CEU eTD Collection In partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of MasterArtsin the Degree for oftherequirements In partialfulfilment P ERFORMING MASCULINITIES IN CYBERSPACE T Second Reader: Allaine Cerwonka HE Department ofGenderStudies Central European University Central Supervisor: AnnaSupervisor: Loutfi G Budapest, Hungary Budapest, ENDERED Gender Studies Submitted to: Éva Zékány 2011 By G EEK : CEU eTD Collection CEU eTD Collection constructed hegemonic expectations. constructed hegemonic/non-hegemonic the of framework the within necessarily not in relation be envisioned best can which and masculinity, non-hegemonic and hegemonic, of elements both incorporating while binary the duality,dimensions of masculinity. butmasculinity within an for forum online self-identified by geeks using Connell’s threefold rather performances of associal actors in relation to the binary,non-femininity I examine the performance of well as the geek figurebetween historical/imaginary the of geek,modernthe stereotypes in as popular culture, as ina socialthe conceptualization of the geekasa the subordinated male.attemptdraw I to some parallels faceactor, leadto which characterizerelationship of human-technology the that andpractices performances the sociallyembodiedhelp of Connell’s hegemonic/non-hegemonic divide in todetermineorder which are the computerperformance user. and presentation In of theorder self. I analyze theto genealogy situate of the geek is of which geekmasculinity of a representative. masculinity, a hybrid conceptualization figure with the the the hindering is framework Connell’s that argue I binary, the into fit which masculinities various between connections the emphasising and contexts a historical into geek the putting masculinities as set upby R.W. Connell prismthe through figurethe of of geek.By the I argue geek that masculinity is an example of masculinityhybrid fallswhich outside I use Connell’s theory of masculinities, as well The purpose of isthesis this problematize binary the to hegemonic/non-hegemonic of as Erving Goffman’s theory on A BSTRACT i CEU eTD Collection B C 5. 4. 3. 2. 1. I NTRODUCTION IBLIOGRAPHY ONCLUSIONS G P M R M 5.3. The alpha ...... 72 geek model 5.2. Geekiness ...... 70 as non-femininity 5.1. A Case against binaries...... 65 4.5. Concluding remarks...... 62 4.4. Performing masculinity...... 48 4.3. Expressions given and expressions given off...... 45 4.2. Gender, identity and deception...... 42 4.1. Cybersubjectivities...... 41 3.3. Geek domesticated...... 38 3.1. Fear of the geek?...... 37 3.1. Madmen and rebels...... 33 2.5. From marginalization to liminality...... 30 2.4. (Cyber) boys’ clubs...... 27 2.3. Circus freaks and ...... 24 cyborgian geeks 2.2. Some terminological considerations...... 22 2.1. An etymology ...... 21 of the geek 1.3. Performances and expressions...... 18 1.2. A hegemony ...... 13 of masculinities? 1.1. Representation and self-identification of geeks...... 8 ERFORMING THE GEEK IN CYBERSPACE IN GEEK THE ERFORMING ETHINKING THE GEEK THE ETHINKING EEK MASCULINITY EEK ADNESS APPING GEEKS APPING 4.4.4. Employability: “Men must have a career, period”...... 57 4.4.3. Embracing/rejecting the stereotype...... 54 4.4.2. Men ...... 52 as seducers 4.4.1.Lacking/having/pretending to have sexual desirability...... 50 , SCIENCE AND GEEKS AND SCIENCE ...... 76 ...... 79 ...... 1 , MAPPING MASCULINITIES MAPPING : THE ALPHA THE ...... 21 T ABLE OF : THE MAKING OF ASTEREOTYPE - GEEK BETWEEN HEGEMONY AND SUBORDINATION ...... 41 ...... 8 C ONTENTS ...... 33 ...... 65 ii CEU eTD Collection communities, how they perform gender and all other intersectional axes one can think of. 2000: 507),which means is there that ample opportunity seehow peopleto behave inthese that “cyberspace, without is canbe whatone sureof However, irrelevant. gender are raceor class, community where its high-tech glitz, an egalitarian leading to of from embodiment, free and constraints isthe difference people partially the idea of thechat community” rooms. and websites It forums, (Stone, in online is themselves for home a found stillhave fields, unconventional more a highly debated questionpeople characterized both by statustheir outcast and their for affinity technology and other, whether cyberspace social spaces, online forums are places forum members where identities. perform Geeks, has the power As to (Kendall, 6). arenotphysically 2002: ‘there’ fact actors the that the despite constructed erase and caninteract, geographically disconnected where shared valuesandmeanings are disjointed space creatingillusion internet, of of the a separate ‘world’ gave itsthe name to the fiction from ‘reality’. very even ourown unlike that bodies and selveswerebereftmeaning.of Gibson’simprobable OnlineWilliam Gibson, aprolific of writer incyberpunk stories set which were a virtual so world forums are Thea network of (Adams, 155). mythcomputers by 1997: cyberspace the was of created places ininformation, butrather a mental geography 2000:30),(Benedikt, aplace applied metaphor to cyberspaceand sustainedby world’s the (Benedikt,computers” 2000:29),nor a limitless realm pure of where people created a “parallel Itis of past, butalso universe misunderstood. one neither mostrecent the who are The cyberspace of computer networks is networks The of one cyberspace in computer most fascinatingthe of inventions the I NTRODUCTION 1 CEU eTD Collection ideas. 1 and voiced opinions in this medium of are paradigmatic online geekcommunities in general. attitudes the whether be known cannot it forum, the on messages thousand several examining reputationplaces sexist on internetthe geekwomen for and in women general most inthe of one as feminists tech-oriented by branded been geek since long has and years, fifteen feminist has for been matters, a spacefor geek socialization over andtechnology science-related circles,masculinities that asareill-famed online community ingeeks,of hopes of gaining abetter understanding of the constructedwell by asgeeks myin suchown circles. conclusions world. Slashdot, a discussion rationalize andlabel whileneed to same geeksubject’s categories the imposing the atthe time forum on aftergeek masculinity,like Iargue that defiesis himself,savants. that geek aliminal the construct readingsome historicaland technology, andand as I willsomeas computer sametimethe at simply evolve did not that construction of a social result are the attempt metaphorical:to show, the geek of geek the facets Themultiple canreveal. in cyberspace interaction of geekthan the portrait can be traced back circusto far olderof primarythe of elements paper,this Iaminterested in building upa more comprehensive origins, freaks, of geek’sperformance is the Although geekin to the the one performance. gender cyberspace mad scientists in ofmasculinities binaries of relation the usefulness the Iquestion more specifically, geeks; to inrelation and masculinity of examination the is research this of core The evenmanliness. ‘real’ Victorian wouldPopular culture us believe have not geek’smasculinity the that ispar with on deficient, paradoxical – seen a marginalizedas by yetsocial misfit, society, amaster of technology. As according to GeekFeminism.org, a prominent website for geek women who espouse feminist politics and politics feminist espouse who women geek for website prominent a GeekFeminism.org, to according As I willbemasculinity performedforum, looking on at as Slashdot by the geeks arather The central motif of this thesis is the geek, a figure which is as fascinating as it is 1 . Despite Slashdot’s . Despite 2 CEU eTD Collection obsession and masculinity. They obsession masculinity. figure conceptualizeand the geek as They helpto also a contradictory of the key ingredients offer afew geek.These three figures the within body becan glimpsed already technologized brief incursion into of one possiblethe of futures geek,the cyborg, the whoseliminal to geek identity:be considered asa‘spiritual of forefather’ modernthe geek– madthe Ialsomake scientist. a transgressedlinking itits etymological to origin circus –the freak – and with an imaginary can figure that presentboundaries, as well as in the past. seriesI of analogiesattempt and metaphors. My goal was to exploreaffinity the possibilities of geekinessto in the reconstruct a simplified for genealogy technology, of the geek masculinitiesby can prove to be a useful starting point for an analysis of geek masculinity. shall be discussed in Chapters 1 and 5), Ibelieve that the binary of hegemonic/non-hegemonic (these masculinity of conceptualization Connell’s regarding anxieties several have I While it constraints. itscan aplace out whether or of own relyingon carve without any binaries intomatched framework the by proposed andifConnell, proves that to beimpossible, tosee be can masculinity geek how, then if so and whether, out find is to intention My reference. have to of inorder apoint of masculinities spectrum tothis of performance specific geeks and 2009; Phillips, Dempster, 2004),Ifindit necessary try to and the relate masculine masculinity (Jackson as asubordinated masculinity geek geeks have categorized about written have few who the scholars that considering ones, are contested masculinities hegemonic both power within andbetween genders. Although of concepts the hegemonic versus non- best way to be a man in a given time thatembodies configuration masculinity,practice Connell’sthe of onhegemonic a writings and space, and which claims to grasp relationships of be of behaviour can type observed. a certain in which community particular a into scope) limited (of incursion cyber-ethnographical be a to wishes thesis this Rather, The other purpose The purpose engageother of is paperthis with to figurethe geekthrougha the of As a foundation for my exploration of geek masculinity, I am relying on R.W. 3 CEU eTD Collection Donna Haraway’s cyborg metaphor. TheDonna shift metaphor. from cyborg Victorian Haraway’s geek circus scientist-geek the to essential identity,to their aswell as opennessthe for beinglooked at through lensthe of is which status liminal a in common have all they that argue I and astransgressions, well These seemingly very distinct figuresthe circus andthe modernthe computer Victorian geek. of scientist-geek geek,the figures are tied to between if connections establish,the and possible, time, concept to of the through trajectory one another through a seriesin gifted a andcertain field,to devoted is intention My to trace especially technology. the of binaries as culture, human and animal, current tothe understanding asaperson of word the unusually from evolution meaning the of freakcircus which blursand between boundaries the nature be separated. of integral as of geek identity, itconceptualization part of an geek masculinity which cannot analysedindependently of which identity the group performs it. permits Goffman’s work a for understanding the in behaviour of especially be sincegeekmasculinity cyberspace, cannot tools convenient rather some my opinion, in offers, which performance, on theory Goffman’s be laidin out subsequentthe chapters. I shall look atmasculinities through lensthe of Erving will which masculinity of aspects specific at manner concise ina(hopefully) look me to help will that tools of the adescription represents chapter this In addition, subordinated. versus geek:real underlie the hegemonic versusversus imagined, self-represented, represented isIts purpose themselves. rendervisiblerepresent to binaries the andcontradictions which waysthe in which popular represents geeks, culture andhow geeks identify themselves and aswellchapters, subsequent tosketch someout as of differencesthe between andsimilarities is popular toproliferating. culture prone of composed several levels ofmeaning,far from the which one-dimensional stereotype Chapter 2beginsChapter with into a shortincursion history the of wordgeek,andthe its The first chapter of this thesis will focus on laying out the theoretical framework of the 4 CEU eTD Collection play a crucial role in the performance of geek identity was constructionanalysed by touching upon issues which,in my opinion, of geekiness: uncovered and several anxieties of geekculture, within asChapter tensions 4will The show. sexual desirabilityand “Geekculture willnever be die...or popular”incited (Soulskill, 2011) discussions which (and lack thereof) or “Have geeksgonemainstream?” “Women (Cliff, 2005), dropping of out IT” (kdawson, 2010) analysis). Thethreads “How doI make more mynetbook manly?” (ScuttleMonkey, 2009), the of time the at messages 800 over had thread (each length their as well as relevance, each posted day),my analysis islimited tofour message threadswhich I have chosen for their in 4.Given described Chapter of forum considerable size the the ofmessages(thousands are figure whichis despise.easy toridicule or withinconcealed geekisthe lessened byhis and heisrepresentations into a transformed although madness elementthe of obsession or is essential geekidentity,to danger the quasi-mythical figurethe andmad the of representation of scientist the geek.Iarguethatthe a rebel, on Foucault’s establish onmadnesswritings and inorder linkto apossible between masculinity and science. I also draw between on Freemanconnection Dyson’s strong the and conceptualization conventions social of transgression of the scientistscience/technology, as for of crucial some obsession of mostgeek identity:the the aspects illuminate binaries. narrow of limitations the transgress is ableto masculinity,a hybrid that of as hisperformance of therefore geek,and conceptualization the condition between total hegemony subordination.and utter Liminality thewaypaves to the central to this is chapter Turner’sVictor liminality, of in state being the caught a transitory appropriationis especially asitsignificant, signals thegeek’s turn tomale dominated environments and the of science and technology as markers of geekiness. The concept which is A case study on the performance of geek masculinity in an online forum, Slashdot, is 3concerns itselfChapter a which with mad figureof the scientist, trope the helpcan to 5 CEU eTD Collection be that relations claimed power the livesinescapable permeating our are in and cyberspace, canalso It from performances. can beactual offline cyber performance utterly that detached infercyberspace space andto and‘real’ is atendencytodisconnect there studies cyberspace for example. In cyberfeministand a geekconvention, masculinities performed at geek the to resemblance little have might and communities, online in other performed masculinities geek with compatible entirely the not might forum Slashdot the on display on masculinity analysis. Masculinity isinteractive both and performed, andis it socially specific. The scope of this tothe limitations several are there community, a particular of representative femininity. as well as masculinity of imaginaries hegemonic with connections believe morecan express adequately both liminalthe status of geek,as the well as his flexible I which alpha-geek, the into subordination, of onus its with masculinity, geek of translation thus setting up another binary which is not as easily erased. Finally, Iwould like to argue for a itis binary,evade the still hegemonic/non-hegemonic femininity,conceived inits to relation the subject in one or the masculinities,ifadvance the study or merely they different are of a hindrance whichcan trap other end of the binary.hegemonic binary set upby Connell, andopen up adiscussion these binarieson whether help I argue that even if geek masculinity thepowerrelationshipsconcerning betweenfemininity and geek masculinities. can is the themeunderlying of all thus they discussions, these are avaluable ofinformation source women betweengeeksand relationship The consider assubordinated. to prone are sometimes as subordinated, socially males, awkward and how they a negotiate masculinity even that they isinsee chapter this how geeks to to relate wayinwhich the culturestereotypedpopular them rejectingor thegeek stereotype, andemployability anditsmasculinity. relation to My purpose the pretence of sexual desirability and the performance of the role of the seducer; embracing Although conclusionsthe drawnfrom study this geek masculinityof in cyberspace are In the last chapter of my thesis I am attempting to engage with the hegemonic/non- 6 CEU eTD Collection geek masculinity. of component it animportant isnonetheless lived not experience, reflect necessarily does not be entirely cast away. Although the performance of masculinity on the Slashdot forum reflection of a masculinity results the of are apartial study possibility this Therefore, the that (Kendall, 12). 2002: which is indeedwhich influence relationships power of onlineinteractions and withinare reinscribed them” performedin ways the examine to important is it outsideidentities, online of ambiguities in the exists possibility of cyberspace as well Lori Kendall it, “withoutprematurelyputs closing down momentwhatever of disruptive should the agency of the individual who constructs an online identity is not given sufficient credit. As 7 CEU eTD Collection constructed on a basis other than exclusion from a specific group. However, other scholars other However, aspecific group. from exclusion onabasis than other constructed voluntarily is identity geek that possibility the acknowledge not he does but marginalization, theprocess of ageekthrough produces geek.Onebecomes marginalization the that the the effect of geek identity. For Blake, there is no geek prior to the act of marginalizationpotential victims of bullying- it or even is hate crimes, however, he seems tocollapse the cause and 2000: 130). Blake seesgeeksas people with not in much for ascommon theirexcept statuses which brands labelledas someone the object (Blake, excludedfrom victimizers’the group usedin being manner, heclaimsa positive geek is inmany spheres,that a term of abuse word of the possibility the completely reject not he does andalthough crimes, hate based Michael Blake delves into socialthe meanings of geekthe in his examination identity-of Its harshness varies according social tothe incontext itwhich is used (Kendall, 2000:262). carry does implicationthe a relativelyyoungof age(Duerden Comeau andKemp, 2007:217). geek. of the little part agency the andon characteristics and its gowell present implications whichseemsbeyonda fixed stereotype, the to setof (but notlimited to)depictions ofWestern high schools, the concept itself is rich and elusive, in especially is in culture geek character the popular astock incarnation of well mostknown the Although outsider. an as someone mark to meant compliment left-handed a to endearment always easy to navigate. When a person is labelled a geek it can mean anything from a term of 1.1. R As a pejorative term,limited geekis not certainly tohigh school itculture, although Geek is a loaded deceptively word, withsimple meanings tangled are notwhich EPRESENTATION ANDSELF 1. M APPING GEEKS , MAPPING MASCULINITIES MAPPING - IDENTIFICATION OFGEEKS 8 CEU eTD Collection on on a game of insteadsocial inclusion/exclusion, underscoring geeks’ the extreme infatuation media portrayals of in such shows as media geek, of portrayals the More recent not. totechnology and others related some geeky non-masculine, pursuits, with inwith more while aperpetual their ‘popular’conflict sametime peers, atthe aspreoccupied the Nerds seldom as a central figure or in a position of power. Feature length films suchnerd. as insult, by preferof that self-identified even geek to geeks,of whom denomination 81% the of an as considered widely is still nerd term the that shows survey The geek. with synonymous same the behowever, cannot said of ‘nerd’ whichisinmany is as understood contexts those aged 65 or older aged65or those underbe only ageof respondents although the geekto 34 consider acompliment, the 39% of commissioned in May 2011 by American IT staffing company revealedModis that66% of thethat isterm graduallysheddingits negativeAccording connotations.a survey to role of geekwithinthe industries (Blake,130). Moreover,technological thereare 2001: signs asaresult growing the of asgeekareincreasingly widespread self-identification voluntary room/article/?art=20110523_1&type=pr 3 (Blake, 2001: 130). self-description” in "geek" word the use to necessary confidence and pride the gain to standing social improved 2 within anda particular group, within acontext.Theparticular affinities before experiencing exclusion. on based identity an constructs label, the embracing without perhaps geek, the preserved; geek’s espousal of a lifein embedded technology and ‘geeky’ other Geek pursuits. agency is such as Lori Kendall or Deborah Lupton consider social marginalization as a The detailed results of the survey canbe found at the following address: http://www.modis.com/about/press- Michael Blake defines geek pride as a “phenomenonfor wealthy, urban professionals, who are able to use their As a stereotype or a trope, the geek can be often glimpsed in popular culture, but be culture, the atrope, inpopular geekcan often glimpsed As astereotype or The term The term geek can also convey (Kendall,and 262),when affection respect 2000: used (1984), (1984), or television series like 3 . The survey clearly shows the changing nature of the word geek, word the of nature changing the shows clearly survey The . Freaks andGeeks Freaks The Big Bang Theory Bang Big The (1999-2000) depict (1999-2000) young geek Geek Pride (2007- ), are not centred not ),are (2007- movement result Revenge of of the 2 and 9 CEU eTD Collection 4 Lupton,is themyth According 2000: 481). (Lupton, in culture of a to geek the popular flattering The picture. geek body is “soft, nothard,from too much inactivity junkand food" an paints in less even users caseof the computer of analysis embodiment Lupton’s Deborah close potential with (Kendall,compromisecomputers” 1999:263). relationship through of human partitionedfrom off restof the humanity, guarding thus taint againstthe of the hebut on alsofringes “bad and unsettling:the lack hygiene a ofsocial category skills create above-average he of knowledge computers; is andsocially inept has littleinterest infashion, computer geekis seen middleas a white, class male whodidwell ordoes inis school, has an concerns herself almost exclusively with the male geek. In the popular western imaginary, the themselves and identify with the rest of their community. only stereotype,at the butalso thesignsmeanings and geeksuse that in order to represent indication how they of are perceivedin society,it Ibelieve might that belook useful notto are an of geek the cultural representations that considering However, two. the between figures and behaviour whose social the is examinedactors in nor forcethis paper, any to links media the between resemblance the exaggerate is to not intention My beusually grasped. tiny between overlap fictional the figure and person the itthat can purportedly represents most as in fiction, a geeks, butcaseof the of actual representation isan not accurate screen when they are, imagethe is rarely (Farnall,2003:235). positive These geeksareexclusively male, andeventoday, women are seldom asgeeks,portrayed and andtechnology). science of little knowledge with woman attractive a blond, of stereotype the through show in the (represented conventions from deviation their and laughs), for played with fandoms and various science, technology Fandom, as according to according as Fandom, Lori Kendall, who has conducted a considerable amount of aconsiderable geeks, of on amount research Kendall,has conducted Lori who Like in the case of many fictional accounts, itis hardly disputable that the geek on the 4 (however, these obsessions are ridiculed and ridiculed are obsessions these (however, 10 CEU eTD Collection quantifying While (Beaudoin, geekiness 2003). the listed characteristics by are the test far Geek Test, can measure theiris geekcredentials, thepopularity 2009: 63).Oneof indicators bestthe how geeks of recognize their butalso peers, howthey meaning,given andshared theritual through of interaction”computer-mediated (McArthur, because itgroups, asocial offered space where“personal and social identities areconstructed, 50). 2002: seen arenot as geeks(Eglash, newcomers in is sensethe that technoscience increasingly to genderandopen racial diversity, butthese not createbarriersgeekdom racial minoritiesdoes orwomen against (a very claim), disputable gender/sexuality, race,as not and principalthe feature of geek identity. opinion, In Eglash’s Theory author(Beaudoin, 2003). 5 (Steve Urkel from media in geeks Asian or Black of examples few a are there While white. predominantly person. theaverage than network tothe in connection possible closer who are fondnessfor social networking websites),and evenmore soin caseof the a group of people be avery fortool powerful self-representation (as testifiedby Western society's contemporary meaning only performancethe to of geekinthe the real cyberspace can Nevertheless, world. create a differencesocially 2000:481).Itis note such (Lupton, unfitto interesting that descriptions automatically between and from more makes unattractive even isolation them ‘real world’ the and technology a real worldthe of into computers,and immersion turn theirto geeks to awkwardness determines world and vicious circle involving thehuman and technology: physical a and unattractiveness social geek world, the cyberspace, but ascribe The original Geek Test is at version no. 3.14, and it was taken by several million geeks, according to the test’s the to according geeks, million by several taken was it and 3.14, no. version at is Geek Test original The (2007-)), Ron Eglash criticizes suchscholars as Sherry forTurkle positing The internet has had a tremendous importance in the creation self-identified geek self-identified creation inimportance the a tremendous has had internet The It is interesting to note that the stereotypical geek is not only middle-class, but also a test of 280 questions createdin by 1999 a self-identified geek as meansa of Family Matters (1989-1998) Raj or Koothrappali from 5 of self-assessmentquizzes such as The Big Bang The Big The 11 CEU eTD Collection particular group of people who share a particular set of characteristics the result of society’s result of the characteristics setof share of a particular people who group particular whose itself? imageby media asa of wasborrowed group caricature the identity Is this so group the each thatmember acopy becomes of the Orwere geeksaself-constructed other? group of people whoare connectedsuperficial through links, and erasingthedifference within andconflicted Isgeekidentitynumerous. stereotype resultof pop-culture’s the propensity a to characteristics of geekthe can be seen as hypermasculine (Kendall, 1999:264). model hegemonicof masculinity (Kendall, although 2000), she doesadmit somethat of the analysis of male interaction MUDs within male interaction analysis of geek is one manyof of masculinitiestypes subordinated (Kendall,and 1999:264), in her Kendall, in her examination of the representation furtherwill which on. bedetailed masculinity, aconcept as an of subordinated exemplar of geeks in popular culture, claims that the demographic (Kelly, 1985;Massey, 1995). as which havemasculine, been andmaleconstructed an have culturally overwhelmingly arein to science, and oneway related interests technology majority or another the of these moreand However, on the basis and andsexual of abilities expertise. attractiveness, relations) that geeks identify as such less on the basis of social relations (or ability to form social 7 orcomics. games board science-fiction, as 6 While overlaps the becould as conceptualized of components a gender identity thetheatre. games or fantasy,fiction and computer science technology, as computer field, such majority overwhelming of 280 the questions underscore geek’sthe dedication to aparticular characteristics (glasses, described by those Kendall there are physical andseveral Lupton, ineptitude, social overlaps: unfashionable clothes),images culture canfindatpop moreone looking than geeksuch diverse what the as when of little or no sexual desirability. However, the Multi-User-Dungeon, a multiplayer real-time virtual world constructed primarily through text. such of as hobbies well as masculine, as of science conceptualization the to due gendered are traits geek Some As a result of these apparent contradictions, the dimensions of geek identity are Earlier research on geek masculinities and geek communities describe andgeek the geekfigure masculinities Earliercommunities on geek research 7 the from divergence geeks’ on shecapitalized 6 , it is clear 12 CEU eTD Collection decades (perhaps because literature literature decades (perhaps because masculinitieson is rather scarce),and whilemany for thealmostfield for of three gender studies influential concept beenhas a tremendously masculinity. masculinity should beperformance inspected prism through the of Hegemonic as andan itgeek is masculineis abstracted essentially figure, onlyfittinghis that gender geeks is theconceptofmasculinities. As Ishall in furtherdescribe detail in 2, Chapter the 1.2. 31). of mustthese, place.” and andunderstandings interactions, renegotiations 2005: (Brickell, take ground and, therefore, the possibility that individuals might make themselves understood” (Brickell, 2005: 30). 9 situationthe ina particular” (Brickell, 2005: 30). 8 and felicity individual functions: “selves cannot fashion themselves according to their whim, asframes butthis agency is by mediated permitted possibilities the within the contextwhere the each into In aGoffmanianother. individual framework, the has some agencyin this process, feed and representation self-representation their representations: with relationship symbiotic of individual”the (Giddens, 1991:52). Geekcommunities are self-fashioned, yet they inare a system, butsomething thathas be to routinely created andin sustained reflexivethe activities “not something modernity and order reflexive of presumes by self-awareness as theorized Anthony Giddens, that is just given, identity,representation Geek inlikeand self-representation. self-identity post-traditional the as a result the between between two, is answerisanegotiation there question tothe that moderate of the continuities most The effects. versus of causes be question the to seems identity geek of question of the intoindividual's the mainstream of a group who flouts social conventions to ahigher or lesser degree? The maybeisneed incorporation against itsimply categorization? for Or strategy of the resistance action Felicity conditions, according to Goffman, are “conventions forspeech and interaction that bestow common of definition of the construction the “affect which events, govern which of organization principles are Frames A One of the key theoretical tools that allows an analysis of gendered behaviour among behaviour gendered of analysis an allows that tools theoretical key the of One HEGEMONY OFMASCULINITIES 9 and actions withinwhich constraining contexts social conditionsconstitute ? 13 8 CEU eTD Collection achieve, and the interplay between sex, gender, class and race produces multiple masculinities multiple class raceproduces and sex, gender, between and interplay the achieve, can neverbutstrive for to men are encouraged that man is true something amyth, the course, 46). In biologicallythis deterministic framework, geekisthe farfrom being atrue man. Of political hierarchy,power, territoriality,and promiscuity formingmen's clubs" (Connell, 1995: aggression, sameat the “tendencies to life,competitiveness, family entailing naturalized, time female (Connell, 1995:68). Themale body is bearerthe of idealizedan masculinity is which epitomize men’ ‘true un- the havecome to be therefore defined to against, needs something femininities. and masculinities andbetween masculinities, of types within masculinities, of particular types different between relationships anddifference of 836). Therepower 2005: arevarious andMesserschmidt, (Connell correctly if used essentialist inherently not is itself concept the that proves opinion ofmasculinityconstructions by studied a considerable number of scholars, whichin their social of multiplicity upthe bybringing of essentialism answer accusations Messerschmidt holds no 2005:832; Messerschmidt, Connell, Connell’s 1995:77-78). idea hegemonicof masculinity claim attitudes fallthat prevailing the framework of outside masculinityhegemonic (Connell and to monism, order patriarchal without being hegemonic, and subordinated the masculinities, which consist of values, beliefs and from benefit which masculinities, andcomplicit behind: follow masculinities in theirspeak, apex hierarchy,at the If are,soto of other masculinities genderhegemonic 832). the 2005 revision masculinitiesother position to in itthemselves relation to (Connell 2005: Messerschmidt, and way “embodie[s] currently masculinities) the most being honoured of aman”, andrequires all of the concept,field. in the richest the of isone masculinity hegemonic of theorization ConnellConnell’s R.W. shortcomings, its and benefits its both debated have scholars and Gender roles, and therefore gender performances, are built on difference; masculinity are builtdifference; on performances, gender andtherefore Gender roles, In Connell's formulation, hegemonicmasculinity (as opposed to typesother of 14 CEU eTD Collection of women” (Connell, 1995: 79). 10 patriarchy” (Connell, The 1995:79). tactics through which hegemonicthe maintains group its dividend patriarchal the realize that “in ways constructed are masculinities Complicit 81). 1995: (Connell, marginalization although hegemonic they structures, arealsoon themselves receivingthe end form of some of agenda. ConnellBeing in a position of subordinated masculinity does not entailstates support for any feminist between women. and them asymmetry be power would aless visible there males, hegemonic that subordinated groups 2005:845).Messerschmidt, are in masculinities) can by subordinated masculinity be appropriated hegemonic and (Connell a relationship to belonging certain elements (or subordinated were once masculinities that framework, this In of other. the on themselves among complicitymasculinities and hand, one the on femininity withsubordinated masculinities, and acomplex interrelationship between masculinity and 2005:846). Messerschmidt, Hegemony entails level acertain of cooperation on part the of dominates masculinity hegemonic masculinitiesbyforce other that (Connell and (Connell,77). However, 1995: Connell argue and Messerschmidt that isthere nosingle government the or military the leaders, business is, that power, institutional and ideal cultural between of resulta correspondence the is often hegemony masculinity, hegemonic of bearers subordination of Whilewomen” (Connell,1995:77). figureheads suchascelebrities can be patriarchy, isguarantees which (or taken to guarantee) dominantthe position men of and the answer the totheproblem currently which legitimacygender accepted embodies practice of of relations (Connell, 1995:76).Connell hegemonicdefines masculinity “theas configuration of changesubject to andalways contestable, depending on culture, timeframe andgender (Connell, The particular 1995:76). type ofmasculinity occupying ahegemonic is position Connell defines patriarchal the dividend as “advantagethe men in general gain from the overall subordination It would be a mistake to assume that simply because geeks are often seen seen as non- often geeksare because simply assumewould that to beamistake It 10 , without the tensions or risks of being the front-line troops of 15 CEU eTD Collection masculinity seems to result and oppressive capitalist Amodel in of sexist, order. a patriarchal necessarily rooted from these dimensions, inconstituted social processes (Connell and 2005:838),it Messerschmidt, shouldbe not but such masculinity masculinity of definition idealized an claims, as Connell is indeed, masculinity hegemonic If would be anything Connell’s masculinity that hegemonic beconceptualizedcan solely ina patriarchal framework. themselves in relation to hegemonic masculinity. dimensions these However, seem suggest to the Slashdot forum, and they can offer valuable insights into the ways in which geeks position 1995: 74-75). All these of dimensions can be indentified in discussionsthe which emerge on shapethat and realize it, andits men’s connection to position social of domination (Connell, based on labour.Cathexis sexual genderedthe of corresponds division to practices desire, the achieved by women'sthe liberation movements (Connell, 1995:74).Production relations are such asthose thecourse history, of place over have taken some factthat reversals the states, are conduciveproductiondimensions: power, relationsand cathexis. in Power Western society, Connell to the maintenance and reinforcement of each other(Dowd, 2010: 28). the patriarchal order,and men in daily life, as well as the places despitethey occupy, are constantly tested and evaluated by homosocial and predominantlymale environments men's perceptions of rolesthe of women women. Within to andinrelation another into one relation aredefined valued. Masculinities less are which masculine with iffaced practices masculinities can function as hegemonic 27).in lower masculinities 2010: subordinate words, In other situated hierarchy”the (Dowd, are who others of oppression the into translate will power of denial that concern the also (which she claims are defined chiefly by race or class) “hold the promise of resistance Accordingphysical toNancyviolence. and subordinated Dowd, alternative masculinities . . . but superiority over subordinated groups (women included) can from range intimidation to Masculinity, according to Connell, can be mapped out with the help of three of help the with out mapped be can Connell, to according Masculinity, 16 CEU eTD Collection the type of masculinity that is constructed the masculinity as hegemonicis type in of if constructed that such a case? Similarly, an a young, working classneo-Nazi a accosted prim,fit manin business ametro station? isWhat model hegemonic withinteracts a global model. To take as an example, what would happen if what types of negotiationsis, in space, that of terms overlap levels empirically when these whathappens is it unclear and them. However, between hierarchy to bottom is nosimple top there levels, and these between competitions mediathe 2005: (Connell 849).and Messerschmidt, Obviously, arelinks there and overlaps occur when while a suchin or state, as politics,emerge transnational business contexts masculinities personglobal hegemonic nation the or culture of level the at form performancetake masculinities hegemonic Regional of a localin family community, mediums with such institutions. as the immediate the interactions or face-to-face place through local masculinity andhegemonic takes of global.construction The local, at levels: regional three areconstructed masculinities hegemonic empirically extant that of masculinities. types sufficient attention to for.Additionally,give notmasculinitiesby described accounted interplay Connell does the of the class dimension, and isnot masculinity type of another of atthe expense hegemonic becomes masculinity how it shapes the dynamics which processthrough the a particular when concept: the revisit Messerschmidt Connell and between various andin unproblematic, my opinion some thathaveraises been questions not addressed by status-quo. the of preservation isconducive positivebutthe not because social its hegemonic aspect changes, to Connell’s concept of hegemonic masculinity tobeseems dangerously fluid -dangerous any context, masculine beset as behaviour of can up kind hegemonic, andlight, inthis right the Given norm. the are values non-sexist liberal, where in contexts hegemonic but suggest Connell andMesserschmidt avoid of essentialization,In order to accusations Connell’s rigorous theorization of hegemonic masculinity is, therefore, not 17 CEU eTD Collection information that the actor chooses to convey, thus turning interaction into a game of game a into interaction turning thus convey, to chooses actor the that information response herof performance (Goffman, 1959:15).Thisis achieved through control the of the control behaviourthe of andothers, the way especially in which her will others in treat williniswhatever to During do actor order aperformance,the inherpower 1959: 26). in to influence which serves given any occasion (Goffman, any way participants" the other of by focusing which he interaction human onperformance,as "all activity defines the on a theanalysis for of framework very theatre-like provided a Goffman of concept performance. 1.3. (Connell and Messerschmidt, 2005: 847). subordinated as seen generally are example, for masculinities, class working why explain masculinity hegemonic as across-class ideal 1993:645), (Donaldson, but not does that hegemonic the in which ideals situations imagine to isit possible and masculinities, oflocal/regional/global one class clash with intersects Class cross-culturally. class in a valued mostparticular the with the values of are masculinity the that of types between some similarities but thereare Ibelieve that created, another. are they Mike inwhich stratum social bythe deal great a Donaldson influenced clearly are Masculinities considers masculinity intoturns a question of social hegemony. hegemonic because thequestion simply of butnecessarily (although not accurately), predict theoutcome mightit to beeasier then backgrounds, class from different originate other each against pitted are which hegemony of models two the If hegemony? of position for example, a successfulcultural context) isathlete inserted exemplarinto of a particular findsa typecontext of hegemonic masculinity (from wherea particularhimself socioeconomic a anddifferent in hegemonic a roomful model is valuedof businessmen- if, - who is in a P In my case study of the Slashdot forum, I will be drawing on Erving Goffman's Class,itseems, is issueanother that wasnot addressed satisfyingly by Connell. ERFORMANCES ANDEXPRESSIONS 18 CEU eTD Collection participating on the forum, since performances, as Goffman notes, aremore as an notes, often Goffman forum, on since performances, the participating individuals the of values the reflect necessarily are yield will study my case that results communities of which some of established of the a community values 45),in 1959: Slashdot(Goffman, case of this geek the members are incorporates itundoubtedly in However, medium. of a 'real' social performance reflection part of in real life.a Thisparticular is not to say that tobeprove counterproductive to explorationthe a particularof of type behaviourin gendered thetype of setting.it as a is hides act fundamentally curtain mythis 'real' identity, that debatewould that opinion It is1997). While this sort inquiryof is most certainly justified because cyberspace can impossible 1995;Turkle,Green, extensively 1995; cyberspace havewritten (Stone, of which researchers to say whetherquestions of andembodiment the unstable links between cybersubjectthe and its body, of this cyber performanceproblems posedby worlds existenceof the two instead of one: ‘real’the world and cyberspace. is inof behaviour cyberspace,itprovides because an allows thata anchor avoid usto the ends. The possibility to envision a definitemeaning,choice, performance and the hasno settingthe behind, theperformance when isleft setting is of crucial importanceinteraction is played out (Goffman, 1959:33).Unless actoristhe located in in settingthe her of an examination wherehuman decor asthe of a performance setting the compared is Goffman setting. the case, forum. One of the essential parts of the performance, and one which is easily identified purpose of andbeing readandinterpreted reacted to by members other the of particularthat in this lacking an audience, soin evenmore messages precise case offorums hasthe posting where are rarely internet on the Performances observers. a setof of by presence marked time the discovery,false revelation and rediscovery” (Goffman, 1959: 20). of concealment, cycle infinite isa“potentially aperformance words, In other information. As the setting of the interaction is the online forum, I shall not take into account into is Ishallnottake theonlineAs thesettingforum, of interaction the A performance islimited in andtime in itspace; takes place for a defined period of 19 CEU eTD Collection masculinity. a better understanding howandwhat, of whythey are performing a particular of kind can help unravel meanings layers the of and assumptions hiddenin messages,the lead and to off given expressions and given expressions between tensions the Identifying contexts. social presentationthe of selfthe an permits analysis ofmasculinities as embedded into specific on theory of notion Goffman’s Thus, other. each challenge doggedly and statements other's are particularly conversationsto convoluted given wherein underminethey to attempt each each Geeks onSlashdot in toother. response messages flow posted based of ona continuous is members between interaction the where forum anonline on behaviour of in adiscussion helpful very be can performance of elements two These actions. his and him of understanding given and expressions givenoff theindividualallows influence to otherpeople’s is people her howother perceive asa Managementof expressions her performance. of result off given expression the while is, she claims she what to refers aperson by given expression others can treat1959: 14). Expressions givenoff, the on hand,other involve "awide range of actions that as symptomaticconvey the information that he and the others are known to attach to these symbols" (Goffman, ofsuppose "verbal symbols ortheir which substitutes actor] [the uses admittedly and solely to the actor”activities: (Goffman, expressions 1959: given, and14). expressionsidentify. In othergiven off bywords, Iwill and which try to of resistance, power a of relations various be intersection atthe naturally person. The theexpressionspeople in a clearly defined setting, subjects and since do notexist these in a vacuum, they will given research will to highlighta particularattempt setofbehaviours enactedby a specificgroupof characteristics the than a of rather (in ofgeekmasculinity) case,task this characteristics the expression of the performer (Goffman, 1959: 83). As stated in the introduction, this A performance, according to Goffman, involves sign crucial involves two different toGoffman,yet according A performance, 20 CEU eTD Collection changed tremendously over time, but it did not completely lose its implications of transgression of normsthe of civilized (and socialized) humanity. meaning The of term the bodies redeem human themselves through sheermonstrous decency), geekitsthe through was film other sideshow acts, some of which humanity. degenerate seemsmonstrous, the epitome circus the travelling of to Asopposed were seen to be displays of of performing of bybiting therole a 'wild' off live person headsof the chickens real-life monsters (the 1932geek, asideshowin ‘wildman’ who 19thandthe early 20th hadcenturies theunpleasanttask describeEmpireAustro-Hungarian freaks. The to circus term was adaptedintoEnglish as Dictionary computing”,unattractive a“boring,or misfit”, social a degenerate. The Online Etymology defines geek aseither a“personis who preoccupied very with or about knowledgeable obsession social ineptitude,inor various combinations. The World English Dictionary intelligence, to connection some bear always they pride, with worn a label to derogatory extremely from vary meanings their while and slang, language English contemporary 13 12 11 2.1. according to the American Heritage Dictionary Heritage American to the according http://www.etymonline.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/geek Freaks A Nerd, dork, dweeb, freak, geek. These words are some of the most versatile terms in most terms of versatile are some the Thesewords dweeb, freak, geek. dork, Nerd, N ETYMOLOGY OFTHEGEEK 12 renders a vivid portrait of the 'deformed' carnival performer, although these traces back the origins of the term to gecken, a German term used in 18 2. R ETHINKING THE GEEK 13 . The geekin th century 21 11 CEU eTD Collection be easilyidentified in cyberspace thanks to extensivethe number of forwebsites geeks),itis a identify either as of them.even But within community nerd/geek the (such acommunity can notdoes for who someone relevant not are perhaps terms, the which two between differences 2.2. field. the in is to dedication providedbe theiran uncommon rooted could knowledge calledageek, also science (Kendall, 1999:3),a person with an unusual knowledge of, say, physics orchemistry, presence of non-geeks, etc (“Be Proud: Happy Day!”, Geek Happy Proud: (“Be etc of non-geeks, presence overweight. Responsibilities include specialization in a particulardomain, opendisplays of geekiness in the dislike sports, to to right associatethe house, the withto leave other not right geeks,the community: to the to have few ascribed or nostereotypes friends, all and any unfashionable, enact to geeks of to wear glasses and be 14 25, 2006,and movement the has a even itsproduced manifesto own of the encyclopedia Wikipedia, free barin organized Day”, attheendof 1990’s(“GeekPride Pride’ aNewYork nights the of this turn,butoneof earliestthe mentions of ‘reclaimed’the during geek occurred ‘Geek the holds noovertly ispolitical meaning. nearlypinpoint It impossible to exactthe historical date although2008: this 206), reclaiming actof commonality (Dunbar-Hester, other" with each a marker and intoit a disparagingfrom of and transformed others term "uniqueness their have2008: 206).Geeks,likeother identity appropriated groups, technology” (Dunbar-Hester, pursuit” or“extremely and to knowledgeabledevoted computers about and related identifypeople who with its definition of a “person obsessively to aparticulardevoted 1960, when fistthe personal werestartingcomputers be to commercialized (Polsson, 2010). can abnormality.be It assumed the that term itsextended meaning tocomputer users after The Geek Manifesto, penned by an unknown authorbut widely circulating on the internet, proclaims the rights S Although geek and nerd are often used interchangeably, there are some are subtle there interchangeably, geekandused Although nerdareoften inAlthough with geeksandnerds culture popular aregenerally associated computer Although geek is still as a used derogatory term, ithas been reclaimed by groups of OME TERMINOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS ). The first official Geek Pride Day was celebrated on May Geekologie ) 14 . 22 CEU eTD Collection 17 today/2?_s=PM:LIVING 16 15 first used with its current meaning in a a Venn diagram wentviralthat in communitiesonline in 2009 to According other. the from one distinguish can one how and is whom, who debate of matter discussions that I shall analyse make far more references to geeks than nerds, and the and nerds, than geeks to references more far make analyse shall I that discussions forum a masculinity. the bericher of Conversely, to conducive geek understanding can anddifferences similarities of their andusage, adiscussion its geekand current word the with of purpose designatingthe outsider. an are employed both usages: between their thesimilarity indicates of unnaturalness embodiment back toan both geekbe andnerdcan traced Thefact that arecirculated. the terms perception and social are of only matter up between them groups a set by differences particular andthe terms, construction of meaning from technology. words, In other an perspective, geekandnerdinterchangeable outsider’s are at the micro-level i.e. either nature,or by byanerror, things arecreated manipulation of wilful through the of the communities unnatural because away from technological, the onestep he is only unnatural, essentially where If is nerd lawsthe ofnature. the becausethey havedefied in possibly that noplace reality, filled a denizen imaginary zoo animals with an nerdof geek, the unnatural creature, wasan Dr.which back becan to Seuss’s traced 1950story whilefor anerdhighintelligence, IQ is a prerequisite2006: 2).The (Konzack, term nerd, not but necessarily above-average music, sciencefiction), of domain a particular (sports, ‘employable’ claim Othersources him skills make geekisan the nerdthat socially inept. whose empowered intensely passionate about a specific topic, while nerds are intelligent, obsessed, as well as http://articles.cnn.com/2010-12-02/living/nerd.or.geek_1_american-nerd-words-nerd-and-geek-nerd- http://www.cynical-c.com/2009/09/08/nerd-venn-diagram/ Newsweek I believe that some interesting linksI believe someinteresting that between earlymeaning of can the be established (1951-10-8), p. 16 16 . Some discourses posit the geek as someone with a considerable knowledge of Newsweek article in 1951 If I Ran theZoo If IRan 15 17 , geeks are intelligent and intelligent are geeks , . As with the case of the (Kendall,was 1999: 3), 23 CEU eTD Collection havebeen tofind circus ahint the unable tothem),of any geekcarries subhuman references Defined as a ‘wild man’ possibility(the female circusof geeks is notexcluded, although I species, perhapshabitsfeeding of or conjures carnivorous uptheimage humans.primitive of of Thevicious,messy,humans. actof physical biting off headof the a live mimics animal the animalisticnature latent brought have the forefront tothe anact that geek seemsto performed and paid its tothegrotesqueness according of performance (Alderson,1953:116). Thecircus Sometimes the geekwasnot part of circus,the andwas only local a hiredfor theshowtramp only prerequisite forperformance. Not many historicalthe accounts of geeks can be found,job but one can assume that the was a sturdy stomach and no objectionit. within from against animal circus nature, mocks it reworks and bringscruelty. outthe ridiculous, terrifying the and disgusting the it ofthemassesfor with -themerely nature of the entertainment purpose exhibiting the tame thecircus not does zoo, unlike the andknowledge. However, audience shapedby order raw nature isthat putondisplay for pleasure of the a socializedregular, andcivilized worlds: savage and the of two animal, human or arepart bethey workers, circus The culture. 2.3. chapters. following in the asgeeks simply actors these to refer chose to 18 iswho of geek, demographic Slashdot the chief computer geek, butthe will focus on evolution the geekof ingeneral,the mainthe characterof paperany this is not while chapter ‘nerd’. this of Moreover, this paperinstead will use theterm geekthroughout I reasons, these For nerds. than rather geeks as self-identify shall address) I that discussions overwhelming majority of the contributors to the Slashdot forum (or at least in the specific As mentioned in the Introduction, Slashdot is C The circus geek is not born a freak; he merely becomes one for the duration of his likeMuch zoo, the circusthe straddles precariously between border and nature the IRCUS FREAKSANDCYBORGIANGEEKS 18 . For brevity’s sake I brevity’s sake . For 24 CEU eTD Collection on the one hand, and the computer geek, a human(autonomous)/computer(automaton) hybrid. a human(autonomous)/computer(automaton) on hand, one and geek, the computer the seen asfaces: abeinghybrid with the geek,thetwo circus nature(organism)/culture(human) especially humans (models of autonomy)” (Haraway, So 1989:139). cyborg the can also be machines and organisms, one betweenthe “self-controlled,(automatons) self-governing between human,animal (organism) and and that simultaneously: boundaries aretransgressed and very visibly so. is gendered, already geek the because cyborg, true the and geek betweenthe Haraway distinction crucial writes that a is in Haraway’s is a world, However, cyborg perhapsthemostcreature this a postgender and cyborg comes into existenceand which walks the boundary between physical and nonphysical (Haraway, 1991:195). when two kindsculture arereworked and animal-humans collapse into machinethe (Haraway, 1991:193), of self ultimate atlastuntied from all (Haraway,dependency" in 1991:192), andwhich nature an individuation, abstract an of dominations escalating West’s the of telos apocalyptic to the main exhibition (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)). Haraway’s cyborgis “the awful within itself circusthe partof (as sideshow,the the geekwasmerely minora in show addition Haraway’s sense, a person in a liminalFrom the onlooker’s perspective, positiona freak by any other name is just as aberrant. withinTurner suggests, have nothing todistinguish them from liminaltheir society (Turner, peers 1969: 95). (as a circus (Turner, 1969:95).In eyes the with those of a higher status,liminal social beings, Victor freak), but alsoandbetwixt between positionsthe by assigned law, custom, convention, andceremonial” is proper. member of society afunctional,as itnot ashe useful aspectacle, offers The like circus geek, man, the isundomesticated its applauded for audacity, butonly insofar geek. computer ‘outsider’ the with similarity interesting –an women nor conventions, social masculinity, conjures and up the image of untamedthe not manwhodoes submit neither to In light of In light of liminalstatus, geekisthe this comparable the cyborg to in Donna . “neither herenotthere as a liminalcreature, beThe circus interpreted geekcan 25 CEU eTD Collection importance fromclass, historicalthis moment thegeek on, has been noless than bourgeois. The of the body'sconcerning the geekfigure.While from geekwasrecruited circus the working the among physical abilities andlike with modern-day they in geeks, associated each other affinity groups. was not preserved andstudiedfreaks, ghosts curiosities,atthe but other same they becould time men of science in surprisingly close in nature to themodern geeks theexamined in this paper.Victorian geeks shift fromlabel nowadays –and typeI am other they isare the one of geek that that referring to, freak geek the to earn well very could naturalists) scientists, (medical practitioners, them who studied note those itthat time,andisinteresting to at that commodity monster wasascientific The "pandering...to thelowest and foulest tastes" (Fox and LawrenceinKochanek, 1997:227). werecriticizedendeavours for using the study physiologyof anas forexcuse obscenity, and medical journal century 19th British The gaze. tothescientific subjected eagerly themselves) wereacuriosity unnatural. InVictorian England, sideshowfreaks (although probably not circus geeks was rendered unusual histhrough the obsession for natural,importantly, butmore the physically monstrous nor bearing the brand of the wild. The other Victorian geek was one that was neitheridentifiedage, onethat incan be type that of another geek that geek, butthere’s into human, the integrated inseparableunit. becoming thus an allowsproductivity control for the or becauseof life, becomes artificial the everyday For (Kendall, computers” 1999: 264). geek, the is computer the longer no atool increasesthat 1999: 263).The geek “entices through promisethe arising power of from control the of organic and his artificial proximity computersthrough andwith technologies (Kendall, other The emergence of the Victorian scientist-geek signifies a turn in politics class the aturn signifies scientist-geek Victorian the of The emergence The sideshows of Victorian England might have been the birth-place of the circus the of birth-place the been have might England Victorian of sideshows The Lori Kendall acyborgianalso takes approach - thegeek transgresses theboundaries of The Lancet published detailed accounts of these and 'freak' anatomy, accounts published detailed 26 CEU eTD Collection the the same sex” (Sedgwick, 1985: 1) 20 burdens of corporeality as opposed to the freedom one can find on the internet. 19 implicitly, of technology) over the body, which becomes nothing more than a ‘meat suit’ soft and weak body of the computer geek might be a symbol body.farmore than the important mind the forbecause The also thewas scientist, man, but of the triumph of the mind (and notscientist-geek, becauseonly a phallic less body was for important a middle/upper class standing within the club, Walkowitz’s piece clearly shows that female members had less had members female that shows clearly piece Walkowitz’s club, the within standing (Walkowitz, 1986:37), and clubthe rules specifically claimed thatall members wereof equal of Sexuality, explicit discussions of sexuality and sexual mores were not common at nature pervasive the of asFoucaultVictorian sexual discusses discourse, inVol.his 1of History time) Although topicsthe discussedatclub meetings werequite revolutionary the (despite Club, adebating established byKarl society inPearson 1986:37). 1885 (Walkowitz, 2.4. necessarily signifies a shift,if not a redefinition, of geek identity. will be widely available to underprivilegedthe classes as well in nearfuture,the which ascommodities areincreasinglycomputers more affordable, itis highly that they probable middle of social towards class, where geekis Sincestatus computer the currently situated. reachedof top which the class hierarchy, slipping it after started Gaussiancurvethe on down the figure of the mad scientist (I shall elaborate more on this figure in Chapter 3), the geek homosocial had geeks exclusively Victorian not intellectual members,so debate were female accepting women in clubs 2010)),other 1945(Holmes, only andsocieties to dedicated did notpermit women to become members (the Royal Society of London,for example, started I use the concept of homosociality as defined by Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick: “social bonds between persons of persons between bonds “social Sedgwick: Kosofsky by Eve defined as of homosociality concept the use I the body and human the designates suit meat the fandom, cyberpunk the in especially and cyberspace, In (C It is alsointeresting tonote that with the emergence of the Victorian scientist-geek and While there was a considerable number of scientific societies in Victorian which societies in times number wasa of While there Victorian scientific considerable YBER 20 . An interesting example of isa mixed-gender society the Men andWomen's ) BOYS ’ CLUBS 19 . 27 CEU eTD Collection presence: according to a2009survey by presence: according monitoring to Royal service Pingdom,online an The vast majority institutions by of dominated geek are these little with males, female cancongregate interest, interneton for discussions forums orideas. andexchanges of software sharewholivebutnot in acommon mind). area, samegeographic the Geeks whodo come to in Akihabara, geek famous for cafes countless created district, geeks (the Tokyo's purposefully evenvenues or conferences fan at conventions, come together geeks institutions, education are fertile(Charles Evenoutside andBradley, of for geekcommunities. 2006:189), grounds largedrawing number of 2011),geeks (CmdrTaco, and for having avery low female presence science which programmes, forgeeky. both notorious orengineering computer are University Google engine upwithcomes countless numbers ofhigh school clubs thatcan qualify as with search the Asimple activities. for ‘geek’ clubsbecome aplatform can computer clubs, modernamong geeks, andindeed, in extra-curricularhigh-school culture, science-fiction in world). softwarethe programmer first the Lovelace, Ada mathematician brilliant the of case in the like sometimes, reputations their exceptions, women refused tofitwhoin and mould the pursuedtheir costthe education at of are there of course (although subjects' 'difficult other or hard with sciences herself concern exclusion of womensocio-historical contextin which the Men and Women'sfrom club was created relied on a structural education,objective knowledge and reason(Walkowitz, 1986:39). Even more than present,at the the and it was hardlybefitting their social statuses, they believed thedeemed female sex to be an impediment in the way of necessary female respect andwhilethe women into treated midst, memberswith theiraccepted they for a woman they that haveanequal guarantee will geeks automatically TheseVictorian share of privilege. to not does group a male-dominated into women of acceptance the assert that safe to credibility and (Walkowitz, authority malethan their counterparts 1986:37-38).I thinkitis Forming clubs with purpose the of studyingis a particular subject notatall uncommon 28 CEU eTD Collection offtopic, flamebait and become the topic successful submissions of discussion threads interesting, find they that stories cansubmit Users by users. submitted stories and technology science and current-affairs, itfeatures Matters”, Stuff that forNerds. “News itself as describes websites tech-related andthe The website several online retailerThinkGeek. computer discussion forum establishedin 1997 by Geeknet, a Inc., Californian company ownsthat seldom heard andlistened to. seen,but of Men are sometimes they the are there, and club: women description Women's 1998). Inthis respect,thedynamics of onlinegeek communities Walkowitz's resemble (CmdrTaco, Slashdot.com long-timethe geekwebsite one userof states here”, we're realise braveothers junglethe mixed-gender of geekforums. “Half timeyouthe probably even don't women avoid the antagonism of maletheir peers by setting upcommunities of their but own, not to say, however, that there are no women on the geek side of the internet. Some geek rate each post rate shaping the reputation of any member of community.the Randomly moderators chosen can in asay users gives This system instead. is used system andauser-moderation moderators, thousands of individual messages. Unlikein online other forums, there are no designated presence (accordingtoGeekFeminism.com’s wiki fan/geekpage on communities a fight (racial insults are a dead giveaway), it's Flamebait” (Malda, 2010) 25 Encyclopaedia). Free The Wikipedia: Forum”, (“Internet submitted was 24 Encyclopaedia) Free The Wikipedia: Forum”, 23 22 21 users website, 84% majorof current the websites social havemore malenetwork usersthanfemale “Flamebait refers to comments whose sole purpose is to insult and enrage. If someone is not-so-subtly picking A A thread (sometimes called a topic) is a collectionof posts, usually displayed from oldest to latest (“Internet http://geekfeminism.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Communities http://royal.pingdom.com/2009/11/27/study-males-vs-females-in-social-networks/ post 21 . Sci-fi, fantasy, computer game or IT conventions have an overwhelmingly male overwhelmingly an have conventions IT or game computer fantasy, Sci-fi, . is a user-submitted message enclosed into a block containing the user's details and the date and time it time and date the and details user's the containing block a into enclosed message user-submitted isa One of the internet's most notorious cyber boy's club is Slashdot.com, a news and a news Slashdot.com, is club boy's cyber notorious most internet's the of One 24 with a score from -1 to 1, and assign it one of the following tags: normal, 25 , troll , 26 , redundant, insightful,interesting,informative,funny, overrated, 23 that can sometimes reach that 22 ). That is That ). 29 CEU eTD Collection caused fear, and in modern times, the geek is the target of geekisthe crimes of of fear,in modern ridicule andeven hate times,and the target caused feelings on part the of society:normative circus geekcauseddisgust, the themad scientist incitebe negative to seems to present the ageto Victorian from the geek, the essence of very vital facts orotherwise distort reality, to make other readers react with helpful "corrections."” (Malda, 2010) 26 2.5. other. influence they each between them how and are andsimilarities what conflicts the masculinity, rich milieu for an examination of geek masculinity, how itastoundingly is and shapeda valuable it in makes relation Slashdot of to hegemonic reputation club boys’ The attractiveness. and granted women judged on are harassedand often solely basis of the their sexual sexistwhere whereisinto arepigeonholed there takenfor biological stereotypes, essentialism gives several examples of Slashdot threads GeekFeminism Wiki)Slashdot on wiki page (“Slashdot”, GeekFeminism’s Slashdot.com. were women readers are assumed to beexpense offemale 2010), which geeks”(Restructure!, linksseveral to sexist threads posted on invisible, on the website GeekFeminism.com in July 2010, titled “Male geeks reclaim masculinity at the has changed radically since then.were users the maleof in Slashdot 2009,and are there no tobelieve reasons situation the that My interest in this forum survey.82% the for consideration of into of were all that taken websites the representation was sparked by an article posted ‘Anonymous Coward’. anonymously namemembers, dummy userscan the of under by however, post also registered sum moreof than 5 points (Malda, 2010). The majority of comments on Slashdot are authored Nomessagecanachievea to Excellent. Neutral, andGood Positive Bad, range from Terrible, responses The moderators’ underrated. to auser’sposts shape user’s the ‘karma’, whichcan “This is a prank comment intended toprovoke indignant (or just confused) responses. ATroll might mix up F The geek is seen as a marginal figure which invites despise, mockery or revulsion. The According tothe Royal survey Pingdom cited above,Slashdot has worstfemalethe ROM MARGINALIZATION TOLIMINALITY 30 CEU eTD Collection figures isfigures not amere of rite passage, itis might acontinual seem like It practice. in caseof the Jobs stereotype (highly intelligentand highly about theirpassionate fields),like Bill Gates Interestingly enough, publichistorical figureswhofitor in some measuretothegeek 28 Windows. 27 andGeeks Freaks from example characters (for the twenties or in teens most of them their young, are fairly (Turner,geeks 1969: 97).The andof culture popular alower status higher status between a other. each share with they that harmoniousdisrupt relationship the might into their space gendered other a of introduction the because communities, dominated) male least, very at the (or homosocial egalitarianism (Turner, 1969:95).This could also explain tendency the developgeeks of to theirform own of resistance by developing apower of their own comradeshipthrough and which are "reducedand toauniform ground condition” by their social they betters, develop that power Turner, they are capable of liminal beingsdescribed Like by wielding. the Victor such (often the aresubordinatednegate wouldClaiming that unacknowledged) creatures indistinction seem Theseenigmaticforged have characters for excluded to azoneof creature. themselves where humansuseful way of thinking about geekis,the inmy opinion, asliminal insteadcreature of an and technology,figures which enact asubordinated masculinity, beingdespite inherently Amorehybridic. might not fully do him justice. As natureseen in Chapter 1, geeks are often theorized as subordinated and fringes of on geektoapositionouter society, ofthe the marginality, Relegating margins. the culture collapse which should not becommingled, thegeek transgresses boundaries instead of being pushed to into(Blake, 2001:127).Through his rejection of social convention, andhybridization of that each other. Steve Jobs co-founder isthe of Apple Inc. and designerthe of the Macintoshcomputer. Bill Gates is the co-founder of Microsoft Inc. and the creator of the MS DOS operating system, and later 28 , Albert Einstein seemed to have attained a privileged status. The geekinessEinstein have, Albert status. of aprivileged these seemed to attained However, liminality is not a permanent stage; it represents merely a state of limbo of a state merely itrepresents stage; a permanent not is liminality However, (1999-2000), The Big BangTheory (2007 -), (2007 Revenge of the Nerds Revenge ofthe 27 (1984)). , Steve , 31 CEU eTD Collection 29 35, according toasurvey by conducted Royal in Pingdom 2010 users contradicts this premise: years, 40.4 with only35% of about usersunderthe theage of geeks, ageis indirectly social proportional with but averageacceptance, the ageof Slashdot motivated by motivated non than other by his devotion to computers. The geek is,some to degree,mad. me seem to geekis andhistransgressions intensely Butthe intellectual, also conventions. alienation. meant if that even technology, myopic focuscomputer on theirchoose merenot dealing high teenagers with school bullying, areadults there whoconsciously http://royal.pingdom.com/2010/02/16/study-ages-of-social-network-users/ The geek, therefore, willingly opts out from following some, if not all, social 29 . The geeks are . of Slashdot 32 CEU eTD Collection technologically moretechnologically advancedthan restthe of the world (Adas, 52) 1989: and more thus was West the believed that colonizers andexplorers however, general, In inventions. and technological various architecture material their culture, China andIndia’s intricacy of On 38). otherthe hand, colonizers the not could help butbe impressed with scalethe and technology 1989: warfare,(Adas, poor African material agriculture, crudeness)culture: (or of Africa,224). TheEuropeandisdain partly lackfrom for of example, stemmed perceived the barbarism ignorance, incontrollable into of and the wildness civilization nature, (Adas, 1989: (Adas,Sciencewieldforces 1989:33). allows to of people the andtotransform reason yetsupposedly nothave reached the level men of learnedscientificof sophistication European fear of the racial or cultural other, but also because they lack the technologies of the West, and uncivilized, uncolonizedworlds positthem less simplyas developed of not a xenophobic out savagesfrom the about all, discourses After in fact. itself, of factors civilization the scientific theory. into discoveries of these crystallization improve to means the offer discoveries scientific all, After other. each upon build reciprocally which technology,application of scientific knowledge, can both be considered as loci of knowledge production practical the technology, and dictionary), Merriam-Webster the to (according phenomena and the attempt to improve existing technologies lead to the 3.1. M 3. Science and technology are frequently seen as bolsters of civilized society - asone of society of civilized bolsters seen as frequently are technology Science and Science, that is the system of knowledge concerned with the physical world and its ADMEN ANDREBELS M ADNESS , SCIENCE AND GEEKS STEREOTYPE : THE MAKING OFA THEMAKING 33 CEU eTD Collection chess game of social forces,nor aservant of the nature, which can deign to give the scientist a is in no longerfor great scientist autonomy. apawn The the needto fulfil desire human one's a rebel or an artist,demandsBy orphilosophical principles” 803). (Dyson,conceptualizing 1996: the scientistsas Dyson bringsproducers to the forefront of the Dyson:scientists, Freeman byphysicist theoretical espoused one the perspective, another science, the humanity arewithout any nature, interference forces from (Dyson,social 803).However,is 1996: there rebels of of facts objective the and forces internal own byits is driven orscience scientist, that belief inits firm is other artists the“obeying sheerknowledge. One side claims is knowledgethat production drivenby social whileforces, the their disputes among historians of science whenitcomes tothereasons why ownwe insiston producing instinctsif they notmight necessarily be intended for precisely purpose.Therethis are ongoing rather than fact as they often the basic that mostare presented of the despite buildingblocks civilization, social scienceto create ifnotmen? were linked state the to of male,being a tomasculinity Who and as apatter was of behaviour. scienceknowledge has produced, been as masculine.gendered Thus, science and technology middle-class men(Fox Keller, 1985:7),and through a slippage producerand between the exclusively white were almost past the of science producers hereisthat Western stake necessarily gendered, although is position this widely 1994:18). (Rose, contested Whatis at isitself not scientific butmisogyny),knowledge somealso of critics to according science, Keller, 1985:7).It is important tonote thatscience has along history of androcentrism (and women, who seldom were initiated init, and even more rarely allowed toproduceit(Fox of civilization, had to possess the ability wieldto them. andman, be andcivilization science separated, Technology, civilized. cannot harbinger asthe No amount of cultural relativism can deny that science and technology as of are seen science technology deny and that can amountrelativism of cultural No to unavailable largely been has science past, recent the until that a secret not is It 34 CEU eTD Collection manipulated science, and therefore was capable of grasping its rational he its wascapable of basis. rational grasping However, science, andtherefore manipulated fiction 183). However,thepopularization in 18 the symbolizedmadness which notdid exclude rationality, andcould affect any (Foucault, 2006: philosopher a slippagereasonable, and therefore of no threat to the wise, but furor, on the other hand, was the kind of typestwo furor. Insania wasdefined ofmadness:insania and asthedenial was all of that between becausewould Roman recognized inplacingthemad havenotrouble philosophers scientist, the twomad in Latin becomes 182).Whatthis case? tradition scientist, of 2006: the (Foucault, other forms The madness/reason binary formed,was andtheone by was characterized absence the of the of madness.were given a category of their own, no longer connected to reason by even the thinnest thread. The mad scientist reason” and accepted as such (Foucault, 2006: 181), but from but 18 181), the 2006: assuch (Foucault, reason” and accepted 177). During the Renaissance,madness was see as the uncanny within,“lurking at the heart of mimicking reason,which in endthe masksits own content" unreasonable (Foucault, 2006: is According Foucault, "there to completely inmadnessan for separated. aptitude essential is between notthe knowledgeonly Lust for be andthem.connection illnessmental cannot 2006: (Foucault, 175). Scientists sought togain knowledge on naturethe of madness,but that sought itsto discover roots, to understandits mechanics and natural the space it occupied 2006:13).(Foucault, derision, “threatandis madness both Foucault, For a orlesserthedegree. withgreater mad,to tainted vertiginousunreasonably, unreason on a whim orto to satisfy justifyof a personalthe obsessionworld,needing sake the beauty, for ideal of without an or decisions whocan makearbitrary entirely - sohis will free with the agent is an and scientist scientist rebel Dyson’s magnificence. universe’s the of thedecisions glimpses few is unavoidablyshallow ridiculousness in any way. of men”Therefore the scientist's reason can be deployed Interestingly Interestingly madnessenough, wasfirstinterrogated by physicians whoand savants, th century of the figure of the mad scientist in th century on, madmen 35 CEU eTD Collection evil scientist whoseeks world domination. Butthere is another reasonwhy madscientistthe mad scientist could also decide topurposefully go against the social body,like the trope of the The body. canharm that social the technological) or chemical biological, (whether monsters mad whocreate humans,on who experiment scientists like social body,mad the scientists sift scientistsit cangatherthan data, through that, expense and atthe distil of pure knowledge but it can also demolish it, and the ones who can do either one of the other are scientists. More canbuild civilization, hecan Science againstsociety. that turn powers he possesses because and First asocial of all,is madoutcast. the seenas scientist frightening andunpredictable their inability to tosay and least, seen such the morally The motivesas theseare of objectionable as characters he is is whose regard forpeople a lonely drug-addict him. by conditioned to usefulness their scientific knowledge allow him seeandto understand what average people However, donot. kind ofmad scientist,irreverently flaunts social conventions, yet his genius and extensive himself to the temptationShelley's Dr.Frankenstein, scientist the whocreated life andis destroyed by his creation, lost of new discoveries.any his for Mary knowledge,and itcontrol lustregard of without consequences. the pursues Sir Conan Doyle’s positnarratives mad the as male)is scientists unequivocally madbecause he not does keepin Sherlock Holmes, another He of (because cultural a mad is characteristics scientist. necessarily not madness the parametersnorms – within those asane iswhich person expectedto Pathological operate. itself. reason of embodiment the science, madness. Hehad all symptomsthe of unreason, yethe was capableusing of and producing a figure could that beincluded neither excluded,a nor contradiction of paradigmthe of became scientist mad The society. of conventions the defied that ways in unreasonable it used The madness of the scientist has several consequences: it makes him a source of of terror asource him itmakes consequences: has several scientist the of madness The any to can Madness as by Foucaultdefiesseen social refer kind ofbehaviour that 36 CEU eTD Collection The wielder of computer technology The wielderis invested technology computer with to of power the control take of humanity. 2000:484),boundaries and (Lupton, it because toconsume threatens humanity,replace it. to monstrosity, toDeborah becauseLupton, according it poses a challenge totraditional physicalthe technology afor Computer possesses from intellectual. potentiality the threshold separating hegemonic from the marginal,the individual the from collectivethe and inboth a precarious position not quite excluded,- butnot quite included either. They are on a artificial (and the of fear the embody thereforeBoth them. between be observed nonetheless can unnatural), similarities striking as well as the dangerssome but mightseem two preposterous, the between Acomparison metaphor. scientist of excessive knowledge. They are 3.1. marginal. mad scientist ahybridfigure is that not quite hegemonic,neither but straightforwardly the madness turns that it of is element the ideal. However, masculine hegemonic part of the by calculating orethical is intelligence emotions unrestrained mostconsideration certainly femininity. with Cold, associated aretraits andthe unpredictable illogical the while madness, masculine, are science each fact and that negate the they other. Rationality matched despite be can above, mentioned as which, components two into down broken be can essence body. social restof the the threaten that holders powers its for metaphor evilthe is science. Knowledge becauseitof inherently can dangerous confer to (Toumey, 1992:2).The mad scientist with his disturbed and depraved personality is a antirationalism” of tradition in the exercises “modern-day that, than more or science, of of heisa critique and that the embodiment concludes andart, inliterature mad science is suchareviledfigure: thefear of scienceitself. Toumey Cristopher at looks imagethe of the F The geekcan be seenas amodern day, anddefanged diluted of mad embodiment the The masculinity displayed by the mad scientistis a rather problematic one, because his EAR OFTHEGEEK ? 37 CEU eTD Collection Slashdot users dubbedSlashdotis ‘geeksploitation’2011) (Soulskill, thereality show mythical figure that can redeem itself by converting to normality. A splendid example of what 3.3. duplicitous hybrid. allied with with machines,the he or humanity, is seen therefore asanunsettling and possibly itis geekis clear the not whether technologies, cybernetic dangerous with these association soon get amind of its own, but until then, it has its user to control and direct it. Because of his on its own butfunctioned onlythrough directhuman manipulation,itis amachine could that Manifesto (Haraway, 1991:152),amechanismcould that neithermove onits ownnor think by haunted pre-cybernetic as the machines Haraway mentionsa spectre, in her Cyborg technologies arefar moreaura of computer danger, before.Unlike dangerous than anything 1999: 263).Although technology, asaproduct (and producer) of isscience surrounded by an (Kendall, masters its of commands the override day one might and own, its on 'think' can who by computers uncovering computer's the potential of becoming an individual autonomous the point of collapsing into them. Sherry Turkle explained the revulsion of the masses towards not only in the physically fraternizing Hisisundesirable sense. with 'thinkingmachines'to the information technology. His relationship with technology is what makes geekthe monstrous body impressive of alsoknowledge, butthat isknowledgethis of, andacquired through, of this). examples Jekyll/Hyde soft geekof two are tothem andoffers popular pasty, culture the (Dr. unnatural, machine, the the that the to pleasure slave science and or of technology an excess butneithergroup relegated asylum, tothe mindsbrilliant often inbodies monstrous by turned into thehegemonic included time,not same at the and powerful ridiculous Geeks aretherefore G As a fringe figure, the geek is rarely seen in the mainstream except as a caricature or a he The special of geekis computer not significance the that an only has accessto EEK DOMESTICATED Beauty andthe 38 CEU eTD Collection While thegeeksportrayed on as it 4. will in contexts, be seen in statues Chapter specific becan assignedsubordinate still knowledge and produced valued and bygeeks their wayssociety of relating to and technology experience geeks suchas of usersofSlashdotthe suggests their thethat performances, meangeeky doesnot geekis the elements that a marginalless before. figurethan lived The fashion is orthat appropriating culture inpopular of aremorethere representations geekiness 2009: 62).However,mere“whathaswas oncegeek the factthat become chic” (McArthur, media in resulted of portrayals geekcharacters reinvention meaninga of the of geek, and 2011). mainstream (Cliff, partof the geeks arenow member suggestion inthat to the Slashdot reply one commented joke”, of the butt still the are nonetheless geeks,but towards added attention the of because wearecool “We think relief. comic role tothe of relegated they are often light, although some geeks areseeminglyshownin accurately.a sympathetic Moreover, depicted they do not feel like theirbecause representations such media to with hostility often react geeks Slashdot fabric. social community, or the marginalization stereotypesthe surrounding geekidentity they them perpetuate and reinscribe into them the that they ofteninto the mainstream experienceon the same footing as other cultural groups, and instead of aredismantling Theory known perhapsthebetter comedy such series Shows American as this, or Geek”, the and (“Beauty show from the eliminated is losingcomplete group anumberandthe of challenges, are requiredgeek and beauty to one young women who claimidentified geekslivein with samehouse the of beautiful ‘beauties’ a group (conventionally to rely mainly Geek on their looks in social situations). Teams of one (2005-2008), advertised (2005-2008), as“the social ultimate whereinexperience”, agroup of self- , branded as geeksploitation by some geeks since they do not attempt to integrate geeks According to McArthur, the popularization of andincreasing of McArthur,of popularization numbers According the computers to Beauty and the Geek Beauty andthe or The Big Bang Theory The BigBang Wikipedia: The free encyclopaedia The free Wikipedia: try to fitinto the The Big The Big Bang 39 ). CEU eTD Collection of settings in which subjects can perform, and geeks have not failed to take advantage of this. geeks masculinity the of becould has billions examined. Cyberspace creation the allowed of isand if technology, close,equivalent, to not hegemonic ideal.the itsin by of displays masculinity articulation with of which, science a degree connection virtue from mad Althoughsubmission, spectre of intothe laughedthe thegeekstill scientist. in waspreserved muchhowever, same geek’s masculinity, the as what fashion can be gleaned The components. menacing more much to back betraced can components essential most his isthere little overtdangerleftin figurethe of the frail andawkwardcomputer obsessed geek, symbolalternative status thethat mainstream is not quick recognize. to scienceas an and incomputer usetheir expertise status, outsider revelin These geeks their their ‘domestication’. andat dismay even resistance degreeof a daunting display geeks often mainstream, sometimes with negative affects on their status within the subculture, Slashdot Masculinity cannot exist unless it is performed, and a setting is necessary so that the so that isnecessary and asetting is unless itperformed, exist cannot Masculinity managedPopular culture tosubdue themad in scientist form the of geek.the Although 40 CEU eTD Collection fitness or beauty,fitness or in3. asseen Chapter strength, bodily to than intellect to assigned value higher the and body, the over technology male of absence. Thelack the of can be dominance the about body talk through justified debates forum,and discussed on Slashdotphysicalthe itsis body the through conspicuous race)areeagerly economic status, sex,social or of self embodied (gender, axes the mentioned disclose them inWajcman,(Turkle 2006:102).Itneeds be to remarked that while the above to shechooses –if heor discourse into them sheintegrates ashe or insofar only position and relationships with people in real the world becomefor relevant a given subject’s gender status economic embodiment, cyberspace, orevensex.In status socio-economic appearance, theoretically life,butbeinginvisible be incyberspace,they can glossedand thesubject over can make a successfulin in as for way can ethnicity, example, the real of act obstacles a desiredrace or performance inClass, are concealed in easily online exchanges. noticeable situation, a real-life sometimes attempt at can this factors These process. be as orethnicity,variedsuch but asclass although qualifiers, a performancein part aconsiderable play body the of outside factors bodies, their on) based solely not (but that is isinon a genderidentity will thatgender put performance to socially connection constructed not limitedmale a with aperson although Therefore, contexts. in different displayed be may masculinities by physical constructionthe hebutof (Connell, different adds gender that types 1995:45), of 4.1. C In his earlier work on masculinities, Connell emphasises the importance of bodies in bodies of importance the emphasises Connell masculinities, on work hisearlier In YBERSUBJECTIVITIES 4. P ERFORMING THE GEEK INCYBERSPACE THEGEEK ERFORMING 41 CEU eTD Collection identity is gender, because of masculinity's strong association with technology association (see Chapter technology masculinity'swith is strong identity gender,becauseof Perhaps themost of of important non-conforming geek. components othering the these classrace, but orgender, these deviations norm from the can serve for as grounds easily adhere notin tothisof many stereotypeterms whodo are class male.Naturally,geeks there (discursive) self-constitution (performance) as the simulacral nonground of her own free being and a mark of her mark a and being free own ofher own"self-invention."” nonground (Sahay, 1997:551). simulacral the as (performance) self-constitution (discursive) 30 4.2. always acceptable. which caters to a particular subculture, fictionalizing embellishing or one’s identity is not in certain cyber such environments as online role-playingin games, a forum such as Slashdot, often than not they are likely to be a combination more fictional constructs, entirely or identity, of real-life player's of the roles canbereflections these two. If enacting a fictional identity especially when it comes to gender. Online forums(Brittan, 1989:72;Brittan, 1989:23). are an arena for role-play,rejected even downright or negotiated instead they are smoothly, and seldom accepted and although Arthurpositions,predetermined positions Brittan, accordingbutthese intomen to are subject erasingnarratives mightnotbe wise. Cultural narratives of andgendered put racial identities identities” butcompletely(Eisenstein, 1998:95), discrediting cyberspace's the powerof is cyberspace merely of of for“cultural a site gendered andracial the reinscription narratives theorists use freedom. Feminist this to hewill shemeanchoose or not that does material reality such as Anne cybersubject the whoopine that theorists Balsamo, Zillah Eisenstein or Teresa de Lauretis claim that the Thecybersubject, according to Amrohini Sahay, is a dynamic subject who "takes her moment-to-moment G As discussedin default the chapters, identity previous of geekis the whitethe middle- What happens in cyberspace, then, is a continuous negotiation of positions, negotiation issubject then,of a What incyberspace, happens continuous The utopian of vision cyberspacethe as ismet‘the greatequalizer’ with by scepticism ENDER , IDENTITYANDDECEPTION 30 ’s freedom to construct an identity with no basis in basis no with identity an construct to freedom ’s 42 CEU eTD Collection webcams are inherently deceptive, as there is webcams areinherently as there no deceptive, is exactly telling who behindthe sitting help of textual analysis,a careful through of examination discourse. the the gleaned with its veracity, or about be doubts in can casethere by user, which the directly be offered either can it - community cyber ina a person about information obtaining of ways aboutThere aretwo ofinformation orrelationships. aperson’s beliefs,source affiliations are is facial absent in etc.) gestures, andconsequently theexpressions, only cyberspace, text clothes, world (skin, in physical the person a particular of labelling and categorization the not in Deception does require cyberspace because agreat deal of thecues effort, permitthat identity based onfalseinformation fellowthat members as accept reliable (Donath,1999: 30). an when memberoccurs projects deception Donath, of a a cybersuccessfully community takinginto without cyberspace thepossibility account deception. toJudith of According and the opaqueness of itis mediums,online impossible totalk aboutbehaviour of any in kind freedom which they Giventhecybersubject’s of by action peers. relative are perceived their members forum cyberspace, canmake useof deception in order to manipulate way the in itin of from casescould contents profile. some be the the inferred manly?” (ScuttleMonkey, none 2009), statedexplicitly their gender on their profiles, although random sample of 20 userswho replied to topicthe “How do I make my netbook more users may mention is this their profiles, butfew seemtofeel theneedtodoso.Out of a genderOf this forcourse, sex oron is page. thespecification of nooption profile page,there topic. While eachmember of a community may adescriptionpublish of themselves on their itisSlashdot, impossibleascertain gender/sex the to of userswho the respond to aparticular being ageekin do thatnotgeek communities welcome presence females. the of case Inthe of isby or of instinctively a prerequisite choice, whether identity, Enacting amasculine III). Internet communications which do not use real time video technologies such as such notvideo technologies use real time do which communications Internet Due to difficultythe of distinguishing between genuine andfictional identities in 43 CEU eTD Collection other hand, are open to deception because the sender of a conventional signal must not must signal a conventional of sender the because deception to open are hand, other whether the piece ascertain if is to one able fordecode signals example, the - is to ifone able be reliable of quite code posted by a C++user coding is indeedproblem thencorrect. byprogramming languagewillhave more success in achieving by this a a posting solution to simply Conventionalclaiming expertise32) – in the case of a forum user who wantssignals, to posit himself inor herself as an expert in thethe C++ field. on Assessmentthe a user. Assessmentsignals statingcertain advertise itquality without explicitly 1999: (Donath, signals can be in useful distinguishing between andreliable unreliable information provided by a forum to prove can signals conventional and signals assessment of concepts Zahavi’s Amotz with. begin largecues to not of number a ifoffer userdoes the especially beeasily counterfeited, 1999: 30).However, cuescan these can say user'sidentity the about deal (Donath, a great virtual reputation vocabulary and styles, addresses,e-mail signature choice. claims that She of community their of creation the to contribute they in which ways the and communities claims that there that claims qualities between these multiple personae and their body of origin (Donath, 1999: 29). Donath of isshared web as acomplex there their creator, merely through connected arenot personae any obvious connection to their embodied selves. However, according to Donath, these probably mostthe one of infamous cases of deception,online butcertainly not onlythe one. as a disabled woman and successfully maintained itfor several years (Stone, 1995: 65-81) is account of ‘cross-dressing’the male psychiatristinvented who for himself an onlineidentity be shifted easily can performance this interaction, inpersonal identity genuine or a 'real' of orperformance even the as thing a is such there that notion completely the granted for take can one that Supposing life. real remadein matches theiron performance screen the performance their screenandwhether computer when the person is in cyberspace. Sandy Stone’s A forum user has the power to create as many personae as he or she wishes, without wishes, she or he as personae many as create to power the has user forum A is a number of cues that enable anyone to learn about the members of online 44 CEU eTD Collection 31 is This inferred can conflict message. from the that be information inadvertently disclosed the in which the sender of a message wishes to be perceived,case whileof trolls expressions and flamebaiters, the given(such dissent sowing offor refer asentertainment described generating to either of purpose the with in Chapterintentionally, 2). Expressions given or referunintentionally to misinterpreted be the might way poster original the of intention the where “expressions given off" (Goffman, 1959:14)in online forums, and in particularly Slashdot for itself created voluntarily website the is that profile that the because nerds, conscious or unconscious, is that the people who post messages on Slashdot are geeks or from difference a default that of persona, underlying geek.The the assumption, whether in with theiror accordance conformity signalsareinterpreted persona,butthese constructed message stating ‘I am an expert in C++’. ita - toadvertise usercansimply in the post quality order acertain necessarily possess 4.3. mightirony seem like Flamebait another by reader. a moderator of piece a insightful to anddeceptive is what not. These scales are obviously andacommentvery subjective, rated -1: aregood is moderators judgesthere for deception,is presuminga punishmentthat of what hundreds of thousands of However,posts. Slashdot’s user-moderation system ensures that analysisthorough andin theirof posts, caseofSlashdot,the this would sifting entail through masculinity. of geek from understanding notbedissociated common can therefore performance users are judged by their deviance oradherence toacertain convention, a script. or Gender See Chapter III, section “Cyberboys’ clubs”. E There is marked conflict between what Erving Goffman calls "expressions given" and given" calls"expressions Ervingis Goffman between what There markedconflict Assessment signals are useful in determining whether a user is enacting a carelessly a is enacting a user whether in determining useful are signals Assessment It is impossible to deduce which users of a forum are deceitful without a very XPRESSIONS GIVEN OFF ANDEXPRESSIONS 31 . Therefore, 45 CEU eTD Collection ScuttleMonkey. First of all, basementman’s question indicates that he is unhappy with the with is unhappy he that indicates question basementman’s all, of First ScuttleMonkey. it. ridicule has to right the and therefore enact script, notthis does in particular he as or that ofgeekidentity, not an necessary part seethis does either script ScuttleMonkey message signals factthat mockery the of basementman's ScuttleMoneky's identity. itof notquestioned,issexual undesirability is as notnecessarily embraced a markerof geek geekscript– whilethe to adherence basementman’s reposting the twist story gives a sarcastic ScuttleMonkey’s 1).However, Chapter of geeks (see and self-representation representation inthe both is present which masculinity geek of element an displays Basementman particular. desirability ispotential partners echoes adiscourseromantic of of social inadequacy/lack sexual that itwithfor adviceonhow The requesttointeract earnestness. with theutmost his question not posted atbasementman that doubt to reason little is all There members. Slashdot other of opinions uncommon later itwas repostedby addedScuttleMoneky who his/her among own remarks, askingfor the geeks30 2009,at05:42PM. The story received nocomments whatsoever, few however, a hours in general, and Slashdot users in is asfollows: post originally by posted ScuttleMonkey on Monday March 30 2009,at09:32PM. The original very illustrated on Slashdotwell the thread dotitled "How I makemy more netbook manly", their dignity from hardware that is "a good size"? good "a is that hardware from dignity their some him action, getting it of hopes the with butnetbook a get what didn't cool basementman Hopefully mods (or witty one-liners) have others used to salvage writes basementman There are several complex layers of tensions within the story by within of story submitted layers the several tensions There are complex A Slashdot usercalled basementman posted the original message onMonday March to respond tothetheircomments?" how can Imakemy netbook more manly, or at least have some witty line they thinkI have a different presence than I actually want toportray.So that will getmethe attention I wantthe though, kind of cutethat says womenfrom saying itis'cute'or 'adorable.' Notthegoodkindofcute whatsmall computer and it'sgood for Iuseitfor. get alotofcomments "I recentlypurchased a 10 inch whitewind. MSI As you can see it's a (ScuttleMonkey, 2009) 46 CEU eTD Collection with the hopes of it getting himless some inaction”. how powerfulBasementman’s thesepseudo-geek whois interested more in technologies the displaying hewhich possesses,and authenticity technologies as a geek is alsoare: geek identity is called intoauthorcould question,insinuates andScuttleMonkey the that bea “Hopefully Basementman's of authenticity The text. the on take basementman ScuttleMonkey’s by proven as author, the didn'tfor flattering than less being up end can that getinterpretations to itopen a leaves netbook message the of which hecase succeeds merelyinhis ownmasculinity. undermining Theawkward phrasing advice for makingasking for morehe visible in a masculinity already that topossess, claims bemight earnestly he women. Conversely, of attention the him attract will help advice that members,in Slashdot which case, hisis deceptive submission –he not actually does need attention of inpotential sexual an partners, attempt towin appreciation the of his fellow actually perceive him.ways in basementman which wishes beto perceived by users,andSlashdot how the users Basementman could between the tension -that another yet uncovers request masculinity. Basementman's indicate try to imply that signals assessment that sending entail would manly more netbook he the Making isidentity. a person who enjoys allow machine not de-masculinized does perform him a sufficiently gender masculine to the conclude the that to basementman determine reactions sexuality.a sex These or same way one would presumably react toa small child: calling it cute or adorable, but without netbook does not garner him sexual attention by is vexation Basementman’s tool his generated of mad-scientist/geek. factthat the the from women, who react to the computer hardly image. Passers-by as an as netbook the envision would or a markerenemy-machine, or in the a non-threatening project in particular, netbook basementman’s of scheme colour the possibly with size limited in laptop Thereduced technical specifications. of netbooks general, and is as perception netbook a his netbook ‘cute’.The light andinexpensive of incorrect small, the by caused is which off, given expression and given expression his between contradiction 47 CEU eTD Collection to-hit-us-in-june 32 I will toasgeek that refer masculinity nor necessarily complicit neither subordinated on the by initiated thread masculinity, hegemonic yetScuttleMonkey: andanon-hegemonic atplay of masculinities at very types least two There are of masculinity. different categories Magazine and itcomputer, is fit only forsuch as tasks unsophisticated editing.text Laptop to According destabilized by his of choice technology. MSIWind The is not a particularly powerful 4.4. forbe it heldaccountable by members. other aboundary haveand needto community transgressed masculinity deems hegemonic the that Basementman membersand other whohave somehow made afaux-pas in projecting a However,subsequent 2009). (ScuttleMonkey, are commenters inpoliced similar ways. about lookingfeminine.” (by humina on Monday March 302009,@05:58PM, one beingbeing “Step particular stop is thread: manly insecureto worrying an dumbass to microscope. Whileunder firstof basementman the was the gender target policingon this defaultSlashdot that usersaremale. Itisbasementman’s gender noit because questionsis one However, centeredness. gender, assumed basementman’s by ineptitude of geeks, oreven a geekwoman ironically on subculture'sthe commenting male could also be interpreted short. fall masculinity as the work of basementman’s expression isacceptedgiven not as such,a both and his performance of geek troll, perhaps is Thus, technology to connection Basementman’s geeks. computer than rather audience a man poking look its sleek and itsthan thus towards anon-expert technical specifications, targeted fun at the social The review in question is available at: http://blog.laptopmag.com/msi-wind-revealed-10-inch-mini-notebook- P In the above example is possible to identify particular fragments of Connell's of fragments particular identify to is possible example above the In If one were to ignore basementman’s previous messages on other post the threads, on messages ignoreIf previous basementman’s wereto one ERFORMING MASCULINITY 32 , a computer technology review website, this particular netbook is valued more for performance that comes that 48 CEU eTD Collection desirability/lack of sexual desirability, dissociation/association with geekstereotypethe and majority of the discussions on Slashdot is counterproductive. I choose to focus on sexual vast from the dimension power the subtracting sametext, into the of piece enmeshed occur geeks. Whileitis to separate difficult dimensions these because they can simultaneously extremely large number of on threads topics such as workingin IT, the or dating tips for adoptionthe formulation and onsexualitydiscourses of and asprovedby production, the in prolific is very Slashdot masculinity. of types Connell’s of one into typecast be indeed can for the examination of geek masculinitypower, production and cathexis (Connell,relations 1995:73)whichare ausefulframework if one starts with the premise that geekrelationship. romantic masculinity a form to desirable is it whom different others who eitherWomen are, as or embodiedhave the potential selvesas when members the adjectives associate 'cute'and'adorable' with a lack of manliness. areof becoming a point sexualof reference Femininitypartners, is perceived as a set of traits that deter one from enacting amasculine gender,when such and withthey are areposited linked asto anatomicallyis femininity on the one hand, and women these. up between be set as monolithic entities masculinity related whetherto hegemonic/subordinated any and can connections convincing on the other. or might not prove to be valid. Therefore, I shall attemptI intend toemploy hegemonicto masculinitysee not as a howgiven, but rathergeek as a hypothesis masculinity that might can be believe they can serve well a as support for a discussion masculinityof among Slashdot users. relationship. Although as seen in Chapter 1,Connell's concepts arerather problematic, I asymbiotic enter andeven other each contradict other, reinforce each oneach other, can build masculinity. two These of types masculinity separately;are seldom instead, they performed The structure of this analysis follows Connell’s three-fold model of masculinity, i.e. masculinity, of model three-fold Connell’s follows analysis this of structure The masculinities these that reference of point the that observed can it responses most In 49 CEU eTD Collection are assumed to avoid geek men, and those members who claim beto romantically attached are desirability among geeks.in Perhaps a reflection of high school stereotypes, non-geek women sparked a complex and lengthy post echo geekmasculinity. ScuttleMonkey’s thisof onSlashdot perception comments discussion that touchedsexual desirability (Kendall, 2000:265;Kendall, 1999:264), and aconsiderable number of several times on the realization A of in behaviour. sexual widespread trope ispopular thatthegeeklacks culture topic of sexualin the impediment aserious constitute would desirability sexual of lack a masculinity, hegemonic of construction inthe sexuality of significance the Given present. and past in the hegemonicmalesignificance masculinities of to ingreat attributed performance sexuality the male, and dominantmale therefore 75).Arthur (Connell, Brittan 1995: examines in detail the asaheterosexual status aman’s consolidates gender opposite of the sexual partners attract of configurations practice within model the masculinity,of the abilityhegemonic because to partners, which can include (but is by no means limited to) physical attractiveness. 33 helpful in uncovering the tensions extantwithin above the mentioned types of discourses. and Goffman’s notions of expressions given and expressionsthe status of women as inferior tomen when it comes to working with technology. given off, which agendas of approachinggeek masculinity: themodel man of as breadwinner,and delineating I deem to be category the masculinities.of The discourse geek employability on atleast suggests two position themselves in relation stereotypeto the inhopes of out sketching users possiblethe within tensions Slashdot which in way the at look also will I masculinities. of types other thereof can highlight of relations anddifference dominance betweengeekmasculinity and employability for several reasons. Reading into the discourse on sexual desirability or lack 4.4.1. In the following sections, Ishall use the term sexual desirability to refer to a man's appeal to potential sexual Possessing and sexual displaying desirability These discourses will be examined in light of Judith Donath’s concept of deception, L ACKING / HAVING / PRETENDING TOHAVESEXUAL PRETENDING DESIRABILITY 33 is one of the most crucial most the of one is 50 CEU eTD Collection 34 man. pace than average the ataslower they are merely asmodel as sexually developing requires), active hegemonic the sexually (or active arenot somealthough geeks that suggests argument This can beovercome. Slashdot user in particular as sexually undesirable, and try frameto it as a temporary state that with hegemonicthe model. might They alsobe attempting tosubvert stereotype of the the by but adequately, of geek masculinity, are associating this aspect they themselves reneging not identity.perform As tohavethey geeks, girlfriends andnot heterosexuality are supposed their of authenticity the of expense the at masculinity heterosexual their redeem to trying presentation. and usershave to perform according totherules in they want toconvey and authentic self- romantic relationships. Thenature of settingthe is such active that heterosexuality is denied, maintaining are they if even heterosexuality ‘successful’ their hide to have users Slashdot, in spaceof are the asacomponentthey of setting: when the canbeinterpreted this statement unwritten rules of the community. and heterosexual masculinities geek accepted, itmasculinity has– become one of the Within the frameworknoSlashdot members have girlfriends is more awaythan of setting upthe difference between of Goffman’s performanceMonday @06:13PM, (ScuttleMonkey, The March 30 2009, claim 2009)). often repeated that theory, mentioned a girlfriend.NOBODY ONSLASHDOTHAS AGIRLFRIEND.” (by Godji on Coward Monday on March 302009,@09:47PM), or“You had apoint rightuntil you girlfriend into your post. manage towork term “Way the to incredulity: metwith areoften sarcastic statements This is /. right their bein claim several to a relationship, commenters thread, onthis particular Although either the exception, or simply trying to present a false image to the rest of the community. Slashdot if often abbreviated as “/.” as abbreviated often if Slashdot Commenters who state that they are involved in romantic relationships seem to be to seem relationships romantic in involved are they that state who Commenters 34 ? know wasa You that lie.”total (byAnonymous 51 CEU eTD Collection that are conducive to establishmentthe of a long-term romantic relationship (Zelizer,2005: 107-108). (ScuttleMonkey, 2009;Cliff,messagestheir 2005), received noresponse and other women. Although are there two instances of admittingcommenters being to gay onmethods of frequently long commenters the to attracting digress Cliff, debates 2005), inaccomplishment of two Slashdotthe threadsin examined paper(ScuttleMonkey,this 2009; initiateability romantic sexualto or (Kendall,relationships 2000:266). ineptitude of geeks in moregeneral,it particularly, but brings toforefront geek’sthe lack of The stereotype of geekin the ispopularconstructed culture soas to highlight social the and initiators the women 2003: of as theboundary-setters 296). (Seal andcourtship Ehrhardt, 35 4.4.2. tamed by unless he ‘other’ the is sacrificeprepared his to status. species. Asa masculinity, geekmustallowrepresentative of not the uncivilized tobe himself actor who fulfils his responsibility as a heterosexual (therefore ‘normal’)member of the a girlfriend would signify an integration into proper society, becoming a functional social ageek, man.For geek,theuntamed acertain circus the to closeness wild girlfriends suggests hegemonic masculinity,in being a 'real man'. opportunity (Seal 2003: and Ehrhardt, 296), and failureso todo entails afailureenacting at a In The Purchase of Intimacy Considering that being in long orshort term relationships is explicitly claimed to be an as men portrays theory script heterosexual traditional Ehrhardt, and Seal to According Alternatively, Slashdot geeks’ insistence on claiming that they do not and cannot have cannot and not do they that claiming on insistence geeks’ Slashdot Alternatively, of courtship scripts Heterosexual M of the norm forout non-geekis not guys).” (twenty++ partners sexual of amount insignificant an had we men" which ismy geeks and Sure, "real are late-starters now. wife compared to is about 1998. I've“Ehm..... since, beenreading slashdot Idon't exactly,my know but bet In that period I had sex with three different women, one of EN ASSEDUCERS by jawtheshark on Monday March 302009,@06:49PM, (ScuttleMonkey, 2009) , Viviana Zelizer defines scripts of courtship as practices, meanings and relations and meanings practices, as of courtship scripts defines Zelizer Viviana , 35 requiremenactively to pursue allandevery sexual 52 CEU eTD Collection accomplishment. It is also implied that the geek body, which implicitly lacks desirability, is desirability, lacks implicitly which body, geek the that implied is also It accomplishment. tools which leadcan a to relationship qualifies that as a badge of heterosexual be useful to found nonetheless are relationships long-term for attractive seen assuitably not these tactics are seen as a suitable substitute to regular rituals of courtship. Women who are conforms conventionalto beauty standards: unquestionable proofMarch 31 2009,@06:24AM,(ScuttleMonkey, 2009)). Theultimate symbol, status the of a hegemonic heterosexual“Having women youaround makesyou more desirable.” (by on goose-incarnated Tuesday masculinity,discussed as an indicatoris of masculinity,seen similarly to tropes toof hegemonic be masculinity: a partner who entails. relationship submit actually without thata having of‘domestication’ heterosexual the to to practices in between relations webgenders, a need power position tothe of their related stabilizing be might ‘have girlfriends’ to their desire Instead, seducer. potential or roleseducer of the mightbethereasonwhy insiston performingnot for desire heteronormativity the geeks that their openness theirabout sexuality is received with seeming indifference,might itbe possible Since norm. the from deviation their for way some in punished be would non-heterosexuality heterosexuality were considered tobe the norm,it can be assumed that users who declare their If orientation. sexual other of mentions any discussion into bring not did commenters As geeks onSlashdot undervalue their perform capacity to conventional sexual scripts, Women are objectified and a relationship with a woman (or more women) is often 5 trades to hit 'model'...”5 trades to you can trade in the ugly girlfriend for aslightly prettier one. It only takes 4- likely hit to you're on them,so safer and totalk to, toflirtwith.At thispoint makes you inherently more attractive to women. It also meanswork onlookswomen asmuch, don't worry you're This sothey aboutdon't that. less able keep awoman she's You're attached. to butSure, pigugly, happy. dog-ugly.you find So onelike thatand askher Suddenly out. you're “Women don't trust, like or touch a man with no girlfriend. Unless they're by Cederic onTuesday March 312009,@04:30AM, (ScuttleMonkey, 2009) 53 CEU eTD Collection familiar with the community, the self-professed geeks who are active Slashdot geekswhoare inthe self-professed familiar community,the the with 4.4.3. iseveryone by 'seducer', of convinced performances. Cederic,a competent not such that Coward Tuesday on March 31 2009,@02:00AM).Despite expression the given off by “Real men don’t care...try being more manly yourself and getting overit.” (by Anonymous following: the is question basementman’s to answer commenter’s anonymous An members. women Attracting deceptivethrough meansisseen as unmasculine by some Slashdot Notallthemselves as subordinated. manifest geeks kind this of however.behaviour, expressionthe of a type of hegemonic masculinity, simultaneously while depicting inBy manner, geeks the dating threadsoscillatediscussing on these this between off giving of objectification. practices of patriarchal in the perpetuation the same time,arecomplicit they At the case. inthis position marginal in a themselves frame geeks and masculinity, geek from wishes. his with comply them making of means the has also but psyche, women’s into insight an has who someone as only not himself is becausein of not context is forum Cederic relevant, managesthe deceptive he topositthe indeed such considering tactics asvalid methods of achieving arelationship. not Whetheror geek who posted the message,question the is to whether It man advancesof is open a tothe ‘already taken’. receptive who as well as the unavailablecommenters who agreed act partof the an has out to geek deceptivethe tactics: through The tool-women are acquired with man this women”. to intheory, attractive more inherently you makes order– “this a partner of possession are the is which to be able physical a displayof sexual the through proof The geekisof prowess, attractive rendered to approachnot relevant women, in the establishmentwho are assumed of a relationship: to be“women more don’t work on looks as much”. Despite the semantic quandaries that the word geek can provoke in those who are not whoin those geek can provoke word the that quandaries semantic the Despite The hegemonic ideal ideal manThe hegemonic is of the romanticwho caneasilydistanced partners procure E MBRACING / REJECTING REJECTING THE STEREOTYPE 54 CEU eTD Collection 37 as homosexuality (Connell and Messerschmidt, 2005: 834). 36 his towards commitment above-average an with man gifted anexceptionally of that usually digitalhermit on January Monday (Soulskill, 31, @08:20PM, The expression 2011)). isgiven whatwhocare aboutdon't others pursuingthink it when comes to (by their passions” from one group is seen as inclusion into another. “We're all misfits, I think. I admire those physical bullying—or because notthey choose tofollow conventions. calls ‘censure’ Paul whatRoberts through excluded fitinto society because they allowedare either not to bymainstream members -the geek is able to not are geeks is that assumption common most well. The as is necessary awkwardness and for unusual passion asubject notenough are maketo onea geek -some degreeof and Intelligenceby considering culture. establishedso, understandably stereotypes the popular identity, geek of part crucial a often is unfit socially Being basis. social/relational suggests theidentitythat of geekthe is ittwofold: has intellectual an basis, and a (Soulskill, do 2011)or“How I make my netbook moremanly?” (ScuttleMonkey, 2009) geeks gone mainstream?” (Cliff, “Geek 2005), culture will never die...or be popular” particular field.Anoverview of definitionsthe given users by on “HaveSlashdot threads the a mastery of geek’sexceptional of the social implications the also consider while others of amountknowledge agiven about field (“walking 2005)), calculator/encyclopedia”(Cliff, of interms definitionsalmost solely users define arethesame.Somethe two geek the that no community seem to have clear ideas on what geek identity entails. The problem, however, is A Japanese term used to refer to people with obsessive interests. obsessive with people to refer to used term Japanese A such styles, life or practices of particular criminalization the to name-calling informal from range can Censure Social misfit status isSocial misfitstatus embraced with members,pride bysome Slashdot and exclusion /studying you name it. entranced your with naval [sic] watching/ programming/ building/ collecting geek if you have trouble focusing on a conversation because you are too much zone out the rest of the world. THAT is a geek. You may also be a The truetestis beingso"Otaku" by entirety by on Fridayentirety November 182005,@11:53PM,(Cliff, 2005) 37 about something that you can pretty can you that something about 36 perhaps even or 834) (Connell,2005: 55 CEU eTD Collection masculinity here. In a twist that conjuresmad thegeekis here. someone masculinity scientist, upthe defined that a twist In as posited astherecipefor for are hegemonic technology rational capacity and the thought and he suggests that a ‘geeky’@12:07PM, (Soulskill, Interestingly 2011)). enough, Trollertron3000 equates geek with man, skill is necessary up aC++ book and becomein arealman.” (by on trollertron3000 Tuesday February 01, order to be a ‘real man’.community: An“If you can'taffinity write code you're just a scenefor whore in my trollish opinion. be science definition of partof to computer qualifies geeks,hasanarrow who to the . . . Pick requirement.absolute Trollertron3000, a Slashdot member idea whose of geek the is limited issocial ineptitude a not mandatory part of the identity, a certain intellectual an standing while But identity. geek their of in spite lives social and personal fulfilling lead to claim also DestroyerOfWo on Monday March 30 2009,@07:17PM, (Cliff,Other 2009)). commenters worldthe of adults), and “enjoy livesactive thatinclude directsunlight” (Mordok- trope widespread even that geeks adult are unable toleave parental the andnest into integrate some includinggeeks, himself, not live do intheir basements parents’ (in reference tothe that states Mordok-DestroyerOfWo Commenter stereotype. defy the who of society, members dorks anddorks geeks: enjoy people social attractive life, andnerds, who an active the non-geeks, between established is A difference computers". their fix and homework do their “to way: some in them help can insofar astheir entirely:is non-geeks ofsomeone abilities who useful only that matter to be another can geeks by off given expression the that suggest commenters some However, hobbies, whose intellectual abilities should redeem him from his marginalized status. Other Slashdot members, on the other hand, consider themselves well-adjusted someone to do their homework and fix their computers. having agood time with good other looking non-geeks successful see you as Guess what? DO NOT. The people partyingTHEY out and drinking and and geeks. of nerds,dorks theprowess and around admires everyone sits fuckedGeeks have upnotion this worldloves the that a geek andthat by onSaturday Seumas November 192005,@12:03AM, (Cliff, 2005) 56 CEU eTD Collection upper-class Victorian gentleman couldwho invest afford to hisfortune into scientific pursuits, scientist-geek to computer geek entailed a class shift as well, as mentioned in Chapter 2. From skills andthesolidarity between (Connell,workers 253). 2002: The shiftfrom Victorian which masculinities man’s around were organized the earnawage, capacity as wellto his as within genders as well. Newformsmasculinity of emerged as a resultof industrial the – turn 4.4.4. whichthat is valued is liminal,the the while hegemonic is despised. masculinity: geek and hegemonic between positions of reversal another yet signals comment more than that, he morethat, than notdoes need legitimization by tothe conforming of conventions masculinity,hegemonic and and 95), (Goffman,berefusal astark 1969: domesticated.masculinity By to geek association, dominant Mad-scientist-like, group. thegeek in revels his “betwixtposition andbetween” 2011)). This opinion ata hints celebration liminalityof and arefusalbe includedto into the filthythe culture. Argh.”pop (bybronney Monday January on 31, @11:45PM, (Soulskill, its“What masculinity):makes ideal thegeeks anyone behegemonic think want of apart to of (and culture mainstream with be associated to refuse flat-out commenters other masculinity, become a ‘real man’ only by performing a geeky act. geekwhoismust aregularman tobereversed: itnotthe instead, strive can arealman; traditional between relationship geek masculinity and masculinities is hegemonic thus geekiness and real manhood by developing hisability manipulateto technology. The apexof the reaches the marginal potential-geek his identity, of aspect non-technological the Instead nature. of geekupas the setting someone whocan in byinvesting hegemony achieve whose masculinity is not dependant on his conformity with society, but on their cyborgian Industrialization was harbingerthe of change in relationshipsthe between genders, but While trollertron3000’s argument points a obliquely rejectionto of hegemonic E MPLOYABILITY must not conform if he wants to keep his liminal Bronney'sstatus. : “M EN MUSTHAVEACAREER , PERIOD ” 57 CEU eTD Collection strength, industrialization elevated the importance the of The labour industrialization 55). skills of elevated strength, 1995: (Connell, in useof technology inexperience the particular. employable, which gives them an advantage over non-geeks in general, and men who are morethey seen are highly non-geekas morethan Geeksare,therefore, productive employees. fields, totheir their commitment life,andbecause social lackassumed to awell-developed companies of type,becausethis (Kendall, they ‘have 2002:35).Becausetime’ geeks are workplace. If the at hours extra spend to willingness employee's the on depend requirements these needs arekeptin mind, thehigher acompany’s chancesof winning atender are. Naturally, can faster customer’s andthemore the be completed, The acontract (Massey, 1995:488). of context competition system,a savagean important part post-Fordist of which are tenders human workers. than rather resources areexploitable they them, portrays as article Forbes the but industries, of company (Kendall, In 1999:275). presentthe age, computer geeksare employablein variety a in of work a aspects thesocial toundertake less qualified andtherefore antisocial/asocial, in the theirdespite fact them that makes investment their their geekiness work, published in are forced toemploy are proficient whopeople in use.Accordingcomputer toanarticle competitiveness (Crewe, 2003:27-28). restraint,emotional dignity, with associated is still class middle while present, At the privilege. class respectability, andisin slideon scaleof the middle-class, a comfortablea downward geekfell the backto it is also linked with work and values such as ambition and Connell points out that whereas in the past labour was essentially dependent on bodily on dependent essentially was labour past in the whereas that out points Connell High technology companies where geeks are likely beto employed function within the With developmentthe of information technology, anincreasing number of companies Forbes Forbes magazine in 1994, computer geeks are desirable geeksare because magazine in desirable employees of 1994, computer is to be believed, geeks are already in the top tier of employability for employability of tier top in the already are geeks be believed, is to 58 CEU eTD Collection jobs do not. Onenot. jobs to anonymous do Slashdotthe contributor “Women thread titled dropping of out approach hegemonic in masculinity possibility waysthe thatgeeks with to average-paying not all with geeks have who Certainly degrees, but computer haveemployability. do, IT those toenacta connected clearly, geekshave masculinity resources typesome the hegemonic so of employability due totheir education and increasing the number ofjobs on IT the job market, Allen, and Scheckler 2007:500).Geeks Darlington, with IT degrees have high levels of skills growingare thefastest andfinancially most privileged occupations in this age (Singh, suppose advanced computer and Careers that Aspray,men technology,(Cohoon are 2008). (science,STEM technology,mathematics) engineering, fields, including information in students majority of all, of overwhelming First the scale. employability at theof top the ability. intellectual with in comparison wanes of intellectual skills. In the field of information technology, the importance of the phallic body andLynch, 2006:8), machine seen the isnot as ahindrancebut a here an or threat, amplifier and Rowan (Johnson, by advertisements demonstrated as setting, professional ina power thoroughly masculinizedfield 3). Computers have (Markwick, 2009: tosymbolise come hada become IT the given their award, they were time bythe programming, of computer Technology International fameHall of in1997),and although they were pioneers in fieldthe tobegiventheir work due recognition into programmers(the wereintroduced Women the in programmed first the ever computer (Light, general-purpose 1999:455). It took fifty years for dominated by males in 21stcentury,the butin the late 1940's, women were the ones who women in the past is now seen asbearers of skill” (Connell,55). Even was 1995: work sedentary that traditionally performedby the product of a as the particular defined “increasingly are men middle-class while minds, than rather bodies talent.their The software industry workingthe class men less becomes important because they are supposed to use forcesisthe of Being for singled highlyout paid positions inhigh-technology companies geeks puts 59 CEU eTD Collection hegemonically masculine high-paying job. andscientist Victorianthe both, isscientist-geek the key to theachievement of a obsession, of one definingthe of traits geek identity,inherited from figurethe of madthe of identity. borderline their In this case, also aspect obsessive butthe skills, becauseof employable than women andnon-geekmen not only because they asetpossess of special labour in man’s which is work given (Brittan,a higher 1989:85).Geeks status” are more of division sexual “natural a implies it and masculinity, hegemonic of reminiscent certainly posited in such a waystatus. that it completelypotential of dislike environment work the because theymust comply with breadwinnertheir their of irrespectively duty their perform men – here invoked is male unemotional stoic, the excludesquality” (byShadowbot,Saturday June 262010,@05:12PM,2010)). The (kdawson, tropeof women.and environment work value women while average on more money “value men because This competitivemasculinity, andalso arewardfor masculine behaviour,according tocommenter Shadowbot, attitudea failure both on personalisHaving is ajob as onepresented of duties the manof a – being unemployed would makehim and professionalnot. do men whereas life, family and acareer between choosing of option the have they level. Earning a high wage is seen as a sign of to perform, and men,are able than they employable geeks aremore other fact andgiven the that performance, argument alludeswomen, who can afford to quitto their the jobs as menperiod.”to 2010), opposed (kdawson, have starkly “must that acareer, IT” remarks without fact any repercussions that to their femininity. geeks This consider work as a integral part of a masculine Geekiness is seen as an advantage in the workplace by some commenters, but itbutis in by commenters, some workplace the as anadvantage isseen Geekiness because IT of field the leave women commenter, anonymous another to According They are nerdy, geeky dweebs but they're very good at technology because at technology good very they're but dweebs geeky nerdy, are They You yourtake biggest nerds, andtypically pretty they're one dimensional. must perform perform hegemonically in this respect. 60 CEU eTD Collection upholding the male breadwinner/ female caregiver model model femaleupholding the malebreadwinner/ by caregiver of proven patriarchy, as their masculineisthis position. clearly performance redeem a precarious an effort to mightmistakenon-geek alpha the asjustified geek’sbehaviour hegemony, geeks, buttoother alpha is pseudo-machoA off the geekgives that expression geeks other to that of deception. geek-types such as dorks, dweebs, nerds), and perhaps even non-geeks. On the other hand, the overothergeeks(andhas possibly other asan a geekthatpower acts geek, healpha also –machismo; conversely, be hegemonic to he is considers what of revelatory that masculinity hand, one geekis On the the masculinities. a performing between tensions and deception masculinity. alpha web geekreveals aninteresting of this pseudo-macho type specific of The @04:24PM, (kdawson, 2010)), and presencethe of women is whatallows them to perform commenter dubbed "pseudo-macho alpha geek” (jjohnson onSaturday June 262010, their is geekiness theirin use. proficiency technology of dimension dominant the cyborg: the of is that geek the of identity primary that possibility is something that a is that geek does something duration and depth. itself The task anewmeaninggains geek the for is –it not“justjob”, a it limited with is machines of contact whose person an average than tasks technology-related carries markthe of machinethe onhim all at times, he equipped is better toperform skills,due butto his very Computersnature. are a part of geek,andthe because thehuman his due to not is successful tobecome wherehe market, able labour the ashe enters resurfaces they do not merely itinuse order to accomplish agoal. The cyborgian nature of geek the Although it is clear that a large number of Slashdot members on this thread are whichis menin allows an tobehave The workplace a way environment that one It is also interesting to note that the commenter believes that geeks “live”technology, believesthat commenter the note that interesting to is It also going to be as good at it as someone whois borderline obsessive about it. they live it. Most women don't live it, it's a job. If it's just a job you're not by RightSaidFred99June 262010,@06:27PM on (kdawson, 2010) because heis ageek. Moreover, RightSaidFred99 alludes to the 61 CEU eTD Collection complicit, subordinated or marginalized masculinities, because geeks tend to oscillate tend geeks because masculinities, marginalized or subordinated complicit, being putforward. Geekmasculinity notdoes fitneatly into Connell's model hegemonic,of by representation vary both their depending peers widely, on which aspect of is geek identity Geeks’ and in theirmonolithic figuresself-presentation culture. represented popular 4.5. in that so conservative itcould circles come beconsideredanachronistic. numberconsiderable ofmemberssupport who this view adopt a hegemonic is which attitude expected to are still but sphere, public tothe havesome nowwomen access that can difference with bethe rooted discourse, of type kitchen’ in the belong women workplace, inin the belong ‘men conservative the private June 262010, @04:26PM, (kdawson,2010)). Statements suchsphere. as echoesthese the The Saturday Coward on viewas achoice.”get Anonymous both. (by to that or Mendon’t other, author of this as a the doone, They a careerchoice. family can having Women see havinga or men don’t. comment,that have women options is the for accounted be to needs that thing other “The life. personal as well as theto be some resentmenttowards women's freedom supposed of choice between andwork model atleast(or with the idea that women should/do investmorein family life), there seems making incapable of suchsacrifices. is what purportedly distinguishes them from females workingin whoIT, areunwilling or self-professed investment in their job, which they see as a lifestyle rather than a simple career, and jobintellectual dedication the to isbeyondfrom required what a regularemployee. Their emotional necessity of tothe make references commenters geeks.Several specific to these of a job of rewards financial job,a career, arenottheonly of instead the benefits a according work the for of caring preference is women’s natural towhat they believe references frequent C The excerpts analysed above suggest that geek masculinity is a far cry from the While the some Slashdot members indicate that they they male with that the indicate breadwinner membersagree someWhile the Slashdot ONCLUDING REMARKS 62 CEU eTD Collection endeavour topreservemasculinity their inendeavour masculinities. faceof the competing an like rather seems it dominance; for instinct a patriarchal of manifestation the simply from femininity in anyway they can. The dismissive women attitude geeks’ istowards not of be distance life,a cyborgian challenges seeking the might they overcome themselves to equipped not women by to However, are suggesting that irrespectivetheir of gender. claim to treat men and(by magamiako1 (1026318) Saturday on June 26 2010, @04:19PM (kdawson,2010)). They women equally,doing* . . womenand left the job not because of the men, butoffer because of the pressures of the job” them respect*because you'rerespect awoman*. nerds IT give respect*when you know whatyou're based on theirtheirinabilitybecome intoto integrated the geek community:“IT don'thave nerds togive you abilities and patriarchy that women others, they constructs subordinated blameas to choose for women sexism,instead and they an ideologypromote of sexual essentialism. By refusing toadmit admitprepared to theirthat womenof springs unfair from treatment any of kind structural performance. are importanta masculine togender that conquest belief the despite women findoften they objects of are discussedthat geekscontemptible, as However, well. as femininities but masculinities, hegemonic by only not subordination Slashdot users lean towards the model of a marginalized masculinity that is in a position of On the subject of interactions(which act with potential another,category or and itmight instead, be more useful analyse intentionsto the behind each sexual partners,Geek masculinity be meaningfullycannot ifdiscussed intentionour is pushit intoto one the majority of the necessarily uphold designed to and thestatus-quo, it yet employs comments, bolsterit. tools often that isnot with which agenda Geeksarean aspecific marginalized group context. often the on depending them) outside altogether step even (and masculinities of types these between Unsuprisingly, in spite (or perhapsbecause) in fewmasculineUnsuprisingly, their (or spite ethos, geeks are could otherwise be categorized) and the assumptions that underlie andthe otherwise assumptions that becategorized) them. 63 CEU eTD Collection subordinate, but combining pieces of the two extremes. would behybridic and liminal:neitherthus here, northere,nothegemonic butneither them, but perhaps the most accurate name for the type of masculinity that they are enacting Geeks slip from hegemonic tosubordinated masculinity if and whenthe context suits 64 CEU eTD Collection which they which mustthey bepositioned. very The idea of a hegemonic of configuration practice 5.1. communitySlashdot andif other similar, unrelated online forums discussion for geeks. in the universal) being (without is observable that a phenomenon as be taken should chapter lives. model the which Therefore, masculinity of geek I shallattempt tomap in out this in actorthink off-screen their waysin personal, geeks these the which reflect performances cyber- that claim to possible means no by is it masculinity, of categories Connell’s moreas symptomatic of one of or andbehaviours well tocategorizetheir attitudes as geekslink by produced onmasculinity,possible toseveral to texts the Slashdot as discourses for deception, andanything implies apersonstates or itcan beis Although questioned. inwith As real 4,cyberspacetheirlife. mentioned inChapter performance isafertile ground in cyberspace of correlation performance a person's for doesnotallowthe presentresearch the areenacting (such it,anyoneimply as geographies asSlashdot) particular outside cyber that some waysundesirable. partthe cultural on of masculinity)to classify pop discourse it isin as amasculinity which qualify yetis Geek masculinity as hegemonic. privileged, is there a constant (on temptation claiming geekmasculinity that be easily cannot butneitherit assubordinated, dismissed does A 5. Hegemonic masculinities cannot exist without a non-hegemonic other in relation to in relation other a non-hegemonic without exist cannot masculinities Hegemonic This does chapter not intendby meansany reify anotionto of geek masculinity nor to Even shortestthe incursion into Slashdotthe community a offers validfor ground C G ASE AGAINST BINARIES EEK MASCULINITY HEGEMONY AND SUBORDINATION HEGEMONY : THEALPHA - GEEK BETWEEN 65 CEU eTD Collection suggest that masculinities are better understood as pieces of a puzzle that can be assembled as that of a puzzle pieces understood arebetter masculinities that suggest More cyberspace. masculinities,than would between a dialogical I to relationship venture in both in can life contexts specific real and in be observed that masculinities dialogical andthe‘real of likecharacters areman’ geek thestereotypical versions the simplistic Connell’s description of dynamicsthe between differenttypes masculinity,of formulaic masculinity not necessarily havetoexclude Consideringdoes traditionally geeky practices. –geeks other the can, hegemonic masculinity anddoperform suitable, hegemonic and when embodied usersand computer masculinity, tenets of the hegemonic does not butone exclude geeks as between isthere an uneasiness Clearly, of their performance. oversimplification geeks either challenge reinforce or masculinityhegemonic 199:279)might(Kendall, be an claiming group, that men of the characterization of as part geek accepts asubordinated one if even Assuch, identify as geeks. who people of reflection accurate an than rather geekiness, with associated fictional of widely configurations practice of various 2000) offer a account masculinity, geekssuch as group the of people describedby Kendall 2007) Lupton(1999, or by masculinity conceptualized Connell Chapter1).AsR.W. (see in case the idealizedof model and the between incongruity of geek representation/self-representation hegemonic by as each suggested thatnegate other, the orasnear-absolutes aspolardepicted opposites are figures two The geek. the of image the with in tension is that masculinity of embodiment subordinated. masculinities understanding abetter whichareseen isI believeas conducive to of which, and abinary, on rely not does which one masculinity, hegemonic of vision alternative continuum masculinitieson which slide from another.one point to Iwouldlike tosuggestan a creates of in cases, best the which, onaduality rests masculinities of conceptualization Connell’s its antithesis. constitutes which ispractice there anon-hegemonic implies that Western popular culture, religious discourse, state discourse etc. narrate an narrate idealized etc. discourse religious state popular discourse, Western culture, 66 CEU eTD Collection marginalized masculinity at a given point in time and space. and in time point a given at masculinity marginalized or be someonemight subordinated else’s masculinity one’s hegemonic simply that but ideal hegemonic everything the geeks automatically that advocates, mean reject that fit geeks’imaginary these a of what ‘real man’ shouldlike. be Nonetheless, thisnot does not do they because communities, in other revered are who celebrities and athletes about joke wasdesignatedthat ashegemonic membersby geek community. often Slashdot Indeed, that and sexually active – configurations whichmightof practice notbe in with tone model the attractive ascharming, actor particular this of media’s portrayal the of because community only the not is masculinity hegemonic film consideredamodel (although successful actor global of in status a medium in local a is Evenif masculinity different which hegemonic conceived. a mentioned in Chapter 1,ahypothetical model of global hegemonic masculinity canlose its As briefly outofthecontext if are of theirtaken production. alteration they complete a to subject be can masculinities subordinated and marginalized hegemonic, between inI would but situations, specific suggestthat relationshipthe hierarchical interconnected) (if allsome point of masculinity. variables the geek cultural conditions, masculine hegemonic performance couldat theoretically incorporate Goffman’s setting, isassembles perfectly ifcapable of embracing hegemonic status timethe and – place in other puzzle conform pieces to the player’s conception of a hegemonic masculinity, picture he the words - are flicker on andright. off morph intoor something elsealtogether, into a hybrid. Aslong as the Given stop the player from rounding upapostmodernthe identity gender maythat oscillate,shift, right combination no rules butthereare can than picture, intelligible acoherent, always they produce will not of social in perfectly myriad of and certainly a and alwaysfit –they arranged mightways not together and model),very hemight be mockedwell a figure who is ina comical regularly geek I do not mean to deny the fact that some masculinities are more privileged than others than more privileged are some masculinities deny fact that not the meanto I do 67 CEU eTD Collection are also jeopardizing within their status communitythe because they allow themselves tobe stereotype) defiancethe of blatant (a are orhave in been who relationships Geeks authenticity. integral it.part of is A looked notgeek who down on by ‘mainstream’the loses his ‘marginalization’ should be part of the agenda of geek masculinity, and more than that, it is an theirwith account several representation on coincides 4, Chapter as well as 1 in Chapter seen as representation, by the geeks who embracein the geek community and voluntarily identify as geeks. Geek’spopular self- displayed assimilation against resistance of isadisplay –there of on part geek subculture the culture. Itdiscriminated against).might In other words, the marginalization of notgeeks implies a sense of marginalization mean(which not tosay does be individual agencythat geeks marginalizedcannot or be completelysexually,ideal isnothing there might about geekidentity that warrantdiscrimination and implausible that geek 39 fact that gay masculinity is conferred a lower status by virtue of its transgression of heterosexuality. 38 subordination such by represented masculinities, men homosexual those of geeksGeeks donotfaceas any to othersystemic ‘marginalized’ opposed discrimination, in the wider pursuetheirhegemonic agendas own which come at costthe of certain geeks. for ‘privileges’ meaning as areseen which masculinities Rather, as threatening. is which seen of a difference virtue of the word ofislived necessarily highlyexperiences this geeks onSlashdot, this probable), isnot but by femininities as mightwell,push try to geeks to themargins of society considering(and the and masculinities, other that excluded not is It masculinities. other and masculinity marginalization between comes tothegeek it relationship elementof when inherent thatthereis an suggests which subculture of impliesbecause anessentialization itgeek is particularly hegemonic without notintheir counterpart) with connection useful geeks Submissive to, or controlled by authority, according to the Merriam-WebsterDictionary. Ido not mean to imply that there is such a thing as a generic gay masculinity; what I wish to highlight is the I would theconcept argue that masculinities (whichcannot existsubordinated of 39 38 . Socially, economically and economically Socially, . . One cannot speak of a 68 CEU eTD Collection well? masculinity hegemonic by could(shaped feminist politics) help changesexistideology as process”it (Donaldson,that is 645), 1993: a particular utterly that inconceivable type of based on“winning and holdingand power formationthe (and destruction) of social ingroups isorder out of question,the following this logic.But if hegemony, asGramsci is it,defined possibility masculinity hegemonic that mobilizedcould be for dismantling the patriarchal for asatool interpretation masculineall thesubjugation of performances of The women. (Demetriou, 2001:355).This logic results in a demonization of masculinity, which leads an to hegemonic masculinities into “aninstrument of backwardness and patriarchal reproduction” machine sees forof masculinebloctransformation asa the thehegemonic Demetriou counter- model. hegemonic the only not masculinities, all underlies women over men of domination the new of practice, into configurations and coalesce dialecticappropriation/marginalization of constant ina are which blocs hybrid indeed are if masculinities argument, this Following preserves Connell’s presupposition masculinitythat inescapably patriarchy.promotes bloc 2001:345). (Demetriou, into incorporated of characterize historic can the domination be subjects the that elements Gramsciis envisioned it, achieved through dominancethe of a specific class; however, the concept, oneGramscian intoexpands hegemony,the thehegemonic bloc. bloc, The as ensure reproduction the of patriarchy” 2001: 337). More specifically, (Demetriou, Demetriou of ispractice butit a blocunites hybrid that from in practices to masculinities diverse order him, is masculinity According“hegemonic to nota purely heterosexual or configuration white girlfriend”. a has Slashdot on “nobody forum: Slashdot the of mantra the –hence women by domesticated Although, Demetriou considerably expands notionthe of hegemonicmasculinity, he Demetrakis Demetriou’s critique of Connell addresses some of these concerns. 69 CEU eTD Collection subordinated masculinity as configuration of practices whose main (but not only) dialogical 5.2. currently potential relations.the subvert to established gender Hegemonic status. arestill expectations in relation defined to femininity, butthey mighthave masculine their endangering without feminine, as regarded traditionally are which elements canincorporate which and only expectations partially, meet hegemonic the that practice of configurations masculinities, hybrid imagine to possible is therefore It expectations. masculinity, simply which meetmasculinity becomes doesnota which hegemonic the a subordinate of notion the in dismantling useful is also expectations of in terms masculinity agency in meeting (orrefusing tomeet) theseexpectations. Conceptualizing hegemonic are ashegemonic that considered in as expectations the a given well context, subject’s as the of flexibility the of interms both understanding the and fluidity more for allows expectations a for evenif areestablishedshort only of notion coordinates hegemonic time. The these (Schippers, 2007:86). However, asocial entailsposition theidea fixity, of of precise suggests, as Mimi a social notes, Schippers intowhich menposition are requiredenter to masculinities hegemonic are not. Theidea of that those aswell for seen ashegemonic, are which masculinities for those of the binary, constraints wayout of the can apossible offer always case. bethe – whichcannot sympathies of patriarchal them) undersuspicion in with masculinities,puts a dialogue other hegemonic bloc,would masculinities hegemonic (or asDemetriou say)whichis unavoidably existenceactively the this agenda. However, of an promote category of overarching example, for masculinity hegemonic of ideal an as such masculinities, of types particular G While Connell Connell(1995), and (2005),and Messerschmidt Demetriou (2001) see I would suggestthat looking masculinities as athegemonic hegemonic expectations The structural dominance of men over women is undeniable, and so is the fact that EEKINESS ASNON - FEMININITY all masculinities (and all the individuals that enact that individuals the all (and masculinities 70 CEU eTD Collection fact that geek masculinity needs to resist the association with (or incorporation into) incorporation (or with association resist the needs to geek masculinity that fact not womenhatred result from a deeply towards rooted manly” (Cockburn in Kendall, 200:261).Consequently, sexist attitudes on Slashdot could isfeel feel“to congruent with to competent is competence, technically not technological masculinity.An for affinity is computers identity,part of geekgroup the since and femininity into them anchor to anything have longer no geeks themselves, for technology and rationality women working in IT) endangers their claim monopoly body over this knowledgeof (dueto growingthe number of geek women and on masculinity. their If losing womentherefore and identity in geek are masculinity of allowedmarkers the are technology of to claim from masculinity two the opposing ends of genderthe mastery spectrum. Rationality and the seems geeks arepressuredintoentirely It masculine. aspecific that of performance reconceptualiseidentity geek as to are endeavouring geeks in particular community this emasculating popularthat tropes has culture producedabout thegeek. Iwouldthat suggest contradicts some of that more the by geek stereotype aself-representation constructing inferiority. of position a in women put which values patriarchal ‘proper’ masculinity, the and means whichthrough they are achieving this is a reinscription of sense of lost some reclaim helpthem can that stone as astepping use women to seems of reference not anideal masculinity,butan of imaginary femininity.masculinity of Geek threads discussed in casestudy,the majority and in vast the messages,of as geeks a take point in forum the mentioned men hardly are into their space.Non-geek intruders and others, as relationship femininity. with As seen in 4, Chapter geeks see both as women objects of desire vacillating its of inlight masculinity geek examine to like would I masculinity. of forms other suggests geeksare that more concerned femininity with relationality their with than rather isrelationship with masculinity/the hegemonic hegemonic bloc, casethe in study 4 Chapter It ispossible geeks the Slashdotthe on forum that areattempting overthrow the to because they are women, but from the from but women, are they 71 CEU eTD Collection 5.3. feminine other. dangerous the of a rejection rather but subordination, nor hegemony neither is masculinity firm I suggest destabilizes geeks’ one grip that technology. on of definingthe of geek traits femininity issee itthat of as adanger. It to spectre the noreason has geek masculinity be that case) a masculinity hegemonic a entails demonization homosexuality of 1995:45). (Connell, which not concurwithdoes Connell’s conclusion that adopting partially (or in adopting, this orientations, of imply notnecessarily non-heterosexual marginalization a does heterosexuality exaggerated of a sometimes performance is the that paradox The sexualities. human majority for vast2011)), the showed theof equal comments support the treatment of all heterosexual and find “freedom from homosexuality”(Ozimek, 2011). their iPhone application store. The application ispurportedly designed to help homosexual people become 40 topic of homosexuality the with dealt explicitly that threads even however, Slashdot, from is absent homophobia that (such as “Apple’ssay is to not That stance. homophobic a orexplicitly revealed alluded to, posts not that were App Store Accepts there 4, in Chapter analysed threads message four in the that noted be ‘Gay should it However, Cure’ App” to subscribe toa non-heterosexual andwhenorientation, they do, they are largely ignored. in 4,it commenters for Asmentioned Slashdot is Chapter extremely rare script. heterosexual community, geekscompromise itself a potentialthrough withoverlap femininity. on Slashdot(but not necessarily femininity. Although geeks embraceseem liminality from perspectives,other their genderidentity to considertheir performance that theyof gender) are isrequired firmly essentialist to perform and unwillinga to The discussion of this thread centers on Apple’s controversial decision to include a “Gay Cure” application for application Cure” a “Gay include to decision controversial Apple’s on centers thread of this discussion The T A possible for explanation this generally liberal attitude homosexualitytowards might Although sexual orientations among geeks are surely as diverse as among any other HE ALPHAGEEK MODEL 40 , (timothy, 72 CEU eTD Collection human/machine human/machine as seein transgression, 2. GeeksalsoChapter liminal developed a gender (Aboim,is59). Thegeek 2010: aliminal therefore beingnot only in of nature/culture, terms factors” social of avariety among resistance and flexibilization in they bring so, also change, even but, domination patriarchal and masculinity hegemonic sustain “may which masculinity aspects of masculinity,malehegemonic geeksend upperforming aform of hybrid geekinessirrespective that By of practices not) entails, gender. appropriatingor (consciously setof particular with the masculinity hegemonic unattainable of the narrative of clash the might behaviours, besimply the geekmasculinity resultof the alpha of reiterated copied, indicative of Slashdotwhat memberjjohnson dubsthealpha geek(kdawson, As 2010). a set geek community. practices, of behaviours andattitudes The geeks moreon Slashdot are of implication subordination and marginalization, butthis iscertainly most not case the males. assecond-class regarded aresooften why explain geeks by noadequately geeks doesnot are framework meansin This position. a marginalized supremacy Considering(Aboim, 2010:46). theaxesof andgender, race class, majority the of aswell.reasoning can Put way, this look one as material masculinity at sexual and hegemonic well)as femininities (and asmasculinities subordinated and simplymarginalized sees Aboim Sofia structure. a result social in disadvantage a patriarchal geeks are often at fact that the despite of patriarchy, of intersectionality, codes of masculinity,hegemonic masculinity geek anbecomes in accomplice upholdingthe the traits of stereotypical femininity, which it struggles to keep of some atalso bay.and By borrowingmasculinity, hegemonic which theof imaginary the of much incorporates masculinity is the ideapositions” (Aboim,not 2010:39) only between each butalsoother, within Geek themselves. at the core andmaterial symbols acquisition certain for the of “complex struggles and relocation the of Connell's The concept of geek masculinity usedby as Kendall andLupton has astrong masculinity Geek becould theresult of social the constitution of gendersboth through within 73 CEU eTD Collection the tension between intensely masculine rationality, and quasi-feminine weak, soft bodies, weak,soft intensely tensionthe between masculine quasi-feminine and rationality, masculinity. Itis inpossible, my that opinion, contradictionthe within the figure of geek, the masculinity in anattemptto distance themselves from femininity in to order redeem their suggests an among theythat leaning Slashdot geekson exaggerated the towards are women in preserve to order its privileged position. Theprevalence ofhegemonic behaviour of interference the from guard technology science and attempt an to signifies masculinity performed a within community alpha the where geekis adesirable Alpha-geek performance. framework, even alpha geek masculinity can be seen as hegemonic masculinity when like tobecome. whatmen In this simply would neutral that than describes a with concept in tokeepthis fixed a certain point, and between balance genders areactionary desire power of balance shifting the with do to more has masculinity Hegemonic superiority. their maintain to in mimic endeavour their to attempt males that stereotypes of of a collection instead atgiven in time, social morecontext, accepted a given masculinity are of types why certain forums. of types other even perhaps or life, in real contexts in certain marginalization performs alpha geek masculinity on the Slashdot forum does not lessen his social when the setting is changed of gender performances depending onthea performance setting. Goffman that postulates ends (Goffman, 1969:masculinities 33). is thatTo we becan envisionmore the possibilityprecise, conducted therein. The benefit in of hegemonic ofusingconcept Goffman’s relation to the same personthe enacting fact a wide arraythat a geek limits nature although thetype of astheirconceptualized performance cybernetic settings, hasforums Ibelieve of canbe little chance performance online the that absence success. portion (if not entirety) the of Slashdot users. within encompassesthat aspecific whichis group aconsiderable performance consistent Hegemonic masculinity more helpful if is masculinity isitHegemonic perhaps as regarded an of explanation A of is the thescenethatprovides setting a performance, andinitsbackground 74 CEU eTD Collection cultural stereotypes. cultural andpopular narratives gamefragments outof which have beenlabelled as eitherhegemonicsubordinated or by itselfmasculinity one unequivocally like such category-defying apuzzle which constructs is masculinity Alpha-geek liminal. is decidedly that masculinity a examine to difficult more it shifting and nature their of status continuous negotiation, they still form a binary makeswhich their despite because thegeekcommunity, masculinity within in of a discussion too restrictive masculinities? hegemonic subordinated and of imaginaries the without liminalansweringis the binaries – can whether exist can without bethere masculinity ageek which is destroy–seeks to through very the hethatfact isoutside it.begs Thequestion that boundaries between them. But the paradox is alpha-geek the paradox them. that boundaries between Butthe them? The alpha geekurges dissolution the of by binaries the melting the gradually of incorporatingeach other, isitmaintain parts still between to necessary differentiation the ifboth halves ofbinaries; question of which usefulness a binary the enact performances are interaction (Brickell, 2005:37)–andbinaries consequently well. as calls into Subversion isBrickell, a performance which has the toreconfiguretools subjectivities, action and in asubversion of hegemonic/non-hegemonicthe binary. asdefined Subversion, by Chris can result performances hegemonic of and re-enactment parodic displacement The replication, thegender order. necessarily a case is mimicry upholding of this yet not seen ashegemonic, patriarchy (Connell and Messerschmidt, 2005: 848). call it emphasized instead of hegemonic inorder to acknowledge the asymmetrical position of the two within the 41 femininity emphasised suggests the need todifferentiate themselves from both hard, phallicmasculinity, aswell an Connell defines emphasized femininity as the female counterpart of hegemonic masculinity. Connell choose to choose Connell masculinity. of hegemonic counterpart female the as femininity emphasized defines Connell The concepts of The concepts of hegemonic hegemonic masculinities areperhapsand counter much It is clear that alpha geek masculinity employs many patterns of behaviour which are 41 . is a result of the binary 75 CEU eTD Collection well. While genderof the geekisthe possibly of one mostthe unequivocal its traits, hisof with masculinities hegemonic help the of of geek. figure the the isresulted what an masculinities, atdestabilizing hegemonic/non- the binary attempt of intended tobean analysis of geek the (or rather,an imaginary through geek) prismthe of this thesis was Although ofgeekimaginary. geekin of a the context a wider performance situate Myintention in in placewas tospecific this community, a specific context. a specific whatthat Iattempted to uncoverin this thesisare geek practices and take which performances concede must I generalizations, avoidgeek practicesTo any andgeekperformances. about isthere something them about makesthat them similar to geeks,itother is possible totalk him onecannot call And herselfageek because implicit withoutthat or the acknowledgement some ways, identity claiming geekiness resembles one’s politics withoutthe politics, proper. thiscall label isthe subjective themselves: they that use in In to representorder themselves. is atare geeks becausemoreso. The whatthey geeksIhave are this looked freetodo than them,they ‘geek’ defines if that decide should someone But one. constructed a discursively basis of Thereissome subjective requirements. essential noinstantly recognizable, geek, only notexist.category is Itdoes to impossible intoa person objectively put this category the on not help geek.Butthiscomputer does us identify geek,becausethegeek definition as a the obsessively so. If the subject of the myopic focus happens to be computer technology, one is a intellect, one’s in refining interest and subject, acertain on focus myopic field, narrow The geek isnot only definedifficultto interms ofidentity, butasa gendered beingas a being about of amounts prerequisites of ageek? knowledge Whatare the Massive C ONCLUSIONS 76 CEU eTD Collection members of members markers of cyber theirthe Although geekcommunity appropriate Slashdot. of their image of the geek has contradictory effects on actual geeks, orat least on those who are active deficienthuman, with a deficientgender performance. The emasculation of pop-culture the with istechnology trivialized in tohighlighthisorder humanaspect, buttheresultis a socially awkward,party-faced geekis a tamed version of cyborg Histhe geek. communion promise of isbeingdanger) humanized domesticated, in popular culture. The stereotype of the frail and feminized. with machines,lives who machinesthrough than rather body,the through whichbecomes The computer geek is portrayed as an outcast whosacrifices his humanity for his obsession intentfunctions as expensehuman. atthe ofhis with a cyborg becoming on computer the one embrace.The development science of turnedthecomputer scientist-geek intoa technologies organizationmodern is theclosestofgeekprecursor –ageekmachines without to scientist-geek in its domination of science and propensity for homosocial means of himself from it, anddedicates himself pursuitthe to of knowledge atany The Victorian cost. removing by civilization shuns who scientist, mad the also but animal, and human between figure boundaries the a of only not carnivaltransgression the the to representing performer, user,butthisembodiednota linear computer its is evolution. roots The geekfigure connects isin helped endeavourthis byits shifting Thegeek nature. mutated from a circusfreak toan leaky,his he whicharealready and it boundaries to comes geekdestabilizes owngender.The oppositethe –it’s liminality alwaysnotdoes gender extend to relations, andmuchless when whereas cyborg the However, is apostgender creature, geekisthe decidedly quite most not, seen lensthrough the of cyborgthe both metaphor, as an embodied and subject. disembodied transgresses boundariesthe between nature and human culture, and machine, and it be can be cannot gender graspedin performance simple geekis The terms. aliminal figure which The considerable intellectual intellectual The considerable and technical prowess of geek(withthe its inherent 77 CEU eTD Collection through through murkythe depths of social gender and‘proper’ expectations performances. ever quite crossing them,becoming hybrids in a liminal space and negotiating their way very peopleare smart socially who geeks arealways awkward, without borders straddling notmorally (though gatherers intellectually) and corrupt producers simplyof knowledge, or perform masculinity,a hybridsubordinated. nor hegemonic neither forum geeks my of Slashdot indication the masculinity,that hegemonic arean observations ina white masculinity, opposition assubordinated posited beento and represented described of distancegeeks’ attempt to themselves from femininity.Although geek masculinity has exclusionand marginalization the Iargue that or of from isaresultgeek communities women to espouse discoursethe on femininity beingincompatible with rationality and technology, areThere isgeeks whoamong and not. atendency those anuncommon extent, to technology they voluntarily set upadifference as between group the themselves, capable ofmanipulating sexually of accepted, socially performance a masculinity isactive which seen as hegemonic, domestication, atthe (and same embracing time struggling performinability with) their a to Whether they are seen as uncivilized freaks performing disgusting feats, mentally and mentally feats, disgusting performing freaks uncivilized as seen are they Whether 78 CEU eTD Collection Blake, Michael.“Geeks and Monsters: Bias Crimes and Social Identity.” Law and Philosophy Cohoon, McGrath J. and Aspray,William. in FemaleUnderrepresentation of Karen. “AMatter Degrees: Maria Bradley, and Charles, Brickell, Chris. “Masculinity, Performativity and Subversion: a sociological reappraisal.” Benedikt, Michael. “Cyberspace: First Steps”, in Beaudoin, Yvette. “The Geek Test v.3.14.” Alderson, William L., "Carnie Talk from the West Coast". 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