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Geek Girl: How this Netflix Series Portrays the Geek Clique

Zara Feroz

Netflix is brimming with movies and tv shows that represent high school stereotypes in such a predictable format that it's nothing short of a shock that people still continue to watch them in 2024. Geeks and nerds are pretty much standard cliques represented in high school movies and tv series.


But let's see how this representation has been tackled in a recent British show called Geek Girl, which premiered on May 30th this year. Geek Girl is an adaptation of the book series written by British author Holly Smale and currently includes one season.


Geek Girl as an Example of a Stereotypical High School Narrative


Rochelle Harrington and Emily Carey in Geek Girl

Harriet Spanners, the main female character of the show is an outcast at her preppy high school attended by a population of spoiled kids and bullies. The actress Emily Carey that plays this role of science enthusiast and fashion disaster,  though, possesses stereotypical beauty queen traits- white, flawless skin, “medium-length strawberry-blonde hair,” “green eyes and lots of freckles”. So just like always, the white main character lands a competitive role while Nat (played by British/ Sri-Lankan actress Rochelle Harrington, her best friend that's been dreaming of becoming a model all her life gets sidelined and swept aside.


Why is Harriet Spanners Chosen by Infinity?


Harriet Spanners chosen as the new face of Yuji Lee's brand

The premise of Harriet’s discovery by the modelling agency known as Infinity is that people do not see her as model-material. In fact Wilbur Evans picks her on the basis of her quirky awkwardness because he aims to please his client, the famous Yuji Lee who is looking for a fresh face to present her new fashion line. Importantly, Harriet was chosen because Wilbur believed that she possesses Yuji Lee's "essence," which appears to mean that she has a certain uniqueness to her.


Evaluation


Geek Girl attempts to illustrate the struggles of students that are labelled as geeks and nerds, but eventually suggests that they must achieve materialistic success in order to relabel themselves as “cool” and “acceptable.” Harriet feels the need to completely transform her identity in order to gain social rewards in the form of recognition and attention, which certainly isn't the best message to give young girls watching this series.


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Wali Hassan
Wali Hassan
Jun 30, 2024

The blog post brings up an interesting critique of the Netflix series "Geek Girl" and its portrayal of high school stereotypes, particularly focusing on the representation of geeks and nerds. It raises valid concerns about how the main character, Harriet Spanners, is depicted as an outsider in a school filled with privileged and sometimes bullying peers. The observation about Harriet's character, played by Emily Carey, having traits that align with traditional beauty standards despite her supposed geekiness is thought-provoking. It makes me reflect on how media often presents characters who are supposed to be "geeks" but still conform to conventional attractiveness, potentially undermining the authenticity of their portrayal. The blog's criticism of the series' messaging, suggesting that Harriet's transformation into…

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I had been planning to watch this series over the summer but after your post I might not be as inclined to. You have made some very important points that need more attention in conversation. Netflix is something most teens spend lots of time on and seeing these movies constantly reinforce these stereotypes is tiring to see and can be very problematic. The geek being awkward and quirky is overdone and, in most cases, unrealistic of actual high school experiences. Booksmart, a movie I would recommend, was a change from this and most characters subverts stereotypes. The “nerds” were kind of rude and acted superior at times rather than just being one dimensional. This approach offers a more nuanced and…

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Zara Feroz
Jul 01, 2024
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Such an insightful take on the blog. To answer your question about the modelling storyline, I think by giving Rochelle Harrington, the brown actress the lead role they could have truly created diversity of representation but I think what the show tries to do is to somehow show that uniqueness is wanted in the fashion world, which I think in the real world it is but you still have to fit into certain boxes. For instance almost all the girls that try out for the modelling job are skinny. Harriet herself if skinny and white. She also has a relatively healthy home environment. I think in it's current form and with it's present cast, it could have at least let…

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Zaina Nauman Afzal
Zaina Nauman Afzal
Jun 27, 2024

I haven't seen this show before, but it seems like the issues you've highlighted are very important. Netflix originals often show a quirky girl entering high school, yet fail to make it relatable or realistic. These missed opportunities result in unrealistic standards and beliefs being ingrained in those watching the shows, and feeling they need to conform to a certain stereotype or meet a quota in order to fit in. As one of the biggest streaming platforms in the world, Netflix has a responsibility to stop portraying tropes that promote people feeling the need to change or adapt while failing to show the mental issue that come alongside that. How do you think platforms can include these themes in their…

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Zara Feroz
Jul 01, 2024
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I think one thing streaming platforms can do is, give more opportunities to independent filmmakers to add their films to netflix so that they can get more reach. Netflix is watched by people all over the world and while themes covered do vary from region to region, the overall sterotypes presented are the same, for example unrealistic representations of quirky girls who want to be seen as cool. Independent filmmakers tend to provide more accurate presentations of such issues and are much more realistic so we should give them a platform to help counter these issues in society.

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Nabeeha Khan
Nabeeha Khan
Jun 27, 2024

I agree with how it is almost disappointing to see Netflix make these predictable high school stereotypical movies and shows over and over again. High school is a time when most teenagers are going through biological and hormonal changes. Rather than normalizing them through a representation of how every teenager actually is while going through puberty, movies show older actors with mature skin and bodies, with such stories that reinforce the idea that material success, outside validation, or popularity is what one is tied to. Sidelining the best friend also gives the stereotypical idea of the lack of "bro code" between female friends and the main lead kind of snatching her friend's dream away from her while she could hav…

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Zara Feroz
Jul 01, 2024
Replying to

That is spot on! It's incredibly important to normalise natural bodies and flaws. Moreover success should be based on an acceptance of one's unique personality rather than by pretending to be someone you're not. It's definitely high time that the high school stereotype is broken down and recreated to include both diverse ethnicities and realistic representations of what it's like to go through puberty.

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i havent watched the series myself but from what it looks like, Netflix had the oppurtunity to undo the tropes that have been plaguing hollywood for years and finally portray being a nerd as an asset or at least normalise it instead of meking their main character forego everything that made her unique for a modelling job. this is capitalism's subliminal messaging that is being sent out to adolescents that in order to succeed in life, you will have to mold yourself to what your company or employer wants you to be. even a John Hughes movie from 1985, the Breakfast Club managed to break more stereotypes about nerds through the character of Brian played by Anthony Michael Hall.

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Zara Feroz
Jul 01, 2024
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That's very true, they had the chance to bring real change but instead reproduced the same old status quo that you will have to change yourself completely in order to become successful and gain relevance/ popularity.

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