College News takes on Cosmo and sings the praises of geeks everywhere
Once again, Cosmopolitan has succeeded in making women look like superficial man-eaters. Now, I know for a fact, that there are at least a few of us who are not butCosmo‘s latest offense comes in the form of an article declaring the seven reasons that women should date geeks.
It was a piece supposedly inspired by the movie She’s Out of My League. Speaking both as a geek and as a woman, this article annoyed and infuriated me to no end.
Rather than advocating geeks as being genuinely sweet, smart and kind partners, the article reads as nothing more than an advertisement for how a woman can profit most from having a geeky boyfriend. Look at the list for yourself:
1. He’s capable of memorizing every line of Star Wars and Lord of the Rings so he shouldn’t have trouble remembering your birthday and favorite kind of flowers.
2. Sure, he may secretly want to get it on with his super hot neighbor, but knowing that you’re the hottest girl he’s ever been with will probably keep him from cheating.
3. Geeks tend to be tech-savvy. Which means not only will he be able to fix a computer problem and upgrade your software, but he’ll actually enjoy doing it.
4. Although the dumb jock thing is a total cliche, you’re unlikely to meet a dorky guy who can’t string together a sentence and carry on an intelligent conversation.
5. Since he’s supersmart and probably already making a ton of money, he won’t think being a roadie for Vampire Weekend is a great “career opportunity.”
6. He was probably bullied during high school so he’ll be sympathetic when you vent about the office bitch…and help you plot a plan to bring her down.
7. He’ll never hog the bathroom to manscape.
I’ll pause for a moment while you finish banging your head against your keyboard.
Really, Cosmo? The best reason you can come up with for why we should date geeks is that they won’t hog our bathrooms doing their “manscaping”? Really?!
This article reminds me of some of the fluff I edited when I was editor for my high school newspaper. Except, had this article crossed my desk, I would’ve tossed it out immediately.
I admire the idea of the article: that geeks can make great partners. Since the execution of the article left something to be desired, however, perhaps this geeky girl who has a history of dating geeky boys can extol their virtues better than some “Sex and the City” fashionista can.
Seven real reasons to date geeks
1. We know who we are and are comfortable with ourselves.
We are more than aware of our geekiness, and how dorky it undoubtedly seems to the outside world, and we are completely fine with it.
We may not be the most confident people in the world, but we don’t try to hide who we are from anyone. Hell, have you been to a comic convention? We’re secure enough about ourselves to congregate and dress up in costume as some of our favorite characters. You have to admit there’s something sexy about that.
2. If geeks are one thing, we are loyal.
We’re devoted fans of shows that have been on the air for decades (“Doctor Who”, “Star Trek”) and we’re still discussing and gushing over shows that have long been canceled (“Mystery Science Theater 3000”, “Firefly”). That same loyalty and devotion is shown to our friends and partners. We do what it takes to make relationships last, and, for the most part, aren’t interested in playing the field.
3. We’re funny.
One of the most attractive qualities in the opposite sex, for men and women, is a sense of humor. Geeks have it in spades! With comedy gods like Conan O’Brien, the Pythons and Weird Al Yankovic in our ranks, it would be against our nature to not have a sense of humor. We’re clever, witty and self-deprecating — and sure to crack up whomever we’re with.
4. We’re smart.
Sure we got made fun of in high school for knowing the answers and finishing tests faster than the other students. But let’s face it, when it comes to having a lasting relationship, being able to have intelligent conversations with one another is important. And if your date can handle little more than identifying the President of the United States, chances are your patience for — and attraction to — that person will wear very thin very quickly.
With geeks, you’ll never run out of things to talk about. Whether it’s politics, news or just a chat about one those sci-fi movies we love so much, we know a lot about a broad range of topics and we can discuss them seriously at a moment’s notice.
5. We’re pretty financially secure.
Although we’re not all engineers pulling in the big bucks, we’re also not mooches.
We can support ourselves and, more than likely, we have some money tucked away or invested for the future. We have work ethic and motivation and know where we want to be career-wise. In short, you won’t have to worry about us sleeping on your couch because McDonald’s didn’t call us back.
6. We’re down to earth.
You’ll never have to worry about inflated egos with us. We’re aware of our strengths, sure, but we’re also conscious of our flaws. More than likely we were bullied or ridiculed in school, so we know what it’s like to be talked down to and disrespected.
As a result, we’re extra conscious of not committing the same crime against someone else.
7. Above all else, we’re great friends.
Even if worse comes to worse, and the romantic relationship doesn’t work out, geek exes still make the best friends. If you need to vent or hang out or need someone to go see Iron Man 2 with, we’re ready and willing. What’s more, we’re easy to talk to, which can make getting the opposite sex’s perspective very easy.
