Miss USA Action Chick - by @DalekEmpress
Look who’s writing for MTV.
MTV Geek, that is. 
MTV Geek is “the home of MTV Comics and your daily destination for the latest in comic books, games, animation, toys, sci-fi, fantasy, horror, technology and more.” It has previews, sneak peeks, behind the scenes videos, and event coverage, plus MTV original comics. For my first MTV Geek piece, I described the outpouring of reaction to Miss USA Alyssa Campanella’s geekiness (” A Geek World Divided! Can Miss USA Count as a Geek?”).
During last weekend’s Miss USA pageants, contestant (soon winner) Alyssa Campanella called herself a geek. Some people cheered. Some scoffed. For a LONG list of tweeted reactions, see “Miss USA Alyssa Campanella Wins Crown, Forfeits Geekhood.”
That discussion has grown. Now people have had time to reply with more blog posts to the debate.
Miss USA Alyssa Campanella: Pageant backstage.
Site: Has Boobs, Reads Comics
Post: Are you questioning Miss USA’s geek cred?
by Nerdy Bird Jill Pantozzi: “It’s a shame because having a limited world view like that really prevents you from knowing some amazing people and hearing different opinions on things. I congratulate Campanella on her win.”
Site: A Nerdy Girl Talking About Geeky Things
Post: When Geeks Become Bullies
by Geeky Jessica: “Assuming that someone you don’t know isn’t good enough for your clique and criticizing them for it without giving them the benefit of the doubt is bullying.”
Site: Looking to the Stars
Post: Why Question Geek Girl Cred?
delivered in plain brown wrapper: “Ultimately all these questions came down to one question: who profits? How does a woman ultimately profit from pretending to be a geek?”
Site: Otaku Journalist
Post: The “Hot Geek Girl” debate: this time, it’s not about looks
by Lauren Rae Orsini: “If she says she’s a geek, that should be enough. In fact, I should be happy that a beauty queen who represents the USA has chosen to identify as a geek.”
Site: iFanboy
Post: Geek Is Not a Bad Word Anymore – A Rant
by Molly McIsaac: “So why are we barring our gates to new “members?” Don’t we want geek to be chic, for it to be cool, for us to be socially acceptable? Don’t we WANT to share the things we love with the world, share our cool new toys with more people, meet more individuals with common interests? What’s so damn appealing about being an outcast?”
Site: Fangirltastic
Post: New Miss USA Says She’s a History Geek – and I Believe Her
by Superheidi: “I think she’s genuinely a nerdy history buff. She distinctly says she’s a history geek. I think she’s telling the truth.”
Site: The Sandwich Machine
Post: Finding Acceptance in the Geek Community
by Walrus: “I never got satisfaction in geek culture. As far as my experience goes, this is new. Long before ‘geek’ became ‘chic,’ I’ve always known geeks to be extremely guarded and judgmental of anyone new to their scene.”
Site: Realityfree
Post: Are you geek enough?
by Realityfree: “Challenging someone’s geekiness level is only a way to make one feel superior to others. This has less to do with what you feel about the other person and more to do with how you feel about yourself.”
Site: Defying Description
Post: The Nature of Geekery or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love
by Teletheus: “Has Star Wars taught us nothing about overcoming evil without being consumed by it ourselves? I thought we were over the obscenely stupid myth that girls can’t be ”real geeks,” but I was wrong. I think (and I certainly hope) it’s coming from the minority… but it’s clearly still there.”
Site: thisisbree
Post: You will be assimilated!
by Bree: “Would pandering, as so many have called it, to the judges really help her at this point? Considering two of the judges are Lil’ Jon and Dallas Mavericks center Tyson Chandler, one would think she would want to appear to be as mainstream and non-geek as possible.”
Site: Racialicious
Post: On Geekdom and Privilege: Sympathy for the ‘Pretty’?
by Arturo: “Campanella is the latest example of someone who is in a position to become a valuable ally, if she chooses to. But that takes more than telling us she’s a fan. Without that acknowledgement, any claim of ’empowerment’ is really an argument for privilege. And no celebrity, male or female, needs our help with that.”
Site: Geeka Chicas
Post: One of us! One of us!
Post by Nightsky: “Geeky women have always faced this double standard–that a guy geek is a geek on his say-so, but women have to prove their geek bona fides to skeptical guy geeks–but it seems particularly obvious (and cruel) in Alyssa’s case…So there you have it, women: if you can rock a bikini, you’re not a geek. ”
Site: Found Objects Stew
Post: Appearance matters not…
by ben_b55: “Fact of the matter is this, stop challenging everyone’s geek cred and let people be whatever they want to be. End of line.”
* #FFF Fake Fangirl Friday: Geek Girls Exist! Do Fake Geek Girls Exist Too? Is It Fair to Ask?* Miss USA Alyssa Campanella Wins Crown, Forfeits Geekhood
* Oh, You Sexy Geek! Our 2011 SDCC Panel
* Fangirl Furor: Should Geek and Gamer Girls Go Sexy, Sexless, Something Else?
* You’re No Geek!
* Interview: Why Seth Green Loves Geek and Gamer Girls
* SFX Magazine Interview by Bonnie Burton – Cosplay or Can’t Play
* How Do Fan Convention Experiences Differ for Women & Men?
* Girls’ Guide to Comic-Con with Ninja Tricks
Related posts:
This topic is driving me nuts! So much so that it will be the topic of my live podcast this Saturday. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/nerdnation
We will be taking calls so please join us.
Nutshell: This has gotten out of hand. Who gives a hoot if some stranger thinks you don’t have ‘cred’. What does it matter? This isn’t bullying. Not in the least. It’s at most a kerfluffle.
as interesting as all the blogs are, they are nearly all women’s points of view and very very few male geek’s points of view. Honestly as a male geek, I’m fine with women being geeks but would I have a chance to date any of these geeky women? Probably not because nearly all of these women you’ve mentions are either workoholics based on their tweets or live too far away from me or have boyfriends. They also prefer the companionship of other geek women over geek men.
Tell me I’m wrong? They’re hot but unavailable
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Uhm, yea, she doesn’t LOSE her geek cred by WINNING sexiest chick alive or whatever title they bestowed upon her. Regardless, a geek is a geek, from 6 to 60, hot or not, hip or not (ie they geek out to stuff most wouldn’t). To me a geek is just someone who loves something quirky and original and isn’t afraid to proclaim their geekiness to the world.
@Matt: Having dated several geeky women and dated one, I’m here to tell you you’re wrong: there is no shortage of hot, available geek women.
I’ve not met a single one of them that found the “I wouldn’t have a chance” whine attractive, though.
http://is.gd/FFFMTV