A nerd is a person seen as overly intellectual , obsessive , introverted , or lacking social skills . Such a person may spend inordinate amounts of time on unpopular, little known, or non-mainstream activities, which are generally either highly technical, abstract, or relating to niche topics such as science fiction or fantasy , to the exclusion of more mainstream activities. Additionally, many so-called nerds are described as being shy , quirky , pedantic , and unattractive .
34-557: Originally derogatory , the term "nerd" was a stereotype, but as with other pejoratives, it has been reclaimed and redefined by some as a term of pride and group identity. The first documented appearance of the word nerd is as the name of a creature in Dr. Seuss 's book If I Ran the Zoo (1950), in which the narrator Gerald McGrew claims that he would collect "a Nerkle, a Nerd, and a Seersucker too" for his imaginary zoo. The slang meaning of
68-489: A film critic." Only after seeing Say Anything... was his faith restored. Michael Wilmington of the Los Angeles Times called it "a sometimes funny, mostly media-referential movie without much real life; a high-tech, high-pro job that has a glamor-robot feel." Variety said that the film "picks up some wit and steam when Danza begins consulting a shrink ... For too much of its 95-minute running time, though,
102-405: A non-pejorative sense (or vice versa ) in some or all contexts. The word pejorative is derived from a Late Latin past participle stem of peiorare , meaning "to make worse", from peior "worse". In historical linguistics , the process of an inoffensive word becoming pejorative is a form of semantic drift known as pejoration . An example of pejoration is the shift in meaning of
136-449: A person who is intelligent, respectful, interesting, and able to earn a large salary. Stereotypical nerd qualities are evolving, going from awkwardness and social ostracism to an allegedly more widespread acceptance and sometimes even celebration of their differences. Johannes Grenzfurthner , researcher, self-proclaimed nerd and director of nerd documentary Traceroute , reflects on the emergence of nerds and nerd culture: I think that
170-401: A term begins as pejorative and eventually is adopted in a non-pejorative sense, this is called melioration or amelioration . One example is the shift in meaning of the word nice from meaning a person was foolish to meaning that a person is pleasant. When performed deliberately, it is described as reclamation or reappropriation . Examples of a word that has been reclaimed by portions of
204-402: Is applied. Through the latter half of the film, Katie has three boyfriends, two of whom she eventually stops dating. At the film's ending, Katie takes a class trip to Europe and reunites with Richard again – at which point Bonnie, her younger tomboy sister, begins her own dating spree. Doug also finds out the "expert" was anything but, as he never had a daughter himself. Initially written under
238-407: Is difference. The yearning to be understood, to find opportunities to share experiences, to not be left alone with one's bizarre interest. At the same time one derives an almost perverse pleasure from wallowing in this deficit. Nerds love deficiency: that of the other, but also their own. Nerds are eager explorers, who enjoy measuring themselves against one another and also compete aggressively. And yet
272-543: Is neutral, meaning that you are neither loved nor despised for it. He also states that it is only the correlation that makes smart teens automatically seem nerdy, and that a nerd is someone that is not socially adept enough. Additionally, he says that the reason why many smart kids are unpopular is that they "don't have time for the activities required for popularity." Stereotypical nerd appearance, often lampooned in caricatures , can include very large glasses , dental braces , buck teeth , severe acne and pants worn high at
306-508: Is often viewed as another act of reclamation, though much like the latter in the LGBT movement, there exists a vocal subset of people with Sub-Saharan African descent that object to the use of the word under any circumstances. She%27s Out of Control She's Out of Control is a 1989 American independent coming of age comedy film directed by Stan Dragoti , starring Tony Danza , Ami Dolenz and Catherine Hicks . The original music score
340-627: The Revenge of the Nerds movie franchise (with multicultural nerds), and the introduction of the Steve Urkel character on the television series Family Matters , nerds have been seen in all races and colors as well as more recently being a frequent young East Asian or Indian male stereotype in North America. Portrayal of "nerd girls", in films such as She's Out of Control , Welcome to
374-559: The "g") was in use at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) by the year 1965. The term "nurd" was also in use at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as early as 1971. According to Online Etymology Dictionary , the word is an alteration of the 1940s term " nert " (meaning "stupid or crazy person"), which is in itself an alteration of " nut " (nutcase). The term was popularized in
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#1732780318453408-531: The 1970s by its heavy use in the sitcom Happy Days . Because of the nerd stereotype, many intelligent people are often thought of as nerdy. This belief can be harmful, as it can cause high-school students to "switch off their lights" out of fear of being branded as a nerd, and cause otherwise appealing people to be considered nerdy simply for their intellect. It was once thought that intellectuals were nerdy because they were envied. However, Paul Graham stated in his essay, "Why Nerds are Unpopular", that intellect
442-902: The Dollhouse and She's All That depicts that smart but nerdy women might suffer later in life if they do not focus on improving their physical attractiveness . In the United States, a 2010 study published in the Journal of International and Intercultural Communication indicated that Asian Americans are perceived as most likely to be nerds, followed by White Americans , while non-White Hispanics and African Americans were perceived as least likely to be nerds. These stereotypes stem from concepts of Orientalism and Primitivism , as discussed in Ron Eglash's essay "Race, Sex, and Nerds: From Black Geeks to Asian American Hipsters". Some of
476-598: The boy next door, whom her father adores, since middle school. In addition, her unflattering wardrobe has been complemented by her thick glasses and full set of braces. When Doug leaves on a business trip, Katie transforms herself into a beauty with help from her father's girlfriend Janet Pearson. When Doug returns, he is shocked to find boys from every walk of life interested in dating Katie. When his obsession with Katie and her boyfriends reaches extreme limits, Janet suggests that Doug needs psychiatric help and he seeks out an expert who gives him advice that goes wrong whenever it
510-433: The community that it targets is queer , faggot and dyke which began being re-appropriated as a positive descriptor in the early 1990s by activist groups. However, due to its history and – in some regions – continued use as a pejorative, there remain LGBT individuals who are uncomfortable with having this term applied to them. The use of the racial slur nigger (specifically the - a variant ) by African Americans
544-552: The endlessly running hit Who's the Boss? " Leonard Maltin 's film guide gave it 1.5 stars out of 4, stating that it was a "superficial expanded sitcom with Danza offering a one-note performance," concluding with "this one seems as if it was spit out of a computer." The soundtrack, distributed by MCA Records in April 1989, was released on vinyl , cassette tape and compact disc . The track listing includes: Other songs featured in
578-525: The figure of the nerd provides a beautiful template for analyzing the transformation of the disciplinary society into the control society. The nerd, in his cliche form, first stepped out upon the world stage in the mid-1970s, when we were beginning to hear the first rumblings of what would become the Cambrian explosion of the information society. The nerd must serve as comic relief for the future-anxieties of Western society. ...The germ cell of burgeoning nerdism
612-421: The film an approval rating of 11%, with an average rating of 3.5/10. On Metacritic , the film has a weighted average score of 20 out of 100, based on 11 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". Chicago film critic Roger Ebert gave the film the rare zero stars rating on his written review of the film, saying: What planet did the makers of this film come from? What assumptions do they have about
646-415: The film is loud, broad, and panders to the filmmakers' condescending conception of teenage tastes." Caryn James of The New York Times wrote, "Anyone who has watched television for even a night will be able to predict every scene in 'She's Out of Control' with total accuracy. It is an extended version of familiar, bland sitcom situations, with Mr. Danza playing a smoother-edged version of his character on
680-471: The late 1990s. American Splendor regular Toby Radloff claims this was the movie that inspired him to become "The Genuine Nerd from Cleveland, Ohio ." In the American Splendor film, Toby's friend, American Splendor author Harvey Pekar , was less receptive to the movie, believing it to be hopelessly idealistic, explaining that Toby, an adult low income file clerk, had nothing in common with
714-413: The mid-1960s, or early 1970s. Author Philip K. Dick claimed to have coined the "nurd" spelling in 1973, but its first recorded use appeared in a 1965 student publication at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). Oral tradition there holds that the word is derived from knurd ( drunk spelled backwards), which was used to describe people who studied rather than partied. The term gnurd (spelled with
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#1732780318453748-468: The mid-twentieth century. Derogatory A pejorative word, phrase, slur , or derogatory term is a word or grammatical form expressing a negative or disrespectful connotation, a low opinion, or a lack of respect toward someone or something. It is also used to express criticism , hostility , or disregard. Sometimes, a term is regarded as pejorative in some social or ethnic groups but not in others or may be originally pejorative but later adopt
782-414: The middle class kids in the film who would eventually attain college degrees, success, and cease being perceived as nerds. Many, however, seem to share Radloff's view, as "nerd pride" has become more widespread in the years since. MIT professor Gerald Sussman , for example, seeks to instill pride in nerds: My idea is to present an image to children that it is good to be intellectual, and not to care about
816-404: The nerd's existence also comprises an element of the occult, of mystery. The way in which this power is expressed or focused is very important. In the 1984 film Revenge of the Nerds , Robert Carradine worked to embody the nerd stereotype; in doing so, he helped create a definitive image of nerds. Additionally, the storyline presaged, and may have helped inspire, the "nerd pride" that emerged in
850-442: The peer pressures to be anti-intellectual. I want every child to turn into a nerd – where that means someone who prefers studying and learning to competing for social dominance, which can unfortunately cause the downward spiral into social rejection. Individuals who are labeled as "nerds" are often the target of bullying due to a range of reasons that may include physical appearance or social background. Paul Graham has suggested that
884-516: The project "within a few days." Deutsch hired director Stan Dragoti because of his work on Mr. Mom In January 1989, it was announced Daddy's Little Girl would be missing its planned February 17 released date as it was not ready for marketing and distribution, the film's titled was changed to She's Out of Control the following month. The film was released in Europe as Keep Your Hands Off My Daughter . Based on 19 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes gave
918-529: The purpose and quality of life? I ask because She's Out of Control is simultaneously so bizarre and so banal that it's a first: the first movie fabricated entirely from sitcom cliches and plastic lifestyles, without reference to any known plane of reality. Chicago film critic Gene Siskel also gave the film zero stars, calling it "a lame comedy that barely resembles a real movie." During his TV review he reported that "when I saw She's Out of Control , I became so depressed I actually thought about quitting my job as
952-474: The reason nerds are frequently singled out for bullying is their indifference to popularity or social context, in the face of a youth culture that views popularity as paramount. However, research findings suggest that bullies are often as socially inept as their academically better-performing victims, and that popularity fails to confer protection from bullying. Other commentators have pointed out that pervasive harassment of intellectually-oriented youth began only in
986-628: The stereotypical behaviors associated with the "nerd" stereotype have correlations with the traits of Asperger syndrome or other autism spectrum conditions. The rise of Silicon Valley and the American computer industry at large has allowed many so-called "nerdy people" to accumulate large fortunes and influence media culture. Many stereotypically nerdy interests, such as superhero , fantasy and science fiction works, are now international popular culture hits. Some measures of nerdiness are now allegedly considered desirable, as, to some, it suggests
1020-466: The term dates to 1951. That year, Newsweek magazine reported on its popular use as a synonym for drip or square in Detroit , Michigan . By the early 1960s, usage of the term had spread throughout the United States, and even as far as Scotland. At some point, the word took on connotations of bookishness and social ineptitude. An alternate spelling, as nurd or gnurd , also began to appear in
1054-566: The title Daddy's Little Girl , producer Stephen Deutsch first saw the script when he was at New Century Productions, but he was unable to convince the company to make the film. Although Deutsch moved to Universal Pictures a year later, he remained unable to secure backing from studio executives. Around that time, the Weintraub Entertainment Group was getting started, and Deutsch gave the script to WEG executives David Kirkpatrick and Michael Roberts. The studio approved
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1088-525: The waist. Following suit of popular use in emoticons, Unicode released in 2015 its "Nerd Face" character, featuring some of those stereotypes: 🤓 (code point U+1F913). In the media, many nerds are males, portrayed as being physically unfit, either overweight or skinny due to lack of physical exercise. It has been suggested by some, such as linguist Mary Bucholtz , that being a nerd may be a state of being "hyperwhite" and rejecting African-American culture and slang that "cool" white children use. However, after
1122-443: The word silly from meaning that a person was happy and fortunate to meaning that they are foolish and unsophisticated. The process of pejoration can repeat itself around a single concept, leaping from word to word in a phenomenon known as the euphemism treadmill , for example as in the successive pejoration of the terms bog-house , privy-house , latrine , water closet , toilet , bathroom , and restroom (US English). When
1156-462: Was composed by Alan Silvestri . The film was marketed with the tagline "She was Daddy's little girl. Now she's at that age when girls go wild, guys go crazy and Dads go nuts". The film was shot with the working title Daddy's Little Girl . Widower Doug Simpson is a radio station manager from California who lives with his two daughters, Katie and Bonnie. When Katie turns 15, she feels it is time to start looking more grown up. She has been dating Richard,
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