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The new celebrity: super nerds invade TV leads

March 9, 2009 at 11:44 pm, by Rich Kirkpatrick

supernerds_tv

“Lie to Me”, “Eleventh Hour”, “Fringe” as well as many other TV shows seem to perpetuate the new myth of the super nerd. The hero we seem to want today is educated and intellectual. Look at who is our current president, after all.

On “Lie to Me” the lead character Dr. Cal Lightman is geeky-brilliant in his ability to read the expressions and body language of people and is adamantly infallible. On “Eleventh Hour” Dr. Jacob Hood who is an FBI consultant-scientist quotes off data like the HAL 9200 computer. On “Numb3rs”, the young gifted professor Charles Eppes uses math to solve crime with his brother the FBI agent.

All of these shows celebrate the super nerd. Never before could you be a rockstar for simply being amazing at math! Our culture today worships the “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” investigator Gill Grissom who not only has limited social skills but who’s charm comes from the fact that he is always one step ahead.

Those of us who aspire for rockstar-like fame now may decide to shun guitars and torn jeans for the prowess of coding C++ and expertise in playing World of Warcraft.  Its wrong, but it is what it is.

So, do you give up your guitar for a new motherboard, or what?

Categories Culture, Television | Tags: CSI, Eleventh Hour, Fringe, Lie to Me

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1148676498 Jeremy Blasongame

    Oh dear, I’m afraid I’ve already done that! I’ve found a problem with this however. While the guys may think it’s good to be clever with white coats and pens in your front pocket, girls aren’t lining up to swoon all over you. They still prefer the chisel-jawed, 45-magnum toting “look at me, I’m David Caruso” type. I have yet to meet a woman who didn’t secretly want to be swept of her feet by someone like Jack Bauer. And I’ve never met a woman who wanted to be swept of her feet by Stephen Hawkins.

  • http://richkirkpatrick.com Rich Kirkpatrick

    But the guy who will buy her the ring she wants is less chiseled and more brainy, perhaps. And, even though he is afraid of speed, he can afford the horse power!

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=724148361 Bobby Marchessault

    I wonder if it’s more about heroes that are kinda normal or like us than it is about the computer geek. Perfect example of this to me is Chuck. He’s kinda a super genius, but only cause he’s got some thing stuck in his head. Otherwise he’s a normal, or even kinda awkward guy, but that’s sorta the gimmick of the show.

    So maybe it’s not about giving up the guitar for the motherboard, but rather being really good at what you do. And having script writers who come up with a really pithy way for you to save the world while playing your guitar, I guess.

  • http://apolinario.wordpress.com Apolinario

    Just wanted to chime in. I know it’s a little late, but… Why not have them both!!!!

    Be a super-geek-rockstar.

    Hasta Man!

    • http://richkirkpatrick.com Rich Kirkpatrick

      YES… both! That is the answer. The “both and” is indeed possible, right?

  • http://www.zachtanksley.com Zach Tanksley

    I totally concur on the nerds taking over television. I love Lie to Me and House both. Thank goodness for Hulu too since we cannot afford TiVo

    • http://richkirkpatrick.com Rich Kirkpatrick

      I wonder how many are doing the Hulu thing. Hear of Boxee which aggregates all of your channels of online stuff?

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