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[Tschumi]

I remember a time when, for me, the term "nerd" was a genuinely lamentable label.

I'm reminded of that bonus scene in the closing credits to Ferris Bueller's Day Off (Out?) In which the principal, on top of everything else, has to endure an extremely awkward bus ride with an exaggeratedly geeky, awkward girl. He vibrates with contempt for her and, though this is clearly all timed and paced and shot to underline and maximize his discomfort, I think a general popular "ugh, nerds" message remains.

But these days nerds are awesome. They're a crucial part of any school comedy, they're often portrayed as problem solvers with hidden talents.

So anyway, when do you think this happened? This change, perhaps gradual, in how pop culture values "nerds"? What event kicked it off?

Disclaimer: I think it could possibly be because of my age, that even when Ferris Bueller's Day Whatever came out nerds were already cool, but that doesn't mean we can't all try to think of a event that kicked this off.

For me, I think it might be Fitch, and his "Milf" mum from American Pie, who was an awkward but key component of a mainstream highschool clique in a very popular film.

 

[AJUMP23]

We built everything people use.

Got rich or died trying.

 

[Wildebeest]

When the internet took off, the new socially mobile class of winners were nerds. People love sucking up to rich people and telling them they are special in the hope that some of that success rubs off.

 

[NeoIkaruGAF]

What?
Only a nerd really believes that the word can be not derogatory, and most people who call themselves nerd really aren’t.

People may love a rich nerd that makes apps and stuff they want to use. But in the grand scheme of things, most people are still laughing at nerds, not with them. No matter how brilliant a nerd is, in the end it’s often someone you wouldn’t dance with, or take with you on a mountain trip, or choose for your dodgeball team unless there’s no choice. Problem-solving skills are no match for social awkwardness when push comes to shove.

Real-life Fitch never gets the MILF (unless he’s loaded and/or extremely well hung).

 

[AJUMP23]

I would also state that I only think calling someone a nerd was a thing for juveniles. If adults were calling other people nerds as an insult that is something I could only think existed in the movies. If you walked around and made fun of socially awkward folks, then that is a problem with you.

 

[nush]

But these days nerds are awesome.

NO, they are not and never will be in the real world. There's a lot of fake nerds riding the wave and there's a lot of successful nerds. But nerds won't ever be actually cool in any way just for being nerds.

 

[Punished Miku]

Hipsters are slightly close to nerds. Then uber-hibsters had to flirt with full on nerd fashion to remain noticeable among other hipsters. This happened at the same time that everyone grew up, and natural demographic changes occurred. A whole generation of people that played games and read comics grew up and had kids, so it wasn't really an outcast set of interests.

Nerds aren't exactly "cool" now. They're just not genuine outcasts like they once were. And most of their niche interests are mainstream now, moreso than they are.

Some people wear "ironic" nerd fashion, but they're basically hipsters, not nerds. They're basically nerd posers. Genuine nerds are still socially awkward, and not cool. Also anti-bullying sentiments are more prominent in general now.

 

[Tschumi]

NeoIkaruGAF nush

---

I was referring more to their role in popular culture, and meditate on what caused so many pop culture generators to follow the nerdy leader... not ah our own life experiences... but I appreciate the input by some legit posters™ so good times.

---

most of their niche interests are mainstream now

I think this is a big part of the changing role of 'techno-literate' individuals who might have been considered nerdy back in the 80s and 90s... Their tools are ubiquitous, snappy, useful for everyone and very familiar... so yeah they don't need to get pasty in a back room to impressively master a smartphone

 

[nush]

NeoIkaruGAF nush

---

I was referring more to their role in popular culture, and meditate on what caused so many pop culture generators to follow the nerdy leader... not ah our own life experiences... but I appreciate the input by some legit posters™ so good times.

---


I think this is a big part of the changing role of 'techno-literate' individuals who might have been considered nerdy back in the 80s and 90s... Their tools are ubiquitous, snappy, useful for everyone and very familiar... so yeah they don't need to get pasty in a back room to impressively master a smartphone

It's OK bro, I'm a successful nerd.

 

[Rentahamster]

We got rich and powerful.

 

[Nester99]

Money

 

[Kenpachii]

success

 

[Raven117]

I know what you are trying to say OP but your definitions defeat themselves.

What is a nerd? (A miserable pile of secrets?). What is cool? What is geeky?

You have to start there before we can even begin to answer the question of when “nerds” became “cool.” (Which I submit hasn’t happened…. But rather there is more of an an acceptance of technology and other “nerd” interests)

 

[BigBooper]

Maybe when The Matrix became a cultural dynamo. So 1999.

 

[AJUMP23]

NO, they are not and never will be in the real world. There's a lot of fake nerds riding the wave and there's a lot of successful nerds. But nerds won't ever be actually cool in any way just for being nerds.

I'm a cool nerd, so you are just going to have to accept that.

 

[AV]

"Nerds" as people never became cool, nerd culture became way more mainstream. Gradually happened over the last decade or so.

Marvel movies hit their stride with The Avengers in 2012 became a global phenomenom.
Star Wars rebooted in 2015 and ballooned out of control in popularity.
Game of Thrones 2011-2019, the normalisation of fantasy the likes of which we haven't seen since LOTR.
Critical Role bringing D&D to the masses from 2015 onwards by allowing people to experience it vicariously without any effort. Penny Arcade got this ball rolling very slowly years earlier.
Twitch got bigger and bigger getting more and more people into gaming, same with how AGDQ and other speedrunning live shows have grown 2010 to present.
The popularity of Fortnite (peak 2018), Minecraft (peak 2013) etc. with kids in a way that games simply weren't popular before.

That about covers your nerd bases. So, yeah, I would call 2010 a good starting point with 2015 being where things really kicked off.

 

[dcll]

What?
Only a nerd really believes that the word can be not derogatory, and most people who call themselves nerd really aren’t.

People may love a rich nerd that makes apps and stuff they want to use. But in the grand scheme of things, most people are still laughing at nerds, not with them. No matter how brilliant a nerd is, in the end it’s often someone you wouldn’t dance with, or take with you on a mountain trip, or choose for your dodgeball team unless there’s no choice. Problem-solving skills are no match for social awkwardness when push comes to shove.

Real-life Fitch never gets the MILF (unless he’s loaded and/or extremely well hung).

So true

 

[The Cockatrice]

Theres loser nerds and theres rich nerds. I'm the former so not that cool.

 

[nush]

Theres loser nerds and theres rich nerds. I'm the former so not that cool.

You just had to be a nerd at the right time and in the right place. 2021, not that much chance.

 

[The Cockatrice]

You just had to be a nerd at the right time and in the right place. 2021, not that much chance.

Oh I was and still am a nerd for 33 years and counting. Lazy is my villain and I lost against it all the time.

 

[Doom85]

"Nerds" as people never became cool, nerd culture became way more mainstream. Gradually happened over the last decade or so.

Marvel movies hit their stride with The Avengers in 2012 became a global phenomenom.
Star Wars rebooted in 2015 and ballooned out of control in popularity.
Game of Thrones 2011-2019, the normalisation of fantasy the likes of which we haven't seen since LOTR.
Critical Role bringing D&D to the masses from 2015 onwards by allowing people to experience it vicariously without any effort. Penny Arcade got this ball rolling very slowly years earlier.
Twitch got bigger and bigger getting more and more people into gaming, same with how AGDQ and other speedrunning live shows have grown 2010 to present.
The popularity of Fortnite (peak 2018), Minecraft (peak 2013) etc. with kids in a way that games simply weren't popular before.

That about covers your nerd bases. So, yeah, I would call 2010 a good starting point with 2015 being where things really kicked off.

Pretty much, barely anyone is free of being involved with some nerd elements in their life these days.

If some jock-type was trying to mock nerds, anyone who knows him can probably just look at him and go, “bitch please, you saw Avengers Endgame opening weekend like the rest of them”.

I think the only people who think otherwise are people who seem to think something like the Big Bang Theory show is remotely accurate. The guys staring at Penny in confusion when she enters the comic shop was so dumb, every comic shop I’ve been to I’ll usually see at least one girl shopping or at the game table, hell most employ at least one. And good god, anime conventions alone disprove this, hell Anime Expo eventually stated their female attendants slightly outnumber the male ones. I will say the show got better somewhat about this, as a few more female nerds did appear here and there and also there was Zach (IIRC that was his name) who while seemingly the jock-type at first glance he was actually nice despite being kinda dumb and also found the main cast’s hobbies interesting, they should have kept him in the show longer.

Anyway, maybe other countries have it different, but in the US the idea of the number of people (at least 50 or younger, though I know plenty of people older than that who have some nerdy interests) never engaging in nerd stuff still being the majority is long dead.

 

[Jsisto]

I think the term has been co-opted and used to describe anyone who is passionate about anything.
“I’m such a marvel nerd”!
Most people using the term now to describe themself or someone else, it’s nothing close to what would be considered a classic nerd, whose primary trait would be probably be social awkwardness.

 

[Cyberpunkd]

So anyway, when do you think this happened? This change, perhaps gradual, in how pop culture values "nerds"? What event kicked it off?

Women realised how much money nerds can earn - check how the founder of Snapchat looks like, he is dating Miranda Kerr.

 

[Mossybrew]

Nerds are still deeply uncool, sorry OP.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

I was never a poindexter kind of nerd, but always got pretty good grades and didnt cause trouble in class. If thats close enough to be classified a nerd, then I guess I was one too.

Paid off.

Unless someone truly didnt change, I dont think many of the true teachers pet nerds or ultra jocks stayed true. A lot of the nerdy people in school look normal and have decent jobs like everyone else. And some of the jocks who barely did anything you'd think would be slobby faliures have got decent jobs too. One guy I knew seemed a total idiot has his own construction company and probably has more money than most people in my graduating class. Who knew.

A ton of either side of the fence I know became the same thing..... public school teachers! So straight A Sally and Dopey D Dan ended up with the same career.

 

[Badlucktroll]

 

[Peggies]

Henry Cavill

 

[Phunkydiabetic]

I would also state that I only think calling someone a nerd was a thing for juveniles. If adults were calling other people nerds as an insult that is something I could only think existed in the movies. If you walked around and made fun of socially awkward folks, then that is a problem with you.

 

[Tams]

Henry Cavill

Is not a nerd.

 

[Mistake]

I think making fun of nerds started dying out in the 90’s. Video games really took off, and some common ground was found with jock types. I had some good friends that were on the football team, and we’d play sports games or shooters together.

 

[Jsisto]

Women realised how much money nerds can earn - check how the founder of Snapchat looks like, he is dating Miranda Kerr.

Aside from being not much taller than her in the pictures I saw, he looks like…..a conventionally attractive guy? Don’t see what’s surprising about it.

 

[poppabk]

Is not a nerd.

He's obviously a nerd. I would say he is a prime example of why nerds became cool.
1) Nerd culture became mainstream
2) Money
3) Fitness and muscle building became accessible to everyone and became more nerdy through apps and trackers.
I'm jealous of today's generation with a multitude of information available for nutrition, effective workouts etc. I've put on more muscle in my 40s than I ever did in my 20s with less effort.

 

[Soltype]

When they started making "nerd/geek" media more palatable for the masses.People are suddenly interested in all these things because companies made the product more approachable for mainstream audience.

 

[GeekyDad]

 

[haxan7]

Actual “nerds” still aren’t cool, never were, never will be. Omg I love marvel and GoT, I’m such a nerd.

 

[Ballthyrm]

Nerd haven't become cool , they've become more accepted.
Just look at the amount of roasting Zuckerbot is getting daily and you'll see how people still see prototypical "nerds".

Elon Musk may be the most succesfull person alive , I still cringe everytime I hear him speak.

Internet has just allowed like minded people to find each other and they realized that they weren't "alone" in their nerdiness.
The prosocial, outgoing people just got on board because they are terribly afraid of being left out.

 

[INC]

Sexy female cosplay made it cool

 

[Teslerum]

Actual nerds are still not cool like any 90's high-school stereotype. They just mostly grew up to be normal people. Just like jocks, goths or whatever.

Unless of course, you think Big Bang Theory was a documentary in which case you need help.

 

[RAÏSanÏa]

Dammit, Janet!

 

[Laidback_16]

Nerd culture became cool when black people got involved. Tell me im lying ill drop sources

 

[RAÏSanÏa]

Frenchy

 

[Kev Kev]

nerds are not cool

 

[Clear]

Nerds are not cool. The entire point of being a nerd is that you are into "uncool" things.

All that happened is that thanks to the rise of the internet "Nerds" suddenly had a lot more disposable income and so they became a valuable segment to market to. And what do advertisers do? They blow smoke up the arse of the people they want to sell their stuff to.

Its pretty funny to me, the idea that "Nerds are cool" just shows that an awful lot of self-identifying nerds are nowhere near as smart as they think they are!

 

[Turnt]

The people producing media realised the value of mining franchises for all they can. And nerds love deep franchises and being able to spot references. So there's a natural crossover there.

Also they'll help do your marketing for you for free, be there day one, consume media over and over again and buy shit loads of merchandise.

 

[Artoris]

I think Nerds have a different understanding of what is cool

 

[GloveSlap]

Actual “nerds” still aren’t cool, never were, never will be. Omg I love marvel and GoT, I’m such a nerd.

You forgot the reverse She's All That. I look like a model, but LOOK big glasses!

 

[Gp1]

The nerds allied with the cool people of the design schools and developed the ipod for the celebrities, and after that the social network and the iphone for the masses.

3 revolutions in less than a decade earns you a spot at the cool guys table, that and a truckload of money.

 

[Classicrockfan]

 

[Raven117]

"Nerds" as people never became cool, nerd culture became way more mainstream. Gradually happened over the last decade or so.

Marvel movies hit their stride with The Avengers in 2012 became a global phenomenom.
Star Wars rebooted in 2015 and ballooned out of control in popularity.
Game of Thrones 2011-2019, the normalisation of fantasy the likes of which we haven't seen since LOTR.
Critical Role bringing D&D to the masses from 2015 onwards by allowing people to experience it vicariously without any effort. Penny Arcade got this ball rolling very slowly years earlier.
Twitch got bigger and bigger getting more and more people into gaming, same with how AGDQ and other speedrunning live shows have grown 2010 to present.
The popularity of Fortnite (peak 2018), Minecraft (peak 2013) etc. with kids in a way that games simply weren't popular before.

That about covers your nerd bases. So, yeah, I would call 2010 a good starting point with 2015 being where things really kicked off.

Its this.

There are no "cool nerds." A nerd is by definition uncool. There are cool people that like nerd things.

 

[poppabk]

Its this.

There are no "cool nerds." A nerd is by definition uncool. There are cool people that like nerd things.

Yeah but being uncool became cool.