Recently I've started to observe a certain accretive retro-coolness applied to the "nerd" label.
Pharrell leads a group called N*E*R*D with decidedly un-nerdy songs like "Lapdance," "Rockstar," and "She Wants to Move."
Working in SoHo, I see all manners of sartorial choices among the hipsters, skateboard culture aficionados, and leggy models that occupy this neighborhood and one of the more popular accessories, I notice that unites these distinct groups are those thick framed glasses (not to be confused with the square framed librarian glasses). Of course everyone knows that those glasses are not some fashion adornment, but a necessary evil to any bonafide nerds (all that reading results in bad eye sight). I know, because I had to wear them for a good chunk of my childhood: you know, during those formative years where insecurities develop.
Aside from adoption or appropriation of certain aspects of nerd-wear, I've noticed hip people who've never actually been a nerd, past or present, assuming that title. This is not to say that a former child drug addict/teen hooker can't become a nerd later on in life. However, I object strenuously to this hijacking, because once the fashionistas and trendsetters get bored and move on to a new style, they'll kick us dorks out of our ultimately temporary seats at the proverbial cool lunch table.
How do I know I'm a dork? Other than a youth consisting mainly of studying and reading past my bed time, I continue to occupy my time with things like this: I spent two hours of my afternoon today watching a show on the History Channel called "Star Trek: Beyond the Final Frontier," which pays tribute to the creator, show, its actors as well as the lead up to the Christie's auction of the costumes, props and more from the show.
The thing is that I don't even like Star Trek--the show or the movies. I am however, fascinated with its technological fantasies.
The auction was really fascinating: A FLUTE, a MOTHERFUCKING FLUTE (which doesn't even work!) from some random episode went for40k and the ship from
"Star Trek: The Next Generation" sold for $500,000.
Update: I was in Urban Outfitters yesterday and look at this shirt they are selling there:
I would enter this as exhibit A in the trial on the deleterious appropriation of nerdom by those who do not truly understand the lifestyle and thoughts of actual nerds.
At work I use two memo pads with "to-dos" or "action items" along with sticky notes all over my desk with various reminders and more action items. Hopefully by next year I can also have use these sticky notes developed by a British company that uses "intelligent" paper embedded with a programmable built-in alarm clock that can flash or beep.
For the first time in my favorite game show, Jeopardy's history, the contestants all finished with identical scores for a three-way tie!