Being Geek Chic is a blog about one woman navigating the male-dominated industries of production and tech. It's written by Elizabeth Giorgi, Founder, CEO and Director of Mighteor - one of the world's first internet video production companies. Learn more about Mighteor here.
There are so many reasons I’m thankful for this blog. The amazing friends I’ve made. The amazing following I’ve grown. The incredible opportunities it has afforded me. But, there’s something bigger than the blog that I’m really thankful for and that is being part of the world of geek.
And here’s why I want to talk about this. There has been a lot of negative shit thrown towards women in the last year in geek culture. Whether it’s gamergate or the routine exclusion of women from meaningful roles in our favorite movies and television shows - it’s all indicative of problems. And yet! There are things to be thankful for amidst all this:
The truth is that when men like Tom Hiddleston and Benedict Cumberbatch come out and willingly AND proudly admit that they believe in equality amongst the sexes, it plants a seed in the mind of men who admire them. We can’t make true progress without everyone, men and women, being on board.
While Gamergate is one of the most sad and depressing cultural waves I’ve seen in a long time, it’s definitely had a silver lining if you are willing to look close enough. As a result of the disgusting hate speech and behavior, many game developers were forced to come out and condemn this BS and as a result, are hopefully thinking differently about their corporate practices.
And finally, Jennifer Fucking Lawrence. Mockingjay part 1 had the biggest opening weekend of the year and that is damn important. Why? Because when the biggest FEMALE LED movie of the year is ALSO the biggest movie of the year, PERIOD, it slowly requires Hollywood to acknowledge that great movies with women can win.
So if you’ve been feeling super depressed about a lot of the negativity in geek culture in the last year, perk up. There are lots more reasons to be thankful, but these ones always put a smile on my face.
It’s official. I’ve charged it. I’m going to London in September. Woop. Woop. Woop. Woop. That’s why I’m thankful for:
1. Making Plans.
I have been trying to figure out when I was going to be able to go back to the United Kingdom for 5 years. I’ve taken the first official step this week: I bought some event tickets.
I’ve talked before about my love of travel, but going abroad is always special to me. I can’t wait.
2. Constructive discourse.
I have received a lot of messages in the last 24 hours from other Sherlock Holmes fans who disagreed or had a different point of view on Elementary than me. I appreciate the smart notes and thought I’d share a few here:
From: Anonymous
Re: Sherlock being violent, I think it needs to be considered that the Sherlock they’re going for here is one at the very beginning of his story (he’s only just met Watson) so he’s still sort of becoming ‘The Great Sherlock Holmes’ character. At least that’s how I see it and that is because so much of Elementary is about Sherlock improving himself. From drugs and by learning from other mistakes - the violence is a part of that. Before he did real harm, he realised he was in the wrong.
From: Anonymous
You are within your right to not like a show, but I have to argue because you seemed to have missed the point a bit. The “doing the same thing every episode” is a hallmark of a procedural, which is what this is. If you don’t like those that’s fine, but it’s weird to say it’s the shows fault. It’s the format. That being said, I think all of the character development has been really strong. Sherlock isn’t a simple person - he has a broken heart, an anger at having a loved one robbed from him.
What do you think? Have I got it all wrong? Either way, it’s fun to hear what other people see in the story or their perspective on Holmes.
3. Jennifer Lawrence’s Golden Globes Acceptance speech.
What can I say? She’s a gem.
4. My cousin Aaron.
It’s his birthday today. And he’s freaking adorable and has the best dance moves of any dude I know. It would be weird to say I have a favorite cousin, but Aaron is always in the running.
Happy Birthday, Aaron!
This week, I scribed these pieces for Apartment Therapy. Go read 'em!
Five Bold Filing Cabinets: Under $200
Before & After: From IKEA Dining Table to Chic Desk
