The article I decided to analyze was written by Gary Hoppenstand and it is titled: Editorial: The Revenge of the Nerds. Hoppenstand is explaining in this article the past perception of nerds from how they are viewed today. He claims he was titled a nerd by fellow classmates growing up in the 1960's and that the primary reason they called him a nerd was because he collected comic books. At the time Hoppenstand claims it was fine to read comic books but to collect them was not a social norm.
There is a certain amount of jealousy in this article because Hoppenstand believes that popular culture has made a nerd into a cooler being. He believes the image has been transformed due to the success of famous nerds such as George Lucas who created Star Wars.
He then goes on to describe a new series on CBS called The Big Bang Theory which is a sitcom about a group of male nerds and their neighbor Penny who represents a "normal, non-nerd", who is a friend of the groups. Hoppenstand believes that this show will help reverse the image of nerds even further in social groups from being the outcast to a more popular group.
I believe that nerdy people have created ideas that have become very popular in society, but my argument is that nerds who do not find success in ways that make them more wealthy will not be considered cool just because they are a nerd. I think Hoppenstand's perpective comes with age where as people get older they view people differently. Adults who are successful tend to be the more attractive person than those just based on looks. I think it is fair to say that a nerd who isn't successful financially will not be more attractive to the opposite sex than someone who has good looks and athletic talent. Popular culture may favor nerds and their interest, but times have not changed that much from the 1960's and a male nerd is still not being seen with the captain of the cheerleading squad.
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It is so funny how back in the day people that were smart but very different were called nerds, children today call people like that lame. I agree with you when you state how a nerd may not be looked at the same way when they want to become an athlete, but at the same time once they receive that recognition, people look at them differently
ReplyDeleteChristian, very intereting perspective.
ReplyDeleteI would tend to agree with you that most "nerds" that are popular are so because they have become successful in their particular craft.
I think it is hard still to portray someone and their popularity status by their looks or success factor. I only think this because in popular culture there is a cultural opposite to the "nerd" and that is the "jock". And the msot common format for this in popular culture is that while the handsome young jock is able to date any girl that he wants while he is successful in sports in high school, once he leaves high school, if that same handsome athletic person doesn't have any skills beyond sports, they also may not be as appealling and popular with people as they were in high school.
Is it possible that the attractiveness factor is linked more closely to success than physical attributes are? The succesful nerd, or jock, gets the girl?
What do you think?
Steve Plassman
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ReplyDeleteI was also an outcast in school. I was not considered a nerd but none the less it had the same effects. I agree that change comes with age and wisdom before people look past the looks to what a person is like inside. I think that if we did not have nerds we would not have the advanced technology we have now. I still think that nerds are portrayed as the people who do not get the girls unless they are successful. The jocks are portrayed as always getting the girl.
ReplyDeleteweird how that works.