Kinky? Geeky? An Intersection
The definition of “geek” is just one of those things that isn’t easily explained, though everyone can identify it when it’s presented. Perhaps it’s that obsession with Star Trek; perhaps it’s knowing the entire history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or perhaps it’s even being the foremost knitting expert. Merriam-Webster defines geek as three different things:
1: a person often of an intellectual bent who is disliked
2: an enthusiast or expert, especially in a technological field or activity
3: a carnival performer often billed as a wild man whose act usually includes biting the head off a live chicken or snake
While definitions one and three leave something to be desired (biting the head off a live snake??), number two might have something to it. It points to the colloquial idea that many, or dare I say most, people could be geeks. They are the people deeply interested or enthused about a specific subject.
Then there is the definition of kinky. Merriam-Webster defines it as “relating to, having, or appealing to unconventional tastes, especially in sex.” As a self-professed geek (about some things, and not others), I couldn’t help but to ask myself, “Is there a world in which these two things intersect? Some grandiose subculture that encompasses both things?” Enter: hentai.
What is hentai, you ask? It’s a form of pornography involving animated characters engaged in … extracurricular activities.
The world of hentai is filled with various subsections that I won’t get into here (seriously, so many!), but their defining point is that they’re all connected via the specific style of art most commonly associated with anime. Once you realize that, however, another question follows: Is it kinky? Is it geeky? Is it both, or is it neither?
According to statistics obtained through Pornhub, hentai constitutes the second most searched term globally and has for a few years (as of 2019). So, going back to that definition of kinky, I would be inclined to say it’s not all that unconventional. I would gather, though, that it is geeky. That first definition of geek relates to an enthusiast or expert especially in a technological field or activity, though not exclusively; and if we’re using the term in the colloquial sense, where someone who is deeply interested in a certain type of content or subject (i.e. anime), hentai fits.
“But Brian,” you may find yourself silently screaming to the words on this page, “wouldn’t that be considered a fetish?” I would say to you, not necessarily.
According to Merriam-Webster (once again) a fetish is: a form of sexual desire in which gratification is linked to an abnormal degree to a particular object, item of clothing, part of the body, etc.
And hentai isn’t always required for the people who like it.
Now, you may be asking … Where is the queer of it all?
Well, within those subsections of hentai are two categories that I would like to mention: yuri and yaoi. These words essentially translate to lesbian and gay hentai.
Thinking big picture here, though: We could expand the concept of kink and geek to most things, given the definitions that are commonly used. Are you a fan of cosplay? An … enthuasiast, if you will? Then congrats! You’re a geek! Do you like all things historical fiction? Congrats! You’re a geek! And if those things just happen to turn you on, then that fits the bill as kinky in its own way as well.
What I’m getting at here is that the world of kink and the world of geek intersect more frequently than most would assume. So, let your geek flag fly, hoist your kink label to the mountaintops, and embrace the idea that everyone geeks out about something (seriously, Merriam-Webster … geeks aren’t necessarily disliked), and realized that the worlds of kink and geek are lot closer than people think.
