ayushi
On my way to college, I saw a group of students talking about the new “nerd look”. They were checking out some pictures of people who looked “cute”, “handsome” and “dapper” in that look. A long time ago, I made a rule for myself that I will never sneak peek into others’ phones. I have noticed people doing that a lot and I have always cringed at this kind of behavior.
But that day, I could not stop myself from checking out these students’ role models. The images were of people who looked handsome but the only differentiating factor between them and other good-looking creatures was spectacles. One spectacle was all it took for these students to define “nerd look”.
So, the first question that came to my mind was does every person who wears specs a nerd? I don’t think so.
It’s actually funny that people are head over heels for this look but they don’t mind mocking people who have for life bore the weight of glasses over their eyes. You might have probably watched “Black Magic” video by Little Mix. How is Jade portrayed? She plays the role of a nerd who is always carrying a confused look on her face and is always scratching her head. Let’s take a look at Kdramas. There is always one character that is into studies but is not the genius.
He/She is someone who loves studying or is good in some technical field but is unattractive. Like Catherine Belsey once said, good cannot survive without evil. Attractive geniuses cannot exist without these unattractive species.
One thing needs to be clear. A person can wear specs for various reasons. Poor lighting while studying, deficiency of some kind, the problem in eyesight since birth are just some of the reasons. Plus, by definition nerds are the people who are too much into studying and are often considered “stupid” as per societal norms. They can socialize hence are the misfit. But then, even introverts can’t socialize. So, are introverts stupid? Again, a wrong assumption!
Being a nerd myself, I can confidently say that my specs have never qualified me for being deemed as cute or sexy. Instead, it has only made me the topics of mockery for people. Embodying the nerd look since forever, I don’t remember someone complimenting me for the fad. On contrary, it has often proved to be a curse.
Even though I can do things people can hardly imagine me to be doing, I will always fit in their pre-decided definition.
So, now you tell me if it’s really a fad or a curse?
