White and Nerdy

A great recent music video that so perfectly depicts many people I know (look, it’s Andrew!), Weird Al’s “White and Nerdy.”Must.. watch.. every.. day..! So.. stuck.. in.. head!

3 Responses to “White and Nerdy”

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I LOVE it!!

Meg - October 17th, 2006 at 9:52 am

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How could you not? In fact, his whole new CD is filled with priceless gems like Close but no Cigar (slightly NSFW), which cotains the gem:

She was gorgeous, she was charming

Yeah, she was perfect in every way

Except she was always using the word “infer”

When she obviously meant “imply”

And I know some guys would put up with that kind of thing

But frankly, I can’t imagine why

Paradoxdruid - October 30th, 2006 at 10:11 pm

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The song seems funny in a way, but this seems eclipsed by another aspect.

I think the concept for the song/video had great potential when it came to prodding fun at activities and interests like watching Star Trek and Star Wars, role-playing, Ren Fest, badminton, doing math for fun, etc. In isolation all that would be good self-deprecating fun.

However… the song’s implied connection between whiteness and nerdiness serves to perpetuate a very harmful stereotype. It says, “I’m nerdy in the extreme. I’m whiter than sour cream.” I don’t think the song ever refers to needing a tan… the “whiter than sour cream” is implied to derive from being so nerdy.

This connection may seem fine to someone who is comfortable with being white and nerdy, but think about those who are black and nerdy… or just do well in school. I’d be horrified to know how many children having been teased cruelly or even ostracized for “acting white” because they’ve been seen as being somewhat nerdy… such as doing well in school. And how many young Americans have limited their actions to avoid a similar fate?

Also, at the beginning and the end of the video, the black guys are referred to as “gangsters.” I don’t know… is this implying that while the archetype of whiteness is nerdiness the archetype of blackness is being a gangster? (I hope not!)

Well… just some things to think about. Maybe one of you should make a good making-fun-of-nerdiness video/poem/song/collage/etc. without these problems? It could be great nerdy fun.

Laura - January 13th, 2007 at 11:38 am

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