Take a look again at high school stereotypes through the short lived television series from the late 90’s, Freaks and Geeks. Based on the pilot episode of Freaks and Geeks, media techniques are used effectively to depict the different stereotypes in high school. The camera shots & movements are used adequately to show the power of the bullies and the weakness of the victims. For example, when Sam Weir is approached by Alan (the bully), at lunch, the camera is pointed upwards towards Alan’s face to make him seem bigger and scarier while the camera would be pointed down on Sam’s face making him seem smaller and inferior to Alan (Kasdan 1999). This example…
Today nerds and geeks are being overshadowed and undervalued in America. Society see nerds and geeks as people who are not normal or mainstream. They are not given much respect as many other students in the school. In the passage of, " America Needs Its Nerds." Leonid Fidman uses ethos, pathos, and logos to strengthen his argument.…
Cool kids supposedly have great lives and are cool for most of their lives. The nerds are shunned by their classmates and prefer to focus on their studies. You may choose being cool after hearing about their lives in school but later on the nerd goes to a good college while the cool guy flips burgers at a fast-food restaurant. After college the nerd gets a good job which he uses to get a car, and changes his normal attire into suits and no longer wears glasses. The nerd finally has a good life because he worked hard and the no longer cool slacker is stuck having the job at the fast-food place. I would much rather be a nerd half my life and successful the rest than be popular and then end up failing at life…
In the movie American teen, theres a geek named Jake which the reason he is a geek is because he is a gamer and he is in the marching band. Jake says a couple times in the movie that he wishes that he lived in a video game, so he could save a damsel in distress. I think I am more like Jake because we both love video games and we are both kind of nerds. In the movie he dates a girl which she likes everything he likes, but it turns out that she cheats on him and lies. He later graduated with his class and went to Lawrence University.…
The one word that my peers would always use to describe me is a nerd. I have the stereotypical glasses, gigantic book bag and I get straight A's. Most of my peers expect me to know everything, or do their work. My GPA is 100.3 and I am currently number one in my class, so I am always seen as the nerd. In the movie Brian is the nerd or the brain, so I am a lot like Brian.…
In high school being a nerd is a fine line between being accepted and becoming a rejected. As you enter the school you will see a few students sitting on benches. Each of these benches will have one student, each with their head buried in a text book or a video game. This group of people may appear to be a clique but they do not socialize with each other. Giving the students who sit in this area the label “loners” or “socially awkward”. If this doesn’t seem like your kind of crowd, maybe the more social nerds will be the perfect fit. The social nerds ether have their own small group of friends or are extremely popular. If becoming popular is your goal in high school it will be in your best interest to be a student who participates in sports.…
When it comes to school, I guess you could say that my mom was a bit of a nerd. She was extremely smart and exceeded in every class. She went to a Catholic school until fourth grade. She said, about this school, “Not much happened here, I was placed in Reading and Math groups by myself, and no, I was never hit with rulers over the knuckles by the nuns, if you were wondering.” In middle school, she was placed in an advanced class and by the time she left she was finished with all her required high school math classes. She was also inducted into the National Junior Honor Society where she held the office of Secretary. In high school, since she was a big nerd, she took college level math courses and AP in all other classes. She also played…
I conducted a survey of 40 of my peers to find out their first impressions of me. I discovered that people thought I was nice but not naive, bizarre but in a cool and relaxed way, studious and outgoing but yet still laid back and chill, and I am happy to say good looking but (unfortunately) not in a movie star way. People also had the misconception that I was quiet, but by our second encounter, this quickly disappeared as they realized I was the complete opposite. All of my 40 peers now agree that I am an effortlessly loud presence. I would like to change this perception of shyness because it is not who I am. I lead the male portion of my chorus and blast out the solos, participate in class so much that it is almost like I am having a conversation…
We all have encountered some type of stereotype or prejudices. A stereotype that I had to face was age prejudice by me being so young sometimes people don't set the high expectations for you that other people would at an older age because they expect for you to make mistakes. At times my mindset isn't where most kids are at my age. I skipped pre k and I am supposed to be in the 8th grade. When I tell people my age they be like " OMG you are young to be the grade that you are in" this is a perfect example of what I am stating that people sometimes think that you have to be average and can't go over and beyond your years.…
As observed in its natural habitat, the nerd camouflages itself with its head buried into books at the library. However, this form of defense proves ineffective against predators such as jocks or bullies, making the nerd’s weak and frail stature an easy target. Over the years, nerds have been subject to harsh discrimination and damaging stereotypes across media. Individuals such as Steve Urkel characterize the classic ‘nerd’ look-- big, wide-framed glasses, pants pulled up to the stomach, and braces, all paired with an awkward and quirky personality. This stereotype follows any usage of the word, defined as someone who is socially inept and exceptionally dedicated to their studies.…
As a result of people teasing nerds and geeks, many nerds and geeks are ashamed of themselves. Due to this, they become very upset with their life. Even parents are sometimes ashamed of their children, if they study too hard and not hang out with their friends. They expect their daughter to go to dancing class and not stay home studying mathematics all the time.…
In American society it is a social norm for women to be delicate and vulnerable, they are seen as too weak to do the same things men do. This was especially true during the time period in which the stories “The Yellow Wallpaper,” “Jury of her peers,” and “Story of an Hour” were written in. The characteristics of gender roles, shown through in each individual story and hint at the stereotypes that were places on women of that time period. These specific female characters don’t let those stereotypes define them, they break free and show their true strengths. Though their societies would suggest them fragile, the main characters -- Louise Mallard, Minnie Foster Wright, and the narrator of “The Yellow Wallpaper” -- respectively presented in the…
As the United States becomes more diverse, colleges are seeing increases in minority students. However, this increase does not mean that the same number of students are leaving their college with a degree. Minorities face many challenges in college, some of which have persisted since elementary school. Although colleges try to diminish these difficulties by having different organizations where students can go to seek help, the students have already formed the mindset that they do not do as well as their white counterparts from micro-aggressions, learned thoughts and behaviors, and comparisons of resources.…
I am not a nerd, but I choose to reject those temptations. I am able to do that because I understand my goals…
Taking advantage of the derogatory terms “nerd and geek” Leonid Fridman informs society that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. The nerds, or less derogatory term, intellectuals are being looked passed; they are not being seen for how important they, whereas athletes, such as basketball and football players, are put on pedestals. Fridman masters diction, rhetorical strategies, and syntax in “America Needs Its Nerds” to exemplify this point he is trying to get across. Through “America Needs its Nerds” Fridman explains how crucial it is for the anti-intellectual attitude to change; the societies point of view needs to improve.…