Reply to Topic
What and who comes to mind when you think of a nerd?You probably think of a white, unfit, unattractive teenage boy with glasses and unstylish clothing. To add to that he is probably exceedingly intelligent, socially awkward, and lacks friends. This is the inaccurate stereotype of a typical nerd to many people in today’s world. In Napoleon Dynamite nerds are portrayed in a unique and different way. I have looked at how Napoleon, Pedro, Kip and Deb; nerds in this movie, redefine the stereotypical nerd and broaden the definition to the point that you may possibly be a nerd.
If what I described above is what comes to your mind when you think of a nerd, then your definition of “nerd” is extremely limited. This definition is largely supported by TV and movies. Think of how many shows and movies have a “nerd” character. There are many and the stereotype is usually present such as the one in Revenge of the Nerds. The main characters fit the stereotype perfectly, from constant rivalry with the jocks to the infamous panty raid. They are math and computer geniuses and would rather play chess than play sports. The nerds in Revenge of the Nerds are like many others. One character in the movie, Lewis, defines the difference between the nerds and jocks as “Jocks only think about sports, nerds only think about sex.”It is somewhat extreme due to the adult nature of the movie but an accurate and stereotypical statement. Nerds are portrayed in this movie and many others as the complete opposite of jocks. To add to the stereotype of nerds, Wikipedia defines a nerd as a person who avidly pursues intellectual activities, technical or scientific endeavors, esoteric knowledge, or other obscure interests, rather than engaging in more social or conventional activities. By examining the nerds of Napoleon Dynamite I have seen how much they do not fit the stereotype and how they redefine and broaden the limited term.
Napoleon Dynamite contains multiple nerds, each very different, but yet all nerds. To begin, there is Napoleon Dynamite; the main character. Napoleon is a white, somewhat fit, high-school student in a small town in Idaho. Within the first few minutes of the movie you get a good visual image of Napoleon. He sports a blue shirt with a unicorn on it, pants high above his waist, and big black boots although it is not winter. Napoleon stands out from everyone else due to his odd choice of clothing. Every interaction he has with people is awkward and it is clear he lacks good social skills. His characteristics show he is in many ways a nerd, but Napoleon is not the stereotypical nerd. One thing that makes Napoleon different from most nerds is his fierce attitude. “How was school?” His grandma asks
“The worst day of my life what do you think?” He snaps back
“I want you to go see if Tina wants any of this.”
“Kip hasn’t done flippin’ anything today!” Napoleon whines in an immature manner. He isn’t the quiet shy type that most nerds are expected to be. He uses his attitude to fight back and stick up for himself in every situation unlike the nerds in Revenge of the Nerds, who would rather fight using their brains. Napoleon is also different from these nerds because he is not a genius, which shows that being a nerd is not limited to those who are extremely smart. The nerds in Revenge of the Nerds accept that they are nerds and unpopular. Nevertheless Napoleon does not accept it and tries to act cool and popular in multiple occasions. When he meets his friend Pedro he lies about having a pretty girlfriend in order to impress him. In another instance, he thinks he has a chance with a popular girl and asks her to prom. Napoleon’s confidence is nothing like what you would expect from a nerd, yet he is probably more confident than the average high school student. As coincidental as it is, Napoleon may have his own Napoleon complex. Full of confidence, Napoleon is able to dance on stage in front of his whole high school. Napoleon’s ability to dance pushes the boundaries of the nerd. Dancing is not something that would ever come to mind when you think of a nerd, yet Napoleon does it. He is very unique nerd, but nevertheless he is a nerd. However, he is not the only unique nerd.
Napoleons friend Pedro is also a unique nerd. He is a quiet and Hispanic new student who barely speaks English. His only friend is Napoleon and he is trying to run for school president. Pedro is short, has a thin mustache, and wears nice button down shirts tucked into his fading jeans which are held up by belt with a big brown belt buckle. He is similar to Napoleon because he does not realize his unpopularity and has a great amount of confidence. In order to ask a girl to prom, Pedro bakes a cake for her, displaying his lack of social skills. He later runs against her for school president. Pedro is unlike the stereotypical nerd simply because he is Hispanic. He shows that nerds can be any race and that it doesn’t make a difference.
Another nerd in Napoleon Dynamite is Deb; a straight from the eighties, out of style girl, who puts her pony tail to the side and sells handmade crafts and glamour shots. She is self conscious about her body and has no friends until she meets Napoleon and Pedro. Deb is unlike any of the other nerds and unlike the stereotypical nerd because many forget to realize that girls can be nerds too. Unlike Napoleon and Pedro, Deb is not confident and she does not try to be popular. This makes her more like a stereotypical nerd; however, the fact that she is a girl definitely makes her unique.
Napoleon’s brother Kip may be the closest thing to the nerd stereotype in Napoleon Dynamite. Kip spends hours each day chatting with his girlfriend he’s never met but later marries. During a song to his girlfriend, Kip states “I love technology, but not as much as you you see…” His scrawny figure, big glasses, love for technology, and high socks make Kip the perfect model of a common depiction of a nerd. The only problem is that he is thirty two years old. In most movies with nerds, they are usually teenagers or in college. Kip proves that Nerds can be any age and once again the barriers of being a nerd are pushed.
Napoleon, Pedro, Deb, and Kip each help redefine the term “nerd” in Napoleon Dynamite. They are not the typical nerds we see on TV, but rather very different. My redefining of this word allows us to get rid of limited stereotypes we may be used to. The term should not be taken as a negative insult, but rather a classification of somebody. Nerds are everywhere and will always be around, impacting our world. Rather than make a mistake and misjudge somebody, think about what I have said and you will see there are many nerds, but none should be limited to an inaccurate stereotype.
If what I described above is what comes to your mind when you think of a nerd, then your definition of “nerd” is extremely limited. This definition is largely supported by TV and movies. Think of how many shows and movies have a “nerd” character. There are many and the stereotype is usually present such as the one in Revenge of the Nerds. The main characters fit the stereotype perfectly, from constant rivalry with the jocks to the infamous panty raid. They are math and computer geniuses and would rather play chess than play sports. The nerds in Revenge of the Nerds are like many others. One character in the movie, Lewis, defines the difference between the nerds and jocks as “Jocks only think about sports, nerds only think about sex.”It is somewhat extreme due to the adult nature of the movie but an accurate and stereotypical statement. Nerds are portrayed in this movie and many others as the complete opposite of jocks. To add to the stereotype of nerds, Wikipedia defines a nerd as a person who avidly pursues intellectual activities, technical or scientific endeavors, esoteric knowledge, or other obscure interests, rather than engaging in more social or conventional activities. By examining the nerds of Napoleon Dynamite I have seen how much they do not fit the stereotype and how they redefine and broaden the limited term.
Napoleon Dynamite contains multiple nerds, each very different, but yet all nerds. To begin, there is Napoleon Dynamite; the main character. Napoleon is a white, somewhat fit, high-school student in a small town in Idaho. Within the first few minutes of the movie you get a good visual image of Napoleon. He sports a blue shirt with a unicorn on it, pants high above his waist, and big black boots although it is not winter. Napoleon stands out from everyone else due to his odd choice of clothing. Every interaction he has with people is awkward and it is clear he lacks good social skills. His characteristics show he is in many ways a nerd, but Napoleon is not the stereotypical nerd. One thing that makes Napoleon different from most nerds is his fierce attitude. “How was school?” His grandma asks
“The worst day of my life what do you think?” He snaps back
“I want you to go see if Tina wants any of this.”
“Kip hasn’t done flippin’ anything today!” Napoleon whines in an immature manner. He isn’t the quiet shy type that most nerds are expected to be. He uses his attitude to fight back and stick up for himself in every situation unlike the nerds in Revenge of the Nerds, who would rather fight using their brains. Napoleon is also different from these nerds because he is not a genius, which shows that being a nerd is not limited to those who are extremely smart. The nerds in Revenge of the Nerds accept that they are nerds and unpopular. Nevertheless Napoleon does not accept it and tries to act cool and popular in multiple occasions. When he meets his friend Pedro he lies about having a pretty girlfriend in order to impress him. In another instance, he thinks he has a chance with a popular girl and asks her to prom. Napoleon’s confidence is nothing like what you would expect from a nerd, yet he is probably more confident than the average high school student. As coincidental as it is, Napoleon may have his own Napoleon complex. Full of confidence, Napoleon is able to dance on stage in front of his whole high school. Napoleon’s ability to dance pushes the boundaries of the nerd. Dancing is not something that would ever come to mind when you think of a nerd, yet Napoleon does it. He is very unique nerd, but nevertheless he is a nerd. However, he is not the only unique nerd.
Napoleons friend Pedro is also a unique nerd. He is a quiet and Hispanic new student who barely speaks English. His only friend is Napoleon and he is trying to run for school president. Pedro is short, has a thin mustache, and wears nice button down shirts tucked into his fading jeans which are held up by belt with a big brown belt buckle. He is similar to Napoleon because he does not realize his unpopularity and has a great amount of confidence. In order to ask a girl to prom, Pedro bakes a cake for her, displaying his lack of social skills. He later runs against her for school president. Pedro is unlike the stereotypical nerd simply because he is Hispanic. He shows that nerds can be any race and that it doesn’t make a difference.
Another nerd in Napoleon Dynamite is Deb; a straight from the eighties, out of style girl, who puts her pony tail to the side and sells handmade crafts and glamour shots. She is self conscious about her body and has no friends until she meets Napoleon and Pedro. Deb is unlike any of the other nerds and unlike the stereotypical nerd because many forget to realize that girls can be nerds too. Unlike Napoleon and Pedro, Deb is not confident and she does not try to be popular. This makes her more like a stereotypical nerd; however, the fact that she is a girl definitely makes her unique.
Napoleon’s brother Kip may be the closest thing to the nerd stereotype in Napoleon Dynamite. Kip spends hours each day chatting with his girlfriend he’s never met but later marries. During a song to his girlfriend, Kip states “I love technology, but not as much as you you see…” His scrawny figure, big glasses, love for technology, and high socks make Kip the perfect model of a common depiction of a nerd. The only problem is that he is thirty two years old. In most movies with nerds, they are usually teenagers or in college. Kip proves that Nerds can be any age and once again the barriers of being a nerd are pushed.
Napoleon, Pedro, Deb, and Kip each help redefine the term “nerd” in Napoleon Dynamite. They are not the typical nerds we see on TV, but rather very different. My redefining of this word allows us to get rid of limited stereotypes we may be used to. The term should not be taken as a negative insult, but rather a classification of somebody. Nerds are everywhere and will always be around, impacting our world. Rather than make a mistake and misjudge somebody, think about what I have said and you will see there are many nerds, but none should be limited to an inaccurate stereotype.
