Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Even geeks can be Rockstars
I know this seems like an odd title but stick with me here. This actually should have been included in the last post, but i forgot, so here ya go. According to wikipedia.com "A rock star or rockstar is a member of a rock and roll band, or a solo artist in the genre (the term usually implies celebrity status, or 'stardom')." For the purposes of this blog we're going to focus on the "usually implies celebrity status or stardom." Generally the people put in this category are musicians and singers but I think the term can be expanded. I tend to think that people can be rockstars of their particular art or talent. For example, I think Rachael Ray is the Rockstar of cooking, Paris Hilton is the Rockstar of trashy celebutant hookers, you get the idea.
Until recently I thought these "Rockstars" could only be famous people. You know the ones that regularly appear on E! or on the front cover of US Weekly or Glamour magazine. Lately my eyes have been opened. I've discovered at least 2 geeks who are total Rockstars. The first was when I started my current job a couple years ago. I attended my first conference with The Doctor and it became abundantly clear to me that he is definitely the Rockstar of Homeschool Science. Kids flocked to our booth the meet him, shake his hand, even ask him to autograph their books (FREAKS!) I understand that most of these kids will never understand what a real Rockstar is because listening to "rockstar" music would cause them to Go To Hell, do not pass Go, Do not collect $200, but still it's kinda scary. I think my favorite moment was when I saw a group of three pre-teen girls giggling and whispering while trying to get up the nerve to approach the booth and talk to "THE DOCTOR." (P.S. to The Doctor - Please don't be offended by the term geek, it's said with respect and affection I assure you)
At the time I thought this was a fluke. He only achieved Rockstar status because these kids didn't know any better (nothing personal Doctor, but let's be honest most other people wouldn't classify you as a Rockstar). A few weeks ago though, I discovered another Geek Rockstar. K-dog, Rica and I attended the Photoshop World convention in Boston. It was here that I attended my first seminar from Mr. Scott Kelby. Take one look at this guy and you know he's a geek. Listen to his jokes, and it confirms it all. You can almost picture a younger Scott Kelby getting his butt kicked by a group of bullies everyday on the play ground. But at Photoshop World, he was a Rockstar. Every one of his seminars were packed to standing room only and people would hang around afterwards to ask him questions, get autographs, and take pictures. It was crazy!
So there you have it. If you're a geek but you want to be a Rockstar, find a group of geeks with interests similar to yours and just become a bigger geek than them.... instant Rockstar-dom!
