NationStates Jolt Archive

I know that people love to make fun of those science fiction fans as being "nerdy" and other insulting descriptions. This view is certainly widespread and anyone who can actually bring up the most obscure facts about Star Wars, Star Trek, Lord of the Rings etc., can certainly be considered at the very least "obsessed". However why are these obsessions considered worthy of mainstream society's contempt? Sure these may be unhealthy obsessions and you can just cringe when someone goes into whether ST or SW is more feasible in the real world or disect everything Kirk and Spock says in TOS. But I feel just the same kind of irritated fascination whenever I hear a sports fanatic go over all the statistics of a team from 50 years ago. To be able to keep in your head who won the Super Bowl for the last 40 years or who won MVP in baseball in 1948, whatever! Or people who seem to know every little detail about cars and seem to know much more then any one person ever should know? Sports and car nerds however are not usually mocked by people. These are obsessions that people can somehow understand.

So how exactly is the Trekkie made fun of when going to a convention dressed as a Klingon when a baseball (or whatever sport you wish) fan can get into the uniform of their favorite star and get away with it? I consider a nerd as anyone with such an obsessive hobby that it seems to consume their entire lives whether it be science fiction or sports. Some nerds are just more popular than others, I guess...

Help me out here!

Everything has it's nerds. The important part is to distiguish them from geeks.

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/38664

Oh, staff of The Onion, will you ever stop with your trenchant, all-encompassing social commentary?

it's because cars and sports are real. well cars are anyway. i don't like spectator sports myself either.

This is it? Here I thought there could be the "real" nerds and the sports nerds going at it. Surprising.

Come on lets get some responses! People have opinions on everything, don't keep silent!

This is it? Here I thought there could be the "real" nerds and the sports nerds going at it. Surprising.

Come on lets get some responses! People have opinions on everything, don't keep silent!

Maybe you should have included Bible nerds?

*is somewhat of a sports nerd*

Maybe you should have included Bible nerds?

Very well! Calling on all Bible nerds! Get in here and give your say!

You're writing this because you are hurt by these infantile labels.

Turn the tables on them, take pride in the names. The term 'dyke' used for masculine lesbians was first an insult but is now a common label within their community.

You're writing this because you are hurt by these infantile labels.

Turn the tables on them, take pride in the names. The term 'dyke' used for masculine lesbians was first an insult but is now a common label within their community.

I would normally shout that anyone can be proud to be considered a "nerd" and and anyone who disagrees can also be considered a "jerk".

The thing is that these various groups have so much in common, their obsession taking over their life and yet somehow believing they are better then some other group. Ridiculous.

Turn the tables on them, take pride in the names. The term 'dyke' used for masculine lesbians was first an insult but is now a common label within their community.

on a side note dyke chicks are hot anyone agree or do I just have a fetish?

and as for the subject at hand sports and car nerds tend to be fairly strong so ridiculing them can prove difficult:p

I know that people love to make fun of those science fiction fans as being "nerdy" and other insulting descriptions. This view is certainly widespread and anyone who can actually bring up the most obscure facts about Star Wars, Star Trek, Lord of the Rings etc., can certainly be considered at the very least "obsessed". However why are these obsessions considered worthy of mainstream society's contempt? Sure these may be unhealthy obsessions and you can just cringe when someone goes into whether ST or SW is more feasible in the real world or disect everything Kirk and Spock says in TOS. But I feel just the same kind of irritated fascination whenever I hear a sports fanatic go over all the statistics of a team from 50 years ago. To be able to keep in your head who won the Super Bowl for the last 40 years or who won MVP in baseball in 1948, whatever! Or people who seem to know every little detail about cars and seem to know much more then any one person ever should know? Sports and car nerds however are not usually mocked by people. These are obsessions that people can somehow understand.

So how exactly is the Trekkie made fun of when going to a convention dressed as a Klingon when a baseball (or whatever sport you wish) fan can get into the uniform of their favorite star and get away with it? I consider a nerd as anyone with such an obsessive hobby that it seems to consume their entire lives whether it be science fiction or sports. Some nerds are just more popular than others, I guess...

Help me out here!
Agreed.

Unfortunately, most people see this as Trekkies(like me, though nowhere near the uber kind. While I do possess a rather startling amount of trivia in my brain about it, I possess that same kind of knowledge about all sorts of random stuff. I'm just a sponge. Go figure.) and other traditional nerds as being whiny bitches and refuse to consider the point.

You're writing this because you are hurt by these infantile labels.

Turn the tables on them, take pride in the names. The term 'dyke' used for masculine lesbians was first an insult but is now a common label within their community.

*cough* (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dysphemism#The_.22dysphemism_treadmill.22)

Agreed.

Unfortunately, most people see this as Trekkies(like me, though nowhere near the uber kind. While I do possess a rather startling amount of trivia in my brain about it, I possess that same kind of knowledge about all sorts of random stuff. I'm just a sponge. Go figure.) and other traditional nerds as being whiny bitches and refuse to consider the point.

See what we need is a clear defining of terms. Specifically, the terms "geek", "nerd", and "dork". I can't be arsed to do it now though.

See what we need is a clear defining of terms. Specifically, the terms "geek", "nerd", and "dork". I can't be arsed to do it now though.

The dictionary does give slight differences between all those, even though people interchange them.

I am simply going to call anyone with an obsessive hobby as a "nerd". Nerds after all are people who are totally involved in one subject and have their life circling around it.

it's because cars and sports are real. well cars are anyway. i don't like spectator sports myself either.

I think this is really the answer.

Also, I think there is a less negative connotation to being a car nerd. See, as a Star Trek nerd, you are known as a Treckie. As a car nerd, I am known as an Automotive Enthusiast.

Which of those two sounds better?

The dictionary does give slight differences between all those, even though people interchange them.

I am simply going to call anyone with an obsessive hobby as a "nerd". Nerds after all are people who are totally involved in one subject and have their life circling around it.

Pff, what does the dictionary know?

Geek:

Well, most of us are probably geeks. A key geek point is that it's much easier to express oneself on the internet than elsewhere.

Nerd:

Pretty much as it is defined here. Having an excessively thourough knowledge and understand of a subject. Usually prefaced by said subject, so a geek can be a computer nerd.

Dork:

Those really annoying stupid people on the internet? The ones people see as "whiny bitches"? Yeah, that's them.

I think this is really the answer.

Also, I think there is a less negative connotation to being a car nerd. See, as a Star Trek nerd, you are known as a Treckie. As a car nerd, I am known as an Automotive Enthusiast.

Which of those two sounds better?

Trekkie, to be honest. The other sounds like some kind of obscure sexual perversion.

I think this is really the answer.

Also, I think there is a less negative connotation to being a car nerd. See, as a Star Trek nerd, you are known as a Treckie. As a car nerd, I am known as an Automotive Enthusiast.

Which of those two sounds better?Truthfully? Treckie. It sounds mildly ironic and slightly humerous, Automotive Enthusiast sounds arrogant and egotistical. Nearly snobish. Tea with your carburetor sir?

Trekkie, to be honest. The other sounds like some kind of obscure sexual perversion.
And this is why my Brazilian fellow NSer rocks.

And it's Trekkie, not Treckie. That last one looks like it had a run-in with Pee-Wee Herman.

I think the major difference lies in the inferred social ineptitude of sci-fi etc nerds, whereas sportsfans are pretty much required to be social to enjoy their chosen passion to its fullest. In any case, I think that both types are geeks, at least. Nerd, to me, has always implied a level of academic excellence and enjoyment of tedium and busy work. Also the lack of vision or interest beyond the field of obsession. A guy who watches Star Trek with his friends now antd then, weekly maybe, that's a geek. A guy who watches it daily, obsessively, picking nits, trying to apply it to everyday life, that's a nerd. It's the fine line between thinking Geri Ryan is hot, and masturbating to creepy borg sex with a poster of her on the ceiling. Or something like that.