About the Author

My name is Ben Hanig, and I'm an English/German student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. I'm working in the hopes that my Creative Writing degree can help put me on the course towards a career in game design, a field I've been an avid supporter of for quite a few years, now. I spend most of my time either playing, making, or reading about games of all kinds (pretty much whatever isn't dedicated to school or sleep, and even then things can overlap).
As much as I'd like to throw around phrases like, "I've been a gamer all my life," I can't. I was born in 1990, but I didn't get my first video game until the copy of Pokemon: Blue Version I had to share with my younger brother. I didn't play Dungeons and Dragons until high school. My only history on consoles is with the Super Nintendo, Playstation 2, and my 4-year-old Xbox 360, so I missed out on a lot of the "prime formative years" of my discipline. But, like many of my generation, I've seen what was once a child's hobby blossom into a real art form, and now it looks to sweep into pop culture.
We are living in a world that has become increasingly electronic, where the dreams of my Sci-Fi brethren are becoming realities. Even high school jocks and members of Big 10 college football teams can be found passing time on Angry Birds or talking over highlights and strategies from their Halo and Call of Duty careers. Yet, even as we see nerd culture venture into the mainstream, stigmas exist and parents and employers question the use of our time.
Here at Geek Out!, I look to challenge these ideas. I was lucky enough to have a good friend and teacher in my high school years who sponsored an only-recently-sponsored gaming club. It was a haven for many of us, and eventually I even had the honor of leading it for two years as President. Through my time, I met people of all walks of life. Sure, there were your cut-out ideas of "geeks": kids with thick-rimmed glasses who couldn't help but slur and stutter, or the kind who couldn't have a five minute conversation without dropping into some movie quote or internet meme reference. But there were also brilliant minds at home, there. Young men and women who felt they didn't have a place and were just begging for someone to show a real, vested interest in them so they could open up and show their truest selves.
It was in the spirit of these underdogs I founded this blog. Here, you'll find regular posts from both sides: how the everyday lends itself to the nerdy, and how geek culture and experiences can serve one best in the real world.

It's a meeting of minds, a bridging of worlds... and you're invited for the ride!

I Love Game: What Nerds Have to Learn From Lady Gaga

We all know her. She's been hailed as the pop princess of our age, and her wacky antics and get-ups make her recognizable in an instant. Yet, as her website and fans are quick to note, Lady Gaga is more than just a music icon and tabloid gold mine. She is a trendsetter in fashion and music, Time magazine has listed her as one of the most influential people of 2010, and she has become a strong advocate for humanitarian works, being especially outspoken for the rights of the LGBT community.
Love her or hate her, though, Lady Gaga has something worth teaching all of us, even, and in some ways most of all, the geeks of the world.

1. Be Yourself, No Matter What

As I said before, it's no question that Gaga likes to focus on self-promotion (and I'm not just talking in marketing terms). Between songs like Born This Way, her aforementioned advocacy, and just the way that she interacts with her fans, who she affectionately terms "Little Monsters," Lady Gaga has made showing people how to be happy in their own skin one of her main causes. In an interview with Ellen DeGeneres, the diva talked about her battle to "celebrate [her] identity" and told the audience, "Love who you are, that's all you've got."
And Gaga really comes from the heart with all this. Although apparently some may disagree on the finer points (a.k.a. an old classmate quoted by a Wikipedia article), the pop star said she had some difficulties growing up through school, finding herself constantly on one end or the other, but always on the outskirts of "normal." She has a habit of sitting down and having heart-to-heart talks with her audience during shows about her life and her activism, layers her lyrics with insightful tidbits like "My mama told me when I was young/we're all born superstars," and makes a point to sign her approval to others who make a point of being proud of who they are, despite social stigma or paparazzi attacks.
This is a message anyone can latch on to, but our nerdy community should pay special attention to. Let's face it, high school can be a rough place, and even once you're out, college and "the real world" don't pull any punches. Being on the outside of popularity for any reason, whether it's by sexual orientation, hobby, or just because of a misplaced word towards someone in power, is not a happy place for most people. But when you simply remember Lady Gaga's catchy message: "Don't hide yourself in regret/Just love yourself and you're set," that's a good place to start on a personal foundation.
So "Don't be insecure/If your heart is pure," because, heck, you're a pretty amazing person, right?

2. Be Willing to Put On a Show


Before I begin, let me just go find a picture. I'll be right back.

Okay, that took a little longer than expected. But it's not for lack of photos on this woman, it's because of the astounding amount of material on her. Lady Gaga is known for her fashion sense and the way she performs. It's both what brought her into stardom (along with her obvious musical talents) and what keeps so much of the public raving against her. Where some websites call her outfits scanty and provocative, other reporters note a surprising level of asexuality to her costumes. Some call her out for her speeches during performances, trying to make herself out to be some sort of underdog like her fans, yet Lady Gaga is one of the most followed and liked people on her social networks, with a truly dedicated fanbase.

But here's the point: Gaga knows how to put on a show.

This woman, if nothing else, knows how to get recognized. Although she and many of her fans may debate with me on this, Lady Gaga has really learned how to put on a persona. Born Stefani Germanotta, a brunette girl with an Italian/French-Canadian background, the character she has become was not her original. That isn't to say it isn't her, though, and that is the crucial distinction. Lady Gaga didn't make up this stage persona just to make money or become popular, she simply found a way to be herself and have a stage presence. And she's not the first. I, personally, was drawn to her style because I likened her antics to one of my favorite acts of all time, Black Sabbath. Ozzy, Iomi and the group are not and never have been devil worshipers. The name and style was designed to meet a market demand: horror flicks were in, so a dark, horror style would be memorable. The gang still wrote about what was important to them (drugs and sex as much as anti-war propaganda, truth be told), but they had an image that stuck, the same way that Lady Gaga can write sexually-charged songs or perform in a meat dress.

Now I'm not saying anyone should run out and decide to become mini-Gagas (that would be totally the wrong direction), but the point is to take the time to find what is essentially you and be willing to put it out there. Be a little wild, take some calculated social risks, and, of course, be willing to fall on your face. Not every outfit is perfect, not every song can be a hit, and some days we're all just not at our best. But stay ready to step into the limelight and entertain.

3. Do What You Love, Love What You Do

I wish I could gloss over this one and say, "Oh yeah, all artists are like this, so... just do it!" but they're not. In a world where anyone can autotune themselves and then download a program to make a quick beat for it, music is a medium that has become increasingly overwrought with acts that are more about cash than talent (case in point, I currently have FL Studio 9 and am working on making my own recordings. Will they be any good? Time will tell, but the fact is I own a near-professional-grade software so that I CAN make songs, without any training or professionals on standby). That's why people like Lady Gaga who really are in it for the pure joy of the music are such a rare and important breed. Sure, she's won countless honors and is one of the fastest growing names in the biz, but this isn't just money for Gaga: this is a labor of love, how, I would argue, true art should be. 

I mean, seriously, look at this:

Someone who's in it for cash might say this, sure. But Gaga is constantly making posts about or for her fans. She is humbled in so many interviews and ridiculously thankful for the amount of support she receives. The point is, you can debate her motives as much as you like, but this woman undeniably loves her job. She talks happily about working around the clock on songs, shows, and videos, and feels her best when she's putting out work "for the fans." 

That's a life we're all hoping for, where our greatest joy is our job, doing something that both makes us a happier, better person, and makes the world a better place to be. Whether it's performing on stage, designing that next AAA video game, or teaching kids towards their true potential, it's all worth working towards and being excited about.

4. Expect Nothing Less Than Authenticity

Going back to my previous point, at the risk of sounding too Catcher In the Rye, the world is full of a lot of fakers. School's where so many of us get the first hints of this, but even the people who aren't doing it maliciously can be phony to themselves. Chances are, as you go through life, you'll date some people who turn out to be anything but what they made themselves out to be, you'll have some bosses who act sugary-sweet, only to cut you down once you're hired, and there will be instructors who put up some facade of control and power in their classroom, but are the most timid people you'll ever meet in their personal lives. 

We won't go in to the good and bad of all that, but the point is, you don't have to accept it. Sure, you might be jerked around, but, especially with those closest to you, you shouldn't feel out of line in demanding that others be straight and true with you. 

This is enough of an issue that Lady Gaga has put entire tracks to work about it. Take "Paper Gangsta", for instance.

The chorus goes like this:

Don't want no paper gangsta

Won't sign away my life to

Someone who's got the flavor

But don't have no follow through

Don't want no paper gangsta

Won't sign no monkey papers

I don't do funny business

Not interested in fakers

Don't want no paper gangsta

Seriously, this girl doesn't take any shit. In a rare, and honestly amazing, bit of rapping, Lady Gaga puts down exactly the problems she has with people who try to act like something they're not, especially trying to be around her. And, really folks, why should she, or any of us, for that matter? Think about it. You meet a good looking guy/girl, they take you around, seem like everything you could ever want, but when you go to seal the deal, you find out they aren't anything you knew them to be. It's destructive for friendships, it's terrible to realize in the workplace, and it's downright cruel in a relationship. So why even let it be a question? A little pretend-time is fun here and there, but if someone wants to be a character in their life, there's no need to get yourself involved in that one-night showing.

5. Anyone Can Be (Or Be With) a Celebrity

Now don't cheapen this for me. Look at the facts: Gaga grew up as a middle-class girl in New York, dreaming of the life she now has, but never completely sure she could accomplish it. The woman took risks, she fought her way to the top, and now she lives the celebrity high-life. Classic American dream. But let me show you something else.

This is Lady Gaga and Luc Carl. Her boyfriend. From Nebraska. 

Ladies and gentlemen, I am from Nebraska, actually a little Omaha suburb much like the one Luc comes from. I don't think I have to tell anyone that Nebraska isn't exactly the pop culture center of the world. We're a quaint little Midwestern state known mostly for our beef and corn. I have people surprised we even have internet (although that misconception seems to dwindle with age, thank God). Sure, we have some movies made here, there are some famous faces, but, for the most part, it's like any other place in the Midwest if you've never lived here. 

So don't get down on yourself if you think you didn't have the right upbringing, or you can't afford to live on the coasts, or there's some stigma that you're a backwards hick who powers his laptop on cows and talks with a Larry the Cable Guy drawl. Anyone from anywhere can make a name for themselves, or can find love in the most ridiculous, romantic, Lifetime-Original-movie-worthy places.

Life's a party, so get out there and live it!

A personal aside to Ms. Gaga:

Ma'am, if you're reading this, let me first say I'm a big fan. Second, next time you come around the Omaha-Metro, if you and/or your boyfriend would like to learn German as much as your music tells me you do, I'd be more than happy to assist. Seriously, no charge.

Mission Statement

Geek Out! is a place where nerd meets pop, gamer meets philosopher, and players of all kinds can find a middle ground.