Rescuing the Lost Nerdologist
An NYT article today describes the work of UCSB linguist Mary Bucholtz, who has been working for 12 years to define the characteristics of the common American nerd. As one might expect from a Berkeley graduate, she has based her entire theory of the nerd on race - she has concluded that nerds are "hyperwhite," i.e., those who reject any African-American influences:
Bucholtz notes that the “hegemonic” “cool white” kids use a limited amount of African-American vernacular English; they may say “blood” in lieu of “friend,” or drop the “g” in “playing.” But the nerds she has interviewed, mostly white kids, punctiliously adhere to Standard English.
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Though Bucholtz uses the term “hyperwhite” to describe nerd language in particular, she claims that the “symbolic resources of an extreme whiteness” can be used elsewhere. After all, “trends in music, dance, fashion, sports and language in a variety of youth subcultures are often traceable to an African-American source,” but “unlike the styles of cool European American students, in nerdiness, African-American culture and language [do] not play even a covert role.”
Out of pity for this poor, errant researcher, I thought I'd share my insights on the subject. My nerd qualifications are well-established (though they may pale in comparison to See-Dubya's), so I feel well-qualified to expound on the flaws in her "hyperwhite" theory.
- Only African-Americans are cool?. Hey racist Berkeley refugee clueless linguist lady - other cultures are cool, too! Even white people do cool things occasionally. "The Fonz" was cool in the 70's. "Spiccoli" was cool in the 80's. I stopped watching TV after that, but I'm sure there was at least one more cool white icon since. African-Americans have had a disproportionate influence on pop culture, but it's a very racist premise to give them all the credit.
- Nerds reject all pop culture. Nerds don't just reject African-American influences, they reject all pop culture influences. There's nothing racial about it. They reject Redneck culture, jock/cheerleader culture, stoner culture,... and sappy liberal paradigms based on kneejerk attributions to racism.
- Nerds value erudition and expertise. Fashion and style are pointless - knowledge and competence reign supreme in Nerd culture. The NYT article acknowledges this point, but still blows it:
Certainly, “hyperwhite” seems a good word for the sartorial choices of paradigmatic nerds. While a stereotypical black youth, from the zoot-suit era through the bling years, wears flashy clothes, chosen for their aesthetic value, nerdy clothing is purely practical: pocket protectors, belt sheaths for gadgets, short shorts for excessive heat, etc.
Pocket protectors? Talk about out of touch. Listen, pal - we phased out pocket protectors along with sliderules back in the 70's. Even at NASA. Talk about clinging to a tired stereotype. And why is it that "whiteness" is being associated with the "purely practical?" Racist.
“Nerds’ dismissal of black cultural practices often led them to discount the possibility of friendship with black students,”Here she's conflating culturism with racism. The Nerd tent is quite large - home to the maladjusted, the misfits, and the rejected. Of any race. If you are a Nerd, you're in. Nerds aren't that plentiful (except online), so they really can't afford to be choosy.
To paraphrase Sigmund Freud: "Sometimes a Nerd is just a Nerd." Not every social phenomenon is based on the white-black dynamic.
UPDATE: Instapundit links to Tom Maguire's less critical take on the article.