And while I'm on the subject of geeks, I was thinking of a conversation that I had a few weeks ago in which I was discussing different levels of geekdom with a couple of other contributors to this site. We determined that there were five basic levels of geekiness that can be achieved, based upon the geeky activities performed by that person. Here's the basic gist of that conversation:
LEVEL ONE: A level one geek is really not much of a geek at all. This is your average, everyday citizen who may have enjoyed a BATMAN movie or two and might have developed a crush on Buffy, the Vampire Slayer at some point. Not much to worry about here.
LEVEL TWO: A level two geek is a slight step up, but still a relatively functional member of society. A level two geek probably has seen STAR WARS at few times in their life, and may even occasionally pick up a random comic book every now and again.
LEVEL THREE: A level three geek is probably the level that most of us here at MCFTR fit into. A level three geek might read comics fairly regularly, generally seeks out comic and sci-fi films, and probably has a collection (DVDs, comics, toys, etc.) of some sort. Still, a level three geek can still interact with normal members of society.
LEVEL FOUR: This is where it starts getting scary. A level four geek doesn't just enjoy the things a level three geek does as recreation, but generally focuses on these things as a lifestyle. Level four geeks may also write fan fiction for their favorite geeky stories, and may also dress in costumes for fantasy conventions. You can often find level four geeks wearing black T-shirts with pictures of wolves on them. I'm not sure why that is.
LEVEL FIVE: Okay, this is where intervention is necessary. A level five geek not only focuses on the geeky, they obsess on it. And a level five geek is defined by one particular phenomenon: Live Action Role-Play. This is the sort of person you will want to steer clear of at all costs.
What many fail to realize, however, is just what kind of things a geek might follow. Sure, there's the obvious: STAR WARS, Star Trek, comic books, anime, action figures...but there's some geeks out there that just blow other geeks out of the water. For instance, take the Full House geek. Go no further than FULL HOUSE FOREVER, where you can find everything you ever wanted to about the Tanner family...and more! Want to know the whereabouts of Jodie Sweetin? It's there! Need an update on the Full House reunion rumors? They're there! Yes, there's even Full House Fan Fiction.. If only there were a section devoted to Full House LARP.
By the way, if anyone out there is in fact into Full House LARP, please let me know. Wait, hang on, no. Actually, if you are into Full House LARP, kill yourself.