LIVIN' LA VIDA GEEKSTER
So, I was going to the comic book store the other day to pick up a copy of Shojo Beat and the cashier asked what I was doing this weekend. I said, "Playing World of Darkness and going to see Fantastic Four." Am I the geekiest geek in the world or what?
Or am I? I also went to a hip gallery and saw a lowbrow artist, bought an obscure 80's Swedish garage band record, and took some graffiti shots. Am I a hipster pretending to be a geek, or a geek pretending to be a hipster? Maybe a whole new nomenclature is needed--"geekster": a person who is half geek, half hipster.
In a recent posting on the Chunklet Blog, Henry Owings accused new musical sensation Dan Deacon of being a hipster disguised as a geeky outsider musician, while in the comments his defenders say Deacon is %100 percent sincere. These days, with movie stars wearing fake glasses to premieres and million-selling emo punks playing at being outcasts, it's hard to tell who's who. I guess to me, the true spirit of geekdom is when you do what you do because you have to, not to get money, power and sexual partners. Although I don't believe in judging art by intent, poseur-ness usually comes out in the results sooner or later. On the other hand, you can be sincere and still suck.
As for Deacon's music? It's OK, I think it would get pretty repetitive after a while, though. When it comes to "geek rock" it's nothing compared to my beloved Unicorns LA.
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