America Needs Its Nerds Summary

Modern American media is overrun with trope characters that fit particular societal molds—the popular kid, the jock, and most commonly, the “nerd.” Writer Leonid Fridman, in an excerpt of his article “America Needs Its Nerds,” passionately condemns the societal backlash that intellectuals face. Through painting these intellectuals in a sympathetic light and tying their societal ostracization to global politics, Fridman asserts his argument that academically-inclined people should be uplifted rather than condemned in society due to all of the contributions they bring. In order to develop his argument that academics should be more widely accepted, Fridman extensively characterizes intellectuals as the underdogs of society. Fridman purposefully reflects upon how “children
Centering the issue around the youth furthers these emotions: children are ubiquitously seen to be needing defense. By making this conflict about the young, audiences instinctively feel more protective of the intellectuals. This issue about “nerds” becomes less stereotypical and more of a discussion about the culture of the youth and the detriment that the “anti-intellectual values that pervade our society” (line 33) pose. In addition to the purposeful characterization of intellectuals, Fridman further builds his argument by tying this societal issue to global politics. Fridman compares the social standing of an academic in East Asia to that of America—the former is celebrated while the latter is shamed. By referring to East Asia as “our economic rivals” (line 38), it once again pits the two groups against one another—only this time, it is far more personal for the intended audience. This is because it is a matter of America and the rest of the world, which is purposefully done to evoke a sense of patriotism and, in turn, support for the