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New York, 7:07 AM
Sun Nov 8
22 posts in the last 24 hours

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  • posts about #nerds more →

    Danticat & Diaz On Writing, Justice, And Being A "Nerd Of Color"

    Let's Have A Moratorium On "Geek Chic" Trend Pieces, Okay?

    4 Tips For Understanding "Girl Geeks"

    I'm Not Handing In My Geek Card, I'm Just Letting It Rest For A Second

    When Loving A Geek Means Loving Their Annoying Habits

    Nerds Vs. Geeks

    Soft In The Head

    Snow White Gets Sexualized • Virtual Girlfriend Invented

    Being A Loser In High School: Why Does It Seem To Damage Dudes So Much Worse Than Girls?

    Open Source Boob Project: The True Story Of One Epic Day Nerds Groped Free
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    Image of thesciencegirl thesciencegirl
    10/19/09

    In reply to Danticat & Diaz On Writing, Justice, And Being A "Nerd Of Color"
    My name is thesciencegirl, and I am a nerd of color. It's interesting... the ways in which being a nerd in communities of color can be alienating, and the ways in which being a person of color can be alienating in communities of nerds.

    I have heard many POCs in the scifi world lament the opposition to moving away from the prototype of the white male as protagonist observing the alien other. Google RaceFail for blog post upon blog post of discussion on that very topic. #edwidgedanticat
     Reply
    thesciencegirl was starred thesciencegirl was unstarred
    Image of wealhtheow wealhtheow
    10/19/09

    @thesciencegirl: Yeah, it's a double-whammy. And what's incredible is not just the opposition to anything but generic McEurope, but the constant claims that we can't have anything but Tolkein rip-offs and Asimov!light because there's no market for it. Because, you see, there is no such thing as a non-white, non-male nerd. Which--WHAT? It must be amazing to be able to completely ignore everyone that doesn't fit with your preconcieved notions of reality. #edwidgedanticat
     Reply
    thesciencegirl promoted this comment wealhtheow was starred wealhtheow was unstarred
    Image of Eriu Eriu
    10/19/09

    In reply to Danticat & Diaz On Writing, Justice, And Being A "Nerd Of Color"
    I would feel remiss if I didn't mention that Danticat's Brother, I'm Dying is absolutely amazing. Easily one of the best books I've read in years. I highly recommend it, as if her excerpt above doesn't already speak volumes.
     Reply
    hortense promoted this comment Edited by Eriu at 10/19/09 3:07 PM Eriu was starred Eriu was unstarred
    Image of Pizza!Pizza!Pizza! Pizza!Pizza!Pizza!
    10/19/09

    In reply to Danticat & Diaz On Writing, Justice, And Being A "Nerd Of Color"
    'Despite his experience with the nerd police, Diaz also advanced the somewhat debatable point that reading teaches compassion. He said reading a book was "one of the clearest ways to come into communion with another subjectivity.'

    Love him for this, and I totally agree. Kids can't sit back and not react to a book the same way you can a movie, TV show or videogame. #edwidgedanticat
     Reply
    Pizza!Pizza!Pizza! was starred Pizza!Pizza!Pizza! was unstarred
    Image of Anna N. Anna N.
    10/19/09

    @HeatherNumber1: I don't know -- I like books more than movies, TV, or videogames, in general, but I'm not sure they're actually any less passive. Videogames require actual physical interaction, for instance, and I think can improve some types of coordination and cognition. I do think that Diaz's point about "subjectivity" is smart, because it's possible to be closer to a character's mind in a book than it usually is in a movie or TV show -- you can actually read their thoughts, which usually isn't possible onscreen. #edwidgedanticat
     Reply
    Anna N. was starred Anna N. was unstarred
    Image of Pizza!Pizza!Pizza! Pizza!Pizza!Pizza!
    10/19/09

    @Anna N.: Oh, I don't think books are less passive (especially not after reading Everything Bad is Good for You), but as you say, kids who red books are almost forced to empathize, even if it's against their will. Maybe it's because I didn't have cable growing up, but reading was the first time I felt 'Somebody out there *gets* me.' #edwidgedanticat
     Reply
    Pizza!Pizza!Pizza! was starred Pizza!Pizza!Pizza! was unstarred
    Image of lilbobbytables lilbobbytables
    10/19/09

    In reply to Danticat & Diaz On Writing, Justice, And Being A "Nerd Of Color"
    Reading has, I firmly believe, made me a better person. It has given me the opportunity to crawl into someone else's headspace and see 1) how that character/person responds to the world, and 2) how the world responds to the character/person. It has helped me, to paraphrase Atticus Finch, to walk in another's shoes. While inhabiting a world only of fiction or books can be isolating, for me it has helped tear down some walls, and allows me to more easily empathize with others.

    Such as. #edwidgedanticat
     Reply
    lilbobbytables was starred lilbobbytables was unstarred
    Image of thelastsara thelastsara
    10/19/09

    @lilbobbytables is a la-di-da feminist: I feel this way too. There are many things I've read in books that I would not know or even think about otherwise. I think this is what all art is supposed to do, but books have a particular way of becoming a part of you. I definitely see things differently after a really good read. #edwidgedanticat
     Reply
    cate3710 promoted this comment thelastsara was starred thelastsara was unstarred
    Image of Grim Reaper of the Forest Grim Reaper of the Forest
    10/19/09

    @lilbobbytables is a la-di-da feminist: Not to pat myself on the back, but I also feel like I am weirdly empathetic and I have always been a huge fiction reader. I love stories that can transport me into the mind of someone in other country or time. I'm not sure which came first, my nature or my reading. #edwidgedanticat
     Reply
    Grim Reaper of the Forest was starred Grim Reaper of the Forest was unstarred
    Image of Zombie Ms. Skittles Zombie Ms. Skittles
    10/19/09

    In reply to Danticat & Diaz On Writing, Justice, And Being A "Nerd Of Color"
    Probably a dumb question, but why was he "pilloried."

    What were his sci-fi reference crimes? What didn't they like? #edwidgedanticat
     Reply
    Zombie Ms. Skittles was starred Zombie Ms. Skittles was unstarred
    Image of wealhtheow wealhtheow
    10/19/09

    @Zombie Ms. Skittles: "What didn't they like?"
    The constant objectification of women. #edwidgedanticat
     Reply
    Zombie Ms. Skittles promoted this comment wealhtheow was starred wealhtheow was unstarred
    Image of Zombie Ms. Skittles Zombie Ms. Skittles
    10/19/09

    @wealhtheow: No, I mean in this part:
    "Diaz said he'd been pilloried in the mainstream nerd press (only sort of an oxymoron) in a way that smacked of racism."

    What's that referring to? #edwidgedanticat
     Reply
    Zombie Ms. Skittles was starred Zombie Ms. Skittles was unstarred
    Image of ucelluccia ucelluccia
    10/19/09

    @Zombie Ms. Skittles: *shrug* I haven't read it, but I am a pre-service teacher and know that several of my friends already working are using Oscar Wao in their classrooms. Apparently it's highly teachable -- a Pulitzer Prize winner, after all.

    From what I know about it, the main character is a comic book nerd -- maybe they just didn't care for the comics he liked? #edwidgedanticat
     Reply
    ucelluccia was starred ucelluccia was unstarred
    Image of LaComtesse LaComtesse
    10/19/09

    @wealhtheow: ?! But women are some of the greatest characters in Oscar Wao and any objectification of them was done in a very character specific way that was in their voice(s), not the authors. #edwidgedanticat
     Reply
    LaComtesse was starred LaComtesse was unstarred
    Image of amy_b amy_b
    10/19/09

    @Zombie Ms. Skittles: Oscar Wao is a beautiful book. Highly recommended.

    What I don' t think they liked? Maybe they didn't care for the fact that Oscar was fat and a loser with the ladies. He was the stereotypical sci-fi dork, only with more melanin. #edwidgedanticat
     Reply
    cate3710 promoted this comment amy_b was starred amy_b was unstarred
    Image of wealhtheow wealhtheow
    10/19/09

    @Zombie Ms. Skittles: I spend a lot of time on sf/f book sites (like Diaz, I am a huge nerd), and the only criticism I've seen has been the sexism thang. It's possible he's gotten some flack because his work got recognized as literature. Generally, sf/f is very much NOT considered lit, which a lot of people, myself included, think a bit unfair. So there are numerous authors (Margaret Atwood springs to mind) who insist their work isn't science fiction or fantasy, even when it involves magic and post-apocalyptic scenarios. There's a brief mention of it here.

    But really, I don't know what criticism Diaz is talking about if he's not referring to the claims of sexism. #edwidgedanticat
     Reply
    wealhtheow was starred wealhtheow was unstarred
    Image of Anna N. Anna N.
    10/19/09

    @wealhtheow: There's a specific review in the New York Review of Science Fiction that he was referring to, which I wasn't able to find on their site. It sounded like the review said he was misusing the scifi references in some way, or didn't know enough about scifi to talk about it. I'll look again for the link though, my curiosity is re-piqued. #edwidgedanticat
     Reply
    Anna N. was starred Anna N. was unstarred
    Image of susanstohelit susanstohelit
    10/19/09

    @LaComtesse: Yeah, Feministing posted about this too, and I felt like the misogyny in the book was meant to be a critique of the culture, rather than Diaz's opinion of women. The female characters are strong, but in a culture that deeply devalues them, they have to cope anyway they can. #edwidgedanticat
     Reply
    LaComtesse promoted this comment susanstohelit was starred susanstohelit was unstarred
    Image of whynotshesaid whynotshesaid
    10/19/09

    @LaComtesse: I am glad to know I am not the only feminist woman who was not down with the criticisms of Oscar Wao as sexist. It was written from the POV of sexist dudes! The way it was written told me that Diaz was more than aware of the fact that they were sexist dudes and not because that's how he thought the world actually was. #edwidgedanticat
     Reply
    whynotshesaid was starred whynotshesaid was unstarred
    Image of LaComtesse LaComtesse
    10/19/09

    @whynotshesaid: @susanstohelit: Oh no, we can definitely form a club. If one cannot see the difference between a sexist narrator and a sexist book then they're not in a position to be critiquing in the first place. #edwidgedanticat
     Reply
    LaComtesse was starred LaComtesse was unstarred
    Image of Rooo sez BISH PLZ Rooo sez BISH PLZ
    10/19/09

    @wealhtheow: A lot of people miss this. Thank you for raising it. #edwidgedanticat
     Reply
    Rooo sez BISH PLZ was starred Rooo sez BISH PLZ was unstarred
    Image of Rooo sez BISH PLZ Rooo sez BISH PLZ
    10/19/09

    @wealhtheow: It may well also have been the Spanglish thing. The book uses a lot of it, and as ridiculous as it is, I wouldn't have been surprised if some critics branded it 'alienating' on the way to heralding him as a 'new voice'.
    *eyeroll* #edwidgedanticat
     Reply
    Rooo sez BISH PLZ was starred Rooo sez BISH PLZ was unstarred
    Image of NewsBunny NewsBunny
    08/19/09

    In reply to Let's Have A Moratorium On "Geek Chic" Trend Pieces, Okay?
    Star Trek fans are NOT nerds or geeks.

    They are DORKS.

    I am married to a DORK, who lives for Star Trek, Star Wars, Battledork Gallectica (oh, how said he is about that being over and done) and graphic novels.

    The differences are very important here.
     Reply
    NewsBunny was starred NewsBunny was unstarred
    Image of NewsBunny NewsBunny
    08/19/09

    @NewsBunny: Although I was once forced attend an actual stamp convention at Madison Square Garden. That's nerd. I have never seen so many nerds in my life in one place. Sweater vests, pleated pants, and glasses galore. Even several instances of glasses mended with tape. I shit you not.

    He also collects coins.

    So I guess my husband is a Dork/Nerd hybrid. A Nerk?
     Reply
    NewsBunny was starred NewsBunny was unstarred
    Image of itsonreserve itsonreserve
    08/19/09

    In reply to Let's Have A Moratorium On "Geek Chic" Trend Pieces, Okay?
    Did it ever occur to these people that Woody Allen has been getting laid since the sixties?
     Reply
    la.donna.pietra promoted this comment itsonreserve was starred itsonreserve was unstarred
    Image of TheFormerJuneBronson TheFormerJuneBronson
    08/19/09

    In reply to Let's Have A Moratorium On "Geek Chic" Trend Pieces, Okay?
    This is only supporting my theory that the absolute worst thing anyone can think you are in this country is stupid. Everything else pales.
     Reply
    TheFormerJuneBronson was starred TheFormerJuneBronson was unstarred
    Image of Dauphine Dauphine
    08/19/09

    In reply to Let's Have A Moratorium On "Geek Chic" Trend Pieces, Okay?
    Just think of the articles as using "geek" in the original parlance: because biting the heads off of chickens is so hot.
     Reply
    MargaretMoony promoted this comment Dauphine was starred Dauphine was unstarred
    Image of MargaretMoony MargaretMoony
    08/19/09

    @Dauphine: Always gotten my off. Especially since they usually did it for a fifth of cheap whiskey. So sexy.
     Reply
    MargaretMoony was starred MargaretMoony was unstarred
    Image of Mafalda para Presidente Mafalda para Presidente
    08/19/09

    In reply to Let's Have A Moratorium On "Geek Chic" Trend Pieces, Okay?
    Stupid with glasses is still stupid.

    When I said I liked smart guys I didn't mean guys with glasses, I meant guys who read something other than comics once in a while.
     Reply
    Mafalda para Presidente was starred Mafalda para Presidente was unstarred
    Image of Everything MidnightBikeRide does is a balloon. Everything MidnightBikeRide does is a balloon.
    08/19/09

    @Mafalda para Presidente: In the words of Milhouse: "I'm not a nerd! Nerds are smart."
     Reply
    Everything MidnightBikeRide does is a balloon. was starred Everything MidnightBikeRide does is a balloon. was unstarred
    Image of onthecornerofparkerandwoolf onthecornerofparkerandwoolf
    08/19/09

    @Everything MidnightBikeRide does is a balloon.: "i'm not a smart nerd, i'm just a weak nerd." oh milhouse-- how i love thee.
     Reply
    onthecornerofparkerandwoolf was starred onthecornerofparkerandwoolf was unstarred
    Image of morninggloria morninggloria
    08/19/09

    In reply to Let's Have A Moratorium On "Geek Chic" Trend Pieces, Okay?
    The next trend: Shiek Chic. Rich oil billionaires from the middle east bedding the hottest women. Fashionheads the world over dressing like the cast of Lawrence of Arabia. And geeks returning to their rightful place, in my high school locker.
     Reply
    morninggloria was starred morninggloria was unstarred
    Image of Stagtasticfantastic Stagtasticfantastic
    08/19/09

    In reply to Let's Have A Moratorium On "Geek Chic" Trend Pieces, Okay?
    I'm praying my boyfriend is a whole lot dumber than he seems -- or at least his sperm is.

    Maybe since he's a brainy (former) jock, I can get the brains AND the bad baby-making skills?
     Reply
    morninggloria promoted this comment Stagtasticfantastic was starred Stagtasticfantastic was unstarred
    Image of morninggloria morninggloria
    08/19/09

    @Stagtasticfantastic: Just tell him to smoke a ton of pot and go for long bicycle rides. Reduce the ol' sperm count.
     Reply
    morninggloria was starred morninggloria was unstarred
    Image of clintosterholz clintosterholz
    08/19/09

    In reply to Let's Have A Moratorium On "Geek Chic" Trend Pieces, Okay?
    FUCK I hate these goddamn articles. Also, that dude you used for the article? He is hot. He is a model wearing square glasses. They never show pics of the neckbeards wearing a "Lord of the Onion Rings" T-shirt.
     Reply
    morninggloria promoted this comment clintosterholz was starred clintosterholz was unstarred
    Image of lecoqsportif lecoqsportif
    08/19/09

    In reply to Let's Have A Moratorium On "Geek Chic" Trend Pieces, Okay?
    It seems like this whole trend is about money/power. One could argue that the rise of "geek chic" has mirrored deindustrialization. tech boom, quantitative finance, and moneyball management have all favored intellect over the "traditional" attractive traits of confidence and social presence. hence geeks have monitary potential, hence geeks are "chic." oh, and that makes the trend piece about 15 years late.
     Reply
    SarahMC promoted this comment lecoqsportif was starred lecoqsportif was unstarred
    Image of NefariousNewt NefariousNewt
    08/19/09

    In reply to Let's Have A Moratorium On "Geek Chic" Trend Pieces, Okay?
    Geeks don't believe in "chic."
     Reply
    NefariousNewt was starred NefariousNewt was unstarred
    Image of token_illiterate_commenter token_illiterate_commenter
    08/19/09

    @NefariousNewt: You've been looking in my closet, haven't you?
     Reply
    NefariousNewt promoted this comment token_illiterate_commenter was starred token_illiterate_commenter was unstarred
    Image of NefariousNewt NefariousNewt
    08/19/09

    @token_illiterate_commenter: Not at all. Look, first off, the word "geek" is bandied about too liberally, as if every nut with a Blackberry or a Wii is somehow technologically astute. Second, anyone who actually has "geek cred" (another phrase I dearly loathe), doesn't go about talking about their "geek cred." Third, geeks are sterotypically considered male, but I went to college with female geeks, and even dated a couple -- we don't need to chase after "babes" to have relationships.
     Reply
    NefariousNewt was starred NefariousNewt was unstarred
    Image of andBegorrah andBegorrah
    08/19/09

    @NefariousNewt: What cheek! In a fit of pique, I, a geek, without a shriek or the squeak of the meek, took some critique and made myself a bit sleek - just a minor tweak, nothing to do with my physique, but now I look less like a freak, so to speak.
     Reply
    andBegorrah was starred andBegorrah was unstarred
    Image of NefariousNewt NefariousNewt
    08/19/09

    @andBegorrah: And yet don't you dread, that your cred may be dead, having been fed these lies that have been said?!?!? What led, in your head, to have fled from the last shred of your cred? How many tears must be shed now that you have been so bled?
     Reply
    NefariousNewt was starred NefariousNewt was unstarred
    Image of Grim Reaper of the Forest Grim Reaper of the Forest
    08/19/09

    @andBegorrah: I find your need to tweak a bit bleak. But I hope you find what you seek and at least you no longer reek.
     Reply
    Grim Reaper of the Forest was starred Grim Reaper of the Forest was unstarred
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