Geek Salad: Evo-douche-on
by Chris Hardwick on March 30, 2009
Some low-impact Googling will reveal to you that the word “geek” is derived from the old German word “geck,” which meant “fool.” You probably already know that if you are a geck or were alive in the 16th century, when it was first uttered by mouths. Four hundred years later, the word was modded and attached to circus freaks, particularly those of the “bite the heads off chickens and snakes” variety. It was only later that the label was attached to sweaty computer users resembling Real Genius extras. But was this really the appropriate nomenclature? After all, early hackers were solitary creatures who certainly didn’t perform disturbing acts for public consumption. They were shy, solitary creatures that feared interpersonal interaction and light.
Thanks for another great geek salad Chris!
We’re one step closer to the Idiocracy-based “Ow, My Balls” show. Only it’ll be on the web, not on tv. In fact, I think a website dedicated to nothing, absolutely nothing, but people getting hit in the nuts would make a lot of money in ad revenue and have hundreds of thousands of viewers coming… um… never mind. Look, there’s Elvis!
*runs off to nearest domain registrar*
PS. You’re right, actually. It does desensitize us so that we can react to things intellectually rather than emotionally, and any intellectual stimulation is good stimulation, as long as it’s not extreme pornography (using original definition: hate-oriented media) like they used on the SS trainees.
nice salad offering today.
I would like to see some of the some references that would support your argument sir! :p
“Gradually, our heads will get bigger and bigger and our bodies will begin to shrink from physical inactivity due to a life spent in front of a terminal. Perpetually indoors, we’ll lose our hair and our eyes will widen and darken to let in more visual stimuli through artificial light. When our advanced selves unlock universal and dimensional mastery, say, in 100,000 years or so, we will travel back in time to share our secrets with our 21st century progenitors, only to become the mistaken archetype for aliens and dissected.” — one word for what you’ve just posited there: Daleks.
great, thanks for this