Scratching The Surface of Modern Nerd-dom.

(The following is my final project for my Media class. Hopefully I will continue to update this blog, and depending on how my summer goes, I will be able to review a lot of movies. So, please enjoy this post and have a great summer, folks.)

Nerd: an intelligent, single-minded expert in a particular technical discipline or profession.

Nerd: a foolish or contemptible person who lacks social skills or is boringly studious.

If you ask me, then a nerd is a hipster that not everybody hates (despite the work “contemptible” being in the definition). That wasn’t always the case, though. Back in “the day” nerds were stuck in the basement of their respective mother’s, left to play Dungeons and Dragons and fantasize over Princess Leia (we’ve all been there). Now nerds are an accepted group, and even have a sitcom about them (though whether it is a good sitcom is up for discussion). So, what hapenned? What turned being a nerd from something uncool into being a popular niche? The answer is quite simple. Late 90s and early 2000s were the years of the nerd. Now, “why is that, Zach, you devilish genius?” you may ask. That’s kind of the idea of this whole project, my dear reader.

Devilish genius indeed! Minus the homosex, of course.

Just think about it though. In the late 90s/early 2000s, the kids who grew up with Transformers, Power Rangers and Thundercats were becoming adults. They emerged out of post-secondary schools with their Ph.D’s and Doctorates, as opposed to sports scholarships like all of those nasty bullies. Just like everyone has predicted (perhaps jokingly) that they would “be your bosses”, it happened. And in my opinion, it’s what the world needed going into the new millennium. These are the people who were forced to think differently because they were treated that way. They were the underdogs, and as the world grew into one fit for underdogs, they emerged victorious.

So what did all this mean? Should you run in fear of being beaten to death by calculator-wielding virgins? Not at all, dear reader. Well, at least that’s not the point. My main point is that entertainment and the media has changed to fit the audience, and as well as the “big wigs” at the heads of companies. Why are there all sorts of super-hero movies coming out? Why is there a movie about the founding of Facebook? Why is everything ever written by Mark Millar or Alan Moore (yeah, that’s right. I put them together. What’re you gonna do about it?) being put onto the big screen? Because that’s what the writers and directors and studios know that movie-goers grew up with, and so did they. Be honest with yourself. If you could green-light a project to turn your favourite cartoon into a movie, you would totally do it. And that’s what happens. Sometimes it doesn’t make a good movie, but people will pay to see Transformers 12 because they want to see their favourite toys on the big screen like back in the 80s.

"I hope they don't hire Michael B- Oh, man!"

“Now wait just a minute.” you might be saying. “I grew up with Transformers, and I loved Thundercats. And Rainbow Brite was one of my guilty pleasures! Does that mean I’m a nerd?” Well, my incredibly confused friend, it’s possible, but all that does not make you a nerd. What makes you a nerd is the obsession, the desire to learn more, all those deep and subtle qualities is what makes a nerd. 

Seriously, dude, what's wrong with you?

But good news, poser/wannabe! With this great new-fangled piece o’ technolojay called the “internet” you can begin your quest to nerd-dom. When the internet first came around, only nerds could use it. There wasn’t porn to watch, or new CollegeHumour videos, but you could connect to another computer and write lines of code and stuff. In retrospect, it was kind of stupid, but the enjoyment came from connecting with someone in another part of the world with the same obsession for computer programming as you! With the internet being what it is now, you just need to know how to Google stuff, and you can find most any piece of knowledge ever contained in any human brain in the entire world. What originally took years of dedication, travelling to conventions and rewatching old episodes now just takes a quick read-through of a Star Trek wiki page to learn. 

And that’s where some people (including myself, to an extent) have a problem. 

See, all that commitment and time and energy is part of what makes a nerd a nerd. “Single minded expert in a particular [thing]” in this context basically means “obsessed”. What makes a nerd isn’t so much the knowledge of Kirk’s (creepy alien sexual) exploits and Picard’s adventures, it’s being able to argue which one of them was a better Captain, or had a better dry-cleaner. To be a nerd is to “care about the stuff that no one else cares about”. But with people actually starting to care about “nerdy” things, do nerds have to delve into the more obscure?

You have to admit that Picard is a total f***ing boss

Cole Stryker seems to think so, as he says in his article but I’m not so sure. If being a nerd is only being into stuff that only a small number of people are into, then I guess we’re all just hipsters. I know I use the word “hipster” in my own personal definition, but what I mean by that is that we set trends, and are ahead of the curb. But just because other people maybe have caught up, doesn’t mean Transformers and Green Lantern aren’t cool. Like I said before, the commitment and obsessiveness is what makes a nerd. You might know “all the names of the Asgardians”, but do you know “which one is totally the coolest” or “which one has the most badass helmet”. It’s these sorts of minute, seemingly insignificant details that make a true otaku, and this is why true nerds don’t need to fear being overshadowed by the posers. Because let’s be honest, we were probably like that at one time too.

If people are starting to become interested in nerd-dom, we shouldn’t be upset. Sure, you might feel a little bit bitter that you’re not the only one who listens to film soundtracks and re-watches Godzilla movies, but instead of being bitter or angry about it, we should embrace the future of our culture! The n00bz are the ones who will be running the show soon enough. So pass on your knowledge, lend a movie, suggest a comic book (don’t let them borrow it. You want it to stay in good condition) and let rise the new generation!

TL;DR

Just give me a good mark, Mr.Edwards!




PS: I want to thank my wonderful girlfriend for letting me bounce my ideas off of her, and being overall helpful with pretty much all of my posts. Thanks, Joelle. :)