Masi Oka, who plays Hiro on NBC's "Heroes," may be the leader of the current geek pack, but he comes by his status honestly: After studying computer science and math at Brown University, he graduated and went to work for George Lucas' special effects company, Industrial Light & Magic.
"For me, the notion of a geek has always been someone who's passionate about something -- whether it's computers, ant farms or musicals, or storytelling or paperweights -- whatever it is," he said. "That's what makes us human. It defines us as individuals. It gives us our uniqueness. And I think it's more human -- it's more us. It's more commendable to be a geek -- and be passionate about something -- than it is to be apathetic about everything."
That definition rings true to Mike Sinchioco, a member of the Geek Squad at the Monroeville Best Buy.
"Being a geek means having a passion for something, whether it's computers or specific tech gadgets," he said. "Everyone wants to be Bill Gates."
He's especially eager to watch the new show "Chuck," whose characters work for a Best Buy-like store as Geek Squad-like technicians.
While the geek stereotype more often gets applied to guys, in an iPod-infused world, more women are tuning in to geek culture. GeekSugar.com, a female-targeted Web site, launched last December, devoted to technology, entertainment and Web culture.
"I think people used to think of 'geek' as a really dirty word," said GeekSugar editor Angelica Marden. "But as we've been more exposed to mainstream geeky characters and as technology has become a part of everyone's daily life, I think people have eased into it."
She points to the style of Tina Fey ("30 Rock") "who goes out there with her geek glasses, but she's smart, approachable and funny. She has that little air of geekiness, but she's also attractive and interesting and not a programmer who eats junk food and only drinks soda."
Moira Hardek, a Geek Squad employee at Best Buy's Minneapolis headquarters, said people are broadening their horizons to things that were formerly taboo, including geekiness.
Being a nerd, however, still connotes a certain level of social awkwardness. Although the terms "geek" and "nerd" may be used interchangeably by some people, others insist they are not synonymous.
Kevin Lane, director of public relations for the Pittsburgh Technology Council, pointed to the Web site Nerdshift (portal.wikinerds.org), which defines a nerd as "an intelligent person fascinated by knowledge and learning," which differs from a geek, who is "merely fascinated by technology."
First Published: September 9, 2007, 8:00 a.m.
