Episode 03 • Marshmellow Meetlöf • Nyerd

Lock up your children! Episode 03 stalks the land!

You thought you were safe, but you were wrong — dead wrong. Nyerd continues to ravage your mind with unholy wisdom, as Jon and Jesse present Episode 03!

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We elect to go a different route this time out, focusing on a single topic:

Geek Identity. We take a thorough and engrossing look into what it means to be a nyerd in today’s society. We discuss how the terms “nerd” and “geek” have changed over the years, and how the mainstream adoption of geek culture has forever changed the parameters of how nyerds interact with their interests, each other, and those who gave them wedgies in the locker room.

Special Note: We experienced some minor audio problems while recording and editing this episode, so please forgive the occasional sonic hiccup.

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Alex Swingle says:

December 12, 2012 at 5:26 pm

I’ve always had a problem with nyerds and geeks. Or should i say, the people who feel the need they want to be called one. You guys did a very good job actually breaking it down and it came off much better than I thought it was going to be (a list of saying of what is and isn’t a nerd).

My problem with the terms is it is completely about being derogatory towards a certain group of individuals and I cannot grasp why people feel it’s a badge of honor to call themselves that. Let negative, stupid stuff die instead of pretending you are ‘taking the word back’. Yes, a bit extreme, but basically I relate the whole geek/nerd/punk BS in the same way certain African Americans say they are making Nigerians a non-hateful word by spinning it in a positive light. (I won’t write the actual word since it is suppose to be offensive).

The best way to make bad words go away is by shutting up and allowing that portion of history to die over time. I mean, there are a ton of just stupid names people use to call each other due to tribal nonsense that just died because the people who cared about those phrases went with it while the new generation had no idea it was needed to call a group of people that word. Let hobbyists run free without needing everyone to make they are social outcasts. Whatever you do should be self-evident, not demanded it be called that. At least, that’s my view on it.

Jesse Coleman says:

December 17, 2012 at 11:41 pm

Thanks for your comment, Alex! This is precisely the kind of conversation we’d like to encourage!

First of all I don’t think we can put “nerd” or “geek” in the same ballpark, or even on the same planet as the “N-Word”. The disparity of the suffering leveled at the groups on the other side of those words is too great.

I’m not sure that I agree with your point that words die over time if we just ignore them– words are powerful, and they retain power even (perhaps especially) when they are pushed out of common usage. Also, “nerd” and “geek” aren’t completely negative terms, they have many great connotations– intelligent, perceptive, innovative– thanks to nyerds out there proudly reclaiming words formerly meant to hurt them.

I applaud you for bringing your thoughts and opinions on the matter here! This is the kind of debate we love here at Nyerd: keep it coming!

Episode 03: Marshmellow Meetlöf

Lock up your children! Episode 03 stalks the land!

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