The 42 bar interviews about PAX and the bar are great
examples of how social geeks truly are. The example of the lone person hiding
from the world only going out when forced to by others is a common model in
most American’s minds. The fact is that when put into certain social settings
geeks seem to be the friendliest and social people around. If I went to a
typical bar I will not socialize with anyone there if I did not come with you I
know I have nothing in common with you, but at 42 I would talk to everyone.
The 42 bar is trying to mimic a convention setting
without the convention. At conventions I constantly hang around people I do not
know talking about all sorts of things from the convention to everyday life,
meeting up with people I have not seen in a year and catching up. The
convention setting gives off an opportunity that I like to think of as
spontaneous friendship because you know people have similar interests as you, otherwise
they would not be there. Almost no one will brush you off if you begin a conversation,
also you will not have that awkward start to a conversation that most bar
conversations have. One of the best things about conventions is there is such
an openness and acceptance of all that there is no wonder that people want to
recreate it more often and share it with others. There is a real warmth that
can be felt in this subculture that not many others have the capabilities to
possess. This feeling people want created more in their
everyday not just a once in a while or once a year.
42
markets to a niche market, attracting a certain clientele that craves the
setting they provide by mimicking the conventions they so love. There is a
shared identity that only a very few number of bars cater to. Bars are about
selling an experience and 42 has one that not many have. In all the 100
episodes of Bar Rescue I have seen there was only one was a geek bar and there
was nothing like it in the entire city. This city had a huge geek community
that had nowhere to go when they wanted a bar experience and they do not feel
comfortable at other bars.
Like
the 42 owners said, geeks are very social people contrary to popular belief,
you just need the right setting or situation. I have been to folk dance shows
where people have spontaneous games of Magic the Gathering. At a summer camp I
was a counselor at I would play Magic randomly with campers and staff. I will
bring my deck to random places now because you never know when there will just
be a spontaneous game of Magic. Even family gatherings are not exempt from
this. Both my brother-in-law and my cousin’s fiancé are very shy people, both
usually hide behind the people that they came with at social events.
Thanksgiving is an awkward time for both of them and both scarcely say a word
or they try to hide away. That was until we found out that both play Magic. We
play now at almost every family event because the conversation flows smoothly
and there seems like there is a new character that these people take on. They
both hate large crowds but feel right at home at a convention setting. They
both do not feel comfortable with strangers and something that shocked my
sister and myself to our very core was her husband started a conversation with
a stranger at one of these events. These antisocial beings are actually quite
social in the right setting and this is the goal of 42.
It
does not surprise me however that something like 42 could not exist a few years
ago. I could foresee the media not be welcoming and the reaction that
antisocial geeks would not gather in crowds to support a bar. Times are
changing, I believe with the increase of social media awareness. Being a geek
also does not carry with it the same amount of baggage as it had in the past,
mainly from the growing number of people in the subculture. The support network
people now have is so much greater and can now be more public. I can proudly
tell people I am a huge superhero geek and enjoy a good shooter RPG. The
antisocial geek may soon be a thing of the past if the geek bar scene can take
off because I would gladly replace my sports bar with an anime bar.
This post was overall nice to read. As a lifelong nerd it is nice to read something that was not written from an ethnocentric bias. There is one issue I had when reading your post, but I'm not sure you ment it the way I read it. "...there seems like there is a new character that these people take on." This seems like a slightly disingenuous statement. Now I don't know the full detail of what goes on during, your familial Magic the Gathering games but I think unless they are in particularly taking on a character role as some "Planeswalker" it's not necessarily a character. The game itself acts as a way for your brother-in-law and cousin's fiance to behave as their true selves. I wish I had a family that played Magic at Thanksgiving. Instead I sit in my parents living room surrounded by way to much food and that one cousin that you only see once a year at Thanksgiving pretending to actually care about the Lion's Game currently on the Television. Pretending to be that standard red blooded American that loves football and eating until they enter a coma, now that is a character. Pretending to be Brash the were-bear/fire elemental sorcerer or Dave Theecentric the oddball Elf wizard are better representations of myself than the former ever will be.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your post's description of the accepting atmosphere that geek bars such as "42 Lounge" have. Knowing that the people around you will have similar interests can act as a social lubricant. People can bond over their mutual love of geek culture. For example, when I meet another Game of Thrones Fan, I first find out which episode they are on (spoilers are detested), and then we will often proceed with a discussion of fan theories, the development of certain characters, and a lament of characters whose storylines appeared to have been dropped, or who have died. This conversation can often serve as a bridge to other topics, such as a discussion of history, or recommendations for other TV shows. We might not have talked to one another, if we didn’t have the background of enjoying this series.
ReplyDeleteThe fun events at 42 Lounge, such as laser tag, can qualify as a shared experience, and create the opportunity to increase social capital. People have a chance to meet one another and associate in a (hopefully) positive manner; this has the potential to lead to relationships outside of the niche bar. Cultural capital, and “nerd cred” can also be gained from attending a geek bar. I am a patron of the geek bar “Binary.” I have several pictures of me standing next to their Star Trek items, as I am a fan. I was impressed by the geek bar itself, and by my boyfriend, who had discovered the bar and told me about it (increasing his “nerd cred”) in my eyes.
42 Lounge and other geek bars are places where nerd communities can gather without stigma being placed on enthusiasm. As a geek, I’m very happy that these places exist!
I thought this was a very uplifting post about 42 lounge and nerds in general. I think it is great for those who don’t like certain social situations to find a place where they do feel comfortable. As an outsider in the geek world I am happy to see geeks embracing what they love and not changing a thing about themselves. Although I have never played magic or barely even a video game I enjoy learning about it from others and want to start playing some of the board and video games. I also completely agree with the statement that being a geek does not carry with it the same amount of baggage as it has in the past. Everywhere I go and almost everyone I meet these days expresses some interest in a board game, video game or some sort of convention they like to go to. I find myself almost on the outside because of how new this world is to me, but am interested learning much more about it.
ReplyDeleteI loved the way you point out the role playing that people do outside of games Coley.
ReplyDelete