Today my blog honors Katie Goldman, aka Star Wars Girl.
As I told my gay friends and followers on the day we all wore purple to honor them, the bullying that occurs over our differences needs to STOP. NOW. Like Katie, my wife is also adopted. My wife is a geek. I’ve felt the wrath of being different as a kid – I was the painfully shy military brat moving all of the time…always the nerdy new kid in school, drawing comics silently in the back of the classroom, hoping no one would call attention to me. You might say we both identify with Katie’s plight. Denise was the one who brought it to my attention through a Facebook posting from ACME DESIGN.
We need to start celebrating our differences instead of clamoring to be the same. The Me, Too-ism Movement is clearly alive and well. Why else would women be financially challenging themselves just to wear the same overpriced designer brand purses, shoes, jewelry, sunglasses, etc. Why are men driven to buy luxury brand cars when the mechanical performance is often sub-standard? We’re all caught up in this endless cycle of sameness and trying to come off as too cool for school. I just don’t find it terribly interesting…or relevant.
I find individualism interesting. I find Katie’s bravery interesting.
Most of those “cool” celebs that everyone wants to be like? I’ve met more than my share. I’m usually disappointed. Leonardo DiCaprio sneered at me and wouldn’t stop smoking in a NYC elevator when I asked him. John Leguizamo talked shit about me–right in front of me–at the Telluride Film Festival. It turns out, he has some weird prejudice against sitting next to portly gents like myself. Dennis Miller is one of the few celebs who actually exceeded my expectations. He’s a class act. And he’s also a geek like me. Like us.
Today CNN.com picked up Katie’s story, but those of us in the know within the geek/nerd culture and Star Wars community have been following it online for at least 10 days or more. I think it’s very cool that Star Wars: Clone Wars Padme Amidala voice actress Catherine Taber and Her Universe.com founder and Ahsohka Tano character Ashley Eckstein took up the cause and very publicly showed Katie (and her parents) that Katie’s not alone. Catherine’s online participation was the Tipping Point in giving Katie the credibility and social media support to thumb her nose at those know-nothing naysayers.
Apparently Katie’s classmates haven’t realized yet what every major movie studio knows, as they show previews at San Diego Comic-Con: Geeks are the world’s taste makers. Geeks RULE.
So… all of those haters out there had better be nice to us or else their TV, videogame, book and movie options are going to suck. As for me and my house, we’ll be wearing Star Wars gear on December 10th to honor Star Wars Girl Katie Goldman. If you wear some, shoot me your photo and I’ll post it here on my blog.
Thanks for reading,
Dave.
Dave Dorman 
We Honor You, Star Wars Girl Katie Goldman
Posted in BULLYING, DAVE DORMAN NEWS, Denise Dorman, Dennis Miller, Fan Culture, Geek, Geek Culture, Katie Goldman, Lucasfilm, Military, Nerd Culture, Pop Culture, Social Activism, Social Commentary, Social Networking, Star Wars, Star Wars Girl, The Dennis Miller Radio Show, WriteBrain Media with tags Acme Design, Ahsohka Tano, Ashley Eckstein, Blog, Bram Stoke Award, Catherine Taber, Chicago, Clive Barker, CNN, CNN.com, Dave Dorman, Dead Heat, Del Stone Jr., Denise Dorman, Dennis Miller, FaceBook, HerUniverse.com, Horror, Horror Play, Horror Play Competition, Horror Radio Play, Individualism, International Horror Guild Award, Joe R. Lansdale, John Leguizamo, Katie Goldman, L.A. Banks, Leonardo DiCaprio, Mayne State Theater, MonsterScene Magazine, Moonstone Comics, Padme Amidala, San Diego Comic-Con, Star Wars Girl, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Telluride Film Festival, Twitter, voice actors, WildClaw Theatre, WordPress, WriteBrain Media on December 5, 2010 by DaveandDeniseDormanToday my blog honors Katie Goldman, aka Star Wars Girl.
As I told my gay friends and followers on the day we all wore purple to honor them, the bullying that occurs over our differences needs to STOP. NOW. Like Katie, my wife is also adopted. My wife is a geek. I’ve felt the wrath of being different as a kid – I was the painfully shy military brat moving all of the time…always the nerdy new kid in school, drawing comics silently in the back of the classroom, hoping no one would call attention to me. You might say we both identify with Katie’s plight. Denise was the one who brought it to my attention through a Facebook posting from ACME DESIGN.
We need to start celebrating our differences instead of clamoring to be the same. The Me, Too-ism Movement is clearly alive and well. Why else would women be financially challenging themselves just to wear the same overpriced designer brand purses, shoes, jewelry, sunglasses, etc. Why are men driven to buy luxury brand cars when the mechanical performance is often sub-standard? We’re all caught up in this endless cycle of sameness and trying to come off as too cool for school. I just don’t find it terribly interesting…or relevant.
I find individualism interesting. I find Katie’s bravery interesting.
Most of those “cool” celebs that everyone wants to be like? I’ve met more than my share. I’m usually disappointed. Leonardo DiCaprio sneered at me and wouldn’t stop smoking in a NYC elevator when I asked him. John Leguizamo talked shit about me–right in front of me–at the Telluride Film Festival. It turns out, he has some weird prejudice against sitting next to portly gents like myself. Dennis Miller is one of the few celebs who actually exceeded my expectations. He’s a class act. And he’s also a geek like me. Like us.
Today CNN.com picked up Katie’s story, but those of us in the know within the geek/nerd culture and Star Wars community have been following it online for at least 10 days or more. I think it’s very cool that Star Wars: Clone Wars Padme Amidala voice actress Catherine Taber and Her Universe.com founder and Ahsohka Tano character Ashley Eckstein took up the cause and very publicly showed Katie (and her parents) that Katie’s not alone. Catherine’s online participation was the Tipping Point in giving Katie the credibility and social media support to thumb her nose at those know-nothing naysayers.
Apparently Katie’s classmates haven’t realized yet what every major movie studio knows, as they show previews at San Diego Comic-Con: Geeks are the world’s taste makers. Geeks RULE.
So… all of those haters out there had better be nice to us or else their TV, videogame, book and movie options are going to suck. As for me and my house, we’ll be wearing Star Wars gear on December 10th to honor Star Wars Girl Katie Goldman. If you wear some, shoot me your photo and I’ll post it here on my blog.
Thanks for reading,
Dave.
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