Profile for stubby43 - loves geek = fail (community collab?)

stubby43 aka Phil is a 22.93 year old boy, has been a member since December 22, 2006, has scored 3118 submissions, giving an average score of 2.76.

URL: http://ahistoryoftakingoffmyshirt.tumblr.com/
AIM: stubbyloves

Sep 06 '09 by stubby43

28 Comments

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loves geek = fail (community collab?)

I'm pretty much a card carrying geek (also now that I've said that I'm serriously thinking about getting geek cards printed up) so I was really excited when threadless posted the loves geek comp because I thought we might get some really awesome geeky tee shirts that arent just one off meme shirts (sorry three keyboard cat and the moon).

But when the designs started going up, I was pretty disapointed because I dont think any of them really gets what it is to be geeky.

See all of the designs have tried in some way to force what it is to be geeky into a catergory and the problem with that is it doesnt work.

Geeks arent defined by a certain set of interests or styles because being a geek means that your excited or interested in something more than the average person (which is why everyone has a geek in them).

I think John Green said it best

When people call people nerds mostly what their saying is you like stuff which is just not a good insult at all, like you are too enthuisatic about the miracle of human Consciousness

I'm obbessesed with new media, tech news, history, anime and pokemon but there are plenty of other geeks out there that hate that stuff.

I guess what I'm saying is I dont want the designs to be a sterotype of what they think it is to be geeky.

I want people to get exicted about the thing they love the most in the entire world and make a design about that.

stubby43 on Sep 06 '09 at 2:23pm

p.s the video is a youtube video from a video blogger called John green, I couldnt embed it because I typed in code that skipped the video to the point where he starts talking about being a nerd.

Krimson on Sep 06 '09 at 2:23pm

I feel that this was well thought out.

way to be! (nerd!)

ginetteginette on Sep 06 '09 at 2:24pm

i agree.

stubby43 on Sep 06 '09 at 2:29pm

thank you, I actually wrote a rough draft out first before I typed this because I wanted to get it right (also I work better if I write on paper then type).

Oh I want to make it clear I'm not digging at the design quality most of them are really well done I just think their kind of weak at the concept stage.

ginetteginette on Sep 06 '09 at 2:32pm

i think the majority of love challenges get a lot of weak concepts in general so i'm not surprised that a geek challenge will mostly produce designs about robots/computers/boys wearing glasses with tape and pens in their shirt pockets.

Goldendust on Sep 06 '09 at 2:35pm

We are all threadless geeks...

stubby43 on Sep 06 '09 at 2:37pm

Thats true and from my experience the designs do get better as the competition goes on so maybe the blog post was a bit early.

Actually thinking about it, maybe geek would be a great topic for a community collab, where everyone submits something their really, really uber interested in and it gets put together black rock style.

boysbeambitious on Sep 06 '09 at 2:39pm

Very good insight, and I don't think it's offensive.

mike bautista on Sep 06 '09 at 2:46pm

ginetteginette on Sep 06 '09 at 2:32pm
i think the majority of love challenges get a lot of weak concepts in general so i'm not surprised that a geek challenge will mostly produce designs about robots/computers/boys wearing glasses with tape and pens in their shirt pockets.

I'll take comfort in thinking the winning design will feature none of these things. If it goes without mentioning, people might not even know it was for the contest.

jublin on Sep 06 '09 at 2:47pm

nice post. I wrote out a comment agreeing and slightly disagreeing with you, but then reread your post and realized that I wasn't saying anything important. :P

Basically when it comes down to it... we (voters) want people to think outside the box and be a little creative when it comes to this loves challenge. As the same goes for all loves challenges.

olie! on Sep 06 '09 at 2:53pm

When people call people nerds mostly what their saying is you like stuff which is just not a good insult at all

so NFL players are "nerds" too because they really like football? I get what you're saying and I agree, but I think it's going to take more than making a design about something you are really into to succeed in this contest

Aphte on Sep 06 '09 at 2:57pm

Yes, it's sad but seeing the sponsors of this contest and their definition of the "geek" concept, I don't think it would be inappropriate to think that it's related to some technological stuff...

Chipmnk on Sep 06 '09 at 3:09pm

...boys wearing glasses with tape and pens in their shirt pockets.

Ginette just described me on any normal day.

Tonteau on Sep 06 '09 at 3:09pm

I like your thinking stubby, but I also agree that the popular conception of what a 'geek' entails will probably win this competition. I think when it comes to t-shirt design, people on the whole like to think "oh wow, I hadn't thought of that" but they generally don't like to be challenged too much.

stubby43 on Sep 06 '09 at 3:09pm

so NFL players are "nerds" too because they really like football?

But I think theres a difference between being really into doing something and knowing everything there is to know on a given subject.

I mean fantasy football leagues seem pretty nerdy to me because all your really doing is looking at players statistics, working out the perfect team then calculating how your team has done against another.

I think Jublin, you've said it better than I have, I want people to think outside the box.

olie! on Sep 06 '09 at 3:22pm

right, and like I said I agree with you, but 'geek' isn't really a word most people would use to describe fantasy football players.

The thing is though, every single time I see a new loves challenge come up with a very stereotypical theme like this one, somebody ALWAYS posts a blog complaining about all the generic concepts relating to that theme, and how people should do something completely different to be outside the box. I admit a lot of the loves designs might be crap but I don't think it's because their concepts are all that terrible–they're just playing it safe, and there's nothing wrong with that. And don't get me wrong here, there's also nothing wrong with thinking outside the box, but there is a difference between putting a creative spin on a stereotypical concept and wanting to do something radically different from a stereotype altogether just to be different.

I dunno. I hope that makes sense. . . maybe?

Krimson on Sep 06 '09 at 3:31pm

I have heard alot of fanasy football players described as geeks.

Krimson on Sep 06 '09 at 3:34pm

I think what the "geekness" is, is in fact an Intellectual imersion into the subject. This doesn't necessarily mean smart. But, for example, someone who sketches all the time is not necessarily a geek. However, if they spend all their time with art books, studying techniques, and reading up on art history and current designers, then congratulations you are an art-geek.

It requires the activity to be explored ad nauseum on a mental level.

kashlen on Sep 06 '09 at 4:00pm

I love that 20q.net thing he talks about

kashlen on Sep 06 '09 at 4:09pm

I think being a geek has to do with getting excited about things that require brain power.

kashlen on Sep 06 '09 at 4:10pm

from dictionary.com

geek Slang.
Use geek in a Sentence
–noun
1. a peculiar or otherwise dislikable person, esp. one who is perceived to be overly intellectual.
2. a computer expert or enthusiast (a term of pride as self-reference, but often considered offensive when used by outsiders.)
3. a carnival performer who performs sensationally morbid or disgusting acts, as biting off the head of a live chicken.

Steve The Great on Sep 06 '09 at 4:35pm

Kevin's got it.

againstbound on Sep 06 '09 at 4:37pm

I'm obbessesed with new media, tech news, history, anime and pokemon but there are plenty of other geeks out there that hate that stuff.

It's true, I hate pokemon, lameass, pussy shit. Now D&D is where true men are forged.

kashlen on Sep 06 '09 at 4:46pm

lol^

ginetteginette on Sep 06 '09 at 8:52pm