so, ok, in the interest of full disclosure, i feel i should state at the outset that i am ashgasm's proto-husband carbon based critter. I'm the guy that makes her say, "gimme that sweet, sweet bendis, baby." and she knows that i planned to write this letter, but still, I only feel right if i claim my affiliation at the beginning.
anyways...
So, my question has been digging in my brain-meats for some time. We, nerds, look a certain way in film, on television, books, comics, whatever. American culture is media, and goddamnit, it has no love for us, I believe. So what of it, huh? What can be said about the character of our depiction in MSM? The way we are framed (and we are), does it matter? Is it fair? What are the implications, you know? That sorta thing. The way i see it, we get poked in the eye with the shit end of the stick in a few ways:
-The most egregious is that nerds are often presented as nebbish, greasy, socially autistic fucktards, vainly fellowshipping our way to Mount Doom, usually characterized as acceptance by the world at large and warm place in the pants of the one hot chick who acknowledges us.
-Another take on nerds in MSM is as the Magical Negro film trope. We become the above mentioned fucktards who allow everyone else in the world to learn something about themselves, and we get fuck all. Warm platitudes and back slaps, hollow cheers of "NERDS! NERDS! NERDS!" but that's it! The Revenge of the Nerd is all about this. Well, that and a badass synth-pop song near the end. And hooters, can't forget them.
-The last, and this is my most favoritest, is the nerd as a beautiful freak. Napoleon Dynamite, Angus, fuck loads of early John Cusack movies, Sixteen Candles (hell, most of the Shermer, Ill movies), each film has a nerd as star, and the point of the film is watching the spastic, cow-eyed gibbon dry hump his ('cuz the star is often a guy, another misdeed!) way to popularity. And he gets it, not because he deserves it or earned it but by default because that's the story. He has to win.
Exceptions, there are many: Xander Harris, Luke Skywalker, Holden Caulfield, Henry Rollins in Johnny Mnemonic, Patton Oswalt, and everything staring Simon Pegg (Spaced Rules!)but that's not enough.
So, tell me what you all think, or kill this rancorous diatribe with many flames and public shaming. Either way, love the site and love the scathing wit in the Powers letter column.
Simon Q Runaway
ASHLEY
Is it fair? Not at all. MSM nerds are framed by Hollywood's elitist h0rs, the ones who likely played football in high school and beat up actual intelligent kids like you, but could never compete with you intellectually.
I love the Lloyd Doblers and Xander Harrises of media for being realistic and oh-so-cute. I loved Duckie, too, but he was always after the wrong girl. Not that nerds cannot get with non-nerds, just that the non-nerds are usually not worth it. Fuck Molly Ringwald. If she can't appreciate him for what he is, she doesn't deserve him, anyway. Xander, too, was always after Cordelia, when Willow was right there, adoring him, and it's not like she was exactly a wildebeest. Willow was cute! But even Xander, King of Sunnydale Nerds, totally spurned Willow in the love department because she was too nerdy. So, even though I love him, not a lot of sympathy there, sorry. If you go after a girl just because she's got big tits, and that's her only positive feature, you're probably going to get a dumbass who doesn't understand you and gives you gifts of Star Wars: Episode I action figures instead of dressing up as Slave Leia for you for Halloween.
When I think of the nerds I've known in my life, only a very few--maybe only one--has been a social fucktard, and...he's creepy. He's not like his media representations. There are no Urkels. There is a whole category of nerd who really doesn't know how to get along in society, but even they are not as pathetic as what we get on TV. Most of the nerds that I know and love, and there are lots, are smart, are funny, provide the best conversations--because they're usually deep and insightful and always have knowledge that extends beyond makeup and football--they know that all people are different, or are supposed to be, anyway. They're generally just more interesting people altogether because they know that lightsabers and vampires and elves are more interesting than makeup and football. They're usually a lot more like the people you named in your exceptions category. And some few people in media, like Joss Whedon, know how to create realistic nerds.
I love you, honey. :-)
Mary: You can cut out that last line if you removed his disclaimer from the question and it thus no longer makes sense. :-P
NESSA
Good question I'm so sick of the way media portrays nerds and all stereotypes. Although I work in film and television, I have to say that for the most part they do it to every stereotype. If a character is a football player then they are cast as handsome and portrayed with no brains and if the character is a nerd they are ugly and smart (with a pocket protector). They are symbols for the general public to read because they are not trusted to think for themselves. A complex nerd character for the most part is something the networks shy away from. I wish that it wasn't the case. It just teaches our TV and film watching youth to not think for themselves and grow into stupid adults. And why are the nerds always pining for the shallow beautiful person. If the character is supposed to be smart they would want some one that not only is fun to fuck but that is fun to talk to and hang out with. There are so many different types of nerds it is little minded for television and film to generalize us into one type.
If we like a show we need to make it known. Don't watch the mindless shows because you are bored, show the networks that we expect more. LAUREN
I think what I find most distressing is that there is no lead female nerd characters in the msm. When can I pay my $7.00 to go see a group of girls sitting around smoking a bowl and debating whether it would be cooler being in the Rebel Alliance or the United Federation of Planets? Unfortunately, female nerds get less limelight than the males, and they always look even greasier. And slightly more pathetic. Until someone saves them from their nerdy doom. (i.e. She's All That)
When Spiderman 3 came out, a coworker mentioned how shocked she was when Tobey Maguire was cast for the role. She assumed he should be hunky because he was Spiderman; she thought since it was a superhero he should be anything but Tobey Maguire.(I don't think she knows who Peter Parker is.) The sad reality is that the general public doesn't like to think and it is much easier to accept a stereotype of a sub-culture then to acknowledge the fact that nerds, like other humans, come in all shapes and sizes. We even get laid without paying for it.
At the very least, can't the mainstream media portray nerds as normal people with accelerated interests?
MARY
Lauren, didn't we have that same conversation one morning after working third shift at ye olde home shopping network? I wholeheartedly agree. Where is my female Harold and Kumar? Damn Nessa & Lauren, I think we may have a movie there!
I think the nerd as a beautiful freak is my ulimate fave. We may not always be portrayed well. We still always win. That makes the sting less painful. We are a novelty to the public. We aren't portrayed awesome unless nerds write us. Tina Fey is a goddess. I worship her. I love all of Joss's nerds and nerd women. For the ladies, I loves me some Mary Stuart Masterson as Watts in Some Kind of Wonderful and Lori Petty as/in Tank Girl. (We also have an upcoming Powers related question regarding the character of Watts. Stayed tuned for that CNG readers!) The most realistic may be American Splendor. I don't know how that makes anyone feel. We are all so different. That would be what makes us nerds/geeks/dorks/spazs, wouldn't it?
"So, tell me what you all think, or kill this rancorous diatribe with many flames and public shaming. Either way, love the site and love the scathing wit in the Powers letter column."
-Simon Q Runaway
Gee, thanks Simon! I was emulating Bendis in the column. I read all his work I poured my heart into it. I don't try as hard in this mighty blogosphere. I try to be nice and approachable here. I love nerds. I felt a bit bad about the harshness of the column. Not too bad since some of the folks that write to Bendis are obviously nuts. (Myself included? Hmmm...food for thought.) Nobody that has written to me has been weird, mean or crazy yet. That isn't an invitation. Or maybe it is! A challenge perhaps?
Sorry for that recent lack of questions. The majority of my thoughts and some time have been monopolized recently by officers of the law. I am fine, don't worry dears! I'm not even in trouble. I hate authority figures though. The police scare me. I don't want to talk to police if I can possibly avoid it. I don't trust the man.
Glad to be home and safe away from the 5.0 in introweb land!
