that's cleared of stuff. I don't have a workbench or many tools (unless I dig through the spider-and-dust-coated-pit that is my basement). But I do have creativity and an intense level of satisfaction when I can macgyver something together rather than purchase it pre-made.

Coming Soon: Chapter 1 - The Helmet

*giggle*

It's been one of those days. Which is why I'd like to end it with this:

Also, there is a bottle of bacon flavored syrup in my house. Not maple syrup with bacon flavor, but pure bacon syrup, made for cocktails and lattes. I really don't know what to make of this, but I think a shot of it is in my future.

Gen Con: A Love Story

I was blessed with a pass into Gen Con Indy this year. In between shifts at my job nearby, I've been doing my best to check out everything I can from the Con and report it back here, particularly since I was there in part to help Josh do some networking and fact finding for Game Gavel. I feel a level of obligation in reporting about the Con and all it's wonders, but I am now starting to second guess myself in exactly how I want to go about doing it. See, I could just list off the many events and things to see, but simply seeing an itinerary of Gen Con could give you all of that, in more detail than I may be able to provide. Instead, I feel like I really want to communicate what Gen Con is (at least in my experience). I know a number of people who are passionate about their conventions, many of whom have never heard of Gen Con. It compels me to try and capture some of the atmosphere as best I can.

I'm honestly surprised that some people disregard Gen Con as if it was some small get together of nerdy Midwesterners who happened to crawl out of their basements for a change. It's the nations largest annual consumer fantasy, sci-fi and adventure gaming convention. In gaming events alone, this year saw over 250,000 event tickets sold - and getting time at the tables is only one aspect of what one can do at Gen Con.

First off, Gen Con is really well located. It is within easy walking distance of many of the places downtown and is directly connected to Circle Center Mall (where I have my second job. It's nice how that worked out.) The parade of cosplayers that wander past the store fronts seeking the Food Court is quite a wonder to see. There are some stores in the mall that definitely fit the interests of some of those attracted to the Con (Teavanna has been seeing a constant stream of anime-themed cosplayers this year) and it's a relaxed atmosphere in which the initiated can let their freak flags fly among the general public. Knowing glances of people recognizing their common bonds based on t-shirt logos and intricate costumes gives a real sense of community: of being a part of the in-crowd. To really geek out: it's like being a wizard walking around muggles, most of whom have no idea why there are so many brightly colored wigs and guys walking around in full plate armor around every corner of downtown Indy.

'Sup.

Gen Con is, primarily, a gaming convention with a special focus on table top gaming. If you collect D20s like stereotypical women buy shoes, this is the convention for you. Events include RPGs, TCGs, card games, board games, LARPs, video games, you name it - they have it. Merchants sell virtually everything geek-related: pithy t-shirts, artwork, leather armor, corsets, handcrafted hats from all sorts of eras, foam weapons, potion pouches, every type of game imaginable... the list goes on.  

Medieval Collectibles = So awesome.

It's really no wonder that Gen Con is one of the largest and most promminent gaming conventions in North America when you consider it's history. It was started by the Great Gygax in 1968. (If you don't know who I'm talking about... I can only give you a sad look and point you in the direction of Google.) It really is a sizeable event, drawing in between 25,000 - over 30,000 attendees each year. This year it shattered it's previous records with a turnstile attendance record of over 119,707 over the course of the 96 hours of gaming, cosplay, music and more. While the exhibition hall (where I am, for the most part, limited to this year due to time constraints) has structured opening and closing schedules, there are games going on 24 hours a day during the 4-day event. I really look forward to being able to register for a game in the future - so far, that has been the one major aspect of Gen Con that I haven't been able to get my hands on. Even so, without getting a seat at the larger gaming tables, Gen Con gives all who attend a chance to get a hands-on look at the new games and products on display.

 And the gaming is really one of the beauties of Gen Con. Unlike Comic Con, which has gotten a lot of complaints recently about not really being about comic books anymore, Gen Con is for and by the gamers and the geeks. Nerds of every flavor get to come together and discuss their passions, in and out of the convention hall. For example, I had a pretty awesome conversation with a guy that started by me mentioning that a tea pot he was standing near in Teavanna reminded me of a TARDIS. Whether you're a dedicated LARPer or a part-time tabletop role player, or just excited about the gaming mediums on display, there is a genuine sense of community and acceptance there.  Sure, they have their celebrity appearances and seminars, the workshops and the tournaments, but in the end I think the best part of Gen Con Indy is the attendees themselves and the sheer joy they often bring to the table.

 Gen Con has also worked hard throughout the years to turn this celebration of gaming into positive change by helping children and educational programs through a number of charity events. This year, School on Wheels (a group that aims to help homeless children) was the recipient of over $18,000 through events like the Charity Speed Paint and Auction, Cardhalla (where participants build a city of stacked Magic cards and knocks them down on the last day with their donations), and an always-loved Jail and Bail, among others. 100 % of the proceeds went to the charity. Good Karma, guys.

"Gen Con Indy 2011 was simply the best Gen Con ever for us," said Adrian Swartout (CEO of Gen Con LLC)"We had such incredible support from our exhibitors, sponsors, event organizers and volenteers, and of course, the amazing businesses and people of Indianapolis. We are so thankful to have their partnership in crafting the world's finest experience in gaming. Next year, Gen Con has its 45th anniversary. We are too excited for words at the amount of fun we are already planning for next August."

And I can't wait to be there with bells on.

Hopefully I'll be able to get better pics of the steampunkery I threw together on Sunday.

For more information visit the website at www.gencon.com  . For up-to-the minute details, find us at www.facebook.com/genconindy and at www.twitter.com/gen_con .

Future Gen Con Indy Show DatesGen Con has been in Indianapolis since 2003 and has signed a five-year extension with the Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association (ICVA) for 2011-2015. Below are the upcoming show dates.
August 16-19, 2012
August 15-18, 2013
August 14-17, 2014
July 30 - August 2, 2015

Next time Eventually, I'll give you a little more detail about the awesome folks who I got to talk to this year.

Nerd vs Geek vs Being a Girl

I am a bit of a word-nut. I love discovering etymologies and following the historical changes in word usage. I was never one to sit and read the dictionary for fun, but in some ways I'm a little surprised that I never did.

I have other academic texts that I read 'just for fun'.

But the dictionary isn't much help when it comes to this question. According to Google's dictionary, there is some difference, but it is subtle.

Nerd - 1) A foolish or contemptible person who lacks social skills or is boringly studious 2) An intelligent, single-minded expert in a particular technical discipline or profession.


Geek - 1) an unfashionable or socially inept person 2) person with an eccentric devotion to a particular interest 3) a carnival performer who does particularly wild or disgusting acts.

If you get this reference, I love you all the more.

We can obviously disregard the carnival definition, as it's obviously not the useage most common today. Or else this site would be dedicated to a curvy woman who likes doing odd things to chickens or some such thing.

Both definitions describe someone with a lack of social graces, someone who is not socially desirable, and both have elements of expertise or obsession in a subject (with or without practical application).

In broadening the search to looking into the origins of these words, it also doesn't really clear things up. Geek comes from geck, a Scottish word meaning fool, which some have attributed to Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. Nerd isn't all that old, popping up in the 50s, and it's not really clear why it started being used. Dr. Seus used the word as a nonsensical in If I Ran the Zoo, and some theorize that kids decided to insult one another with this cool sounding word. Others claim the word knurd (the reverse of drunk) was coined by students describing those of their peers who were a bit too studious.

 I've found myself having a number of conversations with people about the difference between 'nerd' and 'geek'. I'll start out by stressing that the English language has a lot of variation to it - while there are set definitions to words, the way they are used an differentiated varies not only between regions of the world but simply from person to person. 

A collection of what the internet tells us about geeks and nerds:

Venn Diagram from Great White Snark

Geek - Very knowledgeable of a specific topic (electronics, comic books, etc)
Nerd - Very knowledgeable across a wide variety of subjects (book smart)
Dork - socially awkward and not mutually exclusive of nerd/geek. - toomuch at MetaFilter

Geek is a term of admiration, nerd is a term of ambivalence, and dork is a term of derision.  - gyusan at MetaFilter

To me nerd is socially related, and geek is interest related.... I think of geekdom as something you can be obsessed with, something to collect, what do you watch, what do you look up in the internet (which didn't exist during my first experiences in geekdom). To me, a nerd is more of a social position. - Mayim Bialik, (Big Bang Theory, Blossom)

 No nerd calculates so hard, gets such perfect grades, to be called a geek. Likewise, no geek spends 3 weeks putting together the perfect steam punk ensemble to be called a nerd. Too many people use the terms “geek” and “nerd” almost interchangeably. While the key differences between the two may be relatively minor to some, they are critical to those in the know. - WolfGnards.com

How do I weigh in on things? 

For one thing, I think that nerd and geek are far more interchangeable than some word purists want to believe. I actually don't know anyone who self identifies as a geek who would care about being called a nerd, any more than they would care about being called a geek. It would depend on the context in which the word was being used rather than which word was chosen. A geek whose geeky friend laughingly calls them a nerd because they're excited about the way they took out a Legion outpost on the outskirts of New Vegas is probably not going to react differently because of the word choice. Someone who is trying to insult someone by calling them a geek or a nerd probably won't win any points by picking one other the other.

That being said, there are elements of social awkwardness to nerd that I personally don't see applying to geek, just as there are elements of fandom obsession in geek that aren't necessarily in nerd. But it's not like there is a brick wall between the two terms. A male nerd can be a Star Wars geek and not know how to talk to girls without promptly making an awkward ass of himself. A female gaming geek can be a total textbook nerd in an academic subject that interests her (RE: first picture posted in this article).


How does being a girl fit into all of this?

I'll reassure anyone who may feel like any mention of gender differences is an instant warning sign that the writer is about to go into an extreme anti-men rant about how the world would be much better without penises. Far from it. But I think it is interesting to look at how femininity fits into the geek world. 

She has nice boobs, but is that necessary?

 Let's take Kari Byron for example. When she was hired, it was not to be a host in front of the camera. She repeatedly showed up to Jamie's M5 Industries workshops with a desire to get hired by his special effects company. She worked behind the scenes until being put in front of the camera with any regularity, and has said that she found it uncomfortable and difficult to act naturally at first when getting more screen time. Yet she is repeatedly accused of being the token female. 

I feel like I've had challenges constantly while being on "Mythbusters," a lot of backlash like “That's the only reason you're on the show, you're a token girl”, which is absolutely not the case. I worked really hard to get on this show, And I do everything that everyone else on the show does. I laugh at those comments now and I kind of take it as a compliment, like, “Oh, you just said I was pretty. I'll take that.” Because I don't validate anything else that you've said.

 But she's still photographed in a provocatively sexy manner when promoting the show. Is this her fault? No. But it does add fuel to the fire when people think she's only there to be a pretty pair of boobs.


In the same interview, Kari and Mayim talked about the pretty girl nerd:

Bialik: I was on the floor at Comic -Con and there as a gorgeous, five-foot-nine, busty woman in a teeny, tiny Ewok outfit with tattoos and her belly out, and she wore a button that said “I love nerd girls.” And this is my bias, you know, but I thought, “You don't look anything like a nerd girl. You're stunning, you have an awesome stomach, you're wearing an Ewok bikini, you're busty, you're tall.” And I'm thinking, wow, how much the image has changed. She was at least ten years younger than me. And I was thinking, its like the 3rd wave of feminism... 3rd wave is like “I can look however I want, you still have no right to challenge me about my intellect. But it was just so funny because that would never have been my image of a geek...

Byron: I've noticed sort of a backlash against attractive girls that happen to be nerds or gamers, almost constantly challenging the fact that's they're nerds or geeks as if there's no way that's a possibility...

 Female attractiveness is often a source of social division. Traditional beauty adds social value (statistically more likely to get hired for better paying jobs, get services at discounts, etc.) and is many times used to categorize women into the physical haves and have-nots.

What I find interesting and strange is how the geek/nerd community has twisted this hierarchy around somewhat. Lots of geeks want to go to conventions to see the busty cosplaying Slave Leias, but also deny them a level of legitimacy as nerds because of their attractive appearance. On the other hand, a Catwoman whose got a little extra weight on her than the comic book ideal won't be as flocked-to by those snapping pictures, but is taken more seriously if she starts discussing the intricacies of Dungeons and Dragons.

On a personal note, I think that these kinds of hierarchies or fights over who is a 'real' geek do more harm than good. It's similar to a branch of the body acceptance movement that berates the slender body image popularized by the media, saying that "real women" are larger and curvier. Does that make the women who are naturally thin somehow not real? Are you less of a woman because of the size and shape of your body? Who gets to decide what is the "real" body that typifies womanhood, because isn't that the kind of behavior that you're objecting to in the first place?