We Are All Nerds Now 651
Anonymous Slob Nerd. writes "The Guardian has a good review of something close to all of our hearts. We are all nerds now discusses how the popularity of the internet, video gaming, comic-book movies (Spider-Man, Hulk), the sci-fi epics (The Matrix, Star Wars) and the wizard fantasy (Harry Potter), not to mention The Lord of the Rings has made nerds, and nerdish behaviour, cool."
Rise up, my brethren! (Score:5, Funny)
If the "Nerd" moniker is now the baseline for the general populace then the True Nerds will have to come up with something to differentiate us from Them. Maybe it's time to go back to black glasses with tape, flood pants and pocket protectors. Perhaps a secret handshake too!
Re:Rise up, my brethren! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Rise up, my brethren! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Rise up, my brethren! (Score:3, Interesting)
too many ROTN movies (Score:3, Funny)
I've never worn glasses, or pocket protectors, and I think I'm as nerdy as you can get to an extent without being stereotypical. You on the other hand I believe are an nerd impostor who's probably never even seen the TV show "PI the final frontier" so I've reported you
Re:too many ROTN movies (Score:3, Funny)
Is that a Magnum P.I./Star Trek crossover? Never heard of it. Now, shut up and give me your lunch money!
Re:Rise up, my brethren! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Rise up, my brethren! (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Rise up, my brethren! (Score:3, Interesting)
Come back when you've read Miracleman and watched Mospeadea in the original Japanese. Poseurs.
Re:Rise up, my brethren! (Score:4, Interesting)
What's with the Judy Tenuda referenece? She was just some random comic from the 80s, before Pauly Shore was invented. She's not (particularly) geek-cool.
Re:Rise up, my brethren! (Score:5, Funny)
And as for respectable nerds knowing less than 10% of the names...this is utter rubbish. Hello? Harry Knowles? Comic Book Guy? Trekkers who know all the guest stars and their entymology? IMDB itself is an extension of nerd aprocrypha.
I do own a pocket protector. Several, and a slide rule. I wore them in middle school as a badge of courage. I figured if I was going to get beat up for being on the math team (they still display the plaque from the 1991 Math Olympiad...Props to my homies from Team Graymalkin), I might as well solidify my identity.
secret handshake (Score:5, Funny)
Re:secret handshake (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Rise up, my brethren! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Rise up, my brethren! (Score:5, Funny)
Please, oh please, please...
sure we do... (Score:5, Funny)
! the cheerleaders
ducks
Re:Rise up, my brethren! (Score:5, Insightful)
They're mimicking what they percieve our culture (or lack thereof) to be because we're the media's flavor of the week.
Do you really think these nerd-wannabes are going to wannabe anymore once they realize that true nerds actually respect traits like intelligence and critical thinking? Or that real hackers don't really look like Neo or Trinity, or wear cool black trenchcoats filled with submachine guns.
To appreciate and absorb our culture...they'd have to enjoy learning.
To appreciate and absorb their culture...we'd need a head wound.
(wow...that sounded kinda bitter, huh? Sorry, I need more caffeine.)
BTW, I like your SIG. I've been flying stuntkites since the early 80's...nice to run into a fellow kiter. peace.
Re:Rise up, my brethren! (Score:5, Insightful)
As long as windows is the number one OS, unix will remain firmly under control of the REAL nerds.
Re:Rise up, my brethren! (Score:5, Funny)
Perhaps a secret handshake too!
Yeah, we can call it Diffie-Hellman.
Re:Rise up, my brethren! (Score:5, Funny)
I was picturing guys walking around making goofy modem noises to each other.
I hadn't even thought of the crypto-nerds. Good line
Re:Rise up, my brethren! (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Rise up, my brethren! (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Rise up, my brethren! (Score:3, Funny)
Jaysyn
Preference for "geek" over "nerd" (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Preference for "geek" over "nerd" (Score:5, Insightful)
Nerds, on the other hand, don't have to be particularly good at anything and they are totally obnoxious. Script kiddies come to mind here as well as the ricer with the hideous car (multiple wings, twin fart cans, plaid, dayglow paint job, etc.).
Am proud to call myself a geek. Call me a nerd and you're going down.
Re:Preference for "geek" over "nerd" (Score:5, Insightful)
Both geeks and nerds are obsessive, but about different subjects. Geeks are obsessed with liberal arts topics, like films, books and other media. Nerds are obsessed with more technical concerns, such as science, math, and computers. There's a lot of crossover.
The obnoxious factor has nothing to do with being a geek or a nerd. Either can be quite cool...for example, Henry Rollins is a major geek, and Steve Jobs is a big nerd. Somebody who's obsessed with something to the point of obnoxiousness is a DORK. And you have to admit, there are dorks in all walks of like, not just geeky or nerdy fields. I've met dorky religious folks, dorky jocks, and plenty of dorky musicians.
Dorks like to refer to themselves as geeks because it's not cool to be obnoxious. You know, unless you're a stand up comic or a republican.
Re:Preference for "geek" over "nerd" (Score:3, Interesting)
The way I learned the distinction came from the president of Rose Hulman:
I understood that completely. I had a good friend that was a geek, by this definition. He had a computer, and played games, chatted on IRC, and downloaded music with it. Every couple of weeks, though, he'd call me over to fix the damn thing because he'd fucked up his registry, or he decided to open his computer a
Re:Preference for "geek" over "nerd" (Score:4, Funny)
Q: whats the difference between a geek and a nerd?
A: The geek is employable.
Re:Preference for "geek" over "nerd" (Score:3, Informative)
Go to the classics, comrade: ESR's Jargon File. [catb.org]
Excerpts: nerd [catb.org]:
And: geek [catb.org]
Re:Preference for "geek" over "nerd" (Score:4, Insightful)
-aiabx
We already have that something. (Score:5, Funny)
Re:We already have that something. (Score:5, Funny)
geek chic? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:geek chic? (Score:3, Funny)
Even furries made it on to CSI [livejournal.com]...
Re:geek chic? (Score:3, Funny)
Believe it or not, there is a distinct hierarchy to programmers.Not exagerating it a little, they are:
GURU - Programs ancient calculators using switches in morse code (not assembly!) to produce sentiant lifeforms.
MASTER - once programmed a binary sort algorithm in less than 7 bits of memory.
JOURNEYMAN - anyone who has programmed in an open source project that was not written in VB, unless they are in the MASTER or GURU category.
C++
Cool? (Score:4, Insightful)
Trekkies (Score:5, Funny)
Doesn't make you a geek! (Score:3, Insightful)
actually (Score:4, Interesting)
Same goes for any of the other formats available. Trying to convince 'cool nerds' of the hidden treasures in each medium only make them easily identifyable as the uncool nerds again.
Nerds will always be around. They arn't identifiable by what mediums they like, only the great lengths they will go to discuss or aquire specific works.
So Gandalf was a nerd ? (Score:3, Funny)
alot of nerds have read the book. The books seems to have a cult status among nerds, though I really cannot find many nerds or why anyone would think of nerds while reading the books or watching the movies.
Re:So Gandalf was a nerd ? (Score:3, Funny)
"LOTR leads to fantasy,
fantasy leads to roleplay,
roleplay leads to nerdity..
and I sense much LOTR in you"
Re:So Gandalf was a nerd ? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:So Gandalf was a nerd ? (Score:4, Funny)
Has a beard
Use a shaft for protection
Hasn't been laid
Need I go on..
Re:So Gandalf was a nerd ? (Score:4, Funny)
Nah, wouldn't last 10 minutes on level 13 of nethack. A shopkeeper would have his balls.
I am nerd... your only tech support (Score:3, Funny)
You have a problem with your DSL/Cable modem connection? Well, kiss my ass then.
You need to remove those pop-up adds? Kiss my ass then.
Yes, I am you overlord, so be happy about it.
Popular, you mean (Score:5, Insightful)
Nothing can make nerdish behaviour cool. That's one of the fundumental axioms of social psychology.
-- MarkusQ
P.S. If you doubt this distinction, spend a few minutes and I'll bet you can easily think of two other things that have allways been popular but have never been cool, and at least one thing (YMMV) that is cool but has never been popular. Do this when there is no one within earshot so you won't have to explain your laughter.
worse than that (Score:3, Insightful)
nerdish behavior is not even becoming -popular-. what's becoming popular is merely -part- of the content that used to be exclusively in the domain of the nerdish. it's being coopted and de-geeked. as acceptance of parts of our domain grow, some of those parts are merely breaking out of our social stigma.
watching a scifi or fantasy movie may not be nerdy anymore, but reading a scifi/fantasy book, or discussing the technology/philosophy still is.
having a collection of comic-based movies may be cool, but
Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)
Exactly (Score:5, Insightful)
Just because us nerds made technology easy enough for the general population to use does not mean that the general population is nerds. Technology has always progressed and there have always been people who push technological development and those who simply use the results. When the general population can design these technologies then you can talk.
Video Games:
This has never been limited to nerds. When the nintendo came out, all the kids wanted one not just the nerds. I have a friend that works at a game store and he says the worst part about it is that half the people that come in are the stupid jocks with the "this game is cool cause you kill people" mentality. The only video gaming that have been specific to nerds are MUDs, and for that matter, pen-and-paper roll playing as well. So the popularity of MMRPG's is a step in that direction, although the potential for creativity is much less than MUDs and other role-playing games. Fantasy goes along the same lines. Everyone likes a good adventure, only geeks build entire worlds in their imagination.
Comic Books:
Again, in my dad's time, all the boys liked comic books. What makes you a comic book geek is knowing every single aspect of every single comic, to the point where you are more in touch with the comic book universe and more capable of spotting plot inconsistencies than the creator himself. Diddo for star wars, star trek. Plenty of non-geeks watch those shows. Only the geeks worshiped them
The whole bit about how nerds are succesfull after high school has also always been true. And nerds are still treated the same way in high school as they have always been. The only change in that dynamic, which he barely mentioned, is the new goth, freak, punk groups that have grown staring around the late 70's. They tend to be more nerd-friendly than the popular people.
But yeah nothing he said indicated any sort of signicicant change.
Re:There's more (Score:4, Insightful)
I'd say that this isn't even enough. "Geek" or "Nerd" isn't about achieving a milestone...it's a process - a way of life that is focused on technology, technical skill, and forward thinking. It is a passion, not an event. People who are geeks EARN that distinction....not by installing the latest uber-cool Linux distro, for example, but by knowing why one distro might be better than another within a given set of circumstances. HUGE difference.
Re:Bah, I don't think this is true. (Score:3, Funny)
"you won't ever see me at a star trek convention with spock ears (or whatever his name is)."
Everyone knows who Spock is. You tried too hard, the veil has been pierced, I brand thee: NERD!
Golly!! (Score:3, Funny)
no... (Score:5, Insightful)
They'll let anybody into the club these days (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:They'll let anybody into the club these days (Score:5, Funny)
Okay, first I need to craft some codefiles of power. Some will be simple PHP scripts, others will be optimized assembler... I'll give 3 files to the wannabe geeks, browsing comics or rushing to see the latest LOTR film, pretending to see past the special effects and cool artwork to the underlying story. 5 for the plain-old geeks struggling to comprehend init levels. 6 script-bots for the gamer geeks in their basements of stone. 7 files for the alpha geeks with their x10 wired households. And 9... 9 files for the BOFH's, who above all else desire power over others.
But all of them will be deceived, for I will craft a master program that can exploit backdoors and security holes in all others, and into it I will pour my malice, my terribly-obfuscated C, my hatred for all geek posers.
insert fancy-yet-cheesy special effect here
Like an overused cliche my processes will spread across the internet, kill-9'ing those who would pretend to be a true geek. Th... ooo! New Ultimate Spiderman comic! *read* *read* *read*
What was I talking about?...
karma. (Score:4, Funny)
or something like that
So If We're All Nerds... (Score:5, Funny)
Sheesh... you all can be "nerds"... I'm happy being "geek".
I-P (Its geordi laforge... as a smiley!)
Remember the stereotype (Score:5, Insightful)
Al Bundy is the classic stereotype... High school athlete and popular kid, now sells shoes. How many movies can you remember from the 90s that had people going to their high school reunion, terrified of seeing their tormentors, and their tormentor jock/cheerleader classmates worked in dead end jobs and their cheerleader wives got fat and miserable. And our hero, the high school nerd, impresses everyone with their accomplishments in business, engineering, etc.
The post-WW2 economy was about manufacturing jobs and the middle-class careers came from there.
The Information age jobs stemmed from math, science, or general intellectual pursuits. Sure Jobs/Gates made billions with computers, but Wall Street traders made millions in the 80s, and those weren't the football washouts.
There was a cultural change that followed the baby boomers aging. Manufacturing was replaced with the service sector, and the service sector is divided into minimum wage temps and high paid managers, with less and less middle management every year.
The good looking and popular football player that excelled in the factory because he was worshipped is gone, and the stereotype is now that he works as an automechanic or car salesman. The geek is seen as a high paid engineer or a successful executive.
That's been the see of change.
Alex
Re:Remember the stereotype (Score:5, Insightful)
Well duh! Think about it - what was the sterotypical nerd? A member of the Audio-Visual Club. Who makes movies? people who were in the Audio-Visual Club.
You think these people would make movies where the jocks win out? No, they're using movies to express their dreams and fantasies. Of course the nerds in these movies will be the hero - because the nerds are representative of the people who are making the films.
Re:Remember the stereotype (Score:3, Insightful)
They've made studies (a recent book on college athletics, I forget the name) that a sports background is highly advantageous in managerial areas (in particular financial services ie Wall Street).
Managers are former frat boys everywhere. In new industries like I
You're Sooooo Way Off ... (Score:3, Insightful)
No the "good looking and popular football player" goes on to becomes a salesman or marketing exec making a nice 6 figure salary (probably getting a nice Christmas bonus as well). While the geek/nerd works a dead end system admin job or script writer for a m
Lord of the Rings has nothing to do with Nerds (Score:5, Insightful)
--xPhase
Ho-hum... (Score:5, Funny)
Great...now no one will get laid.
Well now what do I do? (Score:5, Funny)
nerds aren't cool, (Score:4, Funny)
There's still something that separates us (Score:5, Funny)
1)Superiority complex
Don't worry, you're still smarter than everyone. You knew about Spider-Man back when it was a crappy 80's cartoon!
2)Poor hygiene
"I don't want to waste my time primping and preening," says the nerd. "It's societal bullshit!" You're like Rosa Parks, except the bus is the underwear you've been wearing for the last 3 days. Keep it up, faithful nerd...you shall overcome!
3)Passive aggressiveness
You'd rather take crap from your boss and call him a "PHB" on some internet message board than to straighten him out once and for all! Instead of suggesting your own methods of getting work done, you sulk and try to invent ways to sabotage his ideas.
4)Fanatical Collecting!
You can't relate to most people, but things...things are easy. Whether it's Battlefield Earth action figures or indie rock 12 inches, don't kid yourself-you're still a fucking nerd.
And the rest of us will be waiting patiently for you outside the boy's bathroom, ready to deal out the wedgies, score with the ladies, or become transparently evil characters in your 800-page self published web fanfic about Dracula meeting the Ninja Turtles. Rest easy, nerds. Your position in history is safe.
Re:There's still something that separates us (Score:5, Insightful)
5) You have a platonic female friend [wizard.net]
You're desprately in love with your "friend" of 10 years, only she doesn't know it. It tears you up inside but you can rest assured that you will never, ever work up the balls to say anything. You will just continue to listen to her complaints about how her boyfriend is a jerk and how she can't seem to find "a nice guy like you".
Re:There's still something that separates us (Score:5, Insightful)
Nope. It's not that we lack the gumption to speak up. It's that we understand, deep down, that doing so would be a disaster.
I spoke up. I'll save you the liquor-soaked, mall-parking-lot-at-3am speech she gave me about all men being untrustworthy with her feelings and how she couldn't just talk to any of them. I'll spare you the running commentary in my mind comparing my self-worth and the current cost of chopped liver. I'll just say this: I spoke up. I let her know that what she was looking for was sitting right next to her. And how did the hottest babe you've ever seen up close react?
Blank stare.
More blank stare. Jaw drops open. Some part of her emerges from the fog of intoxication just long enough to remember that this guy is a nerd, for God's sake! How dare he even entertain a fantasy of being anything other than the muscle who hauls boxes when I move out of my apartment! And then, she speaks:
"Get out! Get the fsck out! How dare you hit on me when I'm in pain!"
We never spoke again.
So guys, you think all you need is courage? Forget it. The fact that you think only your reticence is standing in the way of hooking up with that special platonic friend is the ultimate proof that your relationship insights are nonexistent.
Re:There's still something that separates us (Score:4, Insightful)
First, I've been in pretty much every type of "platonic male/female" relationship there is (mutual interest, mutual disinterest, and one-sided interest - from both sides) and it's not as bad as you guys are saying..
First - 'unrequited love': if you don't tell her, of course it will stay 'unrequited'. Women (for the most part) expect the guy to make the first move. If you don't, she'll think you're not interested.
Pick a good time, and tell her. Don't wait until she's vulnerable, don't do it while you're vulnerable, don't make it seem like you're coming on to her, just be honest.
Tell her how you feel - and more importantly, tell her why you're being honest (because she should know, if she doesn't already), and even more importantly, explain that it's not a big deal if she doesn't reciprocate (which it shouldn't be - your feelings are already there, and they haven't affected your friendship - it's no different now that she knows about it.)
Doing otherwise is just dooming yourself to pain.
Platonic female friends aren't evil. If you have (or develop) feelings, share them, but not in a "I'm so desperately in love with you I want to cut off my arm and send it to you for Valentine's day" way.
LOTR is only nerdy if... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:LOTR is only nerdy if... (Score:3, Funny)
Nerds, at the very least, have to have long discussions regarding arcs, themes, and characters that are missing while waiting on line to be let in for the opening midnight show.
Now, you've evolved into a geek if you appreciate deviation from the fanboy view without falling into fits.
Nerds (Score:5, Funny)
Action movies (Score:3, Insightful)
The casual moviegoer sees LOTR and The Matrix as just action movies. A lot of my friends just say "I saw the Matrix, cool kung-fu but I didn't get it".
LOTR is also another movie simply loved by the masses because it's so hyped up. I flipped through one of those popular culture mags and found all sort of Return of the King promotional stuff for sale or contests you can enter, with posters etc. Do you think they'd have John Howe paintings as posters in those magazines if LOTR was simply a dusty old book instead of never being made into a movie franchise?
Goths and Geeks (Score:3, Insightful)
Something I've noticed is that about 80-90% of the goth-type people I meet can be described as geeky-- most are into sci-fi, graphic novels, have web pages, are proficient with computers, etc. My theory is that they were nerds first and then migrated to a subculture baroque enough to accomodate the intensity of their interests (which was channeled into the whole 'black' aesthetic). Alot of geek girls have goth tendencies, which is another attraction for the social outcast male.
I get beat up a lot less now that I wear 16 hole doc martins, anyway. Though I'm still a 130 pound weakling.
iopha
Nerd/Dork/Geek Taxonomy (Score:5, Interesting)
Nerds are defined by what they know. We tend to stick to societally acceptable topics, but dive in much deeper or cover a wider variety of subjects than most. We are the grad students of the world, the academics, researchers and general know-it-alls.
Dorks are defined by what they like. Similar to the nerd, we dive in much deeper than the average person, but the topics we pursue tend to be much more nontraditional. We learn to speak Klingon or Elvish or know the plot lines, writers, and artists of all the major comic books and most of the minor ones.
Geeks are defined by what they can do. We may not know as much as the nerd on any given topic, but we can do more with what we know. We can hook up a home theater, fix a computer, or super-charge a lawnmower. We are the tinkerers, programmers, and garage inventors.
Some broad examples of my taxonomy: Nerds get A's in AP classes. Dorks play D&D. Geeks set up LANs.
All of our incarnations have spent more time learning about stuff than we have interacting with other people, hence our reputation for social awkwardness. We are handy, interesting, and often downright annoying to have around when our specialty areas come up, but are otherwise generally avoided.
I'm a nerd/dork/geek, but that's not the entirety of my identity. I like myself and my life, and against all odds, I've managed to find a life partner who feels the same. Of course, she's a bit nerdy/dorky/geeky herself, but aren't we all?
oh crap! (Score:5, Funny)
all these year's I've been calling myself a geek, when now I finally realize I'm a dork. That's both scary and depressing. We'll at least all the money I spent on Magic cards wasn't in vain.
Good stuff. (Score:3, Insightful)
--grendel drago
Re:Good stuff. (Score:3, Funny)
Average Joe (Score:4, Interesting)
On to the point. I happened to be doing some computer/photo work over at my inlaws, where the reality show 'Average Joe' was on. It was the 'big, final, show', where the chick is picking between a rich nerd, and the sterotypical 'handsome guy'.
As I was in the same room as this, I witnessed the ending where the chick picks the 'handsome guy' (who actually lives in his parent's basement) over the rich nerd (who was not unattractive, but slightly goofy)
I had predicted that 'whoever was the biggest assole will be chosen' - the nerd seemed sensitive and not an asshole at all - but the money was throwing off the equation. 'Handsome guy' was actually more average from what I saw; by the definite lack of personality.
Somewhere I lost the point, but I haven't had enough coffee. Needless to say, the show left me with a sour feeeling.
The moral of the story: Rich nerds still don't get the girl, if they're competing against generic 'handsome guys'.
I'm married, but I'm stunningly handsome;) , and rich some of the time, and a nerd. I met my wife at a rock show I was playing, so go figure.
if only... (Score:5, Funny)
Kids stuff...not nerd stuff (Score:3, Insightful)
Now the rise of the PC, that's unsettling. You hear middle aged women talking about firewalls and WiFi, and it takes some getting used to. But realize that PCs are completely mainstream now, so this shouldn't be a big shock. The catch is that such people use their computers to do their work, or to browse the web, or whatever, and don't just obssess about computers for computers' sake.
The Columbine Culture (Score:5, Interesting)
It was very strange. Colorado high schools have the very worst case of hating the smart kids, promoting mediocrity, and pumping jock culture. That is one reason I intend to leave before my kids become school age and move to a state that actually understand what a magnet school is, and what it is for.
Re:The Columbine Culture (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:The Columbine Culture (Score:4, Interesting)
Everything I learned was by working a few chapters ahead of where the course stops and making up my own problems to solve between getting my ass kicked, harrased, and stuffed into lockers. (Didn't help that I was 4'8" and 90 lbs until my Junior Year.)
Let me tell you, there were times that I wanted to go postal. Truth be told the Jocks were very civil to me. My rage was directed at the insecure morons trying to climb to social ladder at my expense.
Thank Dr. Seuss (Score:3, Informative)
From the book: "And then, just to show them, I'll sail to Ka-Troo And Bring Back an It- Kutch a Preep and a Proo a Nerkle a Nerd and a Seersucker, too!"
Yet more mastery from one of my favorite 20th century authors....(go read the Lorax now, dammit)
Finally! (Score:4, Funny)
nerds are still nerds (Score:4, Insightful)
I am a nerd myself. I'm a programmer, computer enthusiast, video gamer, star trek fan, and lanky white guy whose social skills are always in question.
However, I have no illusions about what I am.
Nerds are relative to non-nerds. You can call them Jocks, but that's not the whole of it - Nerds are compared against anyone who is not a nerd. Yes, Geeks count. You are not special just because you change the word.
I'm sure everyone is wondering what a non-nerd is. It's easy to say someone who is jock-ish, works out and is well built, good with the ladies, has some fashion and hygiene sense, works a blue-collar job that makes them dirty every day, and doesn't flinch at loud noises. Add a general lack of intelligence, and you've got yourself a non-nerd, right?
That is an insufficient description of a non-nerd, however. Some nerds work out (usually in a martial arts class) and have good fashion sense. It's simpler to define it as someone who exhibits fewer nerd-like properties than the nerd they are comparing themselves against.
Take two seemingly identical nerds. When they argue, whoever wins by pounding the other with logic and refusing to stop arguing is the bigger nerd. Whichever one has less muscle, and/or is less tan than the other guy is the bigger nerd. Whichever one likes Star Trek more is the bigger nerd. See how simple it is?
And the funny thing is, whichever one considers himself "less" nerdy than the other guy, no matter how nerdy he is, is still a big nerd - however, he does get bragging rights to call the other guy a nerd and proclaim that he is not one himself.
So let's just stop already. We're all nerds, if you want to get technical about it (and if you do, you're a big nerd) but some of us are far less nerdy than others. Those people have every right to call the nerds nerds, beat them up, laugh at them, and assault their self-esteem.
It's your job as a nerd to either accept your place in the pecking order as a nerd and forget about it, dealing with the occasional wedgie or insult now and then, or try to make as many other people as possible look more nerdy than you.
No Nerdism is still out there.... (Score:4, Interesting)
25 years ago we had STAR WARS, WILLOW, etc. THey were hits for Nerds and non-nerds alike.
And today you have the same crap going on.
I felt embarrassed for about 25 people at the Matrix Revolution that wore their black leather and sunglasses and walked around like some freak-show. How about the Star Wars fans that dress up and go about the foolishness. LOTR has theirs too.
NERDS ARE STILL OUT THERE AND STILL MOCKED. The problem so many of you have to learn to deal with is YOU ARE NOT THE NERD YOU THINK YOU ARE!
The days of a computer person = NERD is over, however the Nerd gene pool still exists and will still be mocked.
Comic Book Geek (Score:5, Interesting)
"That was Green Hornet, not Green Lantern," I said with mock disdain.
Then she asked me what Green Lantern's origin was. Before I knew it, I had launched into a detailed explanation of Hal Jordan's beginnings. It was surreal. I've never said the words "Abin Sur", "power ring", or "Guardians of Oa" out loud before.
When the story was over we switched back to talking about our firm's marketing materials, but then I paused in mid-sentence and said "I can't believe I just told you Green Lantern's origin". It was so weird, because usually the geekness is kept pretty private. I don't have any like-minded people to talk about comics with. But now when I'm stoned with my girlfriend, I tell her to ask me about the origins of superheroes so I can go off on a long, rambling, tanget-laden story about the Flash(es), or Cyclops & Havok, or how Aquaman lost his hand, etc. It's a lot of fun, and it feels good to share. And my girlfriend is very amused.
Re:Comic Book Geek (Score:3, Funny)
She was amused because... she's thinking "Who the hell cares about Aquaman? He is the lamest superhero ever."
LOTR? (Score:3, Insightful)
Watching the LOTR movies is definatley cool, but if you ever say "I've read those books at least 5 times, and the Battle at (whereever) was better in the book" then that is definately NOT "cool."
official definitions (Score:3, Informative)
Ah.. labels... (Score:4, Insightful)
A nerd is more than... (Score:3, Insightful)
Absolutely some 'nerd' things age becoming more mainstream. But most of those thing's weren't nerd exclusive. And most of the things the article refers to are entertainment, and a casual interest in it.
I'm guessing there are two things that make a nerd. It's not the object of interest, but the intensity of interest. Star Trek is fun. Lots of people like Star Trek. Not everyone that likes it knows the design specs of all of the Enterprises, or has seen every episode over 20 times, or any of a number of things that say "obsessive".
The Japanese have a great word. Otaku [urbandictionary.com]. It's not a good word. Otaku are the people that everyone lokos down on as having no life. And they don't. Not all people labled Nerds are Otaku though. A lot of people with that label are simply interested in the same things as Otaku. Now someone is saying that interest in something that a Nerd is interested in, makes them a Nerd.
I'm thnking that the other thing that makes a nerd a nerd, is a certain type of intelligence. It seems to be a combination of classical thought, with a scoop of imagination. You might say that Nerds are smarter than the average person, but that isn't always true. They just think a little differently. And seem to be alot more prone to sarcasm.
Being a Nerd will always be who you are, not what you like. And chances are, I'll always be a Nerd. And that's a social group I don't mind being a part of.
Re:pretty stupid (Score:3, Funny)
To avoid the easy charge of hypocricy, I realize you posted while you were outside, and your computer was off (presumably indoors.)
The real question is
Re:why then... (Score:3, Funny)
Speak for yourself, pizza-face.
What a dork.
Re:nerds? (Score:5, Insightful)
Some of us are - what differentiates nerds and geeks is that geeks have social skills.
For an example of the difference, watch Wargames - specifically the part where Matthew Broderick goes to the computer lab to get help from Jim and Malvin. Jim was a geek, Malvin was a nerd.
Re:nerds? (Score:3, Funny)
Nerd Trivia: Eddie Deezen [imdb.com], who played Malvin, is the voice of Mandark on Dexter's Laboratory.
TIP: If you want to get laid, use this information wisely
Re:Let's establish something (Score:3, Insightful)
Sorry I didn't make that clear; I was relying on parallelism with the Matrix reference.
The origins (and the circumstances/motivation und
Re:That's certainly your choice. (Score:3, Interesting)
Bravo for you for overcoming it, but I'm betting it wasn't really that bad in the first place. If it was just physical abuse, you didn't get shit for being a nerd. You can fight back and stop that. Insults aren't that bad, either, unless you start believing them. I started lifting weights when I was a sophomore in HS and that made most of these guys too afraid of me to mess with me. I only had to get in one fight to make the whole school stop.
It's the calculated conspiratorial