On Nerds, and Cultures Counter. . .
This is it, you know? The moment of truth. Here we go.
I am a nerd. And I hate other nerds.
This is me in a Cylops outfit for Halloween. Do you see what I’m talkin’ about?
Perhaps I should elaborate, yes, indeed that is what I shall do. As a nerd, I enjoy a great many activities that may be frowned upon by other members of our great society. I read comic books, play video games, I still find nerf guns cool (see the abominable “classic” NERF for further proof) and on occasion a board game or two (Catan, not Warhammer you dweebs). I like watching British television, and think that “the Venture Brothers” is quite possibly the greatest thing since people made bread (and bread’s pretty great).
The internet has done a great many things for we nerds. Nightly it showers us with the newest news about all our favorite nerdly things. It brings us together in our love (or hatred) of the very things designed to keep us entertained. However I find our “subculture” entirely immature. It’s terrifying to peruse a forum, or even a message board on a news site. Every couple days I go to IGN or Newsarama, and every time I browse down to see what other people are saying, and then, I cry. This is not to say that all of my fellow readers are practically ignorant, it’s just to say that there is a simple ongoing “factioning” that is unceasing. Marvel vs. DC, Nintendo vs. Sony, Apple vs. Microsoft, Fanboy vs. Hater. It’s bizzarre, as though the strength in numbers mentality will seem them through, as apparently an epic war of entertainment is underway, and I’ve simply forgotten to openly advocate a side.
Now in honesty, I do prefer to read Marvel stuff rather than DC, and yes, I do own a 360 and not a PS3, nor do I have much interest in doing so. However, I wouldn’t openly discount these things just because I don’t actively use them. While many things of the subculture are now becoming much more mainstream, (thanks comic book movies, and Heroes!), I still do not actively bring up the fact that I read comics arround people I don’t know. Why? Well, if you went to a party and while meeting someone they openly brought up that they loved reading the newest issue of “Superman”, what would you think? Be honest. You may instantly have innate associations and judgements of this person, as though this one attribute about them is all one must know.
Also scary about the subculture (and in American culture as a whole) is a rising anti-intellectualism. All too many times playing games with people via the internet has opened my eyes to the kind of people that spend their free time as I do mine, and I’m left shuddering. The homophobic slurs aside, I’m getting beaten repeatedly by people who brandish the fact that they are failing out of high school as some absurd badge of honor. Leaving me feeling great overall about the rediculous beatdown I just recieved.
What’s scary is that the longer I write this, the more it becomes in itself a nerd rant. A nerd rant about nerds. The irony is too much. I need a sandwich.
Sam wrote:
I think it’s because “nerds” are paraiahs, rather than an actual subculture. There is not an ideology that goes along with it, just a series of habits, pursuits and stereotypical characteristics. Nerds don’t seek to reject societys values, they just get really passionate about things most people see as unhealthy escapism. I don’t think your stereo-typical dungeonmaster scorns society (unlike us), they simply find escapism more rewarding. Therefore, the anti-intellectualism and objectification of women found in mainstream society carry over, because there is no reason to shed them. There is no ideological goal attached to being a nerd, unless you call playing warcraft in your basement an ideological goal.
This has come off to harsh, because I consider myself a nerd. I play video games from time to time, I read tons of comics, and I LOVE Batman. The problem with identifying yourself as a member of a group is that you have to feel responsible for the dumb shit coming out of the mouths of the people who also claim to be in your same group. I know reading comics and even playing video games are intellectually rewarding for me, yet very stupid people spend their time doing the same stuff. I think this fact merely speaks to how effective these things are as art forms that seek to include rather than exclude.
Posted on 06-Jul-07 at 3:02 pm | Permalink
patrick wrote:
I disagree with your statement that a subculture has to agree to a particular ideology counter to it’s parent culture. Granted maybe nerds aren’t entirely cohesive, but i think they are just as cohesive as other groups. I think the main problem with the nerd subculture is that until very recently you would never self-identify with as a nerd rather, the label was given by the mainstream culture as a pejorative. I could maybe buy the fact that nerds were not a subculture then. However, nowadays with so many people self-identifying and networking as nerds I feel you would be missing the point if you claimed they were not subcultures, even if they don’t really challenge assumptions of the parent culture (sexism, materialism, and homophobia). If you claim a subculture must have a cohesive ideological goal then you can’t really include a bunch of sub-cultures.
Posted on 06-Jul-07 at 11:32 pm | Permalink
Steven wrote:
Why don’t you marry him Sam.
Posted on 07-Jul-07 at 12:20 pm | Permalink
Sam wrote:
I take it back, I think it is fair to say that Nerds are a sub-culture. I think the argument I was trying to make is that they are not a counter-culture. After all, Bird Watching societys and High School Debate are sub-cultures. I think the difference is that a sub culture is a group of people who have banded together and formed their own culture within a culture, whereas, a counter culture is created in opposition to a given culture. Sorry for the confusion in terms.
Although, I do think the term “Nerd” is a bit slippery, and even a bit contradictory. It’s cool to be bit of a nerd, in the right places (music, geek chic clothing) but uncool to be too much of a nerd(playing too much wow, cosplay). Also, I think two people who have very little in common might both be considered nerds. Take, for example, a buttoned down, young, female asian design major on the fast track to success versus a forty year old obese man playing mmorpgs in his parents basement all day. The only thing they have in common is that they are not what is traditionally considered cool.
Posted on 09-Jul-07 at 11:13 am | Permalink
Patrick wrote:
I AGREE LET’S BE FWIENDS!
Posted on 09-Jul-07 at 9:53 pm | Permalink