An intriguing offer came through to the SLUG-chat mailing list a few weeks ago: an Australian version of Beauty and the Geek is in the works, and they’re looking for geeks.
I’ll be honest and admit that I’m a fan of the US version of the show. The ‘geeks’ feel like humorous caricatures of some of my own traits, and I suppose I find bimbo stupidity funny in a way (although at other times I just roll my eyes).
However, I dislike that the outcome of each series is that the geeks bend over backwards to learn to be ‘cool’ while the bimbos simply ‘learn’ to tolerate the geeks. On the episodes that visit the contestants a few months after their tenure at ‘the mansion’, the geeks have clearly changed themselves but the bimbos have mostly reverted to their previous state.
I’m probably biased, but it seems lop-sided. It reinforces the view (at least in Western cultures) that it’s okay to be an idiot but conversely it is unacceptable to be socially awkward.
We see this position pushed across popular media. The other prime offender at the moment that I can think of is the sitcom, The Big Bang Theory. In that show, a bimbo with loose values is portrayed as ‘normal’ while a group of intelligent males are openly ridiculed.
Again, I’ll admit that I watch that show from time to time, and I do find it entertaining. I have the capacity to laugh at myself and traits that I can identify with. At the same time, it still irks me that this is what people are being fed, not just by this programme but by the mass media in general.
What does the FOSS community think?
August 30th, 2009 at 2:21 am
I would not say that people are ‘fed’ the view that being socially adept is normal as its part of our evolution, it is part of our design. When people have Aspergers-like traits, like ‘sheldon’, it highlights the fact that we are beings that favor this and the consequence when we lack these abilities. And many folks in the sciences have Aspergers-like traits. People can overcome prejudice but it requires alot of effort which very few socially adept folks especially if they have the other highly prized attribute of ‘beauty’.
August 30th, 2009 at 2:43 am
It IS lopsided, but there’s a good reason for it, as comedian Ron White said: “You can’t fix stupid”.
August 30th, 2009 at 2:52 am
Is that something on a TV? I haven’t watched TV in years… I heard it makes people stupid, then I watched it for a few days and it bored me to death with it’s stupid and predictable content and idiotic and long commercials. I also hated the pre-recorded laughter. I use the internet for all my entertainment needs now.
August 30th, 2009 at 5:06 am
I watched this show one time, actually it may have been the first one, and it annoyed the hell out of me to be honest. But I have to agree with Roland and one of my favorite comedians, Ron White
August 30th, 2009 at 6:19 am
“Bimbo”
That’s a fairly gender specific slur you’re tossing around there, buddy.
Offensive behavior needs to be called out, and I’m calling it.
Has Matt Zimmerman talked to you yet?
August 30th, 2009 at 7:36 am
I’m on the autism spectrum (Asperger’s), and I have to say it’s definitely not uncommon to make fun of people with mental disabilities. I don’t see my condition as an impairment, but the world’s not designed for sensitive people who use big words and like geeky things, and it shows sometimes. ^.^;
Given the way things are headed though, I think the bigger question might be: How are we going to treat “normal” people once they’re the ones who are marginalized? Or is there a way that we can create a world where nobody is excluded?
August 30th, 2009 at 8:35 am
The part that bothered me when I heard about the show was that all the geeks are guys and all the beauties are girls. They “fixed” this in a later episode by having a single solitary female geek. My question, though, was “what if you’re good-looking and a geek? Then where do you go?”
August 30th, 2009 at 10:31 am
Penny gets made fun of too on that show. However, Big Bang Theory can’t compare to the hilarious IT Crowd. I can’t really comment on Beauty and the Geek since I’ve never actually seen a whole episode (it seemed fake like The Bachelor). Wasn’t the first winner (geek) on that show an actor?
“what if you’re good-looking and a geek? Then where do you go?”” : then you’ve won the game, congrats
Also Penny doesn’t have “loose values”. >_<
August 30th, 2009 at 11:33 am
Lemonshark,
They are bimbos. Prove me wrong.
Just as I was referring to the male ‘beauty’ in one season as a ‘himbo’.
August 30th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
While I don’t have any time for Beauty and the Geek, I don’t find much objectionable about Big Bang Theory.
August 30th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
I don’t have to prove you wrong. Its a sexist slur. Having a set of defined parameters for a sexist slur doesn’t make it any more “right” to use. The fact that “himbo” is merely a very purposeful male orientated mimic of bimbo just proves how female oriented the slur you used is.
Please try to be more sensitive with your postings in the Ubuntu community.
August 30th, 2009 at 4:58 pm
[…] ‘Til All Are One » Bimbo and the Nerd? http://www.dhanapalan.com/blog/2009/08/30/bimbo-and-the-nerd – view page – cached Filed under: Video/Film, syndication-floss — Sridhar Dhanapalan @ 12:57 am 1 Star 2 Stars 3 Stars 4 Stars 5 Stars (No Ratings Yet) Loading … Loading … — From the page […]
August 30th, 2009 at 8:01 pm
I watched half an episode of the “Big Bang Theory”, it was painful. The representation of geeks was an awful caricature that possibly resembles the mental image is maintained by high school bullies. “The IT Crowd” is a good show, while it is of course exaggerated for comic effect it does have an adequate basis in reality.
In terms of TV shows that are supposedly about teaching people, there is often a severe conflict between the desire for LULZ and the aim of teaching, and LULZ usually wins…
Lemonshark: According to the Wikipedia page the word “bimbo” is derived from the Italian word for a young boy and it’s original use in English was to refer to males.
August 31st, 2009 at 3:27 am
According to Wikipedia Bimbo “_IS_ a term that emerged in popular English language usage in the early 20th century to describe an often physically attractive, unintelligent woman”
You can attempt to divert attention from his use of the slur by talking about how the word once meant something else early last century but its clear from the context that he meant the contemporary English meaning of the word. Thats a slur against women and exactly the type of offensive behavior we in the Ubuntu called upon to address.
Again please be more sensitive in your use of language in the Ubuntu community.
August 31st, 2009 at 3:55 am
I may be pushing it here but is it possible that so many people are taking comedies too seriously? I love the IT Crowd and The Big Bang Theory, the second of which is probably my favorite American TV show. I can relate to the guys as I have been in plenty of situations in pubs or with friends where I was excited about something and tried and explain to someone and ended up getting a weird look followed by the phrase “stop talking about geeky stuff I don’t understand”.
I think The Big Bang Theory does a good job of taking the piss out of smart people and not so smart people and it was a breath of fresh air from the overused sitcom concepts and dumb jokes which we have been exposed to for so long from the media.
Smart people are not immune to character defects, if you cant take the piss out of yourself every now and then then I feel bad for you.
August 31st, 2009 at 10:41 am
Lemonshark: It seems that you’re not offended by a show that specialises in hiring women who are former employees of Playboy, Hooters, and similar organisations for cheap entertainment. You’re not offended that “stupid” (*) actions of such women are regarded as amusing. But the word “bimbo” offends you.
For the phrase “I find X stupidity funny”, what do you think would be a good value of “X” that avoids offence?
(*) NB In TV shows there is a lot of scripted content. Even when the participants are not given specific instructions in “reality” shows, they can work out what to do to get a result that they desire. It’s reasonable to assume that some of the supposedly stupid actions of women in such shows are acts.
August 31st, 2009 at 1:17 pm
Its /seems/ you’re making an assumption. Specifically that I watch, or have watched the show. Sorry. Haven’t. You’re reaching. Nor have I said anything to defend the show. Again, you’re reaching.
What I find offensive is the slur against women that he used. It has no place in the Ubuntu community, and we have been called upon by many community members to stand against it when we see it.
So no, this isn’t about alternate uses of the word in previous centuries, your wished for defense by me of a program I haven’t seen, reality tv show scripts or any other “No, look over here…!” issues you wish to bring up. This is about his use of a female slur on Planet Ubuntu.
September 1st, 2009 at 7:34 am
@Lemonshark
let me get this straight…
The show deliberately hires women who are unintelligent and get by only by their looks. They don’t try to hide that.
The author here is opposing the pushing of such stereotypes.
Yet you criticise him for being sexist???
How does that even remotely make sense? It looks to me that he’s defending gender equality.
It’s fem extremists like you that make reasonable people look bad. Makes me lose interest in the whole idea.
September 1st, 2009 at 7:55 am
Oh, right, you missed the part where I said I WASN’T defending the show.
A slur is a slur, regardless of what the person using the slur is attempting to accomplish. He’s right about the show AND he shouldn’t use a term demeaning to women when writing about it.
Really, having both statements be true is just too ungraspable of a concept??
September 1st, 2009 at 12:32 pm
Don’t be dense. The term refers to women who treat looks as more important than intelligence. It clearly was never intended to describe all women. Stop victimising women. It’s patronising and sexist.