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What is common in names like Sheldon Cooper, George Lucas, Wayne Szalinski, Hermione Granger, Neo, Peter Parker, Howard Wolowitz, Doctor Who, Stanley Kubrick or Heath Ledger?
For those who cannot be considered a nerd, apparently nothing!
But those who pride themselves on being one are “old acquaintances”…
Understanding the common relationship between these names and so many other issues that seem meaningless to many people involves knowing what “Nerd Pride Day” is, which is celebrated on May 25th.
What is a nerd?
Most people have an idea of what a nerd is, so much so that many people tend to use the term as a synonym or to designate that very intelligent person, at least for some time now.
But it was not always so.
There are several “theories” about the origin of the term, but what they all have in common is that the nerd is usually someone who is very dedicated to studying something and more intensely than most, as in the case of students who passed the sleepless nights poring over books, while their classmates preferred to go out and have fun.
But the stereotype usually associated with the nerd goes well beyond dedication to studies. Generally, people outside his “universe” did not understand his great interest in subjects such as comics, games, pop culture, fantasy, science and science fiction and saw him in a negative, even derogatory and joking way.
Hollywood films tried to consolidate this distorted and pejorative vision, always highlighting the nerd as the teenager who, on the one hand, had above average intellectual gifts, but on the other hand, was shy, not used to socializing with other people and physically inferior, because he also preferred his “hobbys” to the detriment of sports.
The result is that he has always been the target of bullying, even if in the past that term was not used as it is today.
However, some of these same films also took care to put nerds in their proper places, showing them occupying important positions in technology companies, when they did not become the founders of some of them and that reality tried to confirm countless times, as in Vale do Silicon, which is possibly their highest per capita concentration.
And not just in Silicon Valley. Around the world, a large number of digital entrepreneurs have a profile that certainly corresponds to the typical nerd.
But it was in cinema – as well as in literature – that the names that open our chat today, are protagonists of subjects that interest this group of people, like the actor Heath Ledger and that by many was considered the best Joker among all the Batman films ever made and whose famous phrase “Why So Serious?” (Why so serious?), is printed on t-shirts, hoodies, mugs and pictures, along with the image of the legendary opponent of the bat-man.
or who knows Stanley Kubrickthe filmmaker responsible for a science fiction classic – “2001: A Space Odyssey” – and George Lucasproducer, screenwriter and film director, who in his extensive list of works, was responsible for the acclaimed Star Wars saga.
Hermione Jean Granger in turn, she is one of the characters in Harry Potter, a series of seven fantasy novels written by British author JK Rowling.
That is, little by little, some of these objects of interest to nerds gained the world and superhero films, science fiction or fantasy, were no longer necessarily something just for one group. It could be pretty cool for anyone and the success they achieved just proved that!
What is a geek?
Less common in Brazil, another term commonly used to designate a nerd is geek.
There are those who say that the geek is the “tecnonerd”, or if you prefer, the nerd even more fond of technology. However, they also tend to say that they are the same thing, but that geek is the most commonly used designation in the US.
The fact is that if you search for “Geek Pride Day”, in addition to finding articles about it, most of the results refer to “Nerd Pride Day”, which reinforces the second idea about the nomenclature.
What is “Nerd Pride Day” and why is it celebrated on May 25th?
As we have seen, times have changed and if in the past being classified as a nerd could mean something bad, the 21st century and everything that came along with it, such as the speed and quantity of the emergence of new technologies, disruptive innovations, the consolidation of digital transformation, the commercial advancement of the Internet, showed that the characteristics of nerds, which were previously “defects”, now appeared as qualities.
It even became a source of pride, not without reason, right?!
In terms of milestones, two facts helped determine that May 25 was marked as the date of celebration of this pride.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (O Guia do Mochileiro das Galáxias, is the title in Portuguese) is the first book of the science fiction comedy of a “trilogy of five books”, authored by Douglas Adams.
Fans often refer to it as a trilogy, as it appeared when the third book was released, but two more were released under Adams’ writing and a sixth book was written by Eoin Colfer.
The novel is an adaptation of the first four parts of the radio series, created by Adams for the BBC and aired in 1978, whose plot was based on the discoveries of the only survivor of the destruction of the Earth and his adventures in outer space.
The first book of the novel was published in 1979 and in just two weeks it reached the top of the bestsellers and in the first three months after its release, it had already sold 250,000 copies.
On May 11, 2001, victim of a heart attack, Douglas Adams passed away. Two weeks later, on May 25th, fans of the work decided to pay homage to him by taking to the streets with a towel that, according to Adams, was a vitally important item for a backpacker, due to its many uses beyond its function. basic and primordial.
Because of this, many people also say that the 25th of May is “Towel Day”.
Years later, more precisely in 2006, in Spain a group of several nerds decided to celebrate the same date and almost as a form of protest for the bullying they suffered at school, they declared their pride in being “friki” – as nerds are called by there – and to celebrate nerd/geek culture, gathering hundreds of fans in Madrid.
The episode became news and in 2008, in the US it happened for the first time, to then gain more fans everywhere.
Added to this history is the fact that one of the most iconic films in the geek universe, Star Wars, had the first episode of the original trilogy, released on May 25, 1977.
Originally released only under the name of Star Wars and later retitled “Star Wars, A New Hope” (Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, in English), it is to date one of the greatest successes of cinema and has been watched by all over the world. type of audience beyond “cargo geeks”.
What to do on Nerd Pride Day 2023?
Year after year the date has been consolidating and the market is attentive to the movements, so much so that there are already companies that seek to earn money and who knows how to win a customer, with Marketing campaigns, promotions and various discounts, when they have products / services that meet the passions this crowd, as is the case of the e-commerce giant AliExpress, which promises good discounts on items that may interest nerds.
Stores specializing in products generally purchased by this portion of consumers are also aware and usually offer discounts, free shipping and gifts, as is the case with those specializing in information technology.
Needless to say, books, films, games and cutting-edge technological products, which are preferred by geeks, also tend to appear in special conditions throughout the month, or at least the week in which the 25th of May falls.
In addition to commerce, the cultural agenda is usually quite extensive and is not restricted to large urban centers.
Several SESC units in different cities are offering a diversified program of events, not just for the date, but in some cases, for the entire month of May, as is the case with the SESC unit. Baixada Fluminenseof Rio Grande do Norte, with events from May 21 to 29in Goias or of BH and region.
Also in Rio de Janeiro, even the shopping malls will bet on the date, like the Via Parque Shoppingwhich will have four days of events (May 25th to 28th), or the bangu shoppingin which some stores will give discounts to customers who have a washcloth over their shoulder.
Universities and colleges and some academic centers, too, as is the case of 2nd Nerd Day Univagin Várzea Grande – MT, or at the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Rondônia (IFRO), whose activities should take place on 05/27, at Campus Porto Velho Calama. Consult the website or social networks of institutions in your city, as the list of those that have programming is large.
In greater São Paulo, there is promise of much. The “Culture Factories” in the North and South zones, Diadema, Osasco and Iguape, will celebrate Nerd Culture month with a special agenda. Here it is also important to consult the nearest culture factory, as in some cases the agenda has several events, such as lectures with influencers, films, videos, workshops, games, books and comics.
And speaking of an extensive agenda, also in the capital of São Paulo, the São Paulo Library possibly offers the widest range of options, which cover the entire month, making it possible to check everything in the page specially created for the celebration.
On social networks, the search for the term “Nerd / Geek Pride Day” also returns a large number of very diverse actions, and it is unlikely that anyone will not find something nice to celebrate.
Do you want to know what other Geek events take place not only on the 25th, but throughout the year? Know that the GeekSpots has a calendar to stay on top of the main ones.
Conclusion
The “Nerd / Geek Pride Day” has consolidated itself as a prominent date, not only for those who are one, but also for people from other “tribes”.
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