Dorks vs Bookworms

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2006-06-01 11:46am

As per the Talifan thread, I have come to realize that the current conflict between certain fan groups and us is really a conflict of dorks vs bookworms.

On the one side we have the dorks: people who play with dolls even when they're adults, wear costumes even when it's not Halloween, and snap up every kind of merchandise known to Madison Avenue, including vast numbers of "collectibles" because it clearly says "collectible" on the packaging.

On the other side we have us: the bookworms. We tend to be educated, and try to apply academic methods in our particular approach to fandom. The dorks consider us to be The Enemy. They dislike our methods, and consider them to be "over the top" fandom (as if cosplay isn't). To them, the idea of applying an academic approach to Star Wars is absolutely absurd and proves that you're "too nerdy", even as they bask in their own dorkiness.

What do we have in common? Well, neither of us were considered "cool" in high school. Where do we differ? The dorks seem to base their self-esteem upon enthusiasm and loyalty, much as sports fans do. The bookworms base our self-esteem upon intellectual rigour and educational credentials, much as academics do. In short, we're the smart ones, they're not, and that's why they try to base their sense of self-worth upon easily-acquired "skills" such as mindless brand loyalty.

So what camp do you prefer? Dorks or bookworms? Personally, I wear the title of "bookworm" with pride. A world without bookworms would be a much poorer place than a world without dorks.

Post by **Lagmonster** » 2006-06-01 11:55am

I come from a long line of bookworms, and am proud of it.

Bookworms, due to being intellectual but not clearly anti-social, tend to get laid, because they are smart enough to present themselves well when they wish to and can mingle among people from differing academic fields. Dorks, being both intellectually lazy and generally too proud of their fandom and dorkiness, tend not to get laid because they cannot easily associate with groups who aren't eager about the same subjects they are.

Einhander Sn0m4n · Post by **Einhander Sn0m4n** » 2006-06-01 12:03pm

I find that I can derive a cubic shitload of entertainment from a nice tome on some arcane science whilst deriving merely a square shitload of entertainment from playing with spaceship/airplane toys (my equivalent of 'playing with dolls'). I derive zero entertainment from actual dolls, comic books (they're in the 'dork' vein too!), and anything remotely smacking of superheroes.

I have my dorky side, but it's overwhelmed by my voracious appetite for reading material; both online in the form of technical-minded sites and PDFed science papers, and offline in the form of books and the occasional magazine.

Dooey Jo · Post by **Dooey Jo** » 2006-06-01 12:10pm

Where I come from, "bookworm" is considered a pretty neutral word, since you've got to be at least a little bit a bookworm to get good grades in school. Dorks are, well, dorks. Although I haven't really met any real dorks, I have seen them from afar and on the Internet, and so therefore I vote for "bookworms". Bookworms FTW, so to speak

18-Till-I-Die · Post by **18-Till-I-Die** » 2006-06-01 12:20pm

Well i try to look at things objectively and apply some real world logic to it, try to figure stuff out that way, but i'm not scientifically inclined enough to be a "bookworm" per se. I just think fiction is better when you apply real world annalysis to it, i find it fun, thats why i came here.

But i'll admit right now that i have dressed up like a character from shows i like before, likely will again, i'm not ashamed. When i was a kid i used to have action figures, i still have them all in my basement. And yes i do read comics. But i'm not a "dork", in the description of the OP, the term i'd use is 'fanwhore' but ork is sufficently insulting so we'll go with that.

I think i'm just a standard-pattern nerd. I've been a nerd since middle school, i let my freak flag fly.

But teh thing is unlike some people (like Lambert) i dont go around insulting other people's hobbies. Unless they insult me and throw the first stone, then i'll gladly pull out a freakin' catapult but thats just me.

Darth Raptor · Post by **Darth Raptor** » 2006-06-01 12:20pm

I'm some kind of abominable hybrid.

Seriously, I fit all the descriptions of "dork" save the animosity towards academic analysis endeavors. I'm also a bookworm in the sense that I read a lot and at least try to apply logic to my analysis of fiction- as much as my limited intellect would allow.

I'm the daywalker of nerds?

Post by **Surlethe** » 2006-06-01 12:21pm

Well, how far does "dork" extend? I certainly hope it doesn't negate playing with Legos.

Actually, I place myself squarely in the bookworm camp, and I'll be heading into academia in a few years; if I cosplay at all, it'll be as a Fourier series.

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2006-06-01 12:23pm

I consider myself to be a bookworm with just enough dork inside me to makes things interesting.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2006-06-01 12:25pm

Well, since the dorks in this particular dispute characterize themselves at least in part by their refusal to be bookworms, a dork-bookworm hybrid would either be in our camp or neutral.

Einhander Sn0m4n · Post by **Einhander Sn0m4n** » 2006-06-01 12:28pm

18-Till-I-Die wrote:But teh thing is unlike some people (like Lambert) i dont go around insulting other people's hobbies. Unless they insult me and throw the first stone, then i'll gladly pull out a freakin' catapult but thats just me.

Neither do I. Hell, I'll be the first to admit how absolutely in-fucking-credibly nerdy it is to design a starship in three-views with MSPaint for fun. What you do as a hobby doubtless pales in comparison on the Nerdcore Scale. Plus, I'm one to make friends with someone first unless their stupidity preempts me. I get to meet more people with similar interests that way.

And why use a catapult? Someone sticks-n-stones me; I pull out Ye Olde Electro Magnetic Raile Gonne and blast their ass into flash-fried gibs, then drop a Star Destroyer on what's left from orbit for good measure.

Einhander Sn0m4n · Post by **Einhander Sn0m4n** » 2006-06-01 12:29pm

Surlethe wrote:if I cosplay at all, it'll be as a Fourier series.

LMAO!!!

Grasscutter · Post by **Grasscutter** » 2006-06-01 12:31pm

Darth Wong wrote:Well, since the dorks in this particular dispute characterize themselves at least in part by their refusal to be bookworms, a dork-bookworm hybrid would either be in our camp or neutral.

I'm guessing the vast majority of the active posters on this board are bookworms then, even if they don't have a lot of knowledge or training in science and math. People who ignore logic and can't understand how even fictional writing benefits from it either get banned or stop coming.

Darth Raptor · Post by **Darth Raptor** » 2006-06-01 12:32pm

Well, I'm definately not neutral. I despise that anti-intellectual sports fan mentality like nothing else.

Anguirus · Post by **Anguirus** » 2006-06-01 12:34pm

I may not have finished my education, but I'm a textbook bookworm, by your definitions. I wouldn't be caught dead in a costume (yeah, I dressed up for a convention once, but I was in fourth grade), my playing with dolls is limited to two or three old toys that I occasionally fidget with, and I have a serious aversion to buying anything "collectible."

One thing that I'm proud of: all of my friends are, at best, casual Star Wars fans, and yet when I told each of them that the claim was "three million clone troops" they all had an immediate "no fucking way" response. It's just common sense. And then when I informed one of them of the TFN message-board tactics, she went up the flue.

None of my friends are exactly normal, but they are not anywhere near as into Star Wars as me. People with no stake in the debate think that the "dork" behavior is ludicrous.

In short, it boils down to: "bookworms" earn respect from normal people, "dorks" don't.

Post by **Edi** » 2006-06-01 12:59pm

I'm a bookworm, always have been, and I'm proud of it. I've avidly read all kinds of fantasy, scinece fiction and even actual science stuff ever since I learned how to read.

I've never really taken part in the versus debates or very much even in the SW discussions, but I've followed the Clone Army debate. The stupid in it is just staggering. That particular debate and Traviss's side of it is offensive on a whole another level since I've actually been in the army, and it just doesn't fucking work with too small numbers. Such disrespect as she has shown is simply intolerable.

Edi

Master of Ossus · Post by **Master of Ossus** » 2006-06-01 01:12pm

Of course I'm a bookworm--I cannot shift gears entirely from my professional life to my hobbies (though, obviously I treat the former much more seriously), and hence I like to think about entertainment. There's a reason I think the Mission Impossible series sucks, and it's not because Tom Cruise is a jerk.

starfury · Post by **starfury** » 2006-06-01 01:15pm

proud to be bookworm, have never, even during my most fanatical time in my past ever worn a costume or gone to a covention.

Now I get a kick out of reading about history, science, sci-fi, fantasy or simple good stories. and being on this board and listening to that debate helped to confirm it, damm I never knew people can get so worked over something so trivial.

Post by **Coyote** » 2006-06-01 01:36pm

Bookworm. I read history books for fun and entertainment. Reading things like "A History of the Arab World" is as interesting to me as many adventure fiction novels. I do have a fanboy streak in me, to be honest, but I try to channel that energy into creative and useful things. I collect a few things but I've rarely gone out of my way to snatch up collectibles "just because"... they usually fall into my possesion as gifts.

Mange · Post by **Mange** » 2006-06-01 01:36pm

I've always seen myself, and been percieved, as a down to earth person. None of my friends are very much into sci-fi etc. I don't think that Swedish high schools are quite so polarized as their American counterparts and looking back at my senior high school years some ten years ago, I wasn't considered one of the "cool" in the class but more of a "plugghäst" (=a swot). However, we all hang out together except for a few freaks who kept to themselves (most of them dropped out) and noone that I knew of was ridiculed or bullied.

I'm proud to say that I'm a bookworm, I've been one since I was a small child and it's a huge part of who I am. I have never considered wearing a costume (except for masquerades etc. but I've never went dressed as a Star Wars character etc. Perhaps I'm just boring.) and I don't have the house full of collector's items. I don't judge other people, as long as they don't harm anyone else, it's none of my business what people are doing.

Lonestar · Post by **Lonestar** » 2006-06-01 01:48pm

Bookworm, though normally not as well read as others. Tend to keep quiet and off to the side and let those who can debate, debate.

Darth Servo · Post by **Darth Servo** » 2006-06-01 02:09pm

Darth Wong wrote:Well, since the dorks in this particular dispute characterize themselves at least in part by their refusal to be bookworms, a dork-bookworm hybrid would either be in our camp or neutral.

I firmly consider myself in the bookworm category, even though I own over 1500 Transformers. (

) I've always prefered being one of the smart people.

The dorks are just jealous. The bookworms get degrees and good jobs. The dorks have nothing but their little clique.

Frank Hipper · Post by **Frank Hipper** » 2006-06-01 02:14pm

Bookworm; I've always found the hardcore dork more than a little disturbing.

That NOS Guy · Post by **That NOS Guy** » 2006-06-01 02:38pm

I'd like to think I'm with Darth Raptor in being some sort of daywalker. I go to cons, build models, and have done the occasional cosplay (though in my defense, it was Halloween).

I will not however, let any of that interfere with taking an outlook based on science and logic when doing something like a versus debate. I'd also like to think I counter-balance that further by trying to be as well-read as possible.

You just have to wonder where that line of forgetting rational thought is and what could push a person to cross it.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2006-06-01 02:41pm

That NOS Guy wrote:I'd like to think I'm with Darth Raptor in being some sort of daywalker. I go to cons, build models, and have done the occasional cosplay (though in my defense, it was Halloween).

I will not however, let any of that interfere with taking an outlook based on science and logic when doing something like a versus debate. I'd also like to think I counter-balance that further by trying to be as well-read as possible.

You just have to wonder where that line of forgetting rational thought is and what could push a person to cross it.

That's easy; they were never on this side of the line to begin with. There was always that group in high school that was too dorky to be cool, but too dumb to get good grades or take tough courses.

Dark Primus · Post by **Dark Primus** » 2006-06-01 02:49pm

Darth Servo wrote: I firmly consider myself in the bookworm category, even though I own over 1500 Transformers. ( )

May I touch you?