Thoughts on Nerdcore Rising Part II - The Why
Written on January 8, 2007
After giving it a little thought, it occurs to me that I should probably explain why I care so much about the potential message of the Nerdcore RIsing documentary, especially since I’m so new to the scene.
The first thing to realize is that I’m a huge unrepentant geek. I have not always been this way. Like many geeks I desperately wanted to fit in when I was younger. At some point in my youth I began to subconsciously suppress my geeky tendencies in an attempt to better fit into society. About six years ago I realized this, and have spent the last several years attempting to deprogram myself. Possibly in reaction to my own self suppression, my geek pride has become almost militant. Hit me in the right mood and I will rant and rave about the supremacy of geeks and how they can save the world.
Now, before someone takes the above statement as elitism, let me define what I mean by the term ‘geek.’ I chose the word geek as my self defined categorization for a reason. I see a geek as someone who is passionate about something. Who, under the right circumstances, can become fixated on this thing and be consumed by that fixation. Yes, there are comic book geeks and computer geeks and music geeks and anime geeks and all the rest. I also believe though, that there are sports geeks, fashion geeks, business geeks, marketing geeks, investment geeks, and on and on. Anything you can think of is possible fodder for the geek mind.
As an aside, I see nerd as a type of geek.
I’ll spare your eyes the task of reading my full rant on the subject. Instead I’ll say that my feelings on the geek potential are strong. That I feel it is something that we should be proud of and celebrate whenever possible. I see Nerdcore as part of that celebration. In a movement that is largely built around escapism, Nerdcore is a medium where not only can we be ourselves, but we can celebrate everything that we are.
I see that as important.
We are a group that has been historically maligned by the greater society. Even today, as our culture and ideas are influencing the mainstream and changing it into our image, we are still maligned. Nerdcore though is ours and they can’t take it away from us. Divorce Nerdcore from its celebration of all things geek, and it stops being Nerdcore.
This is our party. And if they want to take part, they will have to do so in our world. There is no other option. They can not take this away from us.
OK, I’m going to stop here. Sorry, I get a bit starry eyed when I go off on this tangent. I’ve also typed twice the number of words that you see here as I’ve slipped off into rants. In hopes of keeping this under the size of a novel, I’ve avoided the subtleties and exposition involved. So keep that in mind when responding.
“Divorce Nerdcore from its celebration of all things geek, and it stops being Nerdcore.â€
I think the above point is, perhaps, the most poignant manner in which I’ve ever heard nerdcore distilled to its baser essence. I also wonder if that’s not what Jello was warning us about. Was his admonition concerning nerdcore artists themselves, and how they could be constrained simply by applying the term to themselves, their work, and their scene? Or, perhaps, was he warning us all that, should the genre “catch on,†it will invariably morph into a less relevant, more commercially friendly (read: viable) form that will invariably associate the true believers with the cash-in poseurs?
Who know? I reckon we’ll have to wait for the screening to know for sure.
In the end, I think your earlier reference to the evolution of punk to hardcore to emocore is not only astute, but a perfect illustration of the problem inherent in popular music. Whether it comes from the garage or the laptop, whatever gets the kids out of their seats will undoubtedly end up diluted by parties interested more in the end result than the mechanism. The recent emo explosion is just another example. How, exactly, does one get from Fugazi and Sunny Day to Hawthorne Heights and My Chemical Romance? Interest generated by fans (as well meaning as we are) simply serves to paint a big, corporate bulls-eye on the scenes we hold dear, and once the sharks get a taste of blood they won’t ease off until the find newer, more tender prey.
Personally, I walk a fine line between wanting the artists that I enjoy (and, in my on small way, support) to achieve some legitimate recognition, and, at the same time, wanting things to simply stay small, to stay intimate, to stay pure. Is there a middle ground? Is it possible to employ corporate power and backing while still retaining the DYI community ethic that actually makes the things that we do relevant? Yeah, I suppose so, but it ain’t easy. It’s a tough row to hoe, for sure.
Anyway, thanks for giving me something to chew on during a particularly slow work day, Matt. :)
First, thanks for the compliments.
Second, on the subject of “corporate taint.” I don’t think there is really anything we can do. If it comes, it comes. I think the job for us, especially as folks who aren’t creating music, is to help build an infrastructure to support the scene in a self sustaining manner. Basically, remove the need to “sell out” (what ever the hell that means) and then just let people do what they feel is best for themselves.
On the subject of hanger on’s, I tend to take the Bhagavad Gita as a guiding light on the subject, keep your priorities in check and the rest will wash out in the end. Yeah there will be people that show up and play a role. Some of them will get it though, drop the role and begin to take part for real. The rest will get bored and move on.
I doubt Nerdcore will ever reach a point where it’ll be in real threat of being turned into a commodity. We’re talking about a scene created by people who have never been hip which celebrates a culture that is, by its very nature, unhip. As I said, remove us from the Nerdcore equation and it isn’t Nerdcore.
Even if it does come along though, as long as there is a support infrastructure already in place to handle things, then I think we’ll be fine. I mean look at the punk/indie scene. The suits have been trying to crack them for decades, and even with the blow up after Nirvana, the scene still exists largely in its own world divorced from corporate concerns.
Once again, Matt, well put.
It *is* totally about infrastructure; as long as those of us in the community keep doing what we do (for the right reasons) we can weather any storm or amount of fallout. Self-realization, and a certain amount of self-reliance, can take the scene as far as it needs to go. And those who come for the hype either find some true meaning or get out when the novelty wears off. Such is the nature of the machine. Whether it be punk, ska, industrial, or any other genre that’s been tapped by corporate interest, there are endless examples of musical communities that have survived the onslaught of being in the public eye, no matter how completely or how briefly.
I reckon what it all comes down to is this: sure there are a lot of Fall Out Boys out there, but there are also Fugazis, there are also artists out there who’ve played on through the peaks and valleys and are still going. The flavor-of-the-month phenomenon is the ultimate musical trial by fire, and those who manage to survive are, at the very least, enlightened to the reasons behind why they truly do what they do by the ordeal.
The philosophy behind Hipster, please! – not to mention the title itself – is rooted in my personal fascination with that paper-thin line between nerd culture and hipsterism. Moreover, it’s about how the too lines can never fully intersect simply due to their intrinsic natures. I guess I was lucky to zero in nerdcore just as it was beginning to climb. As much apprehension as I have concerning it (as I, like you, am a life-long music fan who’s seen what the unblinking eye can do to a strong scene) I’m really glad guys like Front and YT and Beefy finally getting some love for what they do. They deserve it, and I hope they can do some good for themselves and nerdcore with it.
We’ll come out all right as long as we keep our heads on straight and don’t get blinded by the bright lights. And nerds should certainly be smart enough to know that. :)