For decades, the stereotype associated with the word “nerd” has been a negative one. We were brought up with the idea that a nerd is a person who, though smart, is somehow socially strange enough that they can easily become the punchline of a joke.
But recently, those assumptions have begun to turn around.
You’ve probably noticed it yourself! Any store that deals in pop culture seems to be carrying merchandise about aliens and spaceships, the highest-grossing movies of the last several years have been comic book extravaganzas like The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises. I mean, you can walk into any department store and find a t-shirt that proclaims “I (heart) Nerds”!
It seems crazy, but being at least a little “nerdy” has become cool.
Of course, there are always going to be those who take their love of all things geeky a little further than others. There are those who wear the t-shirts of a show or movie they love, and then there are those who wear painstakingly handmade costumes based on that show at conventions and gatherings. A proud nerd myself, I tend to fall more into the second group. Costuming is a hobby of mine and if you get me started on the topic of comic books or science fiction, I could go on for hours!
But I really think that there’s something for all of us to enjoy in nerd-culture.
From the wildest “fangirl” to the most casual observer. Geeky, nerdy entertainment can be an awesome way of escaping the stress and uncertainty of college life and, besides, you never know when knowing the name of the second guy to don the Robin costume might win you a trivia contest. (That would be Jason Todd, by the way.) So whether you have seen every episode of Doctor Who seven times or have never seen Star Wars, I guarantee you’ll find something that piques your interest here in the coming weeks!
