jakeaidan

June 23, 2011 7:53 pm I think part of the backlash is because of the dilution of term.  It's much like the word "Engineer".  Engineer used to have some pretty firm technical backing, and because of the training and effort that it took, the word had some clout.  Now people refer to themselves as engineers with the most ranging of skills.  People who put their identity into the years of technical training get upset.
I get annoyed by the mainstream popularity of geek for a number of reasons, but mostly because it's being used by Madison Avenue to market and push product.  It used to be geek was a moniker that people would apply to you in the pejorative, and you would proudly accept as a method to stand up for yourself.   Now people self ascribe it to themselves as geeks, to brag or flaunt.   I think the objection is not that the person is hot or such, but more the fact that they just dilute the term by self ascribing it, turning it into a meaningless word.  
Personally, I think it sucks, because now, when somebody says their a geek, it's meaningless.  I'm a fashion geek, I'm a sex geek, I'm a dog geek.....the word which had so much identity for so many people who were victimized is now meaningless.  

Also, let's not believe that this acceptance of the word geek means that there are no more swirlies or bullying....we know for a fact that it still happens, its just now they don't use the word geek to persecute people who are different, these self called geeks beat up the unusual peers and call them losers or dorks.