Talk nerdier than that, please.

Paul Lundgren Mar 27, 2013 15 Comments

At Nerd Nite the hosts showed the Geek Prom poster on the PowerPoint screen and asked the crowd what was being parodied. For a group that doesn’t miss a reference very often, the audience was actually stumped for a few seconds and I swear I heard a few crickets before someone finally muttered “Talk dirty to me?”

Perhaps the creative arrow missed the target market on this one. Maybe the prom committee will stick to Star Wars references from now on and leave Poison out of it.

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15 Comments

the Jer

about 12 years ago 

What's nerdier than Poison?

super eyore

about 12 years ago 

Poison wearing socks with sandals!

[email protected]

about 12 years ago 

1.  In context, Poison is not nerdy.
2.  I knew the reference, I just think it's a fail.
3.  Maybe this is why it's Geek Prom instead of Nerd Prom.  I'm apparently not a Geek.

emmadogs

about 12 years ago 

This raises several interesting questions.

1.  Rhetoricguy is right--what is the difference between 'nerd' and 'geek'?  or is there one?  For instance, I am definitely both (except for the part where the nerd/geek in question goes on to become a genius millionaire), but is this two aspects to my personality? I don't know.

2.  As a N-G, I know for a fact that Poison is neither N nor G.  They are just bad and lame, with no charming or fascinating aspects to their otherwise-potentially-too-cheesy band charisma (cf, Van Halen circa David Lee Roth early years), and with no inherent musical talent that made them a most excellent band to get really messed up to as a 17 year old (cf, AC/DC), and of course without the musical genius that subsists in all musical N-Gs (cf Talking Heads).  So had the poster done a 4-grid split aka first VH album, or aka "Remain in Light," we would have gotten it immediately.

3.  How does Nerd Nite and Geek Prom survive when all middle-aged N/Gs like myself are in their jammies and asleep by 8 p.m.???

Paul Lundgren

about 12 years ago 

Well, first of all, I still think this is a good poster even if the visual element of the parody isn't broadly recognizable. "Talk nerdy to me" is about as good of a Geek Prom slogan as you can get, and people understand the joke even if they have never heard of Poison.

No, Poison is not really geeky in the way that Devo, They Might be Giants or Talking Heads are considered geeky. But Poison is considered cheesy, which pulls it a bit into the geek realm, like the obsession for cheesy movies that led to Mystery Science Theater 3000.

As for Poison's musical talent, I would say the band suffers for its gimmicky 1980s hair, makeup and wardrobe, but actually kicked out a few good songs. "Talk Dirty to Me" is one of them. If Van Halen had a lamer physical persona, we'd think less of a song like "Jump," which has dumber lyrics than "Talk Dirty to Me."

Anyway, breaking this down is nerdy enough to qualify us all for Geek Prom entry. What remains to be seen is whether we can stay up past 8 p.m. I'll try. I made it past 8:30 for Nerd Nite.

emmadogs

about 12 years ago 

You're right, "Talk nerdy to me" is great.  And so is Devo!!!  I can't believe I forgot about Devo!!!

On the other hand, "Jump" has the most stupid lyrics ever, and the band has about as much makeup on as Poison did, so this is an example of when VH went totally lame too.  Except for "Panama," of course.

Anyway, have fun at Geek Prom -- maybe I'll go if I can wear my jammies and immediately go to sleep.

Barrett Chase

about 12 years ago 

If you're able to brag about how lame you were in high school, you're a geek. You're a geek if you were captain of the mathletes, really into music that no one else had heard of, using the internet before AOL was invented, etc. Geek is chic, and you're a geek if what made you uncool then makes you cool now.

If you're still ashamed of your outcast status, you're a nerd. If you wore headgear, wet the bed, received wedgies every day, listened to cassettes by Poison and Debbie Gibson, and unironically bought all your clothes at Kmart or Goodwill, you're a nerd.

Of course, as a spaz, I have some crossover with both groups but don't really fit in with either.

Ramos

about 12 years ago 

I've always regretted that I'm too good-looking and charismatic to attend this event.

Ramos

about 12 years ago 

Have you heard about the new computer repair store downtown? It's called "Nerdy Deeds Done Dirt Cheap."

heysme

about 12 years ago 

I was a dweeb, minus the study habits.

Barrett Chase

about 12 years ago 

Even if the source material isn't geeky, parody is always geeky.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9qYF9DZPdw

Ramos

about 12 years ago 

Why did the massage therapist refuse to work a Star Trek convention?

He didn't want to get his hands nerdy.

De man

about 12 years ago 

The fact that you're debating the nerd/geek potential of a band from the 1980s means you're all qualified to attend Geek Prom. Perhaps there should be a panel on the geekiest/nerdiest bands evar.

emmadogs

about 12 years ago 

Barrett, these are ultimately divisive aspects that will alienate me into a class not to be bragged about:

1.  In my day, the hybrid national-honor-society/straightAstudent/huge-weekend-stoner/swing choir/Afraid-of-everything that I was, had no moniker with which I could be, except that I was the only locally known source of The Doors, Hendrix, Voidoids, X, and Talking Heads.  so...geek.

2.  On the other hand,...those nerdy signs, e.g. wetting beds et al, are sadly signs of impending old age, as well as nerdy youth.

So we all have that great equalizer to look forward to.

So I have

emmadogs

about 12 years ago 

Yeeikes, God apparently added that 'so I have' bit.

Oh dear.  So that confirms what David Lee Roth and I have to look forward,to.

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