So, little though I want to get involved in a discussion of nerd culture considering the absolute shitstorm that topic has been over the past few months, I've noticed a trend in such discussions that bothers me. When people discuss nerd rage/exclusionary behavior/whatever, school bullying is often brought up. Usually, it's in a rather condescending or dismissive manner- "You're just bitter because you were teased for liking Star Trek" is a typical statement. And generally, it is "teased", "mocked", "picked on", or similar phrasing that implies verbal abuse. And while name-calling and mocking were a pretty significant factor in my childhood, that wasn't the full extant of it by far. I have to wonder:
Do you guys remember when it was normal to be physically assaulted for your perceived nerdiness?
I remember any number of times when, walking home from school, taking part in extracurricular activities, or just caught alone in the hall, I was tackled, pinned down, punched, stomped on, slapped around, and generally physically abused. A particular incident from elementary school sticks out in my mind, where I was hauled off the slide at recess and kicked in the stomach until I puked.
Now, I'm not saying this justifies assholery on the part of nerds. If you think that you're entitled to send rape threats to Phil Sarquinnling or whoever this week's punching bag/golden calf is because of your experiences with entirely separate people, you are a shitheel and I hope you die of German herpes. But there's this tendency to dismiss the experiences themselves as having been silly and trivial to begin with, and there are people who have actual, physical scars that say otherwise.
So, Escapists- are you old enough or from a bad enough community to remember when this sort of thing was commonplace? And if not, do you understand that it really did happen? Like, a lot?
Do you guys remember when it was normal to be physically assaulted for your perceived nerdiness?
I remember any number of times when, walking home from school, taking part in extracurricular activities, or just caught alone in the hall, I was tackled, pinned down, punched, stomped on, slapped around, and generally physically abused. A particular incident from elementary school sticks out in my mind, where I was hauled off the slide at recess and kicked in the stomach until I puked.
Now, I'm not saying this justifies assholery on the part of nerds. If you think that you're entitled to send rape threats to Phil Sarquinnling or whoever this week's punching bag/golden calf is because of your experiences with entirely separate people, you are a shitheel and I hope you die of German herpes. But there's this tendency to dismiss the experiences themselves as having been silly and trivial to begin with, and there are people who have actual, physical scars that say otherwise.
So, Escapists- are you old enough or from a bad enough community to remember when this sort of thing was commonplace? And if not, do you understand that it really did happen? Like, a lot?