Here's the thing. I'm not knocking Harry Potter. I love Harry Potter. Seriously, I own a Gryffindor scarf and tie. I remember tons of random stuff from the books. I (like a true fan) was really happy when Dobby died because I thought he was one of the most annoying characters ever. The problem is this perception that Harry Potter is "nerdy", which is a link to a deeper problem the hipster in me has about LOTS of people thinking they are nerdy - "I was a nerd BEFORE it was cool!"
Harry Potter is a lot of things, but nerdy isn't one of them. It's a good series of children's books that turns into a good series of young adult books. I grew up with that series. So did everyone else in my generation. But therein lies the issue: everyone else. Being a nerd, by definition, is being in the minority. People (at least of my age) who haven't read Harry Potter are far less numerous than those who have (or at least seen the movies, etc.). What are Harry Potter's nerdy elements other than the existence of magic? There are nerds IN the books. Hermione is one. Neville is another. But the series isn't nerdy. Let's take a look at some official definitions from the totally official and legit urban dictionary (.com, of course):
1) An individual persecuted for his superior skills or intellect, most often by people who fear and envy him.
2) An 'individual', i.e. a person who does not conform to society's beliefs that all people should follow trends and do what their peers do. Often highly intelligent but socially rejected because of their obsession with a given subject, usually computers. Unfortunately, nerds seem to have problems breeding, to the detriment of mankind as a whole.
All of the definitions follow this sort of thing. And while I don't think that urban dictionary is the end all be all (be all end all?) of definitions, this seems pretty accurate. Do Harry Potter fans fit the description? Let's find out.
Are Harry Potter fans persecuted for their superior skills or intellect, most often by people who fear and envy them?
No. That's because Harry Potter fans are in the majority. By definition, having superior skills or intellect (in the case of the nerd especially) means being the minority that is superior. Also all you need to read and understand Harry Potter are basic reading skills. I read the first four books when I was six. And if you are persecuted by people for being a Harry Potter fan? You're probably not feared or envied. I've never seen someone genuinely be made fun of for liking Harry Potter by someone who was not a teasing friend.
Do Harry Potter fans "not conform to society's beliefs that all people should follow trends and do what their peers do"?
Yes and no. On one hand I like to think that people read and continue to read Harry Potter because they genuinely think it's good (which it is). But it's also true that the reason so many people started reading it is because other people were - that's how good books work. When all of your peers are reading Harry Potter and so are you, you're not exactly conforming, but you're also not NOT conforming.
Are Harry Potter fans "often highly intelligent but socially rejected because of their obsession with" Harry Potter?
Not really. Like I said before, Harry Potter fans don't necessarily need to be super intelligent. I've met some super Harry Potter fans that aren't exactly the brightest crayons in the box (which is one of the coolest things about Harry Potter - it's accessible to anyone and everyone). They're not socially rejected because of their obsession because most people (of my age, anyway) have read Harry Potter and get why it's good. So they wouldn’t be socially rejected.
Do Harry Potter fans have problems breeding?
Well considering the average age of a Harry Potter fan (an estimate: YOUNG), we won't know for a while. But I should hope not, because if the majority of our generation has problems breeding then the future of the human race isn't looking too hot (then again it might be good with the Earth suffering from overpopulation and whatnot).
Conclusion: Harry Potter fans are not nerds. Harry Potter is not nerdy. It's a good book series, but people shouldn't refer to themselves as nerds for liking it. Especially in that photo. Even a casual Harry Potter fan knows what the Elder Wand is…seriously. Being a nerd means knowing things like who Wojtek the Soldier Bear is. So, to Harry Potter fans who think they're nerdy: maybe you are. But let's be honest with ourselves; it's not because of Harry Potter.
-Viv
Sigmund Freud: "Being entirely honest with oneself is a good exercise."
No comments:
Post a Comment