The Bleeding Edge of Geek
by antonstrout on Feb.19, 2010, under Anton Strout and Amber Benson
So I’ve been thinking more and more about the whole reluctant adult thing, which got me in turn thinking about growing up geek. What I realize is that being geek is a passion- one for obsessing over things that some find trivial or simply don’t get. With passion, however, also comes great anxiety.
For instance: First there was The X-Files, for which I had to tune in each and every week! My mid 90s Saturday night consisted of settling in at the TV. It was time for the Action Pack, which featured Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess for two hours. When Herc went off the air, it became the Back2Back Action Hour with Xena, Jack of All Trades and Cleopatra 2525. I watched, I obsessed, I met at conventions, I loved. But, as the title of the last episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation implied, all good things must come to an end. Shows (and also books tying in to all those properties) I was passionate about wrapped up. What was I going to do with my geek time NOW? Much anxiety ensued… as I think it does with most of those cut from my cloth. WHAT WAS GOING TO FILL MY VOID OH GOD I CAN’T BELIEVE THEY ARE OVER??!
But then we got the new Star Wars series and the Lord of the Rings Trilogy and, Jar Jar aside, part of the wound was closed. Then came a little show called Buffy the Vampire Slayer, followed by Angel, followed by Firefly(there are a billion more shows I could list, but I’d like to finish this post today). For awhile, I was a happy boy, but we all know how those all ended to. AND SO THE ANXIETY RETURNED ALONG WITH THE VOID!
We are geek. We are passionate. We are always looking for that next fix. I’m anxiously awaiting season three of True Blood and some more Iron Man. Part of me cannot fathom what will fill the void that Lost wrapping up will leave. I always panic, but there is always something to fill the void. You think I’d calm down by now, but that is not the way of the geek. Ours is to twitch and fret and drink up every drop, flame wars about deviation from books or comics in film and television be damned! I am curious about Amber’s perspective, having experienced it as a different part of the geekdom which hasn’t died down if I am to judge by the lengthy line at her New York Comic-con autograph session last year…
In a roundabout way this is my way of suggesting perhaps that the Back2Back Action Hour be reinvigorated as the Back2Back Urban Fantasy Hour with two one hour shows a week that chronicle the adventures of one Simon Canderous and the lovely Calliope Reaper-Jones. That would raise my geekly twitching to a whole new level, have no doubt.
Related posts:
- Anton Strout- Proudly a Reluctant Adult Welcome to the Amber and Anton hour, err two week, at Babel Clash. *slips Babel Fish in ear* First and foremost, I’d like to thank Borders and Morgan for inviting us. Amber promised this would be as good a place as any to harass me, but she’s such a sweetie,...
February 20th, 2010 on 12:53 am
I love it when you speak my language Anton. Tho I am going to add another level to the anxiety… I get anxious every time Joss Wheden gets a new series….. because it never lasts anymore! Will this one be the next Buffy/Angel ? Or it will end up like Firefly/Dollhouse….. leaving us wanting more but not able to get it? It’s stressful *sigh*
I would totally be down for a Simon hour. I would be there twittering my delight.
February 20th, 2010 on 1:00 am
Can we clone you?
February 20th, 2010 on 1:06 am
will it hurt?
February 20th, 2010 on 1:09 am
Dear Anton,
Get out of my brain! JK
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER was my crack and I sooo did not want to go to rehab. The only show that comes even close to filling that void is DEXTER. But, I seldom watch, rewind, watch, repeat etc. I miss having sore ribs from laughing, the bouts of hysterical sobbing, heated discussions over text and subtext, and snickering that the censors were apparently (thankfully) asleep at the wheel on many an occasion. My geekdom isn’t just bleeding. It’s hemorrhaging. Bring on the Simon/Calliope tourniquet and make it snappy. Please
February 20th, 2010 on 1:26 am
I can’t wait till they do a Dexter musical episode, Marie. They can call it Once More with Drilling.
February 20th, 2010 on 2:02 am
oh god, i seriously just snorted. Once More with Drilling.
BTW - best musical episode EVER! I still listen to the soundtrack…. maybe i shouldn’t admit that? LOL
February 20th, 2010 on 10:50 am
I blamed Amber for derailing my writing the other night because Once More… came on and I had to stop and watch it.. again. It’s so good in every way.
And I’ll admit that it comes up in my listening rotation on a pretty regular basis.
February 20th, 2010 on 1:08 pm
In that case I will also admit that my kids ADORE it LOL. “It must be bunnies” is a pretty regular response to all kinds of things in this house LMAO
February 20th, 2010 on 3:42 pm
Great post. I always get wrapped up in these wonderful geeky shows, and they always go away. Luckily movies sometimes come along that help for a while, and then some other great show comes up to get wrapped up in. I love the advent of the DVD, I can buy those shows and keep them forever.
February 20th, 2010 on 8:10 pm
I don’t know what I did before Joss. Seriously, I will always remember watching Buffy for the first time thinking “Oh man, this is awesome!” We own all of Buffy, Angel and Firefly on DVD to watch over and over and over. I loved all the shows you mentioned too, but the humor is Joss’s stuff never gets old. You know what’s really cool? Have two teens now who we can share our geekiness with. They’ve watched all of the DVD’s, and they are going to carry on the tradition:)
February 20th, 2010 on 11:58 pm
I’m another geek who worships at the altar of Joss Whedon.
“Supernatural,” “Lost,” and “Fringe” have filled the gap a little bit for me, but I’ll forever miss the brilliance of “Buffy” and “Angel” especially.