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Do you think using the word 'nerd' is a derogatory term?

fanboi

fanboi

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
2,704
Sweden
So I was having a small fight with my kid (10 y/o girl) who used the word 'Nerd' to try and hurt me (I know, cute, since she is the NERD!).

That got me thinking, is nerd still considered derogatory? I quite often use it to describe myself to people when talking about my hobbies (games, movies, fantasy and scifi books and so on).

I remember back at high school and being called a nerd then would be like a death sentence to your own ego... but this was 20 years ago, and now I would happily describe myself as a nerd.
 
FairyEmpire

FairyEmpire

Member
Oct 25, 2017
12,176
It's context-specific, you can obviously bully somebody with that word. But I personally am not offended by said word, in fact I do consider myself a nerd calling myself as such from time to time. Though I tend to point out actual nerds have little to do with the stereotype of shit like The Big Bang Theory.
 
FUME5

FUME5

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
5,657
No-one is going to call someone else a nerd as a compliment, maybe a backhanded one.
 
Siggy-P

Siggy-P

Avenger
Mar 18, 2018
4,473
No. Some people do use it as an insult but it doesn't work as one. It's way too embraced.

Edit: Ofcourse experience varies, someone whose been constantly bullied and called a nerd is gonna have a different view.
 
CaviarMeths

CaviarMeths

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
6,568
Western Canada
It does still kind of feel like a rude word to me, probably since it was used insultingly until fairly recently, but I doubt it's really perceived that way these days by the younger internet generation. I don't really use it much anyway. When talking about stuff like comic books and video games, I'll use the phrase "geek culture" instead, or if I'm lightly ribbing my friends, I'll call them "dorks."
 
jfkgoblue

jfkgoblue

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,935
Nerd is usually used as a playful way to “insult” people, but in my experience it’s not really derogatory.

Weeb is the new nerd nowadays when it comes to derogatory insults, but even that won’t be derogatory for much longer as it is already shifting.
 
lacer

lacer

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,622
fanboi said:
Explain to me like I am a 10 year old.
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you're enough of a dork to create a topic on the internet to reach a consensus if you're racist or not. your ten year old daughter got under your skin enough to make you create a topic on the internet to decide if her calling you a nerd is 'derogatory'

she won
 
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fanboi

fanboi

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
2,704
Sweden
lacer said:
you're enough of a dork to create a topic on the internet to reach a consensus if you're racist or not. your ten year old daughter got under your skin enough to make you create a topic on the internet to decide if her calling you a nerd is 'derogatory'

she won
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But that doesn't explain anything really? Why is she a homophobe, and what does racism have to do with this? I am very lost in your post.

EDIT: And to be frank, that is not the reason for creating the topic since I call and refer to myself as a nerd.
 
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Tezz

Tezz

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,142
California, U.S.
You know when you walk by a car, and the back window is absolutely covered with stickers like the Deathly Hallows symbol, a Triforce, the Delta Rune, the AoT Survey Corps insignia, etc.?

Fucking nerds...
 
lacer

lacer

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,622
fanboi said:
But that doesn't explain anything really? Why is she a homophobe, and what does racism have to do with this? I am very lost in your post.

EDIT: And to be frank, that is not the reason for creating the topic since I call and refer to myself as a nerd.
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SHE ISN'T UGH THAT'S THE POINT

GOD DAMNIT HOW DO YOU KID HAVERS NOT GET KIDS THIS BAD
 
TechnicPuppet

TechnicPuppet

Member
Oct 28, 2017
2,815
I think sometimes some words that mean nothing to me might have been used to hurt someone else. Like if someone called me a jock I wouldn't give a shit but there may be lots of Scots who have had this used to abuse them for years, not friendly banter but bullying.

So nerd wouldn't bother me at all but it could be hurtful to someone else.
 
Oreoleo

Oreoleo

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
850
Ohio
It's kind of like the other 'n word.'

If you're a nerd, you have free license to use it for yourself and others. If you're not a nerd, it's a bad look.
 
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fanboi

fanboi

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
2,704
Sweden
TechnicPuppet said:
I think sometimes some words that mean nothing to me might have been used to hurt someone else. Like if someone called me a jock I wouldn't give a shit but there may be lots of Scots who have had this used to abuse them for years, not friendly banter but bullying.

So nerd wouldn't bother me at all but it could be hurtful to someone else.
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While true, and as with any word, use it with caution and in right circumstance.

I remember back at the old site, some person used a word that was considered racist when describing... some group in Austrailia or New Zeeland, got banned, then the people from said countries said it wasn't considered racist. Was intresting to see how it unfolded.
 
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fanboi

fanboi

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
2,704
Sweden
lacer said:
LOL well if that's what it takes to make u realize ur getting trolled into making concern threads by your own 10 year old daughter then shoot it up homie
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Well I am a bad reader :P

And I am not drunk yet (Jesus man, it is like 10 pm here) so I will hit it up later this week! Cya there!
 
honest_ry

honest_ry

Banned
Oct 30, 2017
4,288
I use it in a derogatory way. But only against those anti-social nutbag types who get angry about the smallest thing that they like.

You know....people on Era. ;)
 
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fanboi

fanboi

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
2,704
Sweden
Without looking it up, what does the word Nerd mean? For me:

Have a very intense and high intrest in a hobby that is seen as a niche market in your culture.
 
mxbison

mxbison

Member
Jan 14, 2019
844
I don't think it's that bad but it makes whoever uses it as an insult look incredibly dumb.
 
Aftermath

Aftermath

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,618
Nerdist.com and other pop culture channels use that word, so I think they have embraced it.

Angry Video Game Nerd
Black Nerd Comedy
Nerd 3
 
Gakidou

Gakidou

Member
Oct 30, 2017
1,177
pip pip cheerio fish & chips
Eh, I wouldn't use it to complement a stranger but I use it playfully with my friends as a kind of non-destructive dis. I actually think nerd is more of a compliment than a geek. To me a nerd implies some kinda archetype that fosters a talent through niche intellect and interests, and geek is just like someone who collects comics, games, movies, whatever. But both are fine.

People who think they are too "cool" to be associated with geek/nerd/weeb/furry culture while literally showing up at message boards and cons to roll their eyes are the real tragics.
 
Dan Thunder

Dan Thunder

Member
Nov 2, 2017
2,571
People use it in a sense of "OMG I'm such a nerd!" having played Pokemon GO for 10 minutes but they don't mean it in the true sense. It's more a case of them trying to co-opt the term for themselves rather than being part of that culture. More often than that it's also done in a way that draws on the nerd stereotype i.e. big, thick glasses so in reality they're actually denigrating the term rather than embracing it.

I don't think it's particularly offensive but like I say I've never known it be used in any kind of complimentary manner except by people who would also classify themselves as such.
 
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