Blerds

Justice4243

So ummm...

In celebration of Black History Month, apparently we're talking about "blerds", or "Black Nerds". It's now "officially a thing"

http://www.theroot.com/views/birth-blerd

This is now a thing that warrants discussion.

The fact that there are blacks who are interested in nerd stuff...

Is it OK that my first reaction was basically rage that people think this is even a thing worth calling attention to? 

Then I read the article and then my rage turned into a white hot laser beam capable of exploding whoever wrote that article's head.

Seriously, please tell me I'm not the only one kinda peeved off that anyone thinks that there are "nerd minorities" is a fact worth calling out. 

Jesus, Christ, yes, blacks can be into comic books, and games, and Star Trek. Remember Star Trek? Remember how it had Uhura and how that was a big thing IN THE GODDAMN 60S?! The only reason it's "officially a thing" now is because no one THOUGHT WE HAD TO MAKE A DEAL OUT OF NON-WHITES ENJOYING SCI-FI AND FANTASY AND VIDEO GAMES BECAUSE THEY ARE FUCKING GENRES AND MEDIA AND AVAILABLE AT FUCKING STORES TO THE WHOLE GODDAMN WORLD AND AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE REGARDLESS OF RACE, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, OR CREED. 

tl;dr

I hope whoever came up with the term "blerds" gets hit by a bus driven by the ghost of Rosa Parks.

Obā-san

I hope whoever came up with the term "blerds" gets hit by a bus driven by the ghost of Rosa Parks.

best mental image

Imipolex G

Perhaps it's a reaction to how blacks typically get stereotyped as "gangstas" or maybe athletes or criminals or whatever...?

Salix Babylonika

Stereotypes are obviously racist, but this is just basically saying "hey! Your stereotypes are no longer justified!" which implies that they ever were.

Justice4243

^^Maybe? 

But if that's the case it's written in the most god awful horrible way if that's the point. For starters, it doesn't mention anything about black portrayal in the media. It's basically written like a bad Cracked article.

Perhaps my favorite pre-1900s blerd is Ellen Craft. Born in 1826, Ellen was a slave from Georgia, who, because of her light skin and mixed race, made a very convincing white man when she cut her hair and donned a top hat and men's clothes. She escaped to freedom in this disguise with her husband in tow, posing as her slave. The getup is slightly reminiscent of the woodsman who saves the day in "Little Red Riding Hood." See where I'm going with this? Ellen was basically the first black cosplayer. My friends,nothing is blerdier than being a black cosplayer.

Yes, putting on a disguise to escape racial persecution is TOTALLY comparable to dressing up as your favorite character from the Animes and going to a convention.

I think what's mostly getting under my skin is this person obviously means well, but they've invented an unnecessary word (or at least brought it to my attention) that only helps in pointing out the difference between people who otherwise would have just enjoyed being under the "nerd umbrella". 

Basically, in addition to polluting to what could have been an insightful article about blacks in history, they're probably accomplishing the opposite of  what they intend. 

Justice4243

Also, this came to my attention courtesy of my Tumblr dash and NPR who should fucking know better. 

Other thing that pisses me off. If this WAS a bad Cracked article, I'd dismiss it as such, but NPR is bringing this up to a much wider audience.

Salix Babylonika

I would also like to say that "blerd" is an incredibly dumb word.

Also comparing a necessary disguise to cosplaying is incredibly retarded.

Obā-san

Justice42 said:

Also, this came to my attention courtesy of my Tumblr dash and NPR who should fucking know better. 

ach

Tachyon

Yeah, the identification of various historical figures as being nerds is itself pretty dubious.

If the intention is to come out in support of African-American nerds this article seems like a backwards step, and the neologism downright obnoxious.

Justice4243

Remember Crispus Attucks? Total blerd. What you know is that Mr. Attucks was the first person killed in the Boston Massacre in 1777. What you don't know is that, while he was there to protest British impositions, he was also there to demand that more black people be added to the cast of Star Trek.

Obā-san

a8 said:

the neologism downright obnoxious.

erhrmahgerd blerds

Salix Babylonika

also it's self-contradictory if it's saying both that historical figures could be nerds and that "nerdy black people" is somehow a recent invention.

Honestly this strikes me as a part of the troubling trend of well-meaning(?) people, usually white (because I don't have enough reason to hate my own ethnicity already) buying into the myth that intelligent people of African descent are somehow a new thing. As opposed to being, y'know, as old as humans as a species.

lee4hmz

Yeah, the idea that smart people are supposed to be a certain race is far more disturbing and is what should be looked at more closely. Also, god, that word sounds like one of the un-sound effects from SBAHJ. :P

Salix Babylonika

*blerd*

Tre

I'm fine with being called a nerd, but if the fact that I'm black is brought up with it, then I will join Justice in peeing on all the things [you] eat.

Because it's stupid to imply one has anything to do with the other.

Fossilmaiden

The "word" Blerd just makes me think of birds. Conclusion: Crows are nerds.

Salix Babylonika

well-ah bird bird bird

bird is the word

well-ah bird bird bird

buh-bird's the word

Tre

Crows are hella nerdy, as are all talking large toothy jays whose names are not Mordecai or Margaret.

Tachyon

Tre said:

Crows are hella nerdy

This is true, when one considers their frequent use of instant messenger and the growing adoption of fiber optic broadband amongst crows, not to mention their increased awareness of the need to find renewable energy sources that meet the needs of a growing population.

With that said, if you ask me some nestlings could stand to be a good deal nerdier if they don't want to fail their SATs.

(Anonus is possibly the only heaper likely to get this reference.)

ProfessorGator

The word "blerd" makes me think of someone trying to make a cutesy portmanteau between blue and red.

Or possibly making a cutesy word to describe the color of bile.

Tachyon

my first thought on seeing the title was 'bloods' in a silly voice.

So kinda like what Naney said.

Obā-san

a8 said:

my first thought on seeing the title was 'bloods' in a silly voice.

Cwips

Tachyon

crerps

RocketRunner

I thought of birds too, like "berds."

Sredni Vashtar

As someone who has encountered just about every kind of nerd out there, I really think that making a big deal about someone being black and nerdy only shows some fundamental misunderstanding of how either "blackness" or "nerdiness" works.

This aside, I thought that this topic was going to be about birds. I am disappoint.

Anonus

It sounds like the name of some cartoon to me.

a8 said:

Tre said:

Crows are hella nerdy

This is true, when one considers their frequent use of instant messenger and the growing adoption of fiber optic broadband amongst crows, not to mention their increased awareness of the need to find renewable energy sources that meet the needs of a growing population.

With that said, if you ask me some nestlings could stand to be a good deal nerdier if they don't want to fail their SATs.

(Anonus is possibly the only heaper likely to get this reference.)

yay TTYD

Mr. Darcy

Wow! So there are nerds who are black, called "blerds"!

They must share the nerdy things they like on black blogs, called "blogs"!

Salix Babylonika

no you have to shoehorn that extra bl in there somewhere

so it's like, blblogs

Mr. Darcy

"blblog" sounds like a bad Bela Lugosi impression.

I'm gonna blblog about Blackula.

Justice4243

Tre said:

Crows are hella nerdy

This is true, when one considers their frequent use of instant messenger and the growing adoption of fiber optic broadband amongst crows, not to mention their increased awareness of the need to find renewable energy sources that meet the needs of a growing population.

With that said, if you ask me some nestlings could stand to be a good deal nerdier if they don't want to fail their SATs.

(Anonus is possibly the only heaper likely to get this reference.)

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/07/world/asia/07crows.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

...BUY MY BROTHER'S GODDAMN SHIRTS.

Mr. Darcy

Unrelated, but Crispus Attucks is a fantastic name.

Redcoats better watch out, when Crispus Attacks with his flamethrower.

LeighSabio

Maybe people freaking out about blerds is a spinoff of the whole people freaking out about nerd girls thing.

Mr. Darcy

^ "Jaleel White pretended to be a nerd in order to have sex with me!"

Justice4243

^^Jesus tap-dancing Christ, I hope not. That would be like...the media JUST figure out that there are people other than white males that are nerds?

Salix Babylonika

Justice42 said:

^^Jesus tap-dancing Christ, I hope not. That would be like...the media JUST figure out that there are people other than white males that are nerds?

do you want an honest answer to that question or one that won't depress you

LeighSabio

To be fair, nerds in media are usually portrayed as white males, unless the entire cast is mostly not white or not male.

Justice4243

We need to find some sort of hot lesbian, minority nerd and make a press release and just watch the media explode and come up with stupid labels for her.

Justice4243

Actually...My wife is pretty damn close to that. I'm just gonna make a press release about my wife and how she spends most her free time on the internet figuring out Magic the Gathering decks and playing Pixel Monsters on her PSP.

Salix Babylonika

Justice42 said:

We need to find some sort of hot lesbian, minority nerd and make a press release and just watch the media explode and come up with stupid labels for her.

anyone have Aondeug's e-mail address?

Justice4243

Yeah, we can collect hot minority sexually flexible nerds and let the media know they exist in mass and watch it explode. 

LeighSabio

Watch what explode? The sexual tension?

Justice4243

I meant the media, because at some point our press release turns into a porno and I'm not sure that's the kind of coverage we want.

Salix Babylonika

Well I dunno, I mean I would certainl*carted off mid-sentence*

Mr. Darcy

Justice42 said:

Actually...My wife is pretty damn close to that.

Your wife is not a hot lesbian.

Unless the Greek side of her family came from Lesbos.

Justice4243

Listen, we'd ALL want to see my wife and Aondeug make out.

You know it, I know it, Zorrak knows it...

But the thing is...

No, never mind. Fuck the media, this thread is now about hot girl on girl make-outs.

Salix Babylonika

I don't actually remember what Aondeug looks like.

Which is funny considering I had a huge crush on her for a period of time.

Justice4243

Buttercup, Ironeye, and Aondeug...

Who the fuck is "Ironeye"?

Anyhow, this is going to be a strange conversation with my wife when she get back from Saudi and I explain she needs to make out with Aondeug for the good of nerds everywhere.

Mr. Darcy

I don't see how this is going to show the media that black nerds are normal, though.

Is she going to have a threesome with Aondeug and a black man?

LeighSabio

Justice42 said:

Listen, we'd ALL want to see my wife and Aondeug make out.

You know it, I know it, Zorrak knows it...

But the thing is...

No, never mind. Fuck the media, this thread is now about hot girl on girl make-outs.

Can I make out with your wife?

Mr. Darcy

^ I like how you have to ask him and not her for permission. That's probably because you can wrestle her down.

LeighSabio

I do not ask anyone physically weaker than me for permission to do anything because I am das ubermensch (uberfrau?) and I disdain such weak-minded slave morality! </drunkpost>