The thing about stereotypes is that some have a basis in truth. I recognize that some people are like that. I have friends that have some of those habits and tendencies. But that show and several others like it continue to propagate that ALL nerds are like that and it’s simply not true.
Are there people who behave like the Crows from early Disney film? Yes, there are, but it also enforces a pretty negative stereotype. Are there guys who act like every white guy in Spike Lee films? Also yes, but it’s still an enforcement of negative stereotypes.
Perhaps what I like most about The IT Crowd is that it challenges the common perceptions of what a Nerd is. Moss, Roy and Jen are all people first with their own personalities and traits beyond just the Nerd stereotype. Moss and Roy are both nerds and yet they are almost polar opposites. Jen doesn’t even like to accept that she’s a nerd, even though her office is decorated to the rim with pop art and anime by the end of the series. She likes nerdy music and games and still obsesses over shoes. They are all real people, not just a living embodiment of a stereotype.
In truth, if a real person acts exactly like a stereotype, I have to wonder if they are being genuine or just behaving the way they think they’re supposed to act. More often than not, if somebody is a walking trope, they’re being fake to try and fit in. It really annoys me when somebody comes out as gay and in a single day, their accent shifts to an ultra-femme voice. Honestly, just DON’T. Your voice didn’t just change because you’re gay now. Nerd doesn’t define you. Gay doesn’t define you. You define you so just be you.
You could say I’m nerd shaming. I don’t think it’s good to obsess so hard over a show, game or fandom that it takes over your life. I think there is more to life than simply consuming media. And I also hate all those nerds that shame ME because I don’t fit into those same stereotypes that you find on TBBT. Just because I have my shit together, I have a life, and I look good doing it doesn’t mean I can’t whoop butt at Counter Strike, quote obscure MST3K episodes and discuss the complexities of the dichotomy between Cloud Strife and Sephiroth.
