DEATH OF GEEK (D.O.G)

I can bet loads of cash, that the phrase “geek chic” is not strange to trend copiers this side of the world. The usual pointers to this look as you probably know include the thick framed glasses, suspenders, witty t-shirts, bow ties, cropped pants, cardigans etc.

I will not deny my affinity for this trend, I totally rocked it; frames, suspenders, moonboots, you name it. I think I was already on the bandwagon before it became a big trend in Nigeria.

In the beginning before everyone caught on to the fad, it looked cool on the few who were rocking the look. Ebuka and Lamido Sanusi in their bowties, Dayo Ephraim with his cardigans, M.I had his Raybans and hi-top trainers, Maddy and her sexy bum, (oops that wasn’t part of the list, but you get my drift). I mean, it was nice to be spotting a trend that actually suited your persona; a real geek. People would see these guys pulling off the look and immediately ‘get’ the reason why they were decked in it.

You would go to events where there would only be a handful of people ‘nerding’ it out. They were usually people who could actually pass as geeks, and had an idea of why the trend fit their personalities and style. One would be comfortable knowing that only a few were cool enough to come out dressed in a manner almost akin to Steve Urkel of Family Matters.

Now, almost every TV personality is doing the ‘geek chic’ to lay claim to some coolness. Nothing was spared, even traditional outfits got the geek treatment. It burst unto the red carpet, TV, home movies and clubs. Nigerian fashionistas and stylists had a field day decking themselves or their wards with big spectacles and the like for events and videos. The rules on how to wear them and what to wear the pieces with, got lost in transmission. Like kiaamon!!! Can celebrity stylists stop dressing their wards with crap? Can they actually try and dress them up with other stuff apart from a shirt, loosely knotted ties and yes, you guessed right, huge clear spectacles?

While flipping through the stations on TV the other day, I stumbled upon a programme on Silverbird Television. The presenter had on his wayfarer glasses, suspenders and packed on the bling. He was wearing a big chain across his neck, about 3 rings on his fingers and I’m sat there thinking ‘ang on ‘ang on, is there something I’m missing ‘ere? Was this dude trying to rock the ‘geek chic’ look or  did he intend to invent a new ‘ghetto geek’ look? We’ll probably never know, because in his mind, he probably imagined he was putting a twist to the usual, NOT!

Right now, ‘geek chic’ has filtered down to any and everyone who can get their hands on a pair of glasses, as long as they were big “nerdy” glasses. The look has become watered down as everybody is rocking the fad. It doesn’t mean they actually know what they are doing, they just want to look smart or keep up with the joneses (to clear all doubts, I am using the word ‘rocking’ loosely).

I think I can frigging do a better job at dressing these people up other than dumping the usual shiton them, all you need to do is think outside the box, rather than just copying a trend over and over again until it becomes an irritatory stimuli to discerning eyes, you heard it here first.  And that is what the ‘geek chic’ look has become to me – an irritatory stimuli. Like in the matrix, it is something that constantly sends millions of negative signals to my brain. Annoying you to the point of distraction. The look is now played out please………………..’Death of Geek’……… moment of silence!!!……..na nana na, ehh ehh ehh, good byeeeeee!!! (thanks Jigga).

I have now retired most of the paraphernalia I owned, these days I only dress in ‘nerd gear’ if it’s not common. Like hard to find hi-tops, limited edition tee shirts, grey ant eyewear, collector’s edition suspenders and the like. I don’t want to be part of the nerd army, marching about in regulation gear, pretending to be cool and all that. I want my individuality back and if I am precluded from doing that by all the copy cats around then am going to have to find a new trend and hold onto it for as long as I can before the mimics invade.