Years ago these were the guys who populated the chess clubs and band practice. Their only role on the high school football team was to keep the other players hydrated. And their idea of a wild Friday night was playing video games well past curfew.
You likely passed them in the halls without a second glance, unless it came to copying your homework off them. They may have struck you as shy and reserved, yet underneath that slender physique, horned-rim glasses and dishevelled hair was a very bright individual.
Today those same geeks of yesteryears have turned into some of the most eligible, striking bachelors out there.
Just look at Microsoft’s Bill Gates. He’s wealthy, powerful and has a big heart, doing humanitarian work in developing countries — all of which are well sought after qualities. In fact, I even find his wired-rimmed glasses endearing.
Television has caught on to the geek craze with shows like Beauty And The Geek, which is now in its fifth season, and new sitcoms such as Chuck, about a computer geek turned government agent, and The Big Bang Theory, which stars two hyper-intelligent physicist roommates.
There are even dating sites, like sweetongeeks.com or gk2gk.com, devoted solely to finding geek love.
Geek has become chic.
Jayel Gibson, an award-winning fantasy author of The Ancient Mirror series and self-proclaimed geek, says there are many advantages to dating a geek. She should know; she married one.
“They are bright, get good jobs, have good incomes, and are good at remembering dates — like your birthday,” Gibson says. “Geeky minds are good with numbers.”
She adds that geeks are very loyal — in fact, the furthest their eye is likely to wander is into the nearest video game store.
Gibson, who says she often likes to curl up in bed with her husband and … play video games, believes geeks started to earn society’s respect in the ’80s when more technology began to enter the home. Then, slowly, IT degrees and then video game degrees started to pop up in universities and colleges. “To understand how to use those little ones and zeros to send information around the world, it’s really mind blowing,” she says. “I think people really started to appreciate that intelligence.”
Gibson’s best advice for dating a geek is to start within their realm of comfort.
“Do something where you feel confident and comfortable,” she says.
She adds some of her best dates with her now husband were spent in electronic stores, which could also make for a great place to seek out some geek lovin’.
