The More You Knerd: If you’re not a nerd, don’t call yourself one [PSA]

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A PSA from the Portland Nerd Council (Portlandia): If you’re not a nerd, don’t call yourself one.

[Via LS]





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23 Responses to The More You Knerd: If you’re not a nerd, don’t call yourself one [PSA]

  1. For me if you are PASSIONATE about a particular subject that is not Mainstream and others SHUN you for something as simple as that, then yes you are a Nerd, but I do like the overall point he is making.

    • Yes. Yes we all are like that. Actual, socially-realized nerds are like that, anyway. The point he was trying to make, if you were listening, was that the term, “nerd,” is not a positive representation of one’s character in society, and those who use it in reference to themselves are, in essence, NOT nerds.

      In this context, he’s essentially likening it to, “If you think you’re crazy, you’re not.”

  4. I understand your difficulty coming to grips with being a nerd. I am a nerd. Specifically I am an Anime/Star Wars/Cosplay nerd. I share many of the aspects you have listed save for one. I have embraced the fact that I am a nerd. I have become comfortable with it and can speak to people as a proud nerd. I revel in the ability to quote obscure Star Wars quotes in my sleep. Take heart and remember. In the world of today, the nerd is King. Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, James Gosling. These men pioneered the computer technologies that run the worlds economy, and they are nerds. So step up and say aloud. I am a nerd, and I am proud to be one.

    • ^^ That’s what she said! ^^

      ^_^

      But, yeah… Everyone has the right to be their own brand of nerd, without other nerds revoking their nerd membership card… The nerdy world is more than large enough for all nerds.

      I myself am a not-unappealing computer / anime / astronomy / photography / sci-fi / video game / etc. nerd. And I’ve long since accepted my nerdiness. So if anyone has a problem with it? Well, they can go suck a lightsaber.

  6. Hey, Portlandia…don’t help. I’m a nerd (or “geek,” but that’s just my preference) and proud of it. It took about twenty years for me to be able to say that. But I’m glad I can, and I encourage other nerds to embrace it. Furthermore, I don’t shame other people for calling themselves nerds, even if they don’t quite fit my idea of what a traditional nerd is. Nerds and geeks are just people who are passionate about something. It used to be something that wasn’t mainstream, but that’s changing. I won’t relinquish my super-hero geekdom just because super-heroes are cool now. Rather, I welcome all the new super-hero geeks. Enjoy being a nerd. Own it. Wear it proudly, and laugh at those who think it’s a weapon to be used against you. Otherwise, you’re just defeating yourself.

  7. This is bordering on the fake geek girl bullshit, and anyone can be a nerd about anything. Enough with the elitist crap, it’s not a secret club.

    Oh and also, you aren’t required to “look” like a nerd to be one. Nobody is required to exude their interests.

    • You don’t have to “look” like a nerd to be a nerd. The point of this sketch is that being considered a “nerd” in the socially-contextual sense of the term, is absolutely NOT a positive representation of one’s character, and those who are trying to fit into this unrealistically pseudo-popular use of the definer, “nerd”, are undoing what an actual “nerd” is:

      Someone who is, on the whole, obsessed with a particular subject or theme. Geek girls/gamer girls, much like those who anonymously represent themselves online and then define themselves as females in said anonymous situations, are consciously attempting to garner attention because of the fact that they’re girls.

      Of course, “geek girls” and “gamer girls” exist. However, girls who wear lenseless glasses and wear a batman t-shirt without knowing who batman is, are NOT either of those things.

      It’s much like the old adage, “If you think you’re crazy, you’re not.”

      • This guy defines “nerd” with physical descriptions and social characteristics. He calls himself shy, says the only reason he’s “tanned” is because he went out to expos, and says he needs those glasses to see. The only one insulting the nerd community is him, by attaching stereotypical descriptions to a core definition.

        I think of myself as a geek. I don’t consider myself to be particularly smart and I’m not passionate about academics, I’m passionate about gaming and anime. I’m also fairly shy and pretty anti-social. I get annoyed when someone plays one game and calls them self a “gamer”, but if the “nerd girl” in his video actually meant what she said, then she’s every bit as much a nerd/geek as he is.

        In reality he’s just another individual trying to separate himself from what is becoming a popular thing.

        This isn’t “If you think you’re crazy, you’re not”. This is “See, I’m Napoleon, and I’m TELLING you, you’re not crazy”.

  8. Geek: someone passionate about something the “average” person has no interest in.

    Nerd: like a geek, but in subjects dealing with academia.

    Milhouse van Houten: “I’m not a nerd, Bart! …Nerds are SMART.”

  9. I get that this is trying to be funny but no. It’s kind of offensive in a lot of ways and harmful to the nerd community. Hot girls can be nerds. Nerds can be happy with who they are and think being called a nerd is a good thing. I would never want to not be a nerd. I think its the best way to be.

  10. You guys know there’s an ACTUAL Portland Geek Council, right?

    http://www.pgc3.org/

    And no, I don’t think this PSA is a hundred percent accurate, but I’ll take this over some of the alternatives, so I give this a rousing and enthusiastic “meh.”

  13. um, the girl in the skit calling herself a nerd… usually when uncomfortable or unsure, people tend to put themselves down a bit, they downplay their interests.