10 Influential Geeks (and why!)

These are by no means the 10 most important geeks of all time, but they are still good people to know.  While you might not think you can place everybody on the list, be prepared to be surprised just how far these geek's nerdish tenticles sink into society.

10.  Sarah Michelle Gellar's Buffy

Sure, maybe she's too goodlooking to be considered a geek, but that's kind of the point.  What SMG did was show that even if you were really pretty and nice, if you happen to slay demons on the side the popular kids still wouldn't give you the time of day.  Additionally, SMG really made me feel for her character.  Upon first glance, BtVS is full of fantasy and fiction, but we've found that as far as metaphors for life go, BtVS's long run has covered a lot of life's problems.  A lot of this accesibility comes from SMG's performance.

9. Chris Hardwick

Hardwick's influence on the geek world is a little bit more subtle, if not farther reaching.  By hosting The Nerdist Podcast on a weekly basis, Hardwick is living out the dream.  Every week he sees another celebrity guest, from The Muppets to Sir Patrick Stewart to Tina Fey, we find ourselves desperately wishing we were in his shoes.  The great thing about Hardwick though is that he knows how lucky he is to be talking to such amazing, and his humility is one of the reasons we keep listening.

8.  Seth Green

Most people either know Seth Green for his role as Oz the Werewolf from BtVS or as Dr. Evil's son in Austin Powers.  However, Green's role in the nerd community has been influential, and not only for his role in Robot Chicken.  He's also done a lot of voice work for television, such as Batman Beyond.  The more you know about him the more you realize that he really has done a little bit of everything. Less well known is his extensive collection of action figures.  Trust us.  It's impressive.

7.  Weird Al
Credit must be given where credit is due.  Weird Al "revolutionized" the parody of music videos in the clever blend of word play and generally pleasing to listen to songs.  His older work is full of hilarious puns.  Our personal favorite, Amish Paradise.

6.  Christopher Reeve's Superman

Arguably (and boy, are we ready to argue) Superman 1979 was the first beginning in a shift in the way the world saw superheroes.  Reeve gave a depth to the character that extended Superman's appeal outside of comic books and into the hearts of the audience members.  Personally, we've been watching these films since we were toddlers.

5.  Lorne Michaels
Five zloty says you don't know who this guy is.  Lorne Michaels is the creative genius behind SNL and currently produces comedy gold like Portlandia. This guy's net worth is about $350 million dollars.  Look him up sometime and be amazed at how influential this guy has been in the comedy world.  Plus, enjoy this fun letter.

4.  Christopher Nolan
Like us, you probably couldn't pick out Nolan from a line-up of men to save your life, but his name has shot to fame with such films as Batman Begins and Inception.  Any movie linked to his name really gets us excited because we know that it's going to be a sophistated rollercoaster ride, complete with amazing soundtracks by Hans Zimmer.  We love his use of a fast pace to keep the audience engaged.  Plus, the subtle undertones of something of greater psychological or political significance couldn't hurt.  Not to forget the explosions.  Never forget the explosions.

"I don't really think it's fair for me to be
on Jury duty because I'm a hologram."

3.  Tina Fey

Although Lorne Michaels should probably go in front on Tina Fey since he was the one to hire her to SNL in the first place, Fey has a special place in our hearts. As avid die-hard fans of 30 Rock, Tina Fey has given nerds the greatest gift of all time.  (No, Muppet fans, not ice cream or children) but laughter.  Her role as Liz Lemon has given us hope that maybe one day we might achieve the same level of workplace noteriety that she comprises.

2.  Alfred Hitchcock

If you haven't had the viewing pleasure of watching the works of Hitchcock you really should use your chubby fingers to go over to YouTube and search up some of his short films.  Better yet (and if you have time) you really should watch Psycho.  His use of the camera to direct the viewer's vision, as well as his unparalled creation of suspense is one of the reasons that Hitchcock's work is timeless and revolutionary.  Now get those fingers typing!!

1.  Joss Whedon

Every list begins and ends with the Whedon.  Does the creator of Buffy, Firefly, Angel, Dollhouse, Doctor Horrible's Sing Along Blog, or the new release Much Ado About Nothing need any description?  No.  His awesomeness oozes off of him in obvious waves of badassitude.  If you can't see then you must be blind. Unless you actually are blind, in which case you obviously can't be held accountable...  but still appreciate The Whedon.