Today’s post is the first of a double-focus, all about embracing the nerdiness of you, and inspired by my weekend, during which time I am entrenched in some very nerdy activities - a comic and entertainment expo (yes, a convention!), and a dance class and costume display for a Pride and Prejudice Ball that I will be attending in May. These events are very much part of my nerdiness.
There has been a very obvious shift in recent years. It used to be that being called a “nerd” or “geek” was an insult.
Images of pocket protectors and thick glasses, with elasticized suspenders, came to mind. Even growing up, when I knew perfectly well who and what I was, thank you very much, the word “nerd” still had connotations related to after-school specials. It was played up for comic effect, then.
Now that has changed.
As I said, I have always been rather nerdy. I read my first piece of classic literature in grade four. I was never a big fan of doing poorly in school just for the sake of being “cool”. And before fandoms even existed, I felt very strongly about my favourite characters, be they in books, movies, or television.
How very hipster of me, I suppose.
The word “fan” comes from the word “fanatic”. It used to be that only sports fans were “acceptable”. Now, however, it is entirely acceptable, nay, maybe even “cool” to be a fan. You know what did that?
Books.
Harry Potter happened, and people went crazy. I didn’t read it until the entire series was done (I know, I know), but I could understand the craze.
There have been a handful of television shows, movies, and yes, definitely books, that have grabbed me and torn through me. I have worried, laughed, cried, and yes, definitely obsessed, over fictional characters and scenarios.
I won’t go into them here, because quite frankly, if I start I probably won’t stop. And then I will invariably forget about something about one of them, and that will haunt me…
What I do want to bring up is this question of being a nerd, a geek, a fan. Simon Pegg (who is amazing, by the way), is famously quoted as saying, “Being a geek is all about being honest about what you enjoy and not being afraid to demonstrate that affection. It means never having to play it cool about how much you like something. It’s basically a license to proudly emote on a somewhat childish level rather than behave like a supposed adult. Being a geek is extremely liberating.”
I often tell my students that, “Oh course I’m a nerd! Everyone is a nerd at something!” When that one student invariably scoffs, rolls his eyes (generalizing, but I’m sorry, it is almost always a boy), I always ask his (or her!) favourite thing to do. Hockey? Hockey nerd. Watch TV? Nerd. Gaming? Are you even trying now?
Saying I am a nerd is saying, “Hey, you know what? I am super into stuff! I get excited about things that have been created in this world!” How was that ever an insult?
I guess that is the same vein of thought that thinks it is acceptable to insult someone for being intelligent, but that is a topic for another day.
Maybe it is this question of socially acceptable behaviours. Geeks and nerds, stereotypically, are supposed to be socially awkward. Aren’t most people socially awkward at some point though? And doesn’t it matter with whom you are socializing?
I’m obviously not referring to being so awkward you act inappropriately, or that you cannot pick up on social cues. That is something different. I am talking about what John Green addresses when he said, “Why is being a nerd bad? Saying I notice you’re a nerd is like saying, ‘Hey, I notice that you’d rather be intelligent than be stupid, that you’d rather be thoughtful than be vapid, that you believe that there are things that matter more than the arrest record of Linsey Lohan. Why is that?”
I guess I am okay with being socially awkward in that sense.
So what is it about literature, in all its forms, that makes us go a little crazy? When a character is so well-written that he or she seems real, seems like we know them, through whatever lens the director or author has given us, we feel like that character belongs to us, somehow. We empathize with them, we learn all about them, we become entrenched in their world, even.
Some of this is a way to escape reality, sure, but other times it is a way to appreciate, or deal with reality. What fan of “Sherlock” has not paid more attention to details? What “Hunger Games” fan did not question the steps that politics played in leading to that dystopia? What fan of “Firefly” (Oh, “Firefly”) did not identify with the anti-hero, did not question the role of faith and family and what is right? What female fan of “Buffy” did not feel empowered, did not secretly cheer at the role reversal?And anyone who has seen the short-lived show, “Warehouse 13”, has even witnessed sections of history and symbolism, all told within character development and short-lived plot points.
And don’t even get me started with Star Wars.
Fandoms give us more than options for Halloween costumes. They open up dialogues, questions, and hold mirrors up to parts of society and individuality that would perhaps otherwise lurk, unseen, in corners behind everyday life. They offer immediate conversation starters in gatherings, comradeship between people who would otherwise be mere acquaintances.
It seems everything has a fandom now. I sometimes worry about the sheer quantity of random Disney trivia I know. Disney. Who would have thought of Disney movies as spawning nerdom?
But none of this is a bad thing.
I suppose this whole post is a roundabout way of saying, find your “thing”. And be a geek about it.
“Being a geek is a great thing. I think we’re all geeks. Being a geek means you’re passionate about something and that defines your uniqueness. I would rather be passionate about something than be apathetic about everything.” –Masi Oka
Are you a nerd? What is your fandom? And what does that have to do with writing? I will be exploring that in part two of this post!
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