Media Example #2: White and Nerdy

They see me mowin'

My front lawn

I know they're all thinking

I'm so White N' nerdy g

Think I'm just too white n' nerdy

Think I'm just too white n' nerdy

Can't you see I'm white n' nerdy

Look at me I'm white n' nerdy!

I wanna roll with-

The gangsters

But so far they all think

I'm too white n' nerdy

Think I'm just too white n' nerdy

Think I'm just too white n' nerdy

I'm just too white n' nerdy

Really, really white n' nerdy

First in my class here at M.I.T.

Got skills, I'm a Champion of D&D

MC Escher that's my favorite MC

Keep your 40

I'll just have an Earl Grey tea

My rims never spin to the contrary

You'll find that they're quite stationary

All of my action figures are cherry

Stephen Hawking's in my library

My MySpace page is all totally pimped out

Got people begging for my top 8 spaces

Yo I know Pi to a thousand places

Ain't got no grills but I still wear braces

I order all of my sandwiches with mayonnaise

I'm a whiz at minesweeper I can play for days

Once you see my sweet moves you're gonna stay amazed,

my fingers movin' so fast I'll set the place ablaze

There's no killer app I haven't run

At Pascal, well, I'm number 1

Do vector calculus just for fun

I ain't got a gat but I got a soldering gun

"Happy Days" is my favourite theme song

I can sure kick your butt in a game of ping pong

I'll ace any trivia quiz you bring on

I'm fluent in JavaScript as well as Klingon

Here's the part I sing on

They see me roll on, my Segway!

I know in my heart they think I'm

white n' nerdy!

Think I'm just too white n' nerdy

Think I'm just too white n' nerdy

Can't you see I'm white n' nerdy

Look at me I'm white n' nerdy

I'd like to roll with-

The gangsters

Although it's apparent I'm too

White n' nerdy

Think I'm just too white n' nerdy

Think I'm just too white n' nerdy

I'm just too white n' nerdy

How'd I get so white n' nerdy?

I've been browsing, inspectin'

X-men comics you know I collect 'em

The pens in my pocket

I must protect 'em

my ergonomic keyboard never leaves me bored

Shopping online for deals on some writable media

I edit Wikipedia

I memorized "Holy Grail" really well

I can recite it right now and have you ROTFLOL

I got a business doing web sites

When my friends need some code who do they call?

I do HTML for them all

Even made a homepage for my dog!

Yo! Got myself a fanny pack

they were having a sale down at the GAP

Spend my nights with a roll of bubble wrap

POP POP! Hope no one sees me gettin' freaky!

I'm nerdy in the extreme and whiter than sour cream

I was in AV club and Glee club and even the chess team!

Only question I ever thought was hard

Was do I like Kirk or do I like Picard?

Spend every weekend

at the renaissance fair

Got my name on my underwear!

They see me strollin'

They laughin'

And rollin' their eyes 'cause

I'm so white n' nerdy

Just because I'm white n' nerdy

Just because I'm white n' nerdy

All because I'm white n' nerdy

Holy cow I'm white n' nerdy

I wanna bowl with-

the gangsters

but oh well it's obvious I'm

white n' nerdy

Think I'm just too white n' nerdy

Think I'm just too white n' nerdy

I'm just too white n' nerdy

Look at me I'm white n' nerdy!

1. What about this media do you like? What don't you like? Show us your favorite and least favorite parts of each and explain why.

• Although the math stuff is not me, I think people see me in a white and nerdy stereotype. I like the pop culture references. I like the self-deprecating humor. I don’t like the racial overtones about whiteness and blackness carrying intrinsic cool and uncool qualities. This is racism. I can’t imagine the song working without the racial stereotype.

3. Describe why you think one of the examples represents a stereotype of your identity that others may perceive.

• Well, I’ve never thought I was a person who could “pull off” being cool. I think that is I was ever to try dressing, acting, or speaking in a way other than nerdy white guy, I think people would not tolerate it.

5. What statement do you feel the art or artist is trying to make? Why do you feel they would express themselves in this way?

• The song is itself an imitation of a cool song from the black community. The satisfaction with all things nerdy coupled with a desire to be respected and taken seriously is the central conflict of the song. It’s a perfect song for Weird Al whose career is based on imitating “cool” while at the same time acknowledging his own lack of coolness.

What is the essential nature of the speaker?

What is the significance of the title?

If you could give the speaker some advice, what would it be?

Think about the lyrics. Then finish this sentence in 3 different ways: I wonder…

What is the main conflict the speaker must face?