So anywayz, continuing from part 2.
#3. Nerds have gained wide acceptance and jocks have suffered a corresponding loss in popularity. On the other hand, a strain of anti-intellectualism continues to run strong here.
I mentioned that I'd talk about The Big Bang Theory later. Well, here it is! Personally, I don't care for the show but the popularity of it is heartening. There have been nerds in shows before but I don't know of a (successful and mainstream) show that has featured a cast of characters almost entirely consisting of socially awkward nerds. You know how cool that is? It's also understandable. Many more of us grew up the nerd or at most normal than the ones who were the varsity all-stars in high school, yes? And we're the ones who are making the shows that get put on TV, the ones who post stuff on Tumblr, 9gag, 4chan, etc. In this virtual world, our physical attractiveness (or lack of it (- -;;)7) doesn't hamper us in the slightest.
Nevertheless, despite the advancements we've had in popular culture on that front, there is still an abiding mistrust of 'eggheads' and 'experts'.
Here's a fine article from the Dean of Arts & Sciences at UVA touching on the subject.
On the low end, there's a pervasive sentiment for 'keepin' it real', which I attribute to dumb-asses and the remnants of the brawn-over-brain cadre. On the high end, you have people who have already embedded themselves within the establishment and want the masses to stay bovine and docile.
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P.S. Since Blogger implemented the new comment reply system every time I click on a blog name in the Feed the new page opens up and jumps straight to the Reply box at the bottom of the Comments. This is annoying. Is this only happening to me?
I think it's nice that nerds are becoming more prevalent, and we're getting out and about, but we're still portrayed in a very stereotypical comedic way. The same way gays are presented as being the peak of homosexuality, nerds are portrayed as always being the pinnacle of nerd. Overtly awkward pedantic intellectuals.
ReplyDeleteOkay apart from the "intellectual" part that is me. But I think you can probably tell what I'm getting at. Nerds are being portrayed more, but it's still not doing much for our image.
P.S No but there is one blog I follow where when I load a post it jumps to halfway down the post and I have to scroll back up. It jumps down but not all the way to the comments.
"peak of homosexuality" I think the word you're looking for is 'flamboyant' or 'flaming'.
DeleteIf you're just referring to sitcoms, then yeah, sitcoms will be sitcoms after all. But across Media Land the smart guy isn't the sideline nerd anymore. Case in point: Daniel Jackson from Stargate SG1. There's a 'team nerd' who really grew to become a real badass thinker, I tell ya.
Blogger is randomly annoying.
ReplyDeleteYep. I hear that.
DeleteI think it's cool. Just evolution, different people in charge and different mindsets make different things happen. Never seen The Big Bang Theory, so it's cool to know it's basically nerds.
ReplyDeleteAlso, doesn't happen to me. That'd be pretty upsetting, too. Also what Mark said, I'm pretty sure it's that one blog's issue alone.
In other news, on your blog when I Comment the page doesn't reload. How you doin' that?
DeleteJust stopping by and checking through.. I HAD NO IDEA. I'm pretty effing happy it's happening to my blog too. I've noticed it on a handful of other blogs, I believe it's a blogger-switch. BAD. ASS.
DeleteI'm happy for you. (- -___)
DeleteI'm curious as to what happens if a person has brains and brawn. Are they rejected by both groups?
ReplyDeleteNo, people with brawn generally feel threatened by people with brains. Evil conniving masterminds and all that. People with brains don't hold mind about brawn or lack of it.
DeleteYou make great points totally I agree! (exept that I like the Big Bang Theory!)
ReplyDeleteAs to what happens when I click on a blog post: It happens that way for some blogs and not others. Bloggers crazy!
It even happens on my own blog to myself!
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