And that's fine; it's just that to me it's coming across as you reprimanding me for not knowing you rather than you just clarifying. Maybe one of those "text doesn't convey tone very well" things.
I don't reprimand adults. In fact I rarely even reprimand children.
If I had to do anything near a reprimand I'd do it in private, so rest assured, it really wasn't meant to come across like that.
Well, that's an advancement from "Doctor Who has nothing to do with geeks", so at least we're slowly getting somewhere; as I said, there are some very popular positive geek role models.
I haven't said there aren't. I maintain the majority are.
Also, Dr Who is not a sitcom and is not about geeks. The Doctor is a hero who happens to be a geek (of sorts. I'm not sure he's got a hobby he's passionate about. As far as I can see, the only thing that makes him a geek is his choice of clothing. But that is a full thread on itself.) and his geekiness is not an issue, or made an issue of.
In BBT, A Town Called Eureka and others, geekiness is *precisely* the point of the characters and the foundation to laugh at them.
We also have popular scientists like Professor Brian Cox and Neil DeGrasse Tyson being all charismatic and super-cool all over our TVs and podcasts and things.
They are irrelevant to the thread, though. They are neither characters in a sitcom, or famous for being geeks. They're famous for being scientists. Being a geek is a byproduct of their passion for science, not the reason they have to be scientists.
As role models, they are indeed some of the best ones out there.
And they're making films about supergeeky stuff like LotR and The Avengers which are turning out to be increibly popular mega-blockbusters!
And I cringe at the irony that some people *love* those movies today when they used to bully people into Fantasy or Comics 20 years ago.
Again, though, those are not portraying geeks under any light. They're subjects geeks were interested in before they became mainstream. If they weren't already... Methinks LotR has been mainstream for a long time, as have The Avengers.
I still maintain that we (geeks) have never had it so good. And yes, of course not everything on TV is portrayed in the same way. I don't think I or anyone else has claimed they are; it would be a rather dumb thing for me to say!
And I am not arguing with the fact (because it is) that we have it better today than 10 or 15 years ago.
I am arguing the fact that we still don't have it good enough.
The problem here is that you keep treating that as though it's established fact; there are folks here like me disputing the premise, not the argument. If your premise is true (and, honestly, I'm not trying to be difficult here -- I'm jut not seeing any evidence that it is) and these shows do make people think all geeks are like Sheldon, then yes: I'd agree with your position that it's wrong, and needs to be addressed.
So someone thinking that people who paint minis because that's what they've seen in movies is not evidence?
In the circles I move where there are no gaming/comic books geeks (for example my circle of fellow psychotherapists) people do think of us like Sheldon or similar.
The problem isn't that latter bit, though; it's the initial premise. As I said earlier in the thread, I see no evidence that - and indeed would be utterly flabbergasted to find out that - anyone, let alone any kind of majority of people, watches that show and believes for a second that Sheldon Cooper is in any way a real representation of anything, let alone geeks. He's clearly a ridiculous, almost cartoon construct. And if he were to represent something and cause everyone to believe that group of people were all like Sheldon, I'd say 'aspergers' or somewhere on the autism spectrum long before I'd say 'geek'.
Then be flabbergasted because there are people out there (a lot of people) who do believe those archetype apply.
Also I have read a few forums in which parents associate and can see similarities between Sheldon and their autistic child.
Perhaps the answer to this is beyond our ability to investigate right now; we'd need to establish whether or not, as you say, the show(s) make people think all geeks are like Sheldon or Fargo. I see no evidence to suggest they do.
I think in the long run, we can only answer for ourselves and how these shows make us feel individually. None of us here are qualified to speak on behalf of 'people', but we can speak on behalf of ourselves. I personally don't feel mocked or laughed at when I watch BBT; maybe you do. But we certainly can't take as estabished fact the premise that the show makes people think all geeks are like Sheldon without some pretty hefty evidence to back it up.
There is. Look outside the geek circles and you'll find plenty.
