Nerds

Different people have different definitions of the word "nerd." I define a nerd as someone who is deeply interested/involved in niche hobbies and communities, and usually specifically focuses on one in particular to the point of Serious Business. Serious Business usually refers to something that most people don't give a crap about, but a few people obsess over. Basically anything that nerds are into usually ends up falling into Serious Business territory. This can be both good and bad. To me, it has nothing to do with social awkwardness or anything like that. Being socially awkward makes you a geek. I'm sorry, but shouting to the world that you are a nerd because you read Harry Potter and have a Wii does not make you a nerd; it makes you a Hollywood Nerd. I'll explain the difference.

Films used to portray nerds in a not-so-flattering light. They weren't just nerds; they were also complete geeks. They were unbelievably socially awkward to the point of not having any friends (in many cases, not even other nerds would hang out with them), they smelled, they were out of shape, and they NEVER did anything that could possibly be considered normal or (God forbid) cool. Somewhere along the line, things changed. Suddenly, nerds in film and television were good looking, awkward in an endearing way, obsessed over popular culture instead of niche culture, and were only dateless because OMG GURLS JUST WANT TO DATE A BUFF DUMB JOCK AND NO ONE WANTS THE NICE GUY WTF. These "nerds" being portrayed in film and television are Hollywood Nerds. In reality, most nerds fall somewhere in between the two extremes.

The vast majority of nerds are at least somewhat geeky, but they are not the stereotypical losers that many people think of when they hear the word "nerd." I have met some Hollywood Nerds before, but I honestly wouldn't even call them nerds. Wearing glasses, playing Wii games that all have Mario in the name, and in some cases even calling YOURSELF a nerd does not make you one; it makes you an annoying poser.

If you have never spent weeks trying to track down the one issue of an obscure comic book that has evaded you, if you have never dropped 60 bucks on a video game that was released 2 console generations ago, if you have never trained for a sport that most people wouldn't consider a sport, if you have never completely lost yourself while forming a nearly unbeatable strategy to crush your friends in a war game that no one else gives a crap about, you are not a nerd. Stop calling yourself one.

Pretty much all of my friends are nerds. There are varying degrees of geekiness in our group, but the nerdiness is what binds us. The reason I am perfectly comfortable with saying that I'm a nerd is that nerdiness does not define me; it is part of who I am, but it is not all that I am. With that being said, it is an important part of me, which is why I chose to rant about this.

Those of you who talk about how nerdy you are because you saw the Deathly Hallows part 1 at midnight need to STFU; leave the title of "nerd" to those of us who are the real fuckin deal.