such as Lulzsec and Wikileaks alongside Google & Microsoft show that geeks rarely agree. I wanted to get across a bit of that.
Geek Syndicate
GS: Now your show is heavily slanted towards those with the ‘Geek’ gene what has the feedback been like from audience members who weren’t geek? HC: I designed the show to be for a geek audience. At the fringe it becomes very hard to get an audience. You either have to have a very accessible show and promote any and everywhere or something highly specialised. I felt that a show by a geek for geeks would be a good plan. Having said that, there were some people who didn’t get the show at all. To help with some of the more geeky segments I have now
introduced some images (in the form of a powerpoint presentation) and some more straightforward comic elements which seem to help the less geeky members of the audience enjoy it just as much as the level 18 geeks. GS: What can we expect from you next? HC: Being a geek is only one part of my personality. My next show is called ‘Secrets of the Elders of Zion.’ It is about how I’m upset that I’ve never been asked to become an Elder of Zion so I start up the UK Branch myself. I play the role of 5 different rabbis, moses and there’s a song about Bible Codes. To be fair, it still sounds pretty geeky! GS: Last question...and yes it’s a geek one...The Hobbit now has
three films...good idea or bad? HC: I’d like to say good. Having read the book, I’m not so sure there’s enough to create an engaging trilogy. Just because Tolkien used lots of words, that doesn’t mean they were all necessary. GS: Many thanks for your time mate Check out more of Hayden’s poems elsewhere in this issue. Hayden is currently performing Age of the Geek. At the time of publication, performces are: Manchester – Saturday 3rd November – Kings Arms, Salford – BOOK HERE Leeds – Saturday 17th November – Seven Arts – BOOK HERE
Barry Nugent
What is A Geek? By Hayden Cohen
What is a Geek? Are we weak? I don’t think so. We’re humankind version 2.0. Where brain beats braun. Where manic obsession Is a character strength And brute force is trumped by reason. What is a Geek? Are we socially awkward? No! We’re liberated from the social conventions that the norms have to live to. We question and wonder the status quo And do our best to become superheros; Even though that may only mean donning a long brown robe And pretending we’re more athletic than reality would show. What is a Geek? Do we reach new technological feats Whilst sucking on the teat
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Of inspiration? You bet we do. Or is that nerds? I’m not so sure any more. But hey, we’ll buy the tat That smarter people than us decide to impart. We’re interested in everything And how it works. We’ll win at a pub quiz And complete an academic doctorate. We’re highly focussed On our own obsessions And most of the time when we’re talking We can see the other person with their eye s forever rolling. What is a Geek? WHAT is a Geek? Is this question rhetorical? Yes it is. Is it? This is getting a bit too meta for me. Don’t you think?