And then there are the dark corners of one's conversational arsenal, your modern version of the "Star Trek" convention fangirl who knows that she needs to keep her fluency in Klingon or, by means of completely random example, the emo teenage vampire series in social check. My thesis is that we all have such a Nerd List in our minds, an inner cat lady striving to get out and talk to someone, anyone, about our secret interests, but we are hiding in shame for fear (admittedly just) of being detected. We know that should we broach the subject with the average person, her eyes will glaze over in that Algebra class, "God, why am I still here?" way as she plots her escape.
Today I encourage you to liberate your inner Nerd & share your List in the comfort of the comments here. Against my better judgment, better judgment never having been one of my strong suits, I'll start us off by bringing you my current working list. Should you see me at a party discussing any of the following, run in the opposite direction:
- My hatred of Nicholas Cage in any film & belief that he single-handedly ruins the same;
- The John Hughes movie canon;
- Books, particularly uppity English ones from about 1800 onwards;
There, that's as close to that dreaded Facebook "25 Things You Never Wanted to Know About Me Ever Ever Ever But I'm Going to Force Upon You Anyways" as I'll get.
Now that I've embarrassed myself, what do you know too much about? Your turn, Cat Ladies!
39 comments:
I thouroughly appreciate your willingness to open up on these topics. I have often wondered how it would go over if I started waxing on my deep love of Martha or how very much I miss dancing ballet, esp when I normally find the husband and myself at hipster type gatherings. Methinks it would not bode well for either of us or our quickly waning street cred.
Good lord I hate Nicholas Cage too. He plays the same character in every movie! I loved Barcelona so much when I visited there. Except (speaking of inner nerds) I was with someone who spoke Catalan and she CONSTANTLY corrected me in the pronounciation (apparently it's officially prnounced-in the regional dialect) as Bar-the-lona. Who cares? You sound like an a-hole saying in that way.
My inner nerd? I love Star Trek but I'd get blow out of the water by real Trekkies in a conversation.
I also agree with the Nicholas Cage comment. If we all hate him so much, why the hell does he keep getting cast in movies????
I actually am a crazy cat lady who loves to talk about my cat. How cute he is, how photogenic he is, how he loves when I take him for strolls in his pet stroller...you get the picture...
i saw the second lord of the rings movie 6(!) times in theatres. 6. and i loved it. there is nothing more embarassing about my life. wow, actually putting that in writing makes me realize how nerdy it is.
1. Top 10 Reasons Why True Blood is So Much Better than Twilight
2. Why Hummers are the Vehicles of Satan
3. Why Law School Should Be Just As Hard to Get into as Med School (also entitled: How to Save the Youth of Today from Hating Their Jobs Tomorrow)
4. Why Its Totally Not Weird to Meet Friends through the Interwebs
I hate Nicholas Cage as well! Who knew that so many people didn't like him!
My list:
- Anything involving the clothes I occassionaly buy for the dogs
- My love for Rent, Wicked, and other new-age musicals: I've seen Wicked 11 times. Yeah.
- Feminist lit
I can't type for laughing so much!
My inner nerd huh?
1. I can quote word for word almost all of John Hughes movies, that includes Weird Science
2. I have an unhealthy love of Snapped on Oxygen - so much the Mr. is sure I'm going to kill him
3. I love watching TV shows about how food is made.
4. I also will watch any biography that's on A&E.
5. I read random books -about the Most Notable Women Serial Killers, the assination of Lincoln, and now I'm reading a book written by the Pres of the Hells Angels.
6. I play scrabble on my computer everyday at least 1x.
7. I was on the quiz bowl team from 5th-12th, and then was captain of it in college for every greek.
While I'm too young to have Star Wars on my list, my excitement over the upcoming Harry Potter film might make me a wallflower yet.
Inner nerd?
1. I am in the only person in my whole prep school to ever get a perfect score on the Geography Bee test. I got to go to the national championship. I was in 7th grade.
2. I was on the science team in high school just because I thought it was cool they got to make their own mousetrap game. I sucked at science club.
3. I can basically tell you about any British Literature written before 1920, and then I can give you a full review a la my degree.
4. I am not afraid to admit I love the game Battleship.
OMG I have the exact same list! Mine has more items on it but I agree with ALL OF YOURS.
I HATE NICHOLAS CAGE. I mean, not as a human being, but you know. His voice, his acting, looking at him, and him being in movies.
I hate Kate Hudson and Why She Should Die. Or at least lose her membership in SAG.
1. My trip to India 25 years ago. Day by day. For all 3 months.
2. My senior thesis, Metaphor and Metonymy In Epic Poetry; The Role of Catalogs
3. What plants are in my garden and how often do I weed and how do you prune roses correctly?
4. Am I talking too much?
5. No really, am I talking too much?
Ha!! I really enjoy your quirky and honest blog posts, LegallyBlondeMel!
I love the comments on Lord of the Rings (major fan here too, haha), Snapped on Oxygen and playing Scrabble.
I am a 60 year old grandmother in a 23 year old's body. Things I should never talk about include:
1. I like to cross-stitch. And knit.
2. I'm a big Star Wars & Lord of the Rings fan.
3. I love shows on Discovery like Whale Wars, Ice Road Truckers and Deadliest Catch (what the heck, I don't like the sea, boats, ice, trucks or crabs!!)
4. I will talk about my dogs for hours (but I will never be a Cat Lady. Just a Dog Lady. I know the names of all the dogs in the neighborhood, but don't have a clue what their owners' names are. Meh.)
5. My BF and I play Scrabble regularly.
That's enough embarrassment for now! :)
Glad to see I'm not the only one who hates Nicholas Cage. I think he's a totally expressionless actor. His voice annoys me to no end!
-I not only talk about our pets but I try to show people pictures on my camera or cell
-I could talk for hours about the different programs on DIY Network or the Food Channel
-My hatred for "Mac-holes"
omg Nicholas Cage... did you like any of his flicks? I actually loved Face Off... dont shoot me!! xxooo
I know way too much about the Jonas Brothers, your eyes would glaze over as I waxed poetic about my love of "Dirty Jobs," particularly Mike Rowe's pectorals, my hatred of Facebook quizzes, which tends to dominate any update statuses I put on my page, and my shared hate of Cage and love of Hughes.
1. My undying obsession with Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale that started at age 13 and NEVER STOPPED.
2. My love of all things Harry Potter and Edward Cullen. I'm a Hufflepuff and definitely on Team Edward.
3. The fact that I've had a Livejournal for 5 years....and still have it...?
4. That I'm a total Greek Life geek....meaning I know all major Greek groups, the difference between IFC, NPC and NPHC, know the names of all 26 groups in NPC, participated in an online Greek Life chat board, and have considered a career in Greek Life.
5. That I was a marching band geek for several years and still regularly critique any marching performances I come across.
I know there's more, but yeah I'm pretty much a certified geek.
OMG, I'm full on allergic to Nicholas Cage. I cannot stand him. And he's a Coppola--for shame!
AHHH!! We're destined to be friends, my darling. Please do drop me a line if you make it up this way, we can discuss our hatred of N.C, our love of European travels, and I promise to keep my nerdy poli sci (that's wheree it all unravels) self to a minimum.
I loved reading everyones lists! Good Laugh! Here's my nerd list:
1) I am a regular streamlink member of the radio show Coast to Coast am. They talk about paranormal things, conspiracy theories, politics, new age medicine, etc. It is the most listened to talk radio program in the world. I've been hooked for 5+ years.
2) I love the library. I check out books on everything under the sun. My last haul home included cookbooks on chocolate & grilling & entertaining and then I found this book called Wicked Plants. It is basically about illegal & poisonous plants. Ken Doll was very scared that this book was next to cookbooks. LOL but ya I read everything from the back of the cereal box to books on obscure subjects.
HAHA this is one of my favorite topics EVER!!
Ok here's my list:
-LOST.... I will stand and talk about theories with someone for hours until they slowly start to back away
- ditto goes for anything on Travel Channel or Food Network
-I can recite parts (ie 90% of the movie) of Clueless from memory...people usually think I'm kidding until I start and then I scare them
-My inner hippiness and how sometimes I would like nothing more than to live in a commune in vermont or washington
I also hate Nic Cage and LOVE LOVE Hughes movies!!
Sad to say I am a closet Trekkie. I own two horses so if you ever want to kibbitz about that I am the ultimate resource on all things equine. I also enjoy a good but stupid comedy such as The Hangover that just came out.
Now I am embarrassed
I'm glad someone else can't stand Nicholas Cage!!
This is too funny, some of the highlights of my "inner nerd" include...
My love for the Hannah Montana TV show, I find it genuinely funny
My willingness to debate which Hogwarts House people would be in(its VERY hard to earn a spot in Gryffindor in my book!)
My unwaivering love of the "Its a Small World" ride at Disney World, I could ride it all day...
Dare I write this?
- Totally agree with Nicholas Cage, except that I have to lie and pretend he's the best whenever I'm around MIL.
- I loved Star Wars. When Husby and I were in Como, we took a picture in front of the villa from the engagement scene. In our defense, someone we knew also got married there...
- In high school, I was in Model Congress and thought it was cool.
Phew. I feel so much better.
My inner cat lady comes crawling out way too often, since when I get nervous I babble. Can you imagine? :) Topics include: a need for my Duckatron, medical issues, embarrassing hs stories, inability to find bras...
It's scary.
Dear Mel,
My uncool/slightly embarrassing admissions are that I might just read your blog too much (borderline stalker much), I had a weird long-term fantasy romance with Edward from Twilight (that never sounds normal when I tell people) and Monday, just before I started a v. fancy event I accidentally stuck the stick of my "eat candy lose weight" lollipop up my nose- which it turns out no one really wants to hear about. It just grosses people out.
xoxo- c from paisleypetunia.com
Things I would never bring up at a cocktail party and yet am happily confessing to on your blog:
1. My obsession with all things Twilight. OMG, I seriously need Edward Cullen rehab. I know we share this and that is but one reason why I heart you.
2. Sudoku. I love sudoku and when people say they don't like it, I swear they haven't given it a fair chance.
3. Squirrels. I know shamefully too much about squirrels. I adore squirrels and have 2 guidebooks to them. So it was no surprise that I gave a 5 minute dissertation to my stepmother last weekend when she remarked that our squirrels are so much skinnier than the ones by them (theirs are Eastern Red Squirrels, ours are Eastern Grey Squirrels).
Oh, and I almost entirely agree with you on Nic Cage; however, I really loved The Weather Man. To me it was such dark humor and I went into it with such low expectations that I didn't expect to love it. And yet I did.
Happy weekend!
This is hysterical doll. Too funny and sooo true! I would love to discuss John Hughes with you! Tagging you tomorrow and you may be able to use these!
Ok seriously, wow...are you my long-lost relative??
Your Nerd List could exactly be mine, complete with Mad Men added (a la Twitter).
Can't stand Nic Cage, watch Home Alone on a regular basis (not just at Christmastime), love books, love horses (had a horse growing up and competed in 3 day events for all of my childhood and count the days until I can get back into it), and Spain (well, you read my post today!).
And to add...
I can recite almost all the words to Romeo and Juliet. Fell in love with it in high school and have read it too many times to count.
I'm such a sucker for all things fantasy: Star Trek, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Twilight, The Golden Compass.
I watch certain movies over and over and over. I never get tired of When Harry Met Sally, Bridget Jones Diary or The Family Stone.
I could talk all day about the amazingness of Excel and Access and how everyone should know how to use (most) all of their functions.
Ooh - and this might take the cake - I can sing all the words to all the songs in The Little Mermaid, Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast complete with the chorus' version.
I have inexplicable love for:
1. Ben Affleck
2. The following "English" movies: Bridget Jones, Sliding Doors, Love Actually
3. LL Cool J
4. The View
5. Range Rovers
6. Alcohol
I agree with the Nicolas Cage comment.. he's just pretty creepy to me. I'm not-so-much a crazy cat lady, rather a crazy dog lady. If you start talking pets, I'm sure to whip out my phone and show pictures and video of the furry pets. I'll also discuss how the dogs are as close to humans as you can get and how one acts like hubby and the other is totally me. If I'm not discussing the dogs, I'm always tempted to bring up education. It's a weakness.
1. I should have been born in the 60's and I am happier in my books about that era than in the here and now. Including all biographies and political pieces.
2. I know more about the Kennedy's than the Kennedy's.
3. Classic rock is the greatest ever and Steven Tyler should have been my father.
4. Top 10 breeds of dogs you should never buy without knowing all health risks involved.
5. I am ridiculous in history. Ask me anything, I will probably know it or definitely know where to find the answer.
Hahahahaha, oh how I've missed reading you these past few days, Mel!
Ok, let's see... my nerdisms...
1. My love of Star Wars, Star Trek, Harry Potter and of course, Twilight.
2. My irrational and all-encompassing hatred of Land Rovers and why one does not need a "safari" vehicle in Dallas.
3. I have a BFA in Art History, so don't get me started.
4. I drive my husband crazy with watching "reality tv", with a little Gossip Girl thrown in for good measure.
5. The benefits of Microsoft Office 2007 over Office 2003.
cozystyle.blogspot.com
Love this and the fact that so many people have such animosity towards NC.
As for my nerdisms...
1. First and Foremost - BSG - Battlestar Galactica - the new, not the old. To the point that I even say frakking when frustrated.
2. Crosswords - love them, will waste much too much time with them.
3. I remember way too much useless trivia - I fear that I'll turn into a female Cliff from Cheers.
My nerdisms ... otherwise known as things I would never bring up on a first date (thank heavens I don't have to do that anymore!)
1. I count my steps. Actually, I count everything. Tiles on ceilings, mile post signs, etc. I like numbers. A lot. I could talk about numbers all day.
2. I can tell you what I wore for every free dress day K-12. I can also tell you what most other people wore. When I got to college, I wrote down everything I wore every day for the first semester so that I would never repeat an outfit. I was terrified everyone would think I was a repeater! I'm so glad I picked a profession where I get to wear scrubs!
3. Sometimes, when I need to remember an important fact, I can see the page where it is written in my head. I can tell you page number line number etc, but I can't always remember what the words say. And that sucks! Shitty photographic memory.
wow ... I think I might definitely be a nerd.
I go through nerd phases - for a while I was obsessed with Ibsen and bored people for ages with Hedda and such. and Nick Cage post Valley Girl - yuk! Totally agree.
Post a Comment