The following is from Joya, whose OSO membership is in transition with the
change in e-mail address; as most of you know, she is now joyab_at_fox.com.
* * * * *
Re: Nerverts
I have yet to read this article, but I've heard Mike talk about it before
...
Dean, nerds are born. Perverts are made. :)
Seriously, though, I think nerddom (nerdhood? nerditude?) develops by age 3
or so, as a result of early socialization experiences. I think perversion
doesn't come until a bit later, say maybe when the child is old enough to
start really exploring what is funny/interesting because of being taboo -
certainly not until after toilet training. Though it is true that a lot of
early socialization with other children happens coterminous with toilet
training ... I suppose as neither a shrink nor a parent, I can't be too
sure. But I think nerdness develops first.
And not knowing you from say, kindergarten to grade 3, I can't be sure, but
I suspect you were a nerd first, pervert second ...
I started thinking about nerditude, and decided that nerds branch off into
different types - I was able to differentiate a circular continuum of
roughly 5, all of which can flow into a 6th. (OK, this in and of itself is
nerdy, I know ... but here goes:)
Nerd nerd - The nerd nerd is the classic type, who as they age repress
anything non-intellectual. Sex and so forth are at most sort of
embarassing, desired but sublimated into humor or simply not talked about,
even if they do marry, etc. The computer geek is perhaps the example - I
suppose you could call them the Geek Nerds ... unless you wanted to make
another category for geek nerds between nerd nerds and freak nerds, with the
geek nerds being somewhat more sci-fi/fantasy oriented (creative) and the
nerd nerds being somewhat more computer techy (intellectual) ... but some
geek nerds are more dweeby or weird, so this becomes problematic ... anyhow,
on with the classification as it stands ...
Dweeb nerd - The dweeb nerd is somewhat more socially inclined than the nerd
nerd. They may become lawyers, doctors, accountants, or even salesmen for
non-exciting products ... They are somewhat successful at blending in to
society and seeming normal. What clings to them is an aura of boringness or
somehow being lame or pathetic in some hard-to-define way. Is it their
clothes? Their conversation? Something ...
Dork nerd - The dork nerd is a more extroverted dweeb nerd, in a way. Where
the dweeb nerd tries to blend in, the dork nerd tries to make friends by
calling attention to him/herself. This is the nerd of the high-water plaid
pants. Garfield's owner.
Weird nerd - The weird nerd should not be confused with the Weirdo Nerd, who
will be discussed later. The weird nerd is the category into which I place
myself. There is something unusual about the weird nerd, maybe a little
more exciting or colorful than just plain nerditude, but they still can't
pass for normal. They are different from the dork nerd by being more
independent, and cutting their own path a bit, not trying quite as hard to
fit in with the popular crowd, maybe because they've just given up and
accepted their differences a bit more. Winona Ryder's character in
"Mermaids" is a weird nerd.
Freak nerd - The freak nerd is even more independent than the weird nerd -
they are just too out there somehow - they have an extra intensity, which is
often brilliance. They are the most likely to become insane or win a Nobel
prize. This is the mad scientist of the group. Oddly, they may become the
most socially successful, because they have the drive to follow their
intellectual obsessions, and may obtain wealth, fame, women, and therefore
the confidence of achievement.
(My thanks to Lenny for discussing with me the difference between freaks and
geeks).
Weirdo nerd - The weirdo nerd is the character which all of the
aforementioned nerds may become. The weirdo nerd is the greasy-haired guy
you cross the street to avoid. He's the homeless guy in front of the
Montana Street Pavillions endlessly scribbling algebra equations. He's
Jeffrey Dahmer. He's a lot of my father's old friends. He's Charles Manson
(OK, Manson had a certain charisma to other weirdos). He's the guy who
never leaves his apartment except to buy catfood. The quiet neighbor.
So, what do you all think?
I suppose you could make it:
nerd-dweeb-dork-weird-geek
and have freak be an offshoot of weird and/or geek ... i.e., the weird nerd
gone freak is the real pervert, and the geek nerd gone freak is the real
creative genius/loon ...
Received on 2002-10-10 17:02:01
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