Not exactly surprising. Of course there are going to be girls who are subjectively (to the viewer) attractive playing games in the world, that aren't in the public eye. That's just common sense.

Unfortunately as many others, I can't see any pictures posted in blogs since a long time ago. So I can't see for myself if you are an "attractive girl who shows intertest in video games", so beautiful that one can mistakenly think that you found that photo in the web. You are that beautiful. (and that modest) And you posted it as editorial to make sure that a lot of people can see with their own eyes how big nonsense is this "fake geek girl" theory...

"Teh soapbox blogs"....yeah okay. The usual stuff.  I'm here long enough, I actually don't have any excuse.

I love how in a round about way she calls herself pretty. Lol, still it was a good blog post

What is this, high school?

Who even cares about this stuff anymore. If you like playing games, play games. This is just another form of snobbery to alienate people. And worse, alienate them from having fun.

When I read the title, I thought this blog was about people who pretend to be into something just to attract other people/significant others. I take the stance that the fact that they're even trying so hard to be into it means they obviously care about the people they're trying to cater toward a lot. So what's the big deal? They aren't hurting anyone.

I find the best way to answer ignorance is with a strong cold shoulder.

A while back I wrote this:  http://omgourmomgames.blogspot.com/2012/04/so-couple-days-ago-i-was-reading.html

After reading an article on Kotaku about this whole "Fake geek girl" drama. I'm not sure when "geek" became cool, or when it required some sort of litmus test to prove your geek status. Its ridiculous, its just another attempt at categorizing and labeling our shallow little world.

A/S/L?

Oh, crap sorry. I thought I was still on IRC.

Can't see the pic.... But, how you doing..? ;) j/k

I have seen you comment in mutual friends blog post and knew you were a girl, and I am always kind of curious how GSers look like:D Pity your pic doesn't show for me. I always put my pic in "about me" so every one can see how I look like. Well, in GS haydays we used to post our pictures in the Unions under this is how I look like or something like that. We had also this all girl Union called Girl Gamers Union, so I knew a good number of female GSers and almost all of them looked good. But then, do all male gamers look good? I mean do all PEOPLE look good? Some are attractive and some are not, gamers or non gamers so why it should be different here? I mean even in Holywood many stars are not particularly handsome or pretty.

Just like Goths dont want to be on the same level as emos.

Everybody thinks there problems are special and should take priority. Its the religion argument where they will never take anyone else's views because they all think they are right.

How about fake geeks in general?  I can hardly believe the explosion in popularity and acceptance of geek/nerd 'culture' in the last 25 years.  When I was a kid geeks and nerds were mocked and bullied and beat up. Now I see kids who are 'geeks' because they inherited a Nintendo4, or watch Pokemon, or played a game of D&D once. 

was this really a thing? were folks really raising a fuss over "fake geek girls"? This is the third thing I've seen on the subject. Maybe i don't visit enough forums.

Why in the world are there so many blogs on this? I don't doubt that there is a problem, but I think it is being blown far out of proportion. 

A very Interesting Blog. My wife and best friend are both gamer girls. Yes we have met many "fake gamer girls" in our time. It has never hit me as such an issue that people need to get angry over it. The ?fake gamer girls? had been either sales woman, girls dressed in costumes for advertising or the best I seen was a girl who came to a party to try and impress a guy there who was a ?gamer guy?. The funny part of that story is he came to a party for gamers but we didn?t class him as a gamer?so go figure.

While I agree that stereotyping and equality should be happening, I do want to point out this one thing....

Fake geek girls are a real thing.  My wife, who's a huge nerd like myself points it out more than I do.  She is a proud geek girl I guess, and she wants to make the distinction.  There are a lot of girls who will try to be nerdy, know nothing what they are talking about just to try to 'fit in' with a crowd.  Its really odd how the paradigm has shifted over the last 15 years or so.  Used to be that being a gamer meant you are a social pariah.  Now its a crowd that 'posers' are trying to get into.

She is much like yourself though in that she doesn't try to go around validating herself as a gamer girl or geeky person.  People know just by talking to her, or some of her obscure references on her shirts.  She doesn't have to try to go out of her way to be like I PLAY GAMES AND HAVE BOOBS, LOVE ME!!!!! And to me, that is the best kind of 'geek girl' to me is my point.

Phew look at the comments on this one! Its a new record! In my experience I'm consistently surprised with good looking women enjoying video games because when I was growing up that was not the norm. I was born in 1988.

AND geez... you make a good point. You are definitely more attractive than I imagined you being.

I think this is like to go away throughout the next 20 years as the industry expands and more and more females are drawn into gaming as a hobby. The kind of marketing that used girls like Olivia Munn (I didn't even know she was faking it. Wow. That's crappy) won't be so alluring in the future.

Good blog, thanks for sharing. Ignore the sheeple, they'll baaa on about ignorance.

Well just because they generalize women doesn't really mean that they don't have a point. Women are very underrepresented in gaming, you can't deny that. So it is highly likely that most women you see in, let's say video reviews, are NOT gamers, those are just hired to look pretty, and make men watch their videos, nonetheless a very effective method. When I was in elementary and High school, people would always pick on me as a geek, nerd etc. I only had 2 other friends which were also gamers to talk with, and we were basically the lowest "rank" in the class. So I can really imagine the feeling that those "casual gamers" are stealing their hobby, and acting cool with it in the progress. 

Example:

about 10 years ago(This was said to me back in the day);

"Haha what? You play video games? Good luck with staying a virgin! Neeeerddd! (class mates laughing at me)"

Not too long ago, posted on facebook by someone who used to bully me.(Yes, I have the people who bullied me on facebook, I forgave them :P);

"LOL, my Halo pre- order just arrived, can't wait to play it ^^ "

Even some girls replies underneath it, " Awesome!" etc.

So long story short; People who used to game alot, were uncool and nerds/geeks. Nowadays everyone does it, and makes the "hardcore gamers" feel like they are losing "The only thing they had".

This creates a general disregard to people who say they are long time gamers( which they obviously aren't ) and to girls whom now act cool with games like Halo, Call of Duty, Sims, Farmville etc. 

So in my opinion, let those so called " hardcore gamers" have their fun. They had to go through alot, it's the only thing they have. :)

Yes, gender and cultural stereotypes still riddle societies all over the world, but I still feel like this could've been approached a bit less fundamentally. There's going to be "exceptions" in every stereotype, that's an absolute given. I support people going against stereotypes and I feel that that's the point that needs to be made. Saying you're against a stereotype is one thing, but you don't need to put yourself into the equation to prove your point. I've visited your blogs countless times and you obviously have plenty of potent and discussable topics worth talking about. That kind of stuff should prove that you're breaking a stereotype, not putting a picture of yourself online. Let your words support your standing, not your personal image.

From now on, I'm going to read your blog lol. Yes, actually only the lil kids buy that one out. Nobody in his 20's do really believes that there's a sexy lady waiting for him behind a CoD match...

Not trying to be mean sorry keep blogging it was still really good just seemed unnecessary...

You really should have just done that ps all stars blog lol stick to amateur stuff - this blog is rife with cliches it's freaking preposterous! I don't think videogame companies are paying you - maybe seventeen magazine.

If marketing convinces girls that games are cool, this means more sex and less whining. This is our only chance guys, embrace it!!!

The problem isn't "girl gamers" and you're playing some sort of self-obsessed victim card if you think it is. It's basically the same old story of someone intruding upon another's niche, claiming to be "one of them". Hardcore gamers have had to put up with a fair amount of abuse over the years of being called geeks and nerds and whatever, and games were their sanctuary. Now as gaming has boomed in recent years you have multiple areas of gaming where people consider themselves to be in, and broadly use the term "Oh yeah, I'm a hardcore gamer"

It comes down to perspective really, a football maniac who chalks up 60 hours of football manager a week is very technically a hardcore gamer, if i then go to him and ask him what his favourite stage in sonic 2 was he's going to look at me like i'm an idiot. Same goes for people who play WoW. My girlfriend has an absurd amount of time played on WoW and considers herself a hardcore geek / gamer, but tbh her gaming experience is very small. She can't tell me the characters from street fighter 2,  or how to do special moves, etc. but that doesn't make her a non-hardcore gamer, just means she has different interests and perhaps didn't get into gaming as early as one such as myself.

Basically we're talking about gaming snobbery. And you'll find that in any hobby anyone has, if you know more than the other guy, you feel more validated and feel the same blanket term shouldn't be used to refer to both of you. It'd be like a middle-school physics teacher and Stephen hawking being lumped together.

Bringing gender into the issue is something that will be done quite frequently, but then that's because ignorance is rife in this day and age. Any way to try and demean the other person will be used, if they're younger, different sex, nationality, whatever...

"I don't look like the stereotype of a "gamer." I'm not fat, covered in acne or well...male... for that matter." - quite a few people don't fall into that stereotype... we just don't feel the need to post our pictures to try and prove otherwise (which is a completely asinine action considering a single exception will not alter the perceived stereotype in any way whatsoever). It's the internet, love... people are going to say stupid things and make idiotic generalisations, if anything, you're buying into the stereotype more than most, and then trying to make some sort of song and dance about how you don't fit the stereotype. Really you play games more than your husband? My gawd... how can this be?!

Girls can deffinently play games. I have a younger sister that gives me a run for my money in Halo 4. I like your blog keep it up :)

Reading this article has made me once again wonder - why is this still an issue?

Gaming may not appear to be a pluralistic medium per say but it definitely has representation by both genders whether it be your Roberta Williams or your Tim Schafer, your Lara Croft or your  Nathan Drake. The fake geek girl disease is more a consequence of people, be it hipsters, goths or anything of the sort, demanding for some form of attention or acceptance. It is unfair to judge a book by it's cover in all instances and I have been in situations where I've been able to discuss games at length with people who might not otherwise look like they play games.

Alas, I am glad you made this blog, if only to show it is not a big deal as said. Thanks, it was an interesting read :)

For me (and others seem to agree) my issue is with the fakeness and lies. No matter if it's games or music or anything else if you're lying then I have issues with that. I have met girls that do fake it and have also met ones that admit they don't know much. I have much more respect for the women who are honest. Since more guys play games than girls, then girls have more reason to pretend they like it.

On the other hand I dislike the hate towards different types of gamers. If someone is new to games or only likes certain types of games, then they shouldn't be put down for that. However, you shouldn't portray yourself as a hardcore gamer if you only play Farmville all day. I find it very weird whenever I meet someone and they are wearing a shirt or have something on them and they don't know where it's from (guy or girl).

There are many attractive girls and guys who play games or read comics. It's one thing to assume and pass judgement(which isn't necessarily right), but it's on a whole other level when you harass or treat someone poorly over it. Women do tend to get harassed far too often in the gaming community. It's been happening for years. Unfortunately, with the anonymity of the internet I don't see that changing any time soon.

Posting a picture of yourself actually does nothing to change the issue here. Do you really think most gamers don't already know that there are girls out there who play games that don't fit the stereotype you described? The simple fact is that they are in the minority - that is why people tend to think that employing attractive girls to market games is a form of misrepresentation. Girls who play games come in all shapes and sizes - every reasonable person knows that. Your picture alone does nothing to change the fact that the vast majority are perceived to be unattractive. To successfully prove your point, you'd have to produce evidence that a considerable proportion of female gamers ought to be considered attractive.

For the record, I actually agree with your point that female gamers ought to be treated with more respect. I just think you're not doing it right. One swallow doesn't make a summer.

Well, the girlfriend of one of my best friends its actually good looking, and plays League of Legends among other real games.

I also had a girlfriend that liked videogames that was hot, even though she was kinda bad, she played God of War, Dragon Ball Z and some FPSs.

This is pretty shallow.  Instead of arguing against the sterotype that gamer (or nerd) girls are unattractive, you decided to show that YOU as a gamer are not unattractive. 

I'm not sure why this should bother anyone.

ok  there is one real gamer girl that doesnt fit the stereotype....paranormal.....:p

So what's the top ten list?

For the love of Norris it's spelled "poseur."

Why so serious? Stop. Look. Listen. Posers are everywhere. Personally I hate it when girls think they're one of the guys So were all stuck pretending for the night like she is.

I think it comes down to the fact no one really likes posers. regardless of the gender.

i've met way way more casual gamers and 'bro' gamers then i've met those who play more then just their little niche. people who know something about the medium and what's going on in it. 

please don't get me wrong, just everyone has their own 'thing' and what it means to have it. 

to give a personal example,

I'm only tangentially interested in sports, my brothers are big time into it, and i know they won't appreciate it or even ingratiate it if i suddenly started acted like i'm super into sports, when i know nothing and care very little. and i don't, because i'm not starving for attention or the need to feel like i'm part of a group. 

For some people that is absolutely the case though. 

the whole thing feels like a non-issue that was kicked up, gets internalized and personalized. There are going to be posers no matter what thing your into, and in all those cases they're known by the 'in' group, and in almost all cases people either don't care enough or don't ingratiate it. 

I could never understand why we need the term "Girl gamer" as if it's different from "gamer".Anyone can be a gamer regardless of gender, age or origin, provided that they enjoy and spend time playing games. It's just unnecessary differentiation that leads into discrimination on the internet.

The few girls I've met IRL into gaming and geek culture are really nice people, but did fit the stereotypes of being unattractive/obese.

The fact is there are alot less female core gamers, which means "hot gamer girls" are rare, also why people like felica day get so much attention. I get that people say moronic shit on the internet, but maybe you could emphahise with male gamers a little bit.

For instance theres no way im going to admit to a potential date that i'm into computer games. It'd likely be a huge turn off, can you say the same if you were talking to a guy?

Im pretty sure most guy gamers, like me, fit the stereotype of being "forever alone". While I know that hot gamer/geek girls do exist, and that there are probably millions out there, the chances of me meeting one when I go out seem pretty much nil.

Have pity on us. Despite the shit girl gamers have to put up with internet douchebags, you get a much better deal overall.

I think its kind of nice that enjoying games has become less counter culture and more mainstream in the last 10-15yrs and girls like yourself are able to say you like them without being ostracized.  I knew girls who played games in the mid to late 90's who would never mention it to anyone outside their best friends because they had an image to keep.  But, when it became mainstream, I guess a few girls that weren't into games wanted to be perceived as cool by faking enjoyment in them (which seems completely opposite of what im use to).  You also give viewpoints that I as a guy I would have never thought to address, so keep up the blogs.

I'd take a girl that loves what I love as much as I do, no matter the shape or size, over some blonde princess that treats me like a little kid simply because she thinks her hobbies are superior any day.