Revenge of the Nerds: The Rise of Nerd Comedy - Part 1

Revenge of the Nerds: The Rise of Nerd Comedy - Part 1

When I was a kid in the 80’s, I played hockey on a team with its fair share of bullies. These were tough 12 year-olds who liked Guns N Roses, pro wrestling and picking on other kids who were different. I was an average hockey player with an above-average vocabulary. I was polite to a fault, liked Depeche Mode, and hated conflict. After one humiliating loss, Jeff Hollingsfoot, (not his real name, but close), and some other jerk who I can’t remember began singing a version of RUN DMC’s “Mary Mary,” but with new clever new lyrics about how I was a brainer, used a computer, played the piano and did my homework. Eventually, Jeff worked himself into a hateful lather and began angrily throwing pucks at my head. After the fourth disk of galvanized rubber grazed my noggin, I got up and slugged him. It stunned him for moment, but he came back and punched me in the head a few times. After a tense stare down and some verbal threats, he eventually stormed off with his hockey bag. Once he was gone, I started to cry. Not because I was hurt, but I was polite to a fault, liked Depeche Mode, and hated conflict. That may have been his third fight that day, but for me it was traumatic. Like thousands of other kids, I was bullied for being a nerd.  

In those days, the term “nerd” not only alluded to an interest in books, technology and science fiction, it also meant “weak” and “ineffectual.” This concept was frequently reinforced in popular culture where nerds were irritating stock characters who provided a comic foil for our wisecracking heroes.  Even in those films where they were portrayed sympathetically (Meatballs III http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093516/), it was still almost always played to the back of the room. Yes, there was the loveable Lucas (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091445/), and the outsiders found in the John Hughes films, but dorks of substance were rare for the most part. Thankfully, with the exception of adult film and dinner theatre in Atlantic Canada, the over-the-top nerd caricature has vanished.  In its place are characters on stage and screen that proudly self-identify as nerds, and are portrayed with depth and compassion. In the world of stand-up, Nerd Comedy confidently delves into topics that while considered geeky, are mainstream enough to attract a sizable audience.  

To help explain this change in perception, I’ve put together a completely un-academic “Nerds in Popular Culture” historical breakdown and how it has led to the rise of Nerd Comedy:

1980s

Real life: Arms race peaks. Ollie North. Fitness craze. Reagan talks tough and is revered.

Nerds in Popular Culture: Waldo in Van Halen’s “Hot for Teacher” video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0XLKcMoXRE), Revenge of the Nerds (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088000/), George McFly. 

Result: Nerds were laughed at, not with, especially in music videos.

1990s

Real life: Transition to knowledge-based economy. The Internet.  Digital divide in the west narrows. Beginning in 1993, Bill Gates is the world’s richest man.

Nerds in Popular Culture: Nerd prototypes Urkel and Screech get A LOT OF SCREEN TIME. Weezer. Harry Potter. Kevin Smith.     

Result:  Nerds are admired, but still stigmatized and seen as outsiders. 

2000s

Real life: Hipsters wear black rim glasses. Bush II talks tough and is mocked. No computer skills = no job.

Nerds in Popular Culture: 40 Year-Old Virgin. More Harry Potter. Big Bang Theory.  Tina Fey. The rise of Nerd Comedy.

Result: Nerds are not only admired, but are seen as regular individuals with passionate interests in a variety of topics. 

So here’s my half-baked hypothesis: Before Nerd Comedy could exist, we had to embrace what we admired about nerds (intelligence, deep commitment to hobbies and interests) and remove the weak and vulnerable traits from the stereotype. Once that happened, a large number of us began to self-identify as nerds. Today, comedians, who either embrace the label or don’t strenuously object to it, get marketed to an audience that is interested in many of the same traditional nerdy pursuits. Local stand-up shows such as Nerdgasm (http://nerdgasmcomedy.com/) in Toronto and comedian Andre Meadow’s blacknerdcomedy.com (http://www.blacknerdcomedy.com/) prosper in an age where technology is ubiquitous, Lord of the Rings is so popular it has been made into a musical (http://www.lotr.com/home/), and celebrities hang out at Comic Com like it’s the Sundance Festival.

Essentially, the nerds have won. And if there is any justice, Jeff Hollingsfoot today is chronically unemployed, miserable, and relies heavily on Geek Squad.

Check back next week to read Part 2 of Revenge of the Nerds: The Rise Nerd Comedy.

By Geoff Hendry

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