• Comics
  • Games
  • TV
  • Movies
  • Music
  • Contests
  • More
    • New Media
    • Books
    • Fan Culture
    • Collectibles
    • Theatre
    • Community Guidelines
  • About

Geek Girls Taking Over TV

October 4, 2012 at 5:00 pm
Kendra Beltran
2

When FOX announced Zooey Deschanel was getting a show and it was deemed “adorkable,” I wasn’t too happy. I thought (500) Days of Summer was overrated and I didn’t want that pretty girl being labeled a geek, but the promos for the show were funny enough and I watched. Before the first commercial, I was a fan. I realized geeks come in all shapes and sizes and Zooey’s character Jess was just the icing on the cake for a beautiful array of geeky ladies taking over TV. From the middle child Alex on Modern Family to semi-psychotic Annie of Community, strong female characters who showcase smarts along with the power to steal a scene are giving a new meaning to geek chic… for the most part.

Nerdy girls aren’t new to television though. Back in the ’80s before Sarah Jessica Parker was a fashionista, she was an awkward adolescence on Square Pegs. The ’90s brought a few more, including Mayim Bialik on Blossom who resurfaced recently on The Big Bang Theory (more on that later), out-there Phoebe on Friends, and Topanga on Boy Meets World. Today there seems to be a geeky gal on every hit show.

On ABC, the girls are younger, but that doesn’t mean they’re just background characters. Modern Family has a huge cast, but Alex stands her ground as the overachieving sibling who is quick with wit when it comes to putting down her older sister. The Middle has Sue… she’s so odd and tries so hard to be “hip,” and that’s why she’s endearing to audiences. Both showcase the idea of individuality, no matter how much it makes you “uncool” to your older brother or sister.

FOX lets their quirky women shine in their own shows. Jess on New Girl is so pretty, but after watching, you realize she might be cute but she’s a mess. You remember she trips while standing in place and talks like a 1920s paperboy as foreplay, and that makes you forget you’re jealous of her giant puppy dog eyes, perfect skin, and flawless wardrobe. After the success of one hit show about a strange grown female, FOX got The Mindy Project. Mindy Kaling plays the same pop culture obsessed girl she did on The Office, but this time around she’s a doctor who’s out in the world trying to have a “normal” adult life. When it comes to these two, they display the fact that no matter how old you get or how many guys you date, you can’t shake how bizarre you really are.

Lastly there’s Annie on Community and Amy Farrah Fowler on The Big Bang Theory. Annie is like the poor man’s Zooey. She dresses like an Olsen twin in 1995, is super smart, appears innocent (but isn’t) and handles her own against the sarcastic and sexy Joel McHale. Amy, now she’s a gem. TBBT was so male-centric when there was only Penny, but the addition of Amy and Bernadette balanced the cast out and made Mayim a breakout star. The character of Amy is almost identical to her boyfriend (without benefits), Sheldon Cooper, with one exception… she has a real sex drive that may never be relieved. What do we take home with this pair? Just because they hit the books more often than most, doesn’t mean they’re oblivious to personal desires.

After you get through the dozens of CSI and NCIS spinoffs, handfuls of vampire dramas, and shows about Animal Practices (really, NBC?), you can find comedies that showcase the talents of women taking charge as geek chic stars. They’re individuals, awkward adults, and show that hey, geeky doesn’t always mean celibate. Let’s just hope this doesn’t turn into one of those TV trends that we’re forced to hate when it becomes too much… like, say, singing competitions.

geeks, new girl, the big bang theory

You might also like:

  • Contest: Win The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Eleventh Season on Blu-ray and Digital!Contest: Win The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Eleventh Season on Blu-ray and Digital!
  • Paleyfest 2018: The Tech, The Vixens, The Stranger ThingsPaleyfest 2018: The Tech, The Vixens, The Stranger Things
  • Top Five Cringeworthy Couples on TVTop Five Cringeworthy Couples on TV
  • The Perks and Peeves of PaleyFest 2016The Perks and Peeves of PaleyFest 2016
  • Fangirl’s Guide to Johnny GaleckiFangirl’s Guide to Johnny Galecki
About the Author
Kendra lives somewhere in between reality and believing she’ll marry Backstreet Boy Nick Carter. After two years of stress thanks to a job she grew to hate, she left and focused 90% of her attention on the one thing that had been her right hand man since she was 13: writing. Currently she writes often for Fandomania, Roni Reports, MTV Geek, and her own music blog, Golden Mixtape.
2 Comments
  1. Lauren Taylor October 4, 2012 at 5:06 pm

    I LOVE IT!!! Great article!!

    I was the same way about New Girl. One day back in 2007 a lady said, Hey you look like Zooey Deschanel. I said who?? I easily became a fan…but once she got over-saturated I was weary of watching the show – but MAN. IT IS AWESOME!!

    Hell yeah for Geek Girls!

  2. kendra October 4, 2012 at 6:34 pm

    Thanks so much! Yes, Zooey became this actress I was annoyed by just because she was everyone’s favorite all of a sudden. But yeah, now I don’t even see her as anything other than just Jess :) And denying myself would be a crime!

  • Contest: Win The Alto Knights on Blu-ray and Digital!
  • Contest: Win Mickey 17 on 4K and Digital!
  • Contest: Win Three Clint Eastwood Classics on 4K and Digital!
  • Contest: Win Batman Ninja Vs. Yakuza League on 4K and Digital!
  • Contest: Win Companion on 4K and Digital!

Follow Us!

© 2008-2022 Fandomania | Privacy Policy