The Word "Blerd"…Approved by Me

I knew that I was a nerdy and awkward somewhere around middle school. I was never going to be cool by Pop Culture's standards for being Christian, Black, Female, Living in the inner city, and whatever I was and now am.  So, I slowly came to grips with that. I had to because trying to be cool was making me stupid & depressed, just ask OutSpoken_Diva in the 5th grade (I call her Milk (I won’t do a blog on that name. Too painful to do. If you know it, You know it) and we all know I hate being stupid. And of course I knew I was black all my life. So, I am a Black Nerd. Last year I saw the term “Blerd” show up. I didn’t accept it at first. Even though I personally know many, I didn’t want to. Now I have embrace it as another description of being me.

I am a Black person that does not think that everything (just some things) needs a representative of every culture in it. Like why is there a Black KKK. What is the purpose?  Matter of fact there many things that is one sided culturally, especially television shows. There are many shows that I watch that I am okay black people are not main characters. I love “The Big Bang Theory” but I don’t think and black person is needed on that show. Number 1, I can put names to all of the characters, including myself and they all are black. Number 2, all the show heads will do is mess up and put a pop cultural black nerd representative version of Steve Urkel or Carlton Banks and screw the storyline up.  So when I first saw the word “Blerd”, I didn’t want to call myself that. I first saw it on Twitter and tweeted my feeling for the word. Pretty much saying “Do Black folks have “Black” up everything”. Well I only saw the word because I started engaging with other Black people who were awkward and nerd on social media. I was watching “Black Nerd Comedy” & “Lamarr Wilson” on YouTube. They keep me in stitches. Then I found a blog called “Black Girl Nerds” and that lead to more black nerds discussing a variety of everything. Then it hit me “Blerd” is not “blacking up” anything. Black Nerds just made a term to identify that there “people of color” that are nerds.

Just like everything, Pop Culture (yes I am very hard on pop culture, so what) has being a nerd is limited in its meaning also. Just like it has limited the meaning or Christian, Black, Female, well Everything. So it is safe to say being Black and Nerdy is limited even more. I just said the “representatives” are probably Steve Urkel & Carlton Banks (yeah I know a couple of those guys too) and that is probably the only image mainstream has put out for a long time. Most people don’t recognize Aisha Tyler or Donald Faison as Black Nerds. Blerd do. Blerds know their own. (Yes I am laughing after that last statement) I am glad Nerds of Color came up with the term “Blerd” before Pop Culture gets its mitts on it and bastardize it. So yes, I am OutSpoken_Diva and I am a Blerd. My story is not Pop Culture’s story for me. I define my own “Blerdness”.

So that’s my story. I’ll admit I’m embarrassed it took me a few months to accept the term. But it is here for me to accept and I can’t be embarrassed about that. Still don’t want a Black Bachelor. They gave us a couple. Yes they did!!! The first one was name Flava Flav. And yes that makes Black Bachelorette, New York. LMBO Oh wait before I go, here are Some of the Blerd Blogs & Vlogs I read & watch

http://www.blackgirlnerds.com/

http://blerdmediagroup.com/

http://geeksoulbrother.blogspot.com/

https://www.facebook.com/BlerdChat

http://www.youtube.com/user/wilsontech1

http://www.youtube.com/user/BlackNerdComedy

http://www.youtube.com/user/TheNerdElement

 Hope you enjoy.

 

As Always, Talking to You in Adult Terms

OUTSPOKEN_DIVA The TV Show

Ok so I got a chance to catch Blerd (Black + Nerd) Chat on Twitter. I don’t get to catch it often. Tonight’s topic was Diversity in TV Entertainment. It is very fun. Thursday at 6pm CST on Twitter join #blerdchat Of course unless your life is the pop culture definition of life, you like me are not truly seen on TV. Well my mind started swirling with what would the perfect show about me, OUTSPOKEN_DIVA be like. I started laughing at the perfect possibilities.

1.       I’m Christian and not ashamed of it. Since I don’t believe in most of the cons of going to church especially a black church of course I have to show my character going to church sometime.

2.       I’m Plus Size, Wear Comfortable Trendy clothing & shoes, shapewear & stockings and still rock a relaxer 85% of the time without a weave Probably will show my awkward attack by Team Natural and lamenting to my Naturalista sister, family & friends about it (Team Natural has become a negative and Naturalista is a term of endearment for me (was supposed to write a blog but life got in the way)

3.       I’m Formally Educated and I still live in the hood So I’ll have a basic professional job. Probably the job I initially went to college for…School Nurse, more than likely in the public school system. I’ll have the neighbors who don’t understand why I don’t hang with them often and don’t understand why they like me. Oh and the occasional newspaper will gets stolen (that really happens some weeks)

4.       I’m Single, Over 30 and Comfortable with it. So my occasional dating life would be shown. Probably would have an up & down romantic rapport with some longtime pal. Give myself a When will they… storyline

5.       Social Life is occasional but it will awkward. I have to stay true to my Social life. See me get geeked up about going out, see me try to fashionably dress myself to go out, go out and depending on the situation have a good time or not. I actually do know how to line dance well. So no bumping into people off beat. Maybe goofily learning the latest one. Oh I will have a “club” name, one for the white or multi-racial clubs and one for predominantly black clubs like in real life.

6.       Oh I am a Southerner (Texas). I live in a metropolitan area.  I will not have an annoying Southern Drawl (like in the movie Jason’s Lyric (I can’t stand that movie for that reason) Wait maybe my dislike for that movie can be a topic). But I will go to a State Fair, the weather will be hot in the spring, summer, & fall and cold in the winter time and there would be some southern sayings pop up (well except "Make Groceries" (I've never made those))

7.       Yes I’ll have family & friends that will reflect my real life ones. I have a diverse group of friends (relationship status, sexuality, gender, race, wait everyone is a Christian oh but wait they are all different denominations)

8.       Avid Book reader. Probably see me with a E-reader, Tablet, or book 60% of the time. Oh and I will represent writing a blog, being on Twitter and Facebook and not understanding why Myspace is still the fad anymore. Oh and my love for Web Shows & Indie Films.

9.       Still like stuff from my Childhood in the 80’s and Teen Years in the 90’s So I’ll have nostalgia moment that lead to flashbacks

I know missed something. Now I wrote this blog so if I see my story come across a screen I want my credit. Ha Ha, Heck, I will sue. So who would watch a show about me? Does it sound fun? What would your show be about? Would I want to watch it? Talk about diversity. Humph, Pop Culture would not know how to handle my story. I’ll freak Pop Culture out. *evil laugh*

As Always, Talking to You in Adult Terms