Thesis Paul (1)

8/17/2019 Thesis Paul (1)

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Guy with Glasses?Representations of Nerd and Geek in Popular Culture

Image courtesy of Mark Rosewater (@maro!" on #witter$

% Master #hesis &y'

Paul an der )aerden

%ugust *++

s*,*!---

*


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#a&le of Contents

Introduction p.

Chapter +' )hat is Nerd / Geek? p. 0

Chapter ' Method p. 1

2tuart 3all p. 1

4oep 5eerssen p. ++

Chapter 0' Case 2tudies (I$ p. +!

Reenge of the Nerds p. +,

#he 6ig 6ang #heory p. 1

Nerd and 5iterature p. 0

Chapter "' Case 2tudies (II$ p. 01

%dam 2aage p. "*

Chris 3ardwick p. "+%ustin #ichenor p. "0

7)eird %l8 9ankoic p. "!

Geek .*' #he :emale Geek? p. ",

Conclusions p. ";

6i&liography p. !*

%cknowledgments

I want to thank my parents for supporting me throughout the process of making this thesis and

making sure that I would stay on track most of the time. Ne


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Introduction

ery year= in the third weekend of 4uly= a ery special eent takes plays in 2an iego=

California' 2an iego Comic Con. SDCC is perhaps the &iggest conention of its kind=aeraging oer +**=*** isitors in the last few years. It started out

in +-1* as a comic &ook conention= &ut has since grown out to

&ecome ANerd Christmas=B as some hae called it. %t the

conention= there are panels on a&out eery nerdy and geeky thing

imagina&le= a large e


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Chapter 1

What is Nerd & Geek?

6efore &eing a&le to look at the representation of Nerd and Geek culture= it has to &e

esta&lished what Nerd and Geek eoke' the original spelling was Aknurd=B or AdrunkB spelled &ackwards. %

collegiate AknurdB was the opposite of a collegiate Adrunk=B or= in other words= someone who

was AdrunkB on knowledge instead of into


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Nerd is highly intelligent and often not afraid to &oast of his intellectual achieements. #hey

are usually oerly interested in su&>ects like technology= science= pop culture= fantasy= or a

com&ination of these four (one can think of ideo games like World of Warcraft = films like

Star Wars= and teleision series like Star &rek $. Hn the other hand= the Nerd is often socially

awkward in his &ehaior= which sometimes is attri&uted to haing a form of autism (usually a

highEfunctioning disorder such as %spergerBs 2yndrome$. Com&ined= these three

characteristics contri&ute to the NerdBs ase


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ur&andictionary.com are= among others= that geeks do not necessarily hae the high leel of

intelligence associated with nerds= that geeks can hae the social skills that Nerds lack= a

geekBs Aarea of e


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#o conclude= the stereotypes of the Nerd and Geek are not fi


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Chapter 2

Method

#o e


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that the makers would like one to see= &ut that is not necessarily the perceied meaning. %

recent e


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&inary oppositions are crucial for these classifications. :rench anthropologist Claude 5LiE

2trauss offers the following eect and oneBs se


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difference &etween typing and stereotyping= 3all introduces the reader to Richard yer. yer

argues that we constantly use types to classify things and place them in categories. #yping is

therefore essential to the creation of meaning. 2tereotypes= howeer= reduce a person or o&>ect

to a few 7simple= iid= memora&le= easily grasped and widely recogniDed characteristics8

(!;$= which are fi


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terrain= one can deli&erately contest the dominant definitions &y working with them. :or

instance= a comedian can use witty e


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5eerssen dates the first AprotoEimagologicalB studies to the first half of the twentieth

century. #hese included studies as A:renchmen in 2hakespeareB and the approach was often

that of Stoffgeschichte= listing and tracing a gien type of literary preoccupation from te


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5eerssenBs focus is on 7high8 literature= the theories of Imagology can also &e applied to

popular culture.

Hn the &asis of these factors= 5eerssen lists a num&er of methodological assumptions

which hae &een ela&orated oer the last decades'

+ #he ultimate perspectie of image studies is a theory of cultural or national

stereotypes= not a theory of cultural or national identity.

Imagology is not a form of sociology its aim is to understand a discourse of

representation rather than a society.

0 Hur sources are su&>ectie their su&>ectiity must not &e ignored= e


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Imagology as a tool to descri&e national cultures and images= &ut he also argues that today it

can also hae a transnational character. #his allows it to &e used to descri&e socioEcultural

images as those of Nerd and Geek culture= as the AnerdB and AgeekB are neither e


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Chapter 3

Case Studies I!

Introduction

In the ne


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Case 1" #e$en%e o the Nerds 1'()* 1'(+* 1''2* 1'')!

#he $evenge of the Nerds uadrology may ery well &e the first series of films in which the

nerds form the ma>ority of the cast and get their AreengeB at the same time. #he four films

feature episodes from the lies of a group of young people during college and their lies after

graduating. :irst= the plot of the four films will &e analyDed and then a num&er of the

characters will &e e


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do this they need a national sponsor. #hey are turned down &y almost eery organiDation=

e


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Hr so it would seem= were it not that the story continues in $evenge of the Nerds ##(

Nerds in *aradise (+-;1$. In this film= the nerds go to the nited :raternity Conference in

:ort 5auderdale= :lorida as representaties of %dams College to 7discuss

the philosophy of &rotherhood= to set guidelines for their organiDations

and get laid8 as the opening seuence (a scrolling teail= they get kidnapped &y the %lpha 6etas and dumped on

a deserted island so they cannot defend themseles from &eing eoins them oluntarily= &ut they also get the company of Hgreas his name suggests=

+;


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the %lpha 6eta meathead. Hgre is dumped on the island with the nerds &ecause he wants to

&rag a&out what they hae done (which would reeal the %lpha 6eta inolement in it$. 3e

cannot swim= so the nerdsgood 2amaritans that they arerescue him and take him up in

their midst. 5ewis wants to gie up now= &ut Gil&ert appears to him in a dream (wearing a

&rown ro&e= another Star Wars reference$ and tells him that he should not &e ruled &y

emotion= &ut use his &rain' he has to think rationally and get them off the island to preent

them &eing oted off the conference. #hrough o&seration and with higher math they

determine where they are and the island they are on turns out to &e a suspected hiding place of

military supplies from the Cu&an inasion. )ith a crude metalEdetecting contraption they find

these supplies= which include an amphi&ious landing craft. #hey use this craft to get &ack to

the main land >ust in time to &arge into the conference as the ote is taking place. Rodger= the

president of %lpha 6eta= is called out &y the nerds and he tries to defend himself &y

identifying the nerds as a ragtag= ununified group of persons. 3e says that he is strong and

they (the nerds$ are weak= and that that is the way it is always going to &e and there is nothing

the nerds can say or do a&out that. In a reersal of his role as AMan of ReasonB to a AMan of

%ction=B 5ewis punches Rodger in his face and the nerds hae once again had their reenge.

6ack at %dams College= the closing scene is the inauguration of Hgre into the #riE

5am& fraternity. 3e is ceremoniously gien a pair of glasses and a pocket protectorone

could argue the sym&olic arsity >acket of the nerdsand he is also wearing the typical nerd

attire of the checkered shirt and too short pants= rather than his regular outfit of >eans and a

sleeeless shirt. #hrough this scene the film ends in an awkward duality. Hn the one hand the

nerds hae accepted one of their &iggest (literally$ &ashers into their midst= showing that they

are open to anyone= &ut on the other hand= they hae made Hgre into a stereotypical nerd=

where they adocated difference and diersity throughout &oth films.

#he third film= $evenge of the Nerds ###( the Ne!t Generation (+--$=

skips ahead a couple of years. 5ewis is now head of the science

department at %dams College and he is married to 6etty= the preppy girl he

seduced in the first film. 3is nephew 3arold is now a freshman at the

college and eerything has changed from 5ewisB time as a student there.

#he gym is now the computer center= the mascot is an atom= and 5am&da

5am&da 5am&da is the most popular fraternity on campus. 5ewis has also

undergone a drastic change. 3e is now wearing contacts= a stylish suit= and he sports a slick

ponytail. 3e now claims that 7%ppearance is erything8 and he criticiDes 3arold &ecause he

+-


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is such a nerd in the way he dresses and suggests that 3arold should pledge somewhere else

than #riE5am&. 6etty simply argues that 5ewis is em&arrassed of his nerd past nonetheless

that is the 5ewis she fell in loe with. 3arold still decides to pledge the #riE5am& fraternity.

)hen he first isits the #riE5am& house= he is welcomed &y Malcolm Pennington III= a

tall %frican %merican= wearing a &ase&all cap with an AQB on itan o&ious reference to

Malcolm Q= especially when this Malcolm states that 7#riE5am& doesnBt discriminate= nor

does it segregate8 when asked why there are also girls in the fraternity. #his reference to the

Ciil Rights Moement is not new to the film series= &ut mentioning Malcolm Q has another

dimension to it. %s Ron glash discusses in his essay 7Race= 2e


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how to use the computer and something funny happens he wants to laugh in his characteristic

way= &ut is so em&arrassed a&out it that he swallows his laugh. %nother one of the original

nerds comes &ack to %dams College to help the nerds fight against Price and Ga&le. 6ooger is

now a lawyer and will help the nerds on the legal front. nfortunately= the >udge at the appeals

court is also antiEnerd and will not rule in faor of them against Price= Ga&le= and the %lpha

6etas. )hen 6ooger sees the way in which 5ewis is sucking up to 2tan= he calls him the

worst kind of nerd' he used to &e the nerd George )ashington= &ut now he is the nerd

6enedict %rnold. #o drown their sorrows= the nerds hae a party with the Hmega Mu sorority

(much like in the first film$ &ut the police comes &y and finds the whole &asement filled with

canna&is plants (o&iously planted there$. #he #riE5am&s get kicked from the campus and

5ewis finally stands up to 2tan when he will not admit that the nerds were framed and denies

(to Price$ that he and 5ewis are friends. 5ewis puts &ack on his nerd attire and he will hae

his reenge now. #he nerds get to stay at his house= &ecause the %lpha 6etas hae taken oer

the #riE5am& house. 2imilarly to the first film= they get &ack at the >ock in a num&er of smart

ways= for instance= they fill PriceBs shower with paint (so that he looks like a candy cane when

he comes out$ and they hae a ro&ot replace the pimple clear at the %lpha 6eta house with

pimple inducers. )hen this does not hae the desired effect= 5ewis calls out for a nerdEstrike.

#hey hae to show that the campus cannot lie without the nerds. eryone who sympathiDes

with the nerds should put down his or her work and >oin them= and many people in the town

do. %mong them are the works at the electric company= so the whole town is without power

(e


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4eanie 3umphreys= an Hmega Mu girl. 3er family is upper class her father is a selfEmade

&usinessman (although he gets mad eery time someone calls him Anoueau richeB$ with

political aspirations. )hen the family first meets 6ooger= 4eanieBs mother faints= &ut this is

more likely due to 6oogerBs unkempt appearance than &ecause he is a nerd. %fter she has

come to her senses again= she says that she has nothing against nerds and that she has heard

that they make wonderful hus&ands. 4eanieBs father= %aron 3umphreys= and &rotherEinElaw=

Chip= howeer= do not like 6ooger at all. Chip wants to &reak up the wedding= &ecause it

might ruin his fatherEinElawBs political career. #he animosity against the nerds is no longer the

feeling of a group= like it was in the first three films= &ut that of a couple of indiiduals

(mostly ChipBs= &ecause Mr. 3umphreys seems to gie Chip his &lessing not &ecause he hates

the nerds= &ut loes his political career$.

5ewis arries first= driing a truck with a pregnant 6etty in the &ack. 3e has installed

all the latest technology in the truck to &e a&le to monitor the &a&yBs and 6ettyBs wellE&eing.

3e een got his diploma as a certified midwife. #he other nerds= including 5amar= 3arold=

2tan (wearing glasses and now selling software in 2ilicon Kalley$= and Hgre (more like his old

self in the first two films$ arrie &y &us= the drier claiming that this was the first group that

completed A+ Million 6ottles of 6eer on the )allB (a play on the stereotypical mathematical

meticulousness of the nerds$. )here the men of the 3umphreys family are plotting against the

nerds= the women see them differently and are reacting positiely towards the nerds.

#hroughout the preparatory cele&rations Mrs. 3umphreys is kind of charmed &y the nerds and

their peculiar ha&its= while Mr. 3umphreys >ust seems to &e annoyed &y them. 4eanieBs sister

Gaylord (to whom Chip is married$= approes of her sisterBs choice of hus&and= &ecause she

sees that her sister is really happy with 6ooger. 5ois= Mr. 3umphreyBs sister= een goes as far

as seducing one of the nerds= namely 3arold.

)hile most of the nonEnerd guests are disgusted with the nerd &ehaior at first= they

later admit that there is something to the atmosphere that the nerds &ring with them and they

also want nerds at their parties. In the rest of the plot of the film= there is not much AnerdnessB

to discuss. #he only thing that still can &e noted is that the nerds are all Agood guys.B 5ewis

helps 2tan and 4udy e


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only 5ewis ualifies as one= een though all of them (at one point throughout the four films$

are ualified as a Anerd.B

5ewis is the first character that is introduced in the series= and right from the &eginning

of the film= one can identify him as a nerd' he wears thick glasses and a nice shirt with pocket

protector and he has an awkward way of laughing. 3e sees going to college as a way to make

a new start and een though he makes some attempts to &ecome popular= such as talking to a

group of elta Phi girls (which includes his later girlfriend 6etty$ and pledging %lpha 6eta=

he is also identified as a nerd. Hne could argue that he is the hero of the nerds in this film

&ecause he seduces the pretty girl= &ut he does not take up the role of leader of them so much

as the actions of the nerds in the first film are a group effort. In the second film= howeer= he

is forced into the role of the leader of the group &ecause his &est friend Gil&ert is una&le to go

with them. In this film= he is o&iously struggling with his role as appointed leader= &ut

eentually (with the help of Gil&ert appearing to him in a dream$ he is a&le to rule his

emotions with his intellect and leads the nerds to a happy end. In the third film he undergoes a

transformation. %t first he seems to &e a great e


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udley A6oogerB awson is in his appearance not a typical nerd. 3e is most often seen

wearing a leather >acket and a &and tEshirt. 3is most characteristic ha&it (which also gae him

his nickname$ is consistent nose picking and oerall he does not seem too worried a&out

personal hygiene. )hat makes him a nerd then is his high intellect= eagerness to learn= and

social awkwardness. In the third film 6ooger has &ecome a lawyer= which means that he must

hae gone to law school= which in the nited 2tates is not a separate study su&>ect as in the

Netherlands= &ut rather a postEgrad program that one has to do well on the 52%# (5aw 2chool

%dmission #est$ for. 3is eagerness to learn comes forward in the second film= when he meets

a Chinese man in the new hotel they hae to go to. #his man= nicknamed A2nottyB is een

dirtier than 6ooger= so 6ooger sees him as a wise guru. 3e teaches him how to spit from the

soul= rather than the throat= and catches a fly with the spit. 0 6oogerBs social awkwardness

comes to the foreground in the last film. 3e is not socially inept= he is getting married after

all= &ut there are a couple of scenes in which he does not know how to &ehae. )hen he first

meets 4eanieBs family= there seems to &e a complete clash of cultures. #he neat and

fashiona&le 3umphrey family is appalled &y 6oogerBs ragged shirt and unshaen appearance=

not uite the impression one would want to gie the soonEtoE&e familyEinElaw. :urther on in

the film= after ChipBs first attempt to ruin the wedding= 4eanie and 6ooger hae a conersation

a&out how they feel a&out each other. #his turns into an awkward show of affection= which

includes mooing. Hn another of ChipBs attemptshe has paid a stripper to seduce 6ooger

he reacts uite rationally= as he does not respond to her adances and tells her that he is

getting married and loes his future wife ery much= so he seems to hae learned what is

AnormalB social &ehaior. 3is &ad &ehaior= howeer= has ru&&ed off on 4eanie= as she can

&elch almost as well as 6ooger can.

5amarBs appearance in the films connects the fight of the nerds to other social rights

moements. %s an %frican %merican homose


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3umphreysB wedding planner (a rather posh= upper class man$= who eentually falls for

5amarBs attempts. nlike with 5ewis and 6ooger= it is neither reealed where 5amarBs

academic talents lie= nor does one find out what he is doing professionally after graduating

from college.

2tan can &e seen on &oth sides of the spectrum. In the first film he is the popular >ock'

Ouarter&ack of the foot&all team= leader of the %lpha 6eta fraternity and president of the

Greek Council at %dams College. 3e is a&sent from the second film= &ut in the third film he

first is a police officer in town and then &ecomes the new ean of the college= acting as

President PriceBs henchman. uring the third film he finds out that he has perhaps put his

priorities on the wrong things= and that he should focus on staying upEtoEdate and making

friends= rather than try to relie daysEgoneE&y and make a career. 5ewis shows him that using

a computer can also &e AcoolB and perhaps something that one cannot lie without. %t the end

of the third film= he proclaims that there is a little &it of nerd in eeryone and that he is a nerd

himself. In the fourth film= one finds out that he is now a software salesman in 2ilicon Kalley."

3is appearance has changed as well he is now sporting a traditional AnerdB outfit= with

glasses= striped shirt= and pocket protector. )hen he falls ill= he gets the necessary #5C from

4udy= one of the girl nerds that pledged with 3arold in the third film. 3e is struck &y the

measles= which he says he gets now &ecause he used to &e Atoo coolB to get them. 6ecause he

is stuck in his &ed= his role in the film is only small= &ut he seems to &e happy with his new

identity as a nerd. 3e now seems to hae eerything that he did not hae when he was on the

other AteamB' loe= friendship= and happiness.

2ynthesis

In the films= difference is constantly esta&lished= &roken down= and &uilt up again. #here is

always the opposition &etween the nerds and nonEnerds. In the first films this seems to &e

nerds ersus the rest of the world= &ut it gradually changes to nerds ersus indiiduals.

)ithout the opposition= the nerds are only a group of people with some awkward character

traits= &ut they &ecome a groupa force to &e reckoned withwhen they hae to deal with a

common enemy. %s a group= the nerds confirm certain stereotypes= such as their intelligence

and the social awkwardness= &ut the stereotype is also transEcoded. #he nerd is also a social

creature that does not shy away from finding likeEminded people to &ecome friends with and

they know how to party. In the third film= one can see that the characteristics that are la&eled

" 2ilicon Kalley is the nickname for the southern part of the 2an :rancisco 6ay area in California. It is known forits highEtech industry= especially computer technology. #he name comes from the element silicon= which is usedin the manufacturing of computer chips.

!


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as negatie= high intelligence and technological knowledge= hae &een made into two of the

main points of attraction of %dams College. In the second and fourth film= ery few new nerd

characters are introduced and the characters from the preious film(s$ are &eing deeloped

further. Hne can see other characteristics that hae not &een featured (prominently$ &efore=

such as 5ewisB leadership ualities in the second film= and 6oogerBs romantic side in the

fourth film.

#o conclude= the $evenge of the Nerds films are not so much a&out reenge as they are

a&out acceptance. #he nerds accept anyone in their midst= no matter who they are or what they

hae done to them in the past (as with Hgre and 2tan$. Her the course of the four films= they

find likely and unlikely friends and supporters and the opposition changes from &eing fueled

&y a social feeling of threat to a personal disgust of their otherness. #he films show that nerds

are sometimes awkward= &ut neer scary= and sometimes een affectionate= full of passion=

and een cool.

,


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Case 2" The Big Bang Theory 2,,+- !

&he 'ig 'ang &heor) is a teleision sitcom that has &een on C62 since **1 and has >ust

rounded up its fourth season. #he series is produced &y

sitcom eterans Chuck 5orre ( $oseanne= &wo and a Half

+en$ and 6ill Prady ( Dharma and Greg = Gilmore Girls$.

Prady= a computer programmer &efore he started writing

and producing for teleision= has suggested (at a panel at

San Diego Comic Con 1233$ that the series is loosely

&ased on e


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5eonard is the only one of the four who seems to dress somewhat as a stereotypical

nerd= since he wears glasses (uite thick= &ut still fashiona&le$. )ith his smallerEthanEaerage

height he seems to &e a typical nerd' an easy &ullying target. 6ullying is also done &y his

friends= as he is often &elittled &y 2heldon &ecause he is AonlyB an e


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3oward is still liing with his mother= much to his own distaste. 3e is usually picked

on &y the others &ecause he AonlyB has a MasterBs degree. 3e can &e identified as a nerd in two

ways= one positie= the other somewhat negatie. Hf the four= he is the most interested in

technology. In one episode= for eect.

Ra>esh (most often called Ra>$ is an e and try to influence his life with their traditional ideas. %t one

point= halfway during the first season= they set him up for a date (for a potential wedding$=

while he wants to find loe on his own. #his situation is a display of two issues Ra> (and

perhaps nerds in general$ has to deal with. :irst there is the feeling of &eing caught &etween

two cultures' their own and that of their parents. specially Ra> has to deal with this (as his

parentsB culture is far remoed from his own$= &ut 3owardBs 4ewish &ackground and

2heldonBs #e has

to deal with concerns social interaction= especially with women. Hne would think that for

someone lacking social skills an arranged marriage is a perfect solution to this issue= &ut Ra>

seems to hold on to the romantic idea of finding his true loe on his own. #his seems

especially pro&lematic for Ra> &ecause of his impairment' he seems to hae the ina&ility to

speak to women. #he other characters make fun of this from the &eginning of the series (in the

first episode= when 3oward is &eing his mediator= Ra>Bs impairment is the only thing

specifically la&eled as AnerdB$= &ut in this episode they find out that his impairment seems to

go away when he has &een drinking. Hne could argue that Ra> has to lose his &rains (through

alcohol$ to &e a&le to conerse with mem&ers of the opposite se


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in which they find out that Ra> can talk to women when he has &een drinking.! 2he also seems

to hae a natural talent for ideo games= which they find out when they need a fourth mem&er

for Halo night= and in one of the later seasons she een &ecomes addicted to an MMHRPG ,

for a while.

#he plot of eery episode usually reoles around a &lend of their social awkwardness=

trying to apply their theoretical knowledge to eeryday situations (often failing$= and a

num&er of pop culture and science references. % good e as Norse Godnot the Marel Comics

one#hor (7)hy canBt an Indian guy &e a Norse god?8$= 3oward as Ro&in 3ood (although

his outfit is more like Peter PanBs$= and 2heldon is the oppler ffect (the effect of the change

in freuency of a wae for an o&serer moing relatie to the source of the wae= most

commonly o&sered in police sirens$. #hey apologiDe for &eing late at 1 past ;= when in fact

they are the first ones there. )hen the party is in full swing the four nerds can &e found sitting

on the couch talking amongst themseles. 2heldon says that he is o&sering the other party

goers as 4ane Goodall would do with a group of chimps. )hen PennyBs e


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2ynthesis

#he notion of difference in &he 'ig 'ang &heor) is presented mostly among nerds rather than

&etween nerds and other groups. #he four main characters are ery dierse and create their

own identity in relation to their fellow characters. #here are nonEnerd characters in the series=

&ut aside from Penny they only play a marginal role in the creation of the nerd identity. Penny

is a special case as she is o&iously not a nerd= &ut oer the course of the series she deelops

some nerd characteristics. %s the producers hae said= the series is not necessarily a&out

nerds= &ut a&out people they liked= e


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Case 3" Nerds and Literature

2o far= two e


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%s 3all notes= difference is essential to meaning. :or the character of Crane= this

difference is em&odied &y his adersary in his AuestB to o&tain Tatrina Kan #asselBs loe=

%&raham (6rom$ an 6runt. 6rom= nicknamed 6rom 6ones= is eerything that Crane is not.

3e is introduced as the most formida&le of TatrinaBs admirers= a 7&urly= roaring= roistering

&lade.8 6rom is the hero of the region= with the strength and the looks that hae him

compared in the story to the mythological hero 3ercules. 3e e


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literature= is attri&uted to C.P. 2now. In +-!-= 2now lamented the trend toward specialiDation

that he had e


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%ccording to Clayton= there are three principal models for the end of the twoEculture split'

synthesis= hegemony= and alliance. 3e argues that synthesis is perhaps the least conincing

model= although it finds a following in utopian writing. #his genre= howeer= lacks the critical

skepticism and selfErefleust entertainment= and

Clayton argues that 7it is missing e


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characters &y giing them precedents. In essence= designating Icha&od Crane as a Nerd avant

le mot is a similar deice to affirming the Nerd as a literary character. Crane might not hae

&een a nerd in its modern sense= &ut &y la&eling him as such= one might understand the

predicaments he is in &etter= as well as giing contemporary nerds a historical predecessor to

relate to.

0,


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Chapter )

Case Studies II!

Introduction

In the preious chapter= the focus has &een on fictie representations of nerd and geek culture.

In this chapter= a num&er of realElife nerds will &e analyDed. #hese people identify themseles

as ANerdB or AGeekB (or sometimes as &oth$= so we will see a lot of what 5eerssen calls auto-

imaging . #hey AmarketB themseles through seeral media as ANerdB or AGeek=B &oth through

traditional media= such as teleision and &ooks= and through AnewB (digital$ media= such as

social we&sites (:ace&ook= #witter$= &logs= and podcasts. #he following people will &ediscussed' %dam 2aage ( +)thusters$= %ustin #ichenor (Reduced 2hakespeare Company$=

Chris 3ardwick (Nerdist$= and 7)eird %l8 9ankoic= and a separate section will &e dedicated

to the female nerd and geek presence on the we&.

#he aim of this chapter is to determine how (these$ persons deal with their own

nerdness and their role in nerd and geek culture. 2ome uestions that are addressed can &e'

)hat makes them nerdsFgeeks or why do they la&el themseles as such? Can the work they

do &e defined as AnerdB or AgeekB? %re they professional nerds or are they nerds as well when

they are not in the pu&lic sphere? o they portray themseles as role models for other nerds

and geeks? #hrough what media do they channel their nerdness?

#he last uestion is perhaps the easiest to answer. %lmost eeryone that wants to &e

someone in nerd and geek culture has a presence on the internet. #he titles of the su&chapters

will not only contain the personBs name= &ut also their &witter handle. #he internet in general

is a gold mine for finding nerdy and geeky things. Not only do people like the ones that will

&e discussed here hae a large we& presence with their own we&sites and on social media= &ut

there are also we&sites aimed at specific target groups or with a specific purpose.


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sells all sorts of nerdy and geeky apparel= ranging from tEshirts with scientific formulas (often

with a pun= for instance AH&ey Graity= itBs the 5awB$ to a 2tar #rek nterprise PiDDa 2licer

(see image$.

#his wide aaila&ility and ariety of nerd and geek culture is also part of the critical

de&ate on nerd and geek culture. %n e


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.da/ Sa$a%e 0donttrthis!

If singing Gloria GaynorBs AI )ill 2urieB in the oice of Gollum (with tissues in his nose to

stop a nose&leed$+* does not ualify %dam 2aage (New 9ork= +-,1$ as a nerd= his work as a

+)thuster might. Hn iscoery Channelwhich could &e considered to &e the Anerd

channel=B as it is focused on &roadcasting documentary teleision on popular science=

technology= and history2aage= together with 4amie 3yneman= presents the show

+)thusters.

In this show= 2aage and 3yneman use their ast

eoined

&y a younger (&ut not less enthusiastic or intelligent$ second team

consisting of artist Tari 6yron= &uilder #ory 6elleci= and ro&otics

e


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Music=8 headlined &y 2aage= actor )il )heaton (who played )esley Crusher on Star &rek(

the Ne!t Generation. 6oth )heaton and his character on Star &rek are now considered nerd

icons$= and musical comedy duo Paul / 2torm. #hey are usually supported &y a num&er of

special guests= for e


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paying him for his contri&utions to the podcast and we&site (through sponsor deals on &oth$ so

he could work his AregularB >o& partEtime as well as &y giing him a chance to host the open

mic night at Nerdmelt . % num&er of other podcasts hae also &een started under the Nerdist

&anner= all dealing with su&>ects that might interest the nerd and geek community. #hese

podcasts are &he :uestionauts= on which the hosts answer listenersB uestions (in a comedic

way$= &he #ndoor 0ids= a&out ideo games= and +aking #t with $iki /indholme= a&out starting

up oneBs career (mainly she interiews persons from show &usiness= &ut the general messages

could apply to any trade$.

#he people that 3ardwick interiews on his own podcast come from all sorts of trades=

some &etter known than others. :or instance= he has interiewed HDDy Hs&ourne= A)eirdB %l

9ankoic= and the +)thusters cast (at SDCC *+*$= &ut also relatiely unknown comedians

and actors that he wants the rest of the nerd community (and perhaps the world$ to know. Hn

the podcast= he always asks his guests whether they see themseles as nerds or geeks and what

the nerdy things are they en>oy. Most often this is a particular film or teleision show= &ut

sometimes it is something une


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.ustin ichenor 0reduced* 0austintichenor!

%ctor and writer of the Reduced 2hakespeare Company= %ustin #ichenor (2an

:rancisco= +-,*$= is a selfEproclaimed nerd and

geek. Neect

related to one of their shows with his coEactors. #hese podcasts are often recorded during a

show intermission (one can usually hear when the podcast will end due to the stage call &y the

stage manager in the &ackground$.

Hne of the recurring themes is nerd and geek culture and #ichenor identifies himself as

&oth a nerd and a geek. In an email responding to my uestion how he would define himself

within nerd and geek culture= #ichenor said that 7weWre nerds of a ariety of stripes (2tar #rek=

&ase&all= theatre= etc$= &ut our use of gadgets and social media (laptops= smart phones=

podcast= #witter= etc$ makes us geeks too.8 #he podcast has a num&er of episodes dedicated to

nerd and geek (episodes 1, and *" are la&eled ANerd s. GeekB and AMore Nerdy GeekeryB

respectiely$= &ut also nerdy and geeky su&>ects= such as fantasy &ase&all and the Tirk s.

Picard+ de&ate. Hne of the most interesting statements that is made a&out the difference

&etween the two is that 7the nerdiness applies to the diligence with which and the geekiness

applies to the techniue with which8 one does something. %ccording to ae 2hepherd

(interiewed in episode 1,$ ANerdB applies more to the knowledge and AGeekB to the AtoysB that

are used= in line with #ichenorBs own statement. Hne of the other o&serations is that the antiE

social &ehaior is not necessarily something inherent to the nerd or geek= &ut that it is a result

of &eing so o&sessed with something that there is little time for other things (such as social

interaction$.

%lthough the Reduced 2hakespeare Company itself is not necessarily la&eled as AnerdB

or AgeekB#ichenor states that they are >ust trying to &e funnythere are many aspects that

+ Captain 4ames #. Tirk ()illiam 2hatner$ and Captain 4eanE5uc Picard (Patrick 2tewart$ are the two &estEknown starship captains from the Star &rek franchise. Hne of the &iggest de&ates among Star &rek fans is whothey like &etter as a captain.

"


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could &e la&eled as such. 2ince +-;+ they hae &een trying to &ring a larger audience to the

theater and the theater to a larger audience with shows like &he Complete Histor) of .merica

;aridged


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he hae to keep the other two in check= he also wants to make sure that the show can go on as

planned.

4Weird .l5 6anko$ic 0alanko$ic!

7)hite / Nerdy8 (**,$= a parody of the song 7Ridin8 &y Chamillionaire and TrayDie 6one=

might &e the sole reason why 7)eird %l8 9ankoic (&orn %lfred Matthew 9ankoic= owney=

C%= +-!-$ should &e included in this thesis= &ut there is much more to him that makes him a

nerd e


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(&orn 2tefani Germanotta$ is a constructed image= or as one critic has said= 7#he Gaga of

76orn #his )ay8 may &e who she is now= &ut she was certainly not actually &orn that way.8+!

7)hite / Nerdy8 is also an eustly persecuted &y the police (7theyBre trying to catch me

ridinB dirty8$ )eird %lBs ersion+1 is a&out the protagonist haing the feeling that he is

un>ustly left out &ecause he is too white and nerdy. In the music ideo= )eird %l has two

stereotypical outfits' one of the AnerdB (glasses= dress shirt= &owl cut$ and one of the Agangster=B

similar to Chamillionaire in his ideo= &ut een that outfit is poked fun at as )eird %l is

wearing &racers instead of a Agrill.B

)eird %l knows what he is doing when he parodies a song= and carefully picks which

ones to parody= &ut he is also a Anice guyB a&out it. 3e always asks the original artists for

permission to use their song and put it on his al&ums= and een when the song has already

&een completed and the artist reokes his permission (as happened with %lBs coer of 4ames

6luntBs 79ouBre 6eautiful=8 79ouBre Pitiful8$ he does not release it.

Geek 27," he 8e/ale Geek?

2o far= almost all nerds and geeks discussed in this thesis hae &een male. oes this mean that

there are no female nerds? No= with the rise of the internet= there has also &een a rise in the

nerd and geek presence on it and an interesting group that seems to &e e


47/57

hae a presence on these social media.


48/57

geekiness. 2ome een attain cele&rity status among nerds or among a larger audience. RealE

life nerds and geeks are >ust as important in the formation of nerd and geek culture as their

fictitious counterparts are.

"1


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Conclusions

#he aim of this thesis was to gain more insight into the way in which nerds and geeks are

represented in popular culture and how deelopments in nerd and geek culture can &e relatedto the larger social and cultural conte


50/57

more traditional forms of popular culture= such as film and teleision= female nerds and geeks

are more often supporting characters than that they are the lead.

#he uestion remains whether or not nerd and geek culture has &ecome part of the

socially normatie mainstream culture. #his does not seem to &e the case= although it is no

longer only a small niche= &ut perhaps one of the largest su&cultures within popular culture.

:or e


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Works Cited

• %nderegg= aid. Nerds( How Dorks" Dwees" &echies" and &rekkies Can Save

.merica= #archerFPenguin= New 9ork= **1.

• &he 'ig 'ang &heor). Creators' Chuck 5orre and 6ill Prady= Perf. 4ohnny Galecki=

Taley Cuoco and 4im Parsons. C62= **1E.

• Clayton= 4ay. 7Conergence of the #wo Cultures' % GeekBs Guide to Contemporary

5iterature=8 .merican /iterature= Kol. 1"= No. " (ec.= **$ pp. ;*1E;0+.

• glash= Ron. 7Race= 2e


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• #ichenor= %ustin. Reduced 2hakespeare Company podcast= episode 1,' Nerd s. Geek=

May += **;.

• #ichenor= %ustin. mail to the author. 4une 1= *++.

9:panded ;i


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:ictionaliDed &iography of Mark Vucker&erg= creator of :ace&ook.

ele$ision

• &he Hard &imes of $= 'erger . Creators' 2eth GrahameE2mith and aid TatDen&erg.

M#K Productions= *+*.

2eries a&out R4 6erger= a nerd in high school who suddenly &ecomes popular &ecause of his

penis siDe.

• 0im *ossile. Creators' Mark McCorkle and Ro&ert 2chooley. isney Channel= **.

Cartoon series a&out teenage crime fighter Tim Possi&le. iscussed in Re&ecca C. 3ainsB

article 7Pretty 2mart8 (included in Geek Chic' 2mart )omen in Popular Culture$ as haing a

7serious= intelligent approach to fighting crime.

• &he 0ing of 0ong . ir. 2eth Gordon. New 5ine Cinema= **1.

ocumentary a&out a rialry &etween 6illy Mitchell and 2tee )ie&e= two e


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the plot of the first season reoles (which also turned her father from town sheriff into a

priate inestigator$= &ut in later seasons she purposely puts herself in the outsider role.

=iral

• #8m Such a Nerd . Perf. Tatrina 6owden. 4une +0= *++.

http'FFwww.collegehumor.comFideoF,!0"+,;FimEsuchEaEnerdEwithEkatrinaE&owden.

Kiral ideo making fun of female nerds. #he character played &y 6owden is a &igger nerd

than her male date.

• &he Guild . Creator' :elicia ay. Perf. :elicia ay. Ro&otTittenGiggle&us

ntertainment= **1.

)e& series a&out the mem&ers of an online guild= #he Tnights of Good= who play an

unnamed MMHRPG ideo game. #he mem&ers are all ery different characters= ranging from

a stayEatEhome mother to a &ored teenage girl= &ut they share a loe for ideo games and all

sorts of other nerdy and geeky things. %ll episodes can &e found at

http'FFwww.watchtheguild.comF.

• 3odgman= 4ohn. 2peech at the **- Radio and #K CorrespondentsB inner= 4une +-=

**- http'FFwww.youtu&e.comFwatch?Uy)1HP6yRG9.

In this speech= 3odgman attempts to clarify the differences &etween nerds and >ocks and nerds

and geeks. 3e also praises President H&ama for &eing the first Nerd President. 3odgman and

H&ama finish the speech with 7the only true %merican greeting8' A5ie 5ong and Prosper.B

Written Sources

• 6ucholtD= Mary. 78)hy 6e Normal?8' 5anguage and Identity Practice in a

Community of Nerd Girls=8 5anguage in 2ociety= Kol. ;= No. (4un.= +---$= pp *0E

0.

ssay on how mem&ers of a local community of female nerds at a 2 high school negotiate

gender and other aspects of their identities through practice.

• 6urton= 6onnie. Personal we&site. %ugust != *++. http'FFwww.grrl.comF.

Personal we&site of 6onnie 6urton= on which she posts regular updates on a num&er of nerdy

topics= such as arts / crafts and nerd dating.

• :ashiona&ly Geek. %ugust != *++. http'FFfashiona&lygeek.comF.

)e&site dedicated to geek fashion for &oth men and women. #he we&site does not sell

anything= &ut it AapproesB other we&sites that hae products that they appreciate.

!0

http://www.collegehumor.com/video/6534168/im-such-a-nerd-with-katrina-bowdenhttp://www.collegehumor.com/video/6534168/im-such-a-nerd-with-katrina-bowdenhttp://www.watchtheguild.com/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yW7OPByRGDYhttp://www.grrl.com/http://fashionablygeek.com/http://www.collegehumor.com/video/6534168/im-such-a-nerd-with-katrina-bowdenhttp://www.watchtheguild.com/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yW7OPByRGDYhttp://www.grrl.com/http://fashionablygeek.com/


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• Geeks %re 2eamin. .merican Nerd( &he Stor) of +) *eople6 2cri&ner 6ook Company=

New 9ork= **1.

3alf autoE&iography= half academic research= Nugent attempts to place the nerd in a historic

perspectie while at the same time trying to dissect the seeral su&Ecasts of nerds.

• ARosalind.B 7Geeky )oman Role Model' Tari 6yron. May ++= *++. 2ta&le link at

http'FFgirlsaregeeks.comF*++F*!F++FgeekyEwomanEroleEmodelEkariE&yronF.

!"

http://www.geeksaresexy.net/http://edition.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/06/28/granderson.raising.nerd/index.html?on.cnn=1http://edition.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/06/28/granderson.raising.nerd/index.html?on.cnn=1http://articles.cnn.com/2010-12-02/living/nerd.or.geek_1_american-nerd-words-nerd-and-geek-nerd-today?_s=PM:LIVINGhttp://articles.cnn.com/2010-12-02/living/nerd.or.geek_1_american-nerd-words-nerd-and-geek-nerd-today?_s=PM:LIVINGhttp://www.scribd.com/doc/270364/Geek-Culture-The-3rd-CounterCulturehttp://www.scribd.com/doc/270364/Geek-Culture-The-3rd-CounterCulturehttp://www.scribd.com/doc/270364/Geek-Culture-The-3rd-CounterCulturehttp://girlsaregeeks.com/2011/05/11/geeky-woman-role-model-kari-byron/http://www.geeksaresexy.net/http://edition.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/06/28/granderson.raising.nerd/index.html?on.cnn=1http://edition.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/06/28/granderson.raising.nerd/index.html?on.cnn=1http://articles.cnn.com/2010-12-02/living/nerd.or.geek_1_american-nerd-words-nerd-and-geek-nerd-today?_s=PM:LIVINGhttp://articles.cnn.com/2010-12-02/living/nerd.or.geek_1_american-nerd-words-nerd-and-geek-nerd-today?_s=PM:LIVINGhttp://www.scribd.com/doc/270364/Geek-Culture-The-3rd-CounterCulturehttp://www.scribd.com/doc/270364/Geek-Culture-The-3rd-CounterCulturehttp://girlsaregeeks.com/2011/05/11/geeky-woman-role-model-kari-byron/


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%rticle on +)thusters coEstar of %dam 2aage= Tari 6yron. 2he has &ecome a role for

female geeks= as well as for geek mothers due to her work on the show.

• #hompson= Kicki 5ewis. Nerd Gone Wild . 2t. MartinBs Paper&ack. New 9ork= **!.

9oung adult romance noel in which the nerd is the romantic interest of the female maincharacter. #he AnerdB in case starts out as an unlikea&le character= &ut is transformed (also &y

the main character$ into a handsome stud.

• PantoDDi= 4ill. 73ey= #hatBs My CapeY J IBm a Geek= Girl (/ 9ou Can #ooY$.8 May "=

*++. 2ta&le link at http'FFwww.newsarama.comFcomicsFheyEthatsEmyEcapeEgeekEgirlE

definitieE++*!*".html.

%rticle a&out &eing a geek and a girl= and the trials and tri&ulations that come with that.

• )heaton= )il. =ust a Geek . HBReilly Media= 2e&astopol= **".

%uto&iography of )il )heaton= an actor and geek role model &oth in his fictional roles

(foremost )esley Crusher in 2tar #rek$ and in real life.

Music

• Garfunkel / Hates

Not to &e confused with either 2imon / Garfunkel or 3all / Hates= Tate Micucci and Riki

5indholme are one of the few female musical comedy duos. )ith their sweet oices and

guitarFukulele instrumentation they get away with songs a&out hand >o&s and medicinal

mari>uana. )e&site' http'FFwww.garfunkelandoates.comF.

• Paul / 2torm

Comedy duo Paul 2a&ourin and Greg 72torm8 iCostanDo. :ounding mem&ers of )**tstock=

together with %dam 2aage and )il )heaton. #heir latest al&um (from *+*$ was called 7o

9ou 5ike 2tar )ars?8 and included songs called 7:roggerY #he :rogger Musical8 (after the

classic ideo game$ and 76oolean 5oe 2ong8 (descri&ing a loe triangle &ased on 6oolean

logic$. )e&site' http'FFwww.paulandstorm.comF.

• )eird %l 9ankoic= #he 2aga 6egins= +---.

http'FFwww.youtu&e.comFwatch?Uhc>g422R.

Parody of Star Wars 7pisode #( &he *hantom +enace on the music of on Mc5eanBs

.merican *ie

!!

http://www.newsarama.com/comics/hey-thats-my-cape-geek-girl-definitive-110504.htmlhttp://www.newsarama.com/comics/hey-thats-my-cape-geek-girl-definitive-110504.htmlhttp://www.garfunkelandoates.com/http://www.paulandstorm.com/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEcjgJSqSRUhttp://www.newsarama.com/comics/hey-thats-my-cape-geek-girl-definitive-110504.htmlhttp://www.newsarama.com/comics/hey-thats-my-cape-geek-girl-definitive-110504.htmlhttp://www.garfunkelandoates.com/http://www.paulandstorm.com/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEcjgJSqSRU


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>ersons

• :elicia ay (3untsille= +-1-$

%ctress= writer= gamer and selfEproclaimed nerd. #his article on the we&site of 3ollywood

Reporter gies a good indication of how she made her we& series &he Guild into a success'http'FFwww.hollywoodreporter.comFnewsFfeliciaEdayEhowEaEgirlE+1"".

• 6ill Gates (2eattle= +-!!$.

:ounder and chairman of +icrosoft and perhaps one of the wealthiest= successful= and most

famous nerds worldwide. In his appearance (glasses= haircut= style of dress$ he still looks like

a stereotypical nerd= &ut he is liing proof that that does not limit one in &ecoming successful.

• #homas 4efferson (+1"0 J +;,$

%ustin #ichenor (of the R2C$ pointed out in an email to me that= after isiting Monticello(4effersonBs mansion$= he discoered that 4efferson was a huge geek= always interested in the

latest gadgets and inentions.2tee 4o&s (2an :rancisco= +-!!$.

• 2tee 4o&s (2an :rancisco +-!!$

CoEfounder and former CH (resigned %ugust "= *++$ of .pple #nc6 %lso sered as chief

eoking$ title of iCH of the company.

• 5eonardo a Kinci (+"! J +!+-$

5eonardo a Kinci could &e considered a nerd aant le mot= as he was &oth interested and

skilled in the fine arts as well as science. 2ome of a KinciBs inentions were far ahead of its

time= for instance his flying machines.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/felicia-day-how-a-girl-212744http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/felicia-day-how-a-girl-212744

Documents

Thesis Paul (1)