Nerd Love
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Image SourceIt would be remiss not to mention Star Trek, Star Wars, Stargate and Doctor Who here, pivotal as they are to nerd culture. They are the holy grail of nerd existence and those fully wishing to understand the herd should take time out to study these TV shows in depth. Secondary study can also be found in role-playing games, notably Dungeons and Dragons. Tertiary academic pursuit in the understanding of the nerd should, necessarily involve Comic Book 101 and Trading Cards 101. Without a full and proper knowledge of these three vital strands of their culture, the nerd can never be properly understood or appreciated.
Nerdtivity
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The new century has brought with it new demands and those often best equipped to deal have been the nerds. The era of the nerd is upon us and the tenor of the age is one of celebration, almost, rather than of ostracization. This is the dawning of the age of nerd-quarius. The computer and internet have helped in this and many nerds have accumulated wealth beyond the dreams of avarice as a result. The majority of parents do not now despair if their offspring show signs of nascent nerdiness. Rather, many see the nerd as intelligent, interesting and socially acceptable. Many women see the male nerd as excellent marriage material, due as much to his genetics as his wealth. This evolution in attitudes has happened at the same time as a weakening in the societal emphasis on the negative side of nerd-dom. TV shows such as "Ugly Betty" and "Chuck" show the nerd in a positive - even sexually appealing light.
The Nerd Evolution Timeline
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So, we come to the age of the nerds. Darwin versus the Bible is an irrelevance to most nerds as they believe in an alternative evolution (see above). More and more, society in general believes that it is not a bad idea, after all, to be intellectual. Kids' TV shows often encourage young viewers no to care about the anti-intellectual peer pressure of latter day Biffs. Slashdot even has a tagline directed at the community - “News for nerds. Stuff that matters.” Incorrectly attributed to Bill Gates, the quote "Be nice to nerds. Chances are you will end up working for one" has become common currency. There is even, in Spain, a for real Nerd Pride celebration which since 2006 has been celebrated on May 25.
Nerd in ad kitchen
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Of course, all this means that there are now huge amounts of people who pretend to be nerds. This can be seen in the rise of Nerdcore as a whole. However, a word of warning to the pseudo-nerd. The real deal can sniff you out as an imposter immediately. If you borrow the image, concept and culture of the nerd so you can stand out as an individual, remember that this is a contradiction in terms to the Nerd de Verity. As such you will be shunned on discovery!
So, the nerd has come a long way in the sixty or so years since the word made its first appearance. What the next sixty years holds is anyone's guess, but it promises to be more than interesting. Where the nerd herd goes next may well determine the future progress of humanity. Only time - and the internet - will tell.
