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'''Nerd''' is a term often bearing a derogatory connotation or ], that refers to a person who passionately pursues ] activities, ] knowledge, or other obscure interests that are age inappropriate rather than engaging in more ] or popular activities. Therefore, a nerd is often excluded from physical activity and considered a ] by peers.{{Fact|date=April 2008}}

== Etymology ==
The first documented appearance of the word "nerd" is as the name of a creature in ] book '']'' (]), in which the narrator Gerald McGrew claims that he would collect "a Nerkle, a Nerd, and a Seersucker too" for his imaginary zoo.<ref>American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition, p. 1212, Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston - New York - London, 1992</ref><ref>], '']'', p. 47, Random House Books for Young Readers, New York, 1950</ref> The ] meaning of the term dates back to ], when ] magazine reported on its popular use in ].<ref>'']'' (1951-10-8), p. 16</ref> By the early ], usage of the term had spread throughout the United States and even as far as Scotland.<ref>Gregory J. Marsh in Special Collections at the ] library as reported in (1990-6-28) Vol. 4, No. 0235.</ref><ref>Glasgow, Scotland, ''Sunday Mail'' (1957-2-10)</ref> Throughout this first decade, the definition&mdash;a dull person&mdash;remained constant and was, at the time, a synonym for "]" or "]." It was only later, in the 1970s, that the word took on connotations of bookishness and ].

An alternate spelling, as ''nurd'', also began to appear in the mid-1960s or early 70s.<ref>''Current Slang: A Quarterly Glossary of Slang Expressions Currently In Use'' (1971), Vol. V, No. 4, Spring 1971, p. 17 </ref> Author ] claims to have coined this spelling in 1973, but its first recorded use appeared in a 1965 student publication at ].<ref>Personal Correspondence (1973-9-4) reported on </ref><ref>RPI ''Bachelor'' (1965), V14 #1</ref> ] there holds that the word is derived from "knurd" ("]" spelled backwards), which was used to describe people who studied rather than partied. On the other hand, the variant "gnurd" was in wide use at the ] throughout the first half of the 1970s.

Other theories of the word's origin suggest that it may derive from ], ] ventriloquist dummy, or the ] labs in ] (now ]). The ] speculates that the word is an alteration of the 1940s term ''nert'' (meaning "stupid or crazy person"), which is itself an alteration of "]."<ref>''The Online Etymology Dictionary.'' "Nerd." </ref>

The term was popularized in the ] by its heavy use in the ] '']''.

==Characteristics==

The stereotypical nerd is intelligent but socially and physically awkward. In film and television depictions, nerds are disproportionately ]s with ] and ].<ref>Lori Kendall. "OH NO! I'M A NERD!": Hegemonic Masculinity on an Online Forum. ''Gender Society''. '''14''':256. (2000)</ref><ref>Ron Eglash. Race, Sex, and Nerds. ''Social Text''. '''20:''' 49 (2002) </ref> It has been suggested by some, such as linguist Mary Bucholtz, that being a nerd may be a state of being "hyperwhite" and rejecting ] and ] that "cool" white children use.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/29/magazine/29wwln-idealab-t.html?_r=1&ref=magazine&oref=slogin|title= Who’s a Nerd, Anyway? |accessdate=2007-07-28 |author=Benjamin Nugent|date=July 29, 2007|work=New York Times Magazine|}}</ref> However, after the introduction of the ] character on the television series '']'', nerds have been seen in all races and colors as well as more recently being a frequent young Asian male stereotype in North America.

They typically appear either to lack confidence or to be indifferent or oblivious to the negative perceptions held of them by others, with the result that they become frequent objects of scorn, ridicule, ], and ]. Some nerds show a pronounced interest in subjects which others tend to find dull or complex and difficult to comprehend, or overly mature for their age, especially topics related to ], ], ] and ]. On the opposite end of the spectrum, nerds may show an interest in activities that are viewed by their peers as immature for their age, such as trading cards, comic books, or ] such as '']'' and other things relating to ] and ]. They are also stereotyped for being obsessed with ''Star Trek'', ''Star Wars'', and other science fiction shows or movies. Nerds are often portrayed as unfit and either obese or very thin. Nerds are also sometimes portrayed as having symptoms of ], such as by showing an extreme devotion to following rules.

Stereotypical nerd qualities have evolved in recent years, from awkwardness and social ostracism to a more widespread acceptance and sometimes even celebration of their abilities. This is largely attributable to the rise of the ] industry, which has allowed many "nerdy" people (most notably ]) to accumulate large fortunes and other measures of social prestige. Some measure of nerdiness is widely considered desirable, because it suggests a person who is intelligent, respectful, interesting, and able to earn a large salary. This evolution has dovetailed with waning emphasis on the social awkwardness of nerds, with more attention placed on their intelligence and academic enthusiasm.

==Nerds and Asperger syndrome==

Many traits associated with the nerd stereotype&mdash;an unusual penchant for accumulating highly specialized or technical knowledge, impaired social ability, or occasionally poor ]&mdash;are characteristics of ], an ]. The existence of the nerd concept in the popular consciousness may be attributed to ] between certain behavioral and cognitive predispositions, which at the extreme results in forms of ]. Studies using the ] (AQ), a measure of autistic tendencies, find that occupations commonly linked to the nerd stereotype are associated with elevated AQ, with the highest average AQ seen among computer scientists, mathematicians and physicists.<ref>S. Baron-Cohen, S. Wheelwright, R. Skinner, J. Martin and E. Clubley, , ''Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders'' '''31''', 5-17 (2001)</ref> Other studies have found associations between heightened AQ and ] ] exposure as well as genetic factors, suggesting a distinct genetic and developmental basis for traits associated with the nerd stereotype.<ref>Rebecca Knickmeyer, Simon Baron-Cohen, Briony A. Fane, Sally Wheelwright, Greta A. Mathews, Gerard S. Conway, Charles G.D. Brook and Melissa Hines. Androgens and autistic traits: A study of individuals with congenital adrenal hyperplasia. ''Hormones and Behavior'', '''50''', 148-153 (2006)</ref><ref>Francesca Happe, Patrick Bolton, Lee M. Butcher, et al. Genetic heterogeneity between the three components of the autism spectrum: a twin study. ''Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry'' '''45''':691 (2006)</ref>

==Nerd pride==
In the 1984 film '']'', starring ] and ], Carradine in particular worked to embody the nerd stereotype and, in doing so, helped create a definitive image.<ref>{{Citation | last = Singer | first = Jon | title = Carradine hits the jackpot as Lewis Skolnick | magazine = Lumino | date = 2005-08-28 | url = http://www.luminomagazine.com/mw/content/view/341/10/ }}</ref> Additionally, the storyline presaged, and may have helped inspire, the "nerd pride" that emerged in the 1990s. '']'' regular ] claims this was the movie that inspired him to become "The Genuine Nerd from ]."<ref>{{Citation | last = Hensley | first = Dennis | author-link = http://www.dennishensley.com | title = Revenge of the nerd: American Splendor's Toby Radloff is out and proud about his sexuality and his nerddom | magazine = The Advocate |date=2003-09-02 | url = http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1589/is_2003_Sept_2/ai_110737685}}</ref> In the ''American Splendor'' film, Toby's friend, ''American Splendor'' author ], was less receptive to the movie, believing it to be hopelessly idealistic. Many seem to share Radloff's view, as "nerd pride" has become more widespread in the years since. ] professor ], for example, seeks to instill pride in nerds:
{{cquote|My idea is to present an image to children that it is good to be intellectual, and not to care about the peer pressures to be anti-intellectual. I want every child to turn into a nerd - where that means someone who prefers studying and learning to competing for social dominance, which can unfortunately cause the downward spiral into social rejection.
:: &mdash; Gerald Sussman, quoted by Katie Hafner, '']'', ] ]}}

The popular computer-news website ] uses the ] "News for nerds. Stuff that matters." The ] quote "Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one" has been popularized on the Internet and incorrectly attributed to ].<ref>{{Citation | last = Mikkelson | first = Barbara | last2 = Mikkelson | first2 = David P. | title = Some Rules Kids Won't Learn in School | year = 2000 | url = http://www.snopes.com/language/document/liferule.asp | accessdate = 2007-07-22 }}</ref> In ], ] has been observed on ] since 2006.{{Fact|date=September 2007}}

An episode from the animated series '']'', titled "Nerdator", includes the use of nerds to power the mind of a ]-like enemy, who delivers a memorable monologue on the importance of nerds:{{Fact|date=May 2007}}

{{cquote|...what they lack in physical strength they make up in brain power. Who writes all the best selling books? Nerds. Who directs the top grossing ] movies? Nerds. Who creates the highly advanced technology that only they can understand? ...Nerds. And who are the people who run for the high office of the Presidency? No one but nerds.''{{Fact|date=November 2007}}}}

The Danish reality TV show ], known in the internationally franchised format as ], established a format wherein a team of nerds, after two or three months of training, competes with a professional ] team.

] is a genre of ] that has risen in popularity over the last few years, often expressing nerd themes with pride and humor. Notable artists include ], ], ], ], and ]. The term ''nerdcore'' has seen wider application to refer to ] (most notably '']'', '']'', '']'', and '']'') and other media that express nerd themes without inhibition.{{Fact|date=May 2007}}

==See also==
*]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* '']'', a short film about Nerds
* ]
* ]
* ]
* '']'', a ] film about college nerds
* "]", a song by ]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==Further reading==
* Kendall, Lori. "'The Nerd Within': Mass Media and the Negotiation of Identity Among Computer-Using Men." '']'', 7(3) (1999): 353-69.
* Kendall, Lori. "Nerd Nation: Images of Nerds in U.S. Popular Culture." ''International Journal of Cultural Studies'', Vol. 2, No. 2, 260-283 (1999)
* Kendall, Lori. "'Oh No! I'm a Nerd!': Hegemonic Masculinity on an Online Forum." ''Gender & Society'', 14 (2) (2000): 256-274.
* Bucholtz, Mary. ""Why be normal?": Language and identity practices in a community of nerd girls." ''Language in Society'' (1999), 28: 203-223. Cambridge University Press.
* Newitz, A. & Anders, C. (Eds) ''She's Such a Geek: Women Write About Science, Technology, and Other Nerdy Stuff''. Seal Press, 2006.
* Okada, Toshio. ''Otaku Gaku Nyumon'' (Translated: 'Introduction to ]ology'). Ohta Verlag. Tokyo, 1996.
* Frayling, Christopher. ''Mad, Bad And Dangerous?: The Scientist and the Cinema''. Reaktion Books, 2005.
* ''Genuine Nerd'' (2006) - Feature-length documentary on Toby Radloff.<ref></ref>

==External links==

<!-- Wikipedians: because of recent spam-links (a form of Misplaced Pages vandalism), please discuss external links on the talk page first. Thanks. -->
* "" (Paper by Jason Tocci presented at the MIT5 conference]. PDF, 180kb).<ref></ref>
* An essay by ] about the conformist society in American highschools.
* , an article in the ]

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Revision as of 03:07, 15 May 2008

nerds suck fuckin dick shove a pin head up their penis