Top 8 Geek Debates

This past Thursday was Thanksgiving.  The holiday where we all sit down to gorge ourselves on turkey and spend time with our beloved family members.  For most of us out there, spending that much time (or any at all) with our family members means heated debates.  So this week I’m going to count down my top eight geek debates.  Most are absolute classics.  I would defy any person reading this article or perusing this website from claiming they haven’t participated in more than one of the arguments I will be re-hashing here.  I’ll also give MY personal opinion as to the winner of each debate, so you the readers can berate me in the comments section below.  Let’s get started….

 

 

 

#8. Xbox 360 vs. PS3- The battle of the game consoles.  Sorry, Nintendo Wii users.  Your console is silly and if I wanted to act out a dance game or bowling or whatever, I’d actually go dancing or bowling.  Which of these two systems provides a better gaming experience?  The graphic quality is basically the same on both systems.  Sony offers its online service for free, where as Microsoft charges a subscription fee.  Though, content is added to Xbox Live sometimes MUCH earlier than Sony due specifically to that difference.  Xbox Live is much more user friendly.  No need for a blue tooth headset and prayers that the game supports it.  You can see your friends and what they are doing on Live.  Making the Xbox a much better social interaction network than Sony’s.  PS3 does have a Blu-ray player.  Xbox does not.  Although, with a little leg work, an app called Pavtube can be used to view Blu-rays on your 360.  For this geek, however, it all comes down to game exclusivity.  Both systems have games that can ONLY be found on their respective consoles.  In my humble opinion the system with the best exclusive content is the Xbox 360 and winner of this debate!

 

 

 

 

#7. Mac vs. PC- This debate is an oldie but a goodie.  Just think, without this debate we might not have the illustrious acting career that is Justin Long.  Macs are preferred by people doing a lot of graphic design as well as those with a little more cash to toss around.  PC’s are preferred by those of us who are just more set in our ways and familiar with workings (or faults) of a Windows based PC and who are a little more budget conscious.  Macs tend to be more reliable.  PC’s tend to have more memory and larger hard drives.  Macs are more software friendly.  Personal preference is the key here.  It’s either that or you just happen to be a part of the ‘anti-Microsoft’ movement.  For being more budget friendly, and just dominating the market by sheer numbers, I declare PC the winner!  Suck it, Tim Cook!

 

 

 

 

#6. Best Star Trek Captain- Captain Kirk was the first.  He got with all kinds of ladies.  He kicked butt on a weekly basis.  Yet, Captain Picard was the captain almost all of us grew up with.  He got his fair share of the opposite sex.  He also showed he was just as tough as Kirk on many occasions.  Just ask yourself, would Kirk have been able to stand up to the interrogation by the Cardassians that Jean-Luc did in the episode, Chain of Command?   “THERE ARE FOUR LIGHTS!!!”  I think Kirk would have cracked the moment they paraded a sexy Cardassian girl in front of him.  How about Janeway or Sisko?  I know.  It was silly to even ask that question…or even include them in this debate.  So with that being said, the winner of this debate, hands down….is Scott Bakula!  Why Captain Archer you ask?  Because Bakula is one of the coolest people to ever walk the face of the Earth and I love him.  Picard can have a close second.  Happy now?

 

 

 

 

#5. iPhone vs. Android- This battle rages on in every place geeks congregate.  This is to say, their mom’s basement, comic book shops, online chat rooms and the like.  Do you want the simplistic elegance of an iPhone or the personal customization available to Android users?  Do you want to be able to replace your own battery?  Buy an Android.  Are the screens of Android phones just too big sometimes?  Do you want your phone to actually function well as a PHONE?  Buy an Android.  Do you want the largest selection of apps available?  Buy an iPhone.  Do you want the latest updates to your OS available as soon as possible?  Buy an iPhone.  So who wins this debate?  What do I care?  I have a Windows Phone.  All hail Bill Gates!!

 

 

 

 

#4. Batman vs. Superman- Who’s a better superhero?  Who would win in a fight?  Whose outfit has been more ambiguously gay at times?  Superman and his underwear on the outside of his pants?  Or Batman and his costume with nipples?  (Thanks Joel Schumacher)  Superman is the epitome of good.  Batman is much looser with his morals.  Does this give him an edge as a crime fighter, seeing as that he isn’t bound by some moral code he has imposed upon himself? I personally think Superman would win in an impromptu fight, but given notice that the fight was taking place, Batman would be a shoe-in for victory.  There’s not a superhero out there whose preparedness skills match that of the Dark Knight.  Plus, Superman’s boy scout mentality just plain gets on my nerves.  Not to mention, his only weakness is a rock that just about everybody and their brother can get a hold of when they want to.  So for being kind of lame, Superman loses to Batman in this debate.

 

 

 

 

#3. Best Doctor- Despite Doctor Who’s fifty years on television and eleven different men playing the role of the Doctor, this debate really boils down to just two men.  I have truly enjoyed all three of the most recent incarnations of the character.  Although you’d be hard pressed to find someone who didn’t think that David Tennant was the best of those men.  Although, I wasn’t a fan of the show while I was growing up, I had seen enough bits on PBS that if you mentioned Doctor Who, the image of a curly-haired man with a long jacket and even longer multi-colored scarf would have come to mind.  So, who was the better Doctor?  David Tennant…or Tom Baker?  I will be honest and say I have yet to go back and watch much of the original Who.  So for the first time…possibly ever….I just don’t feel qualified to give an opinion.  Who am I kidding??  It’s David Tennant.  Sorry classic Whovians.

 

 

 

 

#2. Marvel vs. DC- This is a comic book fan’s holy grail of debates.  The list of iconic heroes from both camps is staggering.  DC has names like Batman, Superman, and Wonderwoman.  While Marvel has Spiderman, Captain America, and the X-Men.  Fifty years ago DC would probably have won this argument.  However, DC has only managed to foul things up in recent history.  Save for the Batman franchise, DC has not even come CLOSE to the success that Marvel is having with their line of characters.  Not to mention, this whole reboot of the entire DC universe that has taken place in the comic book world.  Really?  You’re going to retcon how many decades of creative stories and plotlines?  Give me a break.  If it weren’t for the saving grace that is Batman, I don’t know if I would even care if DC existed anymore.  So, for their recent domination of the geek world, and DC’s ineptitude, Marvel wins this honor!

 

 

 

Lastly we come to my number one geek debate.  Could we have a separate debate over whether this subject belongs at number one?  Of course we could and I’m sure I’ll hear about it from some of you.  However, this is my soapbox to preach from.  Not yours.  Go get your own job writing for a geek themed website and I’ll come there and tell you how to do your job.  Without further ado…

 

 

 

#1. Star Wars vs. Star Trek- The two single most iconic American science fiction franchises.  Both have been around since before many of us were even born.  Yet, we will still argue until we are out of breath over which franchise holds the crown.  Cons are held every year all over the country, even the planet, devoted to everything Wars/Trek related.  Just don’t hold them anywhere near each other or you may have a geek war on your hands!  Nerd bodies would litter the streets as battles are waged over the Empire versus the Federation.  However, I am not going to debate that here.  If you truly geek out and look up all the numbers published over the years in source books and the like, the Empire would most likely be able to crush the Federation without batting an eyelash.  The Enterprise could barely tangle with Jango Fett’s space craft, much less a Star Destroyer.  That is if we’re going by the specs put down on paper.  The argument here is which franchise, as a whole, is better.  Star Wars produced three great movies and three movies we’d be better off forgetting the existence of.  Star Trek has had its share of turds as well.  However, the sheer amount of great content produced drastically falls in favor of Trek.  It came before and is still to this day going strong with the revival of the franchise by J.J. Abrams and the new films.  Until the recent purchase by Disney, we all assumed Star Wars was dead.  Killed by its own creator when someone gave him far too much power in the making of the prequels.  Star Trek is far more about character interaction and their relationships.  Whereas Star Wars is more fast paced action and explosions.  Trek is a Kevin Smith film (despite his adoration for the opposing franchise) and Wars is a John Woo flick.  Trek plays fast and loose with their science.  Sometimes in nauseating fashion.  However, Wars has the Force.  This is basically saying your sci-fi universe has MAGIC.  Let’s also not forget the damn muppets.  Star Wars is full of them!  Both franchises have their flaws and both are still excellent.  It boils down to the viewer.  Star Trek takes a higher level of comprehension to appreciate.  This is not to say Star Wars is for dumb people by any means.  I personally enjoy BOTH franchises immensely.  I also believe they are not even of the same genre.  Star Wars is a fantasy story.  The classic hero and the princess tale.  Star Trek is classic science fiction.  A better argument would be Star Wars versus Lord of the Rings.  At least THOSE are the same genre.  While that debate is taking place, Star Trek can take its rightful place at the head of the table.  Trek wins.  Engage!

 

 

 

There you have it….my top eight geek debates.  What are your opinions?  Did they differ from mine?  If so, you’re almost certainly wrong.  However, I’d still love to hear them!  Call me out in the comments section below or email me at [email protected].  You can also degrade me on Twitter @SeanMLScott.  Until next time…Allons-y!!

 

 

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