Nerdishness in Public

[themattd1000]

Well I usually don't parade my nerdishness around but if someone says something nerdy I'll open right up and share my nerdishness.

 

[TimeLord]

I wear my trenchcoat in public with no shame

i want one

If you have 329CAD to spare. [http://www.abbyshot.com/products/ps-tenth-doctor-who-coat.php]

 

[OniaPL]

Bah. I don't like to fly any flags for anything in public. I like Metallica, actually love them, but when someone bought me some Metallica stuff I was like "Ehh... thanks, i guess". I just don't see the point in telling something about myself in public through clothing, accessories or something.

I'm like a shark. I lurk beneath the surface and strike when people least expect it! Rawr!

Or maybe I'm just antisocial. I dunno.

 

[OldAccount]

These people sound like pricks. Can't say I've had that happen in recent memory. If I were you I'd just say 'Your opinion is noted' and promptly forget about it.

 

[Lieju]

I play my DS in public, and read books and comics. And wear anime/game T-shirts I've usually painted myself, though most of them are not something you'd recognise as such (like a shirt with Umbrella logo on it, or a small silhuette of Ryuk from Death Note)

I can't say I've ever felt like it's ridiculed or anything, but I'm kinda oblivious to people anyway.

Random (drunk/crazy) people on the street have yelled at me for being a dirty gypsie, and for sending voices to their heads, though.
So maybe I look like an evil witch or something.


I mean, back in elementary-high school I was bullied, mostly for my social ineptitude and for being good in school. And for pretty much anything I did, not specifically because of the nerdy stuff.

 

[JokerCrowe]

I wear my DFTBA shirt pretty much everywhere, but then I guess it's not necessarily considered nerdy since most people don't know what it is. (/hipster douchebaggery)

 

[Realitycrash]

Sorry, do people still get mocked for "Nerdiness" after junior-high?
Nerd is the new in, as far as I know. Nowdays, everyone plays videogames (compared to few when I grew up), the internet is not for "losers with no friends", and anime/manga is popular and well known.
The classic "nerd" is dead, as far as I know. Outsiders and loners will still get picked on, yes, as will anyone that is "different", but enjoying anime and computer-games? Seriously?

Sorry, I don't get it. All things that have been classically refered to as "Nerd" (Like Star Wars, Pac Man, Retro-games, Star Trek, Tolkien, etc) have with the rise of the internet become "Cult".

 

[thelonewolf266]

Be who you are and if people don't like it, then fuck 'em.

That said I'm a computer science major in college... its impossible to be too nerdy.

I agree entirely with you I hate it when people live their lives by other peoples standards and expectations.

 

[rabidmidget]

I wear a shirt that says "Schrodinger's cat is dead" on the front and "Schrodinger's cat is not dead" on the back. I get a couple of complements and confused questions from it, I remeber one day when I went to school wearing it, I could hear the person behind me explaining it to the person next to him.

 

[Broken Blade]

I walk around with shirts that read "Never forget your towel" or "You never forget your first Doctor." If people have problems with me being a nerd, they can go shove it.

Also?

WANT SO MUCH!!!! *begins saving to buy it*

 

[Fiad]

Nah, be yourself. Met one of my best friends by walking past him in town. He was wearing a black shirt with "You are likely to be eaten by a grue" written on it. I just had to comment on it, it was just too awesome to pass up.

 

[Realitycrash]

I walk around with shirts that read "Never forget your towel" or "You never forget your first Doctor." If people have problems with me being a nerd, they can go shove it.

I think we need to redefine "Nerd", like I previously stated. How is referencing pop-culture and beloved books/tv-shows "Nerdish" by todays standard?

If you have obscure John Milton-references on your t-shirt, I'd give you a nice "Nerd" title, for this?

 

[Medic Heavy]

I'm a massive nerd, love Star Wars, Lord of The Rings, Read comic books and graphic novels, play Valve and PC games as if it were my religion. However since last year I've really started paying more and more attention to fashion, so I don't really look like much of a nerd anymore. (Most people I know just call me a "Hipster")

But anyways I do generally talk about nerd-licous things and I've never really been told of like you OP, however there is always the occasional douche bag who tells me how lame the things I'm talking about are.

That being said if someone goes on about how they log 60 hours of Star Craft 2 every week I do tend to tell them to perhaps cut a little bit off the edges.

 

[Sarcastic_Applause]

I've always been one to carry my DS around in my backpack and wear my Project Teva hat with pride, but occasionally I meet people who don't respect that. I love talking about games and movies and awesome books in public, but sometimes I talk to those that don't understand. I was walking with my friends and talking about Kirby's Air Ride, when some random guy walks up to me and tells me that I "need to find a better way to socialize" and "find a more productive use of my time". Things like this happen to me quite a lot (maybe it's just where I live?) and I really have a hard time controlling myself around these strangers. If you have a good suggestion of how to deal with them, this would be the place to put it.

On the other hand, I really appreciate it when people recognize my nerdy appeal and often join in the fun. I've gotten quite a few girls with my seemingly-endless knowledge of Scott Pilgrim trivia and occasionally have a "nerd-off" with a fellow geek. My favorite event was when I was humming "The Trial of the BSD Knights"(look it up) when someone next to me on the bus started singing it.

So, does the ridicule outweigh the reward? Or is it better to be 100% nerd in public rather than 40-50%?

whenever im with my friends, i socialise the same way; talking about the game industry and how they can do things differently, books i like, movies that take my interest.

Havent had anyone recognise that im whistling Demon Lord Ninetails... Or Stone Tower D:

 

[Halceon]

Let's see... bowler hat, waistcoat, pocketwatch, goggles. That's my everyday attire. Don't know about you, but I'm not giving up on myself.

 

[Double A]

I wear my Tennant trenchcoat in public with no shame

My respect for you has grown tenfold.

OT: I don't own any particularly nerdy clothing (though I am in the market), but I love wearing suits for no reason. I would wear a suit everyday if the dry-cleaner didn't charge so much. Though despite not owning any nerdy clothing, I naturally act nerdy/geeky in public, it's who I am, and people who don't understand just have to deal with it.

Aside from wearing suits (I can't stand formal attire, ties choke me and I find suits are not mobile enough), that's pretty much me. The nerdiest shirts I have are from the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. And possibly from Arizona.

I have started wearing a brown one of these [http://overlanderhats.com.au/outback.html]. It's not a fedora, but I still get called Doctor Jones by the uninformed. I guess that counts as something?

I also play Pokemon on my DS in public. I almost got called out for it once, but then it turned out the guy I was talking to played Pokemon too. Now being a nerd is actually more of a way to make friends than to lose them.

And I fucking love it.

 

[Taynas]

Definitely be yourself. People who don't like it aren't worth your time. I was at my own wedding talking to my friends and I got lectured for talking about "stupid" stuff. We of course ignored them and kept talking about TF2 and Dr. Who. Don't let other people being rude get you down.

 

[Nihilism_Is_Bliss]

yeah we all have these problems. I see it as a handy social 'filter'.
If people are giving you crap for being a geek in public they aren't worth your time.

 

[Belated]

I've always been one to carry my DS around in my backpack and wear my Project Teva hat with pride, but occasionally I meet people who don't respect that. I love talking about games and movies and awesome books in public, but sometimes I talk to those that don't understand. I was walking with my friends and talking about Kirby's Air Ride, when some random guy walks up to me and tells me that I "need to find a better way to socialize" and "find a more productive use of my time". Things like this happen to me quite a lot (maybe it's just where I live?) and I really have a hard time controlling myself around these strangers. If you have a good suggestion of how to deal with them, this would be the place to put it.

On the other hand, I really appreciate it when people recognize my nerdy appeal and often join in the fun. I've gotten quite a few girls with my seemingly-endless knowledge of Scott Pilgrim trivia and occasionally have a "nerd-off" with a fellow geek. My favorite event was when I was humming "The Trial of the BSD Knights"(look it up) when someone next to me on the bus started singing it.

So, does the ridicule outweigh the reward? Or is it better to be 100% nerd in public rather than 40-50%?

Be yourself. If somebody tells you how to live, say "Piss off! Fictional escapism is great!" You're not doing anything wrong, and it's not like you're planning on sitting around in your room for the rest of your life playing video games. If you're seeking a career, there's nothing wrong with your "nerdiness" being your hobby.

 

[Angerwing]

I don't really fit too much in to the gamer stereotype, so it's not really important. When I'm with my best friend, we'll discuss things like politics, Wikileaks, uni, gaming, movies, friends, recent events, etc etc. Our gaming discussions get pretty hardcore, but we're in to stuff like WoW, S.T.A.L.K.E.R, Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Bioware games, and whatnot. So not really anything to be ashamed of in public. I can talk with most scenes around my fair city.

I know a lot of hardcore kids, so I always get along with them. Usually talk about dubstep and alcohol abuse, which I'm fond of, and they warm up to me, usually. I'm a funny guy, so I usually charm people over.

Gangsters: Don't really associate with them that much, but again, dubstep and alcohol abuse. Seriously, those two topics will allow you to talk with a lot of different groups.

Hipsters/Metalheads: My roommate knows most hipsters and metalheads in Canberra, so that always helps. I find that metalheads are usually pretty chill dudes, if you get them when they're not talking about music. Getting in to a musical discussion with a metalhead, (which happens all too often) is an uncomfortable and alienating experience. Do not want.

As for Gamers (minority) and other, non-genre-specific folk, I rely on wit and charm. Mostly depends on how much alcohol I've consumed, but once you've broken the ice with someone, it's easy to talk to them. I've made a lot of friends from random, beer-fueled ramblings. And hundreds of great stories. Hell, last party I went to, I passed out in a toga and got graffiti-ed with a Sharpie. And made friends.

I'm also delusional as to my own popularity and self-worth, so take that with a grain of salt.

Edit: Hilarious side note. I once accused my roommate of being a hipster, and when they rejected my carefully thought out hypothesis, I stated "Perhaps the most telling sign of a hipster, is that they deny being a hipster." This brought forth murmurs of assent from our mutual friends. When she decided to counter-accuse me, I dismissed it with a confident and quick, "No, that doesn't really work for me."

And all of our friends agreed. Winning!