The Lady Nerd -- Can nerds Be Cool?

http://podpocalypse.com/shows

Your host : Amy Vorpahl
Shot & Cut : Ed Spangler

Amy Vorpahl takes to the streets to ask people about nerds and how they view nerds in this first video from our in house Lady Nerd!

Watch for more from Amy in the Fall!

Follow our Redheaded Lady Nerd on her geeky adventures here on Podpocalypse! Send in your questions for ladynerd below as comments

Tags ; Amy vorpahl, nerds, nerd, lady nerd, geeks, geek culture, nerdism, interview, questions

Wiki : In 1962, Marvel Comics debuted Spider-Man, the super-hero alter-ego of Peter Parker, a nerdy high school student. This franchise has remained immensely popular, launching numerous pulp titles, television programs, and feature films.
In the 1984 film Revenge of the Nerds Robert Carradine worked to embody the nerd stereotype; in doing so, he helped create a definitive image of nerds.[18] Additionally, the storyline presaged, and may have helped inspire, the "nerd pride" that emerged in the 1990s. American Splendor regular Toby Radloff claims this was the movie that inspired him to become "The Genuine Nerd from Cleveland, Ohio."[19] In the American Splendor film, Toby's friend, American Splendor author Harvey Pekar, was less receptive to the movie, believing it to be hopelessly idealistic, explaining that Toby, an adult low income file clerk, had nothing in common with the middle class kids in the film who would eventually attain college degrees, success, and cease being perceived as nerds. Many, however, seem to share Radloff's view, as "nerd pride" has become more widespread in the years since. MIT professor Gerald Sussman, for example, seeks to instill pride in nerds:
" My idea is to present an image to children that it is good to be intellectual, and not to care about the peer pressures to be anti-intellectual. I want every child to turn into a nerd - where that means someone who prefers studying and learning to competing for social dominance, which can unfortunately cause the downward spiral into social rejection.
— Gerald Sussman, quoted by Katie Hafner, The New York Times, 29 August 1993[20]
"
Bryan Caplan, a professor of Economics at George Mason University, refers to himself as "an openly nerdy man"[21] and has written of a "Jock/Nerd Theory of History".[22] He believes that income redistribution is a tactic by Jocks to prevent Nerds from gaining power over them.
The popular computer-news website Slashdot uses the tagline "News for nerds. Stuff that matters." The Charles J. Sykes quote "Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one" has been popularized on the Internet and incorrectly attributed to Bill Gates.[23] In Spain, Nerd Pride Day has been observed on May 25 since 2006.[citation needed]
An episode from the animated series Freakazoid, titled "Nerdator", includes the use of nerds to power the mind of a Predator-like enemy, who delivers a memorable monologue on the importance of nerds:[citation needed]
" ...what they lack in physical strength they make up in brain power. Who writes all the best selling books? Nerds. Who directs the top grossing Hollywood movies? Nerds. Who creates the highly advanced technology that only they can understand? ...Nerds. And who are the people who run for the high office of the Presidency? No one but nerds.[24] "
The Danish reality TV show FC Zulu, known in the internationally franchised format as FC Nerds, established a format wherein a team of nerds, after two or three months of training, competes with a professional soccer team.
Nerdcore hip hop is a genre of hip hop music that has risen in popularity over the last few years, often expressing nerd themes with pride and humor. Notable artists include mc chris, MC Plus+, MC Hawking, MC Lars, MC Paul Barman, and MC Frontalot. The term nerdcore has seen wider application to refer to webcomics (most notably Penny Arcade, User Friendly, PvP, and Megatokyo) and other media that express nerd themes without inhibition.[citation needed]
Although the idea of nerds is popular, those adopting the characteristics of nerds are not actually nerds by definition. One cannot be an authentic nerd by imitation alone; a nerd is an outsider and someone who is unable or unwilling to follow trends. Popular culture is borrowing the concept and image of nerds in order to stand out as individuals

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Amy vorpahl
• nerds
• nerd
• lady nerd
• geeks
• geek culture
• nerdism
• interview
• questions
• how to be cool
• are nerds cool

[EibachGTR]

Of course nerds can be cool, i'm living proof. lol just joking but really, nerds can be cool

[ReallyColdRain]

1:27

Boys better learn that the world is changing...

[Orf]

2:03 excellent

[RobertxJenks]

nothing wrong with nerds most of my friends were nerds in school , i was called a nerd until people actually found out that i was also a good cook and made clown costumes and hats for parades and halloween where we live

[Thoran666]

Nerds can be sexy but they need to dress and look that way. If you dress up like you got your clothes from a second hand shop or your mom picked the stuff its definately a sign of being uncool.