Dork Pride! Suddenly, it's cool to be uncool

CNN ^ | July 18, 2005

[orionblamblam]

... Whatever the reason, being a nerd, a geek, a dork -- whatever you want to call the tragically unhip -- is becoming a source of pride. ... And, increasingly, people are parading around in shirts that say "Dork Pride!" among other things. Such items have gotten so popular that CafePress.com, an online merchandiser, has created a special category for shirts and other items celebrating geeks, dorks and nerds. ... For now, though, he's going with it and has put a bumper sticker on his motorcycle that says "Talk Nerdy To Me" so he attracts the kind of women he's looking for -- "a librarian type girl," who likes to go to bookstores and art galleries and whose eyes don't glaze over when he starts talking about the finer points of "Babylon 5" or "Battlestar Galactica." ... "I see them as eccentrics or maybe smart, gentle people with a passion for something that may not be popular at the moment, like maybe computers, 'Star Wars,' physics," says Mai, a 28-year-old university employee who lives in Walnut, California. "Say, for instance, we're watching a dream movie with Tom Cruise, Denzel Washington, Brad Pitt and Topher Grace. I'd gush over Topher Grace," she adds, referring to an actor from "That '70s Show" who's known for his geek appeal.

To prove her point, Mai has an "I (Heart) Dorks" tank top, which she wears often.

[Do not dub me shapka broham]

The dorks shall be avenged...IN CELLULOID!

:7)

[Venerable Bede]

If it wasn't for the logo'ed car, they look just like the Jehovah's Witnesses that wander through my neighborhood every once in awhile.

[Rodney King]

In reality, America will need to produce people who are both "Jocks" and "Nerds". I'm a nerd playing catchup to what the Jocks learned by 17.

I played it right down the middle as the Fraternity guy at a dork college.

[avg_freeper]

"something that may not be popular at the moment, like maybe computers"

Yeah, nobody likes those things. They're starting to get as unpopular as microwave ovens and TVs.

[Venerable Bede]

Wahooo! Technology is great, and you don't have to buy it jewelry to keep it happy.

[UB355]

Napoleon Dynamite, now that's an enjoyable movie. Can I have your tots ?

[Tennessee_Bob]

they will re-gain their rightful place in society as the weird guys who sit by the computer servers in the room with no windows.

And to paraphrase a cell full of juvenile geeks upon encountering Steve Dallas in the great "Bloom County."

"So, how's your credit rating?"

[The Grim Freeper]

HILARIOUS!!!

[MarkL]

Too late wimmin... You had your chance...

I'm now a bitter old dork! And I hate people in general and women in particular!

Mark

[dfwgator]

[patton]

LOL

[Mercat]

love this movie. girls like guys with skills. so let's ask the freepers, what are your skills?

[MarkL]

you don't have the social skills to enlist the aid of others and don't have the temperament to handle risk taking and uncertainty.

HA! Risk taking and uncertainty? You've obviously never tried setting up a mixed routable and non-routable protocol network, or tried solving a Microsoft "blue screen" problem!

Mark

[SwankyC]

whatever you want to call the tragically unhip -- is becoming a source of pride.

And why not. my money says geeks make alot more money than "Cool people" anyway. The cool people are too busy taking care of the kids they had before they got outta high school or they are too busy making close to minimum wage because they were too "Cool" to study and learn in school.

[Mercat]

Anyone taken the test to see which character you are in ND? First time I took it, I was LaFawnduh, next time I was tots. Remember, your wildest dreams will come true.

[HungarianGypsy]

My husband is still in denial about being a geek. Yet, when I got into his interests, he calls me a geek. At least I can embrace my geekiness. My 11 year old wrote a cute little song entitled Life of a Geek if anyone is interested, I can try to find it.

[MarkL]

In reality, America will need to produce people who are both "Jocks" and "Nerds". I'm a nerd playing catchup to what the Jocks learned by 17.

I played it right down the middle as the Fraternity guy at a dork college.

While I was never a "jock" in college, I was a computer science major, but played in most of the intramural sports teams, as well as being on an NCAA division III lacrosse team...

Mark

[Moral Hazard]

Go ahead. Put us down. One of these days we'll turn it around. Won't be long. Mark my words. The time has come for revenge of the nerds!

[tiamat]

Sam the Sham wrote:
Nerd skills haven't got one damn thing to do with

1. Bouncing back from adversity
2. Finishing what you start
3. Teamwork
4. Negotiating skills
5. Making sound character judgements
6. Being lucky in love

These are the social skills that the frat boys and football jocks are more likely to acquire.

---

I'm a geek and I can , and have done ALL of those things.

INCLUDING being "Lucky in Love".
And I will CONTINUE to do them long after SOME Frat Boys and Football Players are on their fourth marriages, are no longer on speaking terms with their kids who do not accept their shallow ways or have killed themselves with stress or hootch or who have gotten shot for being loud-mouthed idiots with zero tact. So which fraternity WAS it? Do you still have the ring?

[SunnySide]

LOL I watched that movie, very funny. Even thought the lead character was cute in thee under-dog cute way, then I slapped myself back into reality. The winter moon boots in summer would be a deal breaker. LOL!