Nerd Entertainment

Nerds are very big on entertainment. In fact, entertainment practically rules our lives. Every nerd has his or her own special brand of entertainment, and we will touch on a few of those here. As with any group, there is a variety of interests here, but also some common threads. Nerds are into things off the beaten path, although since Nerd culture has grown so large over the past years, it is rare that you will find a nerd who truly embodies the nonconformist, alternative lifestyle they preach.

Movies have entertained the masses for generations, but nerds give this medium a special spin. The fantasy/sci-fi re-revolution over the past decade has hit back hard, starting with the re-release of Star Wars Episodes IV-VI, and then the insulting Episodes I-III. Soon followed Harry Potter movies, and of course, Lord of the Rings. The immediate popularity in these films proves that nerd population is growing, or maybe never died out at all, as these have been some of the biggest blockbusters in recent history. Of course, we must mix sci-fi with fantasy, as they are very different genres. In case you are not clear, sci-fi deals with future or technology based scenarios that are theoretically possible. Jurassic Park is a classic sci-fi, as is Star Trek. Fantasy is not based in this realm at all. Lord of the Rings, with its orcs and oliphants, as well as magical Harry Potter, both fall into this category. Star Wars, while sci-fi in premise, has a distinctly fantasy feel to it, rendering it suitable for fans of both genre, hence its popularity with the modern audience.

There then comes the ever-present war between Star Wars freaks and Trekkies, or Star Trek fans. While many think that Star Wars ends at the movies, there are numerous books, playing card games, and video games for nerds to follow. The same goes for Star Trek. While Star Wars may have the higher number of fans, many of them are "surface fans," with little more than a superficial appreciation of George Lucas' work. Trekkies are passionately involved and can often name episode numbers and make direct quotes. They also have a larger library to learn about, while Star Wars is more limited. Regardless of where you fall, both Star Wars and Star Trek have their merits.

This brings us into the world of television. Aside from the often-lame Sci-Fi Channel, nerds will spend a lot of their time on Cartoon Network watching Adult Swim for shows like Family Guy, Futurama, and Robot Chicken. These are sardonic, humorous new-age cartoons with excessive cursing and violence. We geeks can't get enough of this stuff, and we love to quote funny lines from our favorite shows to each other whenever relevant. Sometimes even when not relevant. As a general rule, if the show has intense sarcasm or cynicism, a nerd will be into it. This goes along with the trend of nonconformity. Of course, Family Guy has now become quite mainstream, so nerds are forced to turn to other means to be unique.

Anime is the hot spot for most modern-day geeks and nerds. Japanese animation has hooked nerd audiences young and old, for a vast number of reasons. One, they often focus on technological-based worlds, with giant robots running rampant and insanely cool time travel and space travel devices. Also, the heroes are the nerd ideal: aloof and quiet (like the nerd), but also brave and powerful. This is who all nerds want to be. A prime example is Spike from the hit show Cowboy Bebop, a renegade bounty hunter with a crude sense of humor and a tough attitude, but a genuine heart.

Also, Anime provides viewers with something many other mainstream shows do not: a sense of gray area. Most cartoons, and even other television shows, are content with showing the world as black-and-white, with someone playing the hero, and another person the villain. Most good Anime storylines succeed because there is no clear "good guy" or "bad guy," but rather a complex situation which is difficult to resolve. And of course, we cannot forget all nerd's guilty pleasure: hentai, or Anime porn. Look it up. You'll be amazed.

Video games also hold a strong pull for many computer nerds, for the same reasons as mentioned above: we love playing the hero. Nerds will tend to stick to PC games, but Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft have made a pretty penny off of the purchases of nerds who need a new form of entertainment. This will be discussed further in the Gamers profile.

Music is a difficult subject to address, because taste varies. However, a clear trend is the leaning towards alternative music, soft and hard rock, and sometimes ska. These are slightly less mainstream types of music, and often have depressing emotional themes. Movie and video game soundtracks are a surprising hit with this group, as it techno music and electronica. Most nerds have an extensive collection of music, partially because it is very easy to download music onto i-Tunes while sitting around talking to sixteen different people on AIM.

Lastly, we cannot forget the hobby of many a nerd: reading. As mentioned before, many fantasy/sci-fi stories have made their way into print, most even before being released to the general public in the form of movies and TV. As many nerds do indeed boast a higher IQ, reading is actually a favored hobby at times. And if we get bored of novels, there is always Fanfics (Fan Fictions), or creative writings posted on the internet about certain TV shows or movies. Not to mention the myriad of video game and technology magazines available to today's computer geek. Suffice to say, there is plenty out there for a geek or nerd to occupy himself with on a rainy Sunday afternoon...or a sunny Tuesday afternoon...or anytime, for that matter.