In the sort of heartwarming storyline one might expect from an elementary-school-style episode of "Glee," a 7-year-old girl has attracted an outpouring of support from Star Wars enthusiasts who read that she was being teased for her fandom.
Katie Goldman's mother, Carrie, http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/portrait_of_an_adoption/2010/11/anti-bullying...">wrote on her blog that first-grade boys at Katie's school in Evanston, Ill., were teasing her over her Star Wars water bottle because "it's only for boys." Katie (whose Star Wars enthusiasm has earned her the nickname "Little Jedi") already felt different for being adopted and for having to wear an eye patch. In response to the bullying, she asked her mother if she could bring a pink water bottle to school instead -- and then cried when her mom asked her why she wanted to switch.
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Katie's story zoomed around several Star Wars message boards and sites the past month, picking up momentum as fans on Twitter sent messages of support and photos with the hashtag http://twitter.com/search?q=maytheforcebewithkatie">"May The Force Be with Katie." On Friday, 30,000 people on Facebook say they are wearing Star Wars-themed clothing http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=113784095353278">in support of Katie. Even the cast of "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" took notice, and sent Katie light sabers and other gear, http://edition.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/12/09/katie.starwars.geek/index.html">according to CNN.
Goldman asks that supporters donate the toys to needy kids, and wrote that they are "overwhelmed" with the outpouring of support. Katie will read the comments a few at a time, her mom tells Jenna Busch in an interview published on the Huffington Post, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jenna-busch/may-the-force-be-with-kat_b_786657....">so she can appreciate them.
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In Katie's own interview with the Huffington Post, she said her favorite character is Princess Leia. "I like her because her and Luke are adopted. Leia and Luke are adopted. That's why I like Leia," she said. She also said she thinks the people encouraging her are "really cool" and says she's happy "so many people are standing up for me."
(Photo of Star Wars fans: AP)
Matt sez:
Uh yeah, because that is absolutely the worst thing happening to kids. Or even - like - in the top ten million things happening to kids.
Astonishing.
I absolutely support Katie, and I certainly would have liked a bunch of self-styled "geek champions" to rally around me when I used to get beat up for reading comics, but this is just transparent, rather gross self-promotion for self-styled celebrity bloggers, and for Katie's mom.
I'm very happy for the good that has come about of what is at heart a very cynical campaign, but Katie is being used to create a feel-good narrative and to plug Star Wars toys. Better than being bullied by far, but let's not pretend this is a bunch of altruists looking to make the world a better place.
It's time to stop pretending that "geek" is rebellious, its become a brand name like "grunge", for people who want to have their cake and eat it too - to pretend to be individualists while embracing conformity, groupthink and above all a desperate desire to be special - to be famous.
I was recently asked if I knew of any beautiful geek girls, and the answer was an unequivocal "hell yes" - but I also know a lot of opportunists who wear the geek badge like a Gap label, and who are cheapening the culture and themselves.
To be professional supergeeks.
It's a nice dream, and it's nice that something good came out of it in this instance - but seriously, "We Are the World" this ain't.
A pink cup instead of her Star Wars cup!! Quick, let's have a press conference!
I'm glad Katie's strong. She deserves the credit, not her mom and not a bunch of self-satisfied, self-styled geek divas.
On behalf of all the real beautiful geek girls, women - and men, and everyone - get over yourselves.
You're are the 21st-century Heathers.
Wearing t-shirts in support of one of the hundreds of billions of kids being lightly teased - rather than addressing the problem at large, focusing on one media-friendly story - in a world full of real social injustice, racism, poverty and war - is completely mental.
