As you may have sussed out from my regular mentions of Star Wars and Disney stuff in my show and online, I lean a good bit to the geek side. (Come to the geek side, Luke…). And recently I made the acquaintance of Amy Ratcliffe who runs and writes for a bunch of cool geek sites. I thought it would be fun to interview her so you can get to know her too. 🙂
You’re involved with a couple of different geek-based websites. Can you tell us about them?
It all started with my personal blog, Geek with Curves. From there I’ve jumped around and contributed to a few different sites. Currently I contribute TV reviews and convention panel coverage and interviews to IGN, comics related articles for Blastoff Comics, fan centered posts for StarWars.com, and all sorts of nerdy products and geek chic for Nerd Approved and Fashionably Geek.
You do a lot of events and such around the roles of female geeks. When I was a kid, any girl who liked Star Wars or comic books would have simultaneously been celebrated and looked at like an alien species. How have you seen the role of women in geek culture change?
Female geeks have always been present and always will be. I think the internet has definitely enabled us to find each other and pull together. It’s nice to know I have a ton of other women with similar interests just a mouse click away. That’s not just specific to women though, it’s just nice to connect with so many geeks in general thanks to sites like Twitter.
What are your feelings on geek culture going mainstream?
It doesn’t bother me a bit. If the general populace decides to be geeky or take an interest in things like comic book movies and books, it doesn’t affect my fandom or passions at all. I hate fake geek and gatekeeper arguments. The more the merrier and if people have a problem with it, they don’t have to interact with it.
Being a geek is a knowledge-heavy pursuit. Does it ever start to feel overwhelming?
A little. We all have our own little niches and subjects we geek out over. I don’t know much about video games for example and pretty much nothing about anime. I don’t feel overwhelmed by the expectations of others in regards to having knowledge about those subjects but more that I feel like there is never enough time to learn about all the things I would like to learn about.
We share an affinity for Disney stuff it seems. What draws you to Disney as a fan? And how do you reconcile your love of Disney stuff with the feeling of “they’re also a giant corporation that probably does some shady stuff too…”?
Disney movies have always had a special place in my heart, but what really pushed me over the edge was going to Disneyland as an adult. I’d recently moved to Southern California and figured I would do the token Disney trip and be done for a few years. Nope. I felt the magic of that place from the first walk down Main Street and left with an annual pass that I maintained for six years (until I moved).
I took the time to learn more about the park’s history and Walt Disney and was completely blown away by his ingenuity, imagination, and determination. Knowing that force is behind so many of the movies I’ve enjoyed and the theme parks fuels my passion for Disney.
The fact that it’s a giant corporation has crossed my mind, sure, but I’ve never had a negative view on their practices.
If an evil wizard trapped you in a tower fortress and said you can only geek out about one subject for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Star Wars. No question. There’s just so much there to discuss and discover.
You can see more of Amy’s geek-tastic writing at Geek With Curves, or follow her on Twitter at @amy_geek