You can check my credentials if I can check yours.

Great post! I totally wish I'd been able to make it to SDCC this year (I've never been before!) maybe next year...

So, I definitely consider myself a geek girl, but not in the comic book world. My question is this - do you think if I had told "Emma" how much I liked her costume, and asked permission to take her picture (even admitting to not knowing who she was), would I have been allowed to?

I get the "can you tell me who I am" as an attempt to try to weed out who is just trying to take a picture of a scantily-clad woman, but isn't it another kind of cred-checking? What if it hadn't been a costume that made her scantily-clad? Or is it strictly the not asking permission that was the problem (which I _totally_ understand!)

I can totally dig Emma turning the dominant paradigm on it's head.

How much would you bet that these guys would recognize every MALE X-costume, no matter how obscure? But it's a chick with white hair, that's gotta be Storm, right?

Except Emma doesn't even have white hair; she's blonde! I didn't even realize that their costumes were that similar, but the lack of a white wig should have been a clue.

First, I know your pain of being in a wheelchair on the con floor all too well. Two years I had to do that. It was horrible with people banging into you or being impatient. Yikes.

I'm typically very shy about talking in fandoms. Many fandoms I've enjoyed I've been casually into the group. I like the show and characters but I can't tell you all the facts or interesting things about it. I like MLP too. I have over 200 dolls and know some of the people that created it but when trying to talk to Bronies they stare at you and cut you out of any conversations like you don't know enough about it. Awkward... I've had people try to stop me from buying comics I wanted because they weren't "girl's" books. I've had my portfolio with me and had guys ask me if I was collecting sketches and when I explained it was my work, they just laughed and acted like I was lying. It's even more frustrating when you've been in over 76 books and several comics related illustration jobs but you're not considered a "real professional" because girls don't count. Not everyone is like that but there are enough people like that, which makes me less and less likely to interact at cons.

And while we're at it, in regard to the "gentlemen" taking pictures of Emma without her permission, Cosplay is NOT Consent. Just another new con dimension, while we're at it.

Just asking means you're polite, and it also means chances are good you'll get a better picture.

Amen.

I am a fake geek girl. Go ahead. Ask me any DC/Marvel question. I probably won't get it. Does this mean I don't have the right to go to Comic-con? HELL NO. Someone wants to geek cred check me I can ask them to explain how coenzyme Q functions in the mitochondria. Not knowing that answer doesn't mean that you don't get to eat sugars, why should not knowing the details of a geekiverse deny me the right to enjoy movies, TV shows, books and public events based on that geekiverse?

[most people learn how cells convert sugar into energy - coenzyme Q helps with that and more. Please don't take supplements of coenzyme Q aka Q10, though. NOT good for you!]

"Not knowing that answer doesn't mean that you don't get to eat sugars"

Brilliant! :)

Although I've never personally been cred-checked, I hear about it happening ALL the time. Even more lately than I once did. I feel bad for my fandoms. All of them, because they're all in that cross-section of SFF/Horror, and it's going through so much horrible bullshit right now. It's no fun. And I'm NOT going back to "normal" books/movies/TV, because fuck that, seriously.

However, one thing I've noticed in the comments here is causing me some distress, and I know it's not intentional, but look at how many people are backing themselves up with creds--proving how much they know about the culture while at the same time insisting that they don't need to prove how much they know about the culture in order to be part of it. I understand that tendency, but it's a problem. I don't know everything there is to know about any of my fandoms (and there are a *lot*) because I just don't care that much. I have no creds to spout at people to prove I'm a "real" geek. I love the graphic artistry that goes into videogames, and the storylines of one or two of them (namely Silent Hill and Legend of Zelda) fascinate me, but I don't play because to hell with all that mucking about with buttons when I could watch walkthroughs on YouTube instead.

Also, I resent the idea that getting into a given fandom because you saw the movie and thought one of the actors was hot is an unacceptable way to get into that fandom. Yeah, I knew nothing about Gambit until he appeared in the last Wolverine movie played by Taylor Kitsch, and I don't want to apologize for that. Couldn't care less about Ryan Reynolds, but I'm not gonna hold it against someone who gets into either Green Lantern or Deadpool on account of him either.

I'm a fake geek giiiiiiiiirl too. I don't like superhero comics! I watched Iron Man only for Robert Downey Jr! I play like one video game a year! Oh gosh, look, I seem to be enjoying myself! Look at all the money Marvel makes from me and my friends that they can plough back into comics if they want to! Is that making you mad? Let me get the world's tiniest violin.

This post is great and I totally know the problem!
I found a nice tshirt in H&M with "STAR WARS" written on it. I liked the shirt and I wish I was a Star Wars nerd, but I'm not - I've seen the first movie (episode IV) and liked it like everyone else. I considered it very hard when buying that shirt because I'm scared I'll be questioned and made fun of for not knowing the answers when I wear it, and I considered it long when wearing it on a night out. Guess what happened?! If I hadn't been a girl it might have been a conversation starter and not a way to humiliate me. I think I'll just wear my new tshirt at home...

I whine to my husband how I'm never "good enough" for certain groups, as in I was never cool enough for the cool kids, but I was never "geeky" enough for the geek kids either. I was shunted to "geek girl" category plenty of times. I never watched star trek, can barely remember the plot to the star war movies, and have read maybe 3 comic books. I've never seen Firefly (although I do plan on it).

But I love cons... (mainly cause of books and authors, but SDCC is SO MUCH MORE). I find it FUN. Isn't that all that matters?

I hope to go to one when I can :)

I got so much of this growing up at school. Geek girls didn't exist - therefore either I wasn't a real geek (and must prove my cred) or I wasn't a real girl (ie, queer) and either way, I deserved to be bullied. The local comic shop, ironically, was the one place I didn't get checked. I was one of a few girls patronizing the store, but I never felt harassed for being a girl there, and I wound up playing D&D with the staff. But I know that this sort of thing exists, and it does scare me, because of the fear of being found wanting and being bullied for it. Just the idea gives me flashbacks to high school all over again. It's why when I was apartment hunting in my new town, I went to the local comics store and struck up a conversation with the staff, sort of pre-emptively proving my geek cred and right to be there. It sucks that this has to happen. It makes my girlfriend nervous about cosplaying because she's worried about people fat-shaming her and questioning her geek cred. I guess all we can do is keep speaking out against this and reminding people we have every right to exist here, that these are our spaces as well.

BTW, I love how your friend handled things at the con - that was a really awesome way of combating it, and I applaud the both of you. (and it's something to think about if I ever cosplay a major character...so far I've only cosplayed webcomic characters so it'd be kinda moot)

Hope your cold gets better soon!

I don't especially have anything to add to the conversation that isn't a sigh of frustration that this is a thing that happens. It certainly doesn't make me feel like running out and going to a con; I've never been to one and the fact that someone might geek check me is offputting. Admittedly it's unlikely anyone would do the photo thing to me, but still.

I thought about something the other day and it pretty much applies to almost every situation where someone acts like a tool. If you aren't displaying empathy or applying context you're probably doing something wrong.

"Fake geek girl" has no context and no empathy. So I think the math is simply. It's wrong.

And I couldn't pass a quiz on MANY of my fandoms. Passing quizzes isn't why any of us is a fan. We like stuff. Full stop.

The conversation should go like this, "Do you like 'Transformers Prime'?"

"Yes."

"That's cool."

Achievement Unlocked.

Or alternate response.

I've never seen it, what makes it awesome?

Also, I'm just excited to talk to people who are interested in anything I am, I don't question their credentials, I just hope we can talk reasonably about something we love. That's kind of the point and the fun.

Am I that atypical a guy? Really?

Off the top of my head, I don't think that I've ever been put in a position to defend my geekery. And I've worked at a both a comic store and a gaming store... You'd think it would have happened at least once at one of those places, but I actually can't think of a time... Still, I honestly can't imagine that it would go very far or very well for the person who was trying to put me in that position. I don't have a particularly high tolerance for people in general (I'm not really as outgoing as I seem, I just fake it really well) in the first place, so I think my immediate response would be something like, "You're obviously not worth my brain effort," and then proceed to ignore said person.

Though, even in the event that I failed their exam, I think my response would be, "So what? What are you hoping to get out of this? It's not like I'm going to go change because you don't think I'm enough of a fan." Although, I imagine that even if I were wearing a costume of a character that I wasn't familiar with in a fandom I knew little about, my response to, "Do you even know who you're dressed as?" would probably be, "No, I just like the costume. What of it?" I will own my enjoyment for what it is, and refuse to let them take away my fun. Rawr.

I guess my whole point is, what is the point of even accusing someone of being a "fake geek"? Dudes Who Do That Shit, what are you hoping to accomplish? Seriously.

(But you've also made me think about what sort of fandoms might not necessarily be secure anymore with your point about MLP. No guy would question a girl in Gryffindor house robes, would they?)

Among the things I don't get is...if someone really believes that there are fake geeks, what do they imagine the motivation is?

I know people will claim knowledge they don't have on job applications and probably in lots of other situations where money, prestige, or something valuable is at stake...but, really, what do I win if I successfully convince someone I'm a geek when I'm not?

This thought regularly crosses my mind when I read about this.

Firstly, I'm so thrilled for you, that someone went to the effort of making and wearing a lovely costume of your favorite character, because she knew that was your favorite - that's awesome and I'm glad you two got to meet up.

Secondly, the more I read about cons, the less sad I am that we gave up going to them twenty-some years ago when the Elder Daughter was a wee thing. Ren Faire in costume, yeah, we still do that (although we had to choose between Sawdust Festival and Ren Faire this year, and Faire lost). They just don't sound like fun anymore. Also cons are way too crowded these days, but that's between me and my stress issues.

But I still count myself a geek. I am the spawn of two F&SF geeks, Husband is a geek, the Daughters are both geeks. We all geek out about different things (with some overlap), but we are still all geeks, and proud of it. I think being a geek is about your enthusiasms, not what those enthusiasms are and whether or not they're on the "approved list". So there.

Is this "geek check" an American phenomenom? I'm a Brit and have never had to "pass a test" to prove my Geek cred at any Con I have attended.In fact the general assumption is that if you are at the con, you are there because you want to be there.

With regards to Mr Camera snapper, it is the height of rudeness to take pictures unsolicited. Manners make the man, so what does that say about him.

Of course by the sound of it, could there be Fake geek guys out there who only want to snap piccies of scantily clad women? Not that I'm trying to be divisive or anything, but it seems the boot is on the other foot.

Sure does seem that way.

I've always wanted to go to the San Diego International Comic Convention, reading this post was for me the next best thing.

(Hi! I'm new to following you, but <3 Toby Daye- and helps fill the gap since my GM stopped running our Changeling game, saying something like "new baby". Love your stuff!)

My default is to start to share my cred before I get called on it. I have a trump card of having a geeky profession. But, when I start chatting with geeky people, the first thing I do is check their fandoms. Partially it's to fend off geek-cred checking, but also partially to check where our fandoms overlap?

I help out with Webcomic guest relations at an Anime con near me, and hide away with the Artist Alley. Luckily, I don't get cred checked often. But, I promise, I won't fangirl your Anime big-name guests; I'm there for the webcomic people!

People need to learn, just because your fandom isn't my fandom, or just because I'm not as hardcore into it as you, doesn't make me not a fan.

Agreed, if someone wants to ask me my 'cred' then be ready for a long list, because I will list every single anime I've seen/game i've played/show I've watched/book I've read.

I admit, I've been rolling around the idea of making a T-shirt which says, "FAKE GEEK" on it. Because if being a real geek means getting acceptance from a bunch of jerks, I'm so over being a real geek.

I really like the "There are no Fake Geeks - Only Real Jerks" tshirts

I had one of those extended bits of processing reading this. Have I seen this? Has it happened to me? Why is might immediate response "Irritating but doesn't really bother me..."?

Ah, yes. Tech industry. (Not that it doesn't come up in academia, but it's not as pervasive.) For the kind of work I did, probably about half of the guys I worked with did some version of geek-checking (specifically, said something that was either encouraging me to defend my tech creds, or, more commonly, made it clear they assumed I was a lightweight*) the first time we met. I got used to pulling what I think of as the wuxia mysterious swordswoman maneuver - which is to say, cutting them off at the ankles with perfect poise and equanimity, and not mussing my hair.

...that I became accustomed to it doesn't mean that it's okay, or that other people should have to. Hell, part of the reason I bailed on MS is that I felt like I was undergoing classical conditioning to become an asshole in response to a pretty broad variety of stimuli.

I don't think I've spent a whole day at a con in over twenty years. I've been kind of thinking I'd like to again. In part because people - like you - are talking about this kind of stuff.

* In many cases it did not seem to be intentional, but, er, in ways that often made that worse. Along the lines of "Oh, you must be a new junior person." "No, I'm the project lead, and in charge of everything you will be doing.

Huh.

I get this too, and I'd never noticed it until you mentioned it. Partially because I am a fairly deep geek, but mostly because one of my best friends spouts quotes at the drop of the hat. He will quote everything and expect people to be able to pick up on the reference without prompting. (He's not completely neurotypical, and this is a manifestation of such. He's not being a jerk.) Out of self-defense, I've learned a LOT of movie, book and TV quotes that I can produce out of my hat at a moment's notice.

But this means that when a (virtually certain to be male) coworker makes an obscure reference to some bit of Geek Trivia, I can almost always respond with an appropriate counter-quote or reference. I can reference Aliens, Buffy, Star Wars, Bad 80s Movies, and obscure Batman comics with the best of them -- and it's not because I have seen the movie or read the comic in question. I just know it from repetition around me. I can even reference Dune with ease, and I *loathed* that book enough that I never made it past page 118. Coworkers who check me are typically surprised/impressed/accepting of my responses, and it earns me credit. I just hadn't realized that this was happening until you called it out.

It's also why I learned to tolerate beer, but that gets into a whole 'nother level of geek/tech/OMGsocialnightmares.

After decades of conventions being nearly all male a large number of women suddenly start turning up. Men are suspicious about what is going on. Particularly when magazine stories like this one in Msmagazine turn up.
http://msmagazine.com/blog/2011/07/26/a-feminist-visits-comic-con/

If the women are not there because they are Geeks, what are they after? Men? Money? Power?

So cool that someone dressed as Emma for you!

I'm not pretty or extroverted enough to get geek-checked; I tend to fly under the radar. Just as well, I'd probably fail - although I've been reading comics since before some of these kids were born. Started with a sucky memory that has been getting suckier with age. Don't watch TV. Watch fewer movies. And can't remember names to save my life. Or details from movies I did happen to see. And have time to read only about 10 books a year (if some of them are YAs).

And while I don't dress as characters, I've been known to wear ... interesting ... leather. Mostly to amuse or surprise friends who won't expect it from me. The last time I did that was about 7 years ago -- and some woman I didn't know pointed me out to her husband (whom I also didn't know), who started lining me up and taking picture after picture after picture. I guess I fell for the "I must be looking for attention if I dressed like that" line -- although I don't think it's true... at least not from _him_ -- so my reaction wasn't to haul him over the carpet, but to stop trying, start hiding behind my t-shirts & ratty jeans.

I have.... a memory issue. When I was a small child, around five or so, I had a very few books to read. My family didn't do libraries, so what I had was what I had. I was in the habit of reading all of the books on my shelf, in order, before starting again. One day, one of my relatives (I don't actually remember who) asked me what I was reading. It was Nancy Drew #1, The Secret of the Old Clock.

"Haven't you read that already?" The relative demanded. "Why are you reading it again?"

I realized I had done something very wrong. I didn't know why it was wrong, but it obviously was. So I stumbled out something like "Well I don't remember what happened in it!"

That seemed to satisfy the relative. I internalized the message that it was okay to re-read things as long as you didn't remember them, and I set about training myself to not retain what I was reading in order to be a Good Girl and not have my books taken away. Or something.

So... yeah. Unless I'm making a deliberate attempt to fix whatever it is I'm consuming in my mind, or I've read/watched it so many times that I basically have it memorized anyway, it just disappears. Broad themes, characters, and certain scenes stick around, but the minutia is totally gone. There's no way in hell I'd "pass" a Real Geek test even on some of my One True Fandoms, because my brain is literally wired to not hang onto those tiny stupid details.

Except for the Sea Ponies song. I watched the crap out of that TV special, and I can still sing it from memory!

Now this is interesting, because I think one of the reasons I'm not as knowledgeable about certain facets of fandom isn't because I'm not as passionate, but because when I find something I like I'll watch/read it over and over and over until I have it memorized. Or until the DVD breaks, or the book falls apart. As opposed to finding the sequel/tie-ins/fanfics/RPGs/whatevers that fill out the fandom, I mean.

Also--*hugs*. I'm sorry this happened to you. That sounds incredibly frustrating.

I got cred checked and accused of being a Fake Geek Girl at work.

Allow me to explain vent:
I worked in a bookstore. Not a comic book store, just a regular bookstore with sci-fi and romance and kids books and stuff. We also had a very small selection of comics trades and related works (DC/Marvel Encyclopedias and the like). When I got into comics (c. early 2011), this section suddenly quadrupled in size, because suddenly there was someone on staff who knew her shit and could make recommendations to the boss for things we should order, and then could hand-sell to customers.

I was still a relative newbie. I still consider myself a bit of a newbie two and a half years, innumerable issues, four cons, three costumes and an original Nicola Scott Teen Titans page later, simply because there is so much history in both the DC and Marvel universes, and no-one can know everything. It doesn't help that most of my favourite superhero comics are typically 'girl' comics like Supergirl, Steph Brown's Batgirl run, Birds of Prey and Young Avengers.

Anyway. So I was the only staff member who loved comics, and I was loud and enthusiastic about it, so my boss and most of my coworkers tended to make me deal with the geeks in the comic section. Since I wanted the chance to fangirl, this worked out nicely.

So one day in 2012 my boss comes up and tells me there's a guy in the comics section, and sends me to help while he minds the counter. I walk over, and there's a fairly stereotypical geek guy flicking through the DC encyclopedia. I say something enthusiastic, and he responds with doubt about my comics knowledge, and a question about Batman as a cred check. I respond that I'm not such a Bruce Wayne girl, I'm more of a Stephanie Brown girl, figuring honesty is the way to go here and also that only people who read the comics know who the hell Steph is. I throw in a lament about the fact that the New 52 rebooted her out of existence, because frankly I will bitch about that to anyone standing still long enough.

For my pains, I am told that if I were a 'real' fan I would read Batman, not silly things like Batgirl, and then treated to a five minute rant on why Stephanie Brown (my favourite character) is the worst thing to ever happen to the DCU, how she should have never been Robin and how female characters in general were stupid. Early on in this rant, around the time I realised I really disliked this guy and didn't want to hear this, I excused myself and walked to another section. He followed me until he had finished saying his piece, by which point I was shaking with rage and wanted to be anywhere but there.

It wasn't enough for this guy to call me a fake. He felt the need to tear down everything I loved, and to claim that people like me had no place in the fictional universe I loved. He's damn lucky I liked my job enough that I didn't 'accidentally' drop the DC Encyclopedia on his head like I wanted to. Then again, he was also bigger and stronger than me, so I'm probably lucky I didn't.

The thing that kills me is that the world is so much better when we're all loud and enthusiastic together. My favourite story from the comic book aisle is the time I had tiny Captain America shields hand painted on my nails (it took hours) for the Avengers movie release, and a guy came in with his small child dressed as Cap. I love kids in costume, so I was probably smiling like a loon, and I introduced myself and showed the kid my fingernails. I was expecting the kid's smile. What I wasn't expecting was for the dad to lose his shit. He exclaimed about how cool they were, and asked how I'd done it. (Nail art pens. Hours. Patience. My right hand was a nightmare.) He then called his wife over, and showed my nails to her, still all fanboy-enthusiastic. That family were my favourite customers ever.

Wow. Just . . . wow. There is nothing cool about a guy taking out whatever beef he had with a character on you. Sheesh.

I love your story about the Captain America shields, though. :)