My name is Blake, and I’m a geek. It’s true. For those of you who know me, this comes as no surprise. But for those who don’t, it’s not a difficult conclusion to draw. I am a law librarian. Trading in the courtroom for the library is tantamount to trading in Atticus Finch for Rupert Giles.
I let it slip, didn’t I? The real reason I’m a geek? It’s not because I’m a law librarian, although that does give me some geek street cred. What makes me a geek is that I get the “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” reference. And I know that “Star Wars” premiered on this day in 1977. And, according to “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” today is Towel Day. And Terry Pratchett’s “Discworld” celebrates the Glorious 25th of May.
Well, today is something else. Today is Geek Pride Day! It’s a day which claims that every person can claim the right to be a geek! There is even a manifesto:
Rights:
- The right to be even geekier.
- The right to not leave your house.
- The right to not like football or any other sport.
- The right to associate with other nerds.
- The right to have few friends (or none at all).
- The right to have as many geeky friends as you want.
- The right to be out of style.
- The right to be overweight and near-sighted.
- The right to show off your geekiness.
- The right to take over the world.
Responsibilities:
- Be a geek, no matter what.
- Try to be nerdier than anyone else.
- If there is a discussion about something geeky, you must give your opinion.
- To save and protect all geeky material.
- Do everything you can to show off geeky stuff as a “museum of geekiness.”
- Don’t be a generalized geek. You must specialize in something.
- Attend every nerdy movie on opening night and buy every geeky book before anyone else.
- Wait in line on every opening night. If you can go in costume or at least with a related T-shirt, all the better.
- Never throw away anything related to geekdom.
- Try to take over the world!
So in celebration of this most joyous of days, I say to you:
- May the Force be with you.
- Live long and prosper.
- Inconceivable!
- Kneel before Zod!
- Excuse me, I believe you have my stapler…
- This is my Boomstick!
- NEE!
- Excelsior!
- The Dude abides.
- One ring to rule them all
- With great power there must also come — great responsibility.
Can you guess these films? Do you have other quotes? Feel free to add by leaving a comment!
W. Blake Wilson, Instrucational & Research Services Librarian – and Geek