Actually quite a few of these have Whedon-y references. My fav was the collectable sombrero-wearing Giles!

chance | June 25, 22:14 CET

Excerpt of a conversation from my wife a few days ago:

Her: "I couldn't have dated you if you didn't like Buffy."
Me: "Well, of course not. If I didn't like Buffy, how would we have started flirting?"
Her: "Exactly. *pause* We should write Joss a letter to say thanks."

kishi | June 25, 22:30 CET

I like that conversation, kishi. It beats any rom-com movie, hands down.

impalergeneral | June 25, 22:41 CET

I have a similar thank you to give Joss, kishi. My girlfriend and I met because I lent her sister my Firefly DVDs and they started watching them together.

sumogrip | June 25, 22:41 CET

I met my wife on a Buffy board. And true love has been found here at Whedonesque as well.

Simon | June 25, 22:42 CET

Sounds like in a couple years Joss should do what Leno did and invite the kids of parents-because-of-Joss to... do something.

sumogrip | June 25, 22:43 CET

A guy I was already interested in recently discovered (to my initial apprehension) that I am a prolific Buffyverse fanfiction writer/highly obsessive Whedon fan/rabid Harry Potter geek. And he was IMPRESSED. *swoon*

Taaroko | June 25, 22:52 CET

I LOVE Parkbench. By far my favorite blog evah!!!

Harmalicious | June 25, 23:14 CET

I'm proud to match that list to a T. I'm like the only person from my town who references anything from the Whedonverse... it's so depressing. Go Park Bench!

Elphaba | June 26, 00:12 CET

That was UHmazing. Thanks!!!

lady84bug | June 26, 00:13 CET

Well, I don't match everything on that list, but nerdy girls celebrate their differences. ;)

korkster | June 26, 01:36 CET

Laughed till my eyes teared up. Some of those were eerily true. My favorites were the pop culture references and Liz Lemon compliments. Hee. I swear every time my sister and I watch 30 Rock I say at some point 'See if we knew Liz Lemon we would totally be best friends'...

onthedrift | June 26, 01:38 CET

Loved the list. I really need to watch 30 Rock.

I think I found a new favorite blog. I spent a good deal of time reading it this evening and sharing things with my husband.

theclynn | June 26, 02:06 CET

Crap. I match most of that list (although I had to google who Liz Lemon was, as I've never seen a single episode of '30 Rock' ;)), but I have a non-nerd girlfriend (the kind who actually does get Star Wars and Star Trek confused ;)).

Sometimes I despair. But then again, I introduced her to Buffy and Dr. Horrible which she both liked (waiting a bit with Firefly, as she really doesn't seem to like anything involving spaceships, the silly woman ;)). So although one does wonder if there's not some indulging in the boyfriends' weird hobbies going on there, I like to imagine there's some hope for her yet ;)

GVH | June 26, 02:12 CET

GVH,

How about Waitress. Does she like westerns...as in Firefly...it's like a western...

Also, seen any signs of Castle showing in The Netherlands.

Anonymous1 | June 26, 03:28 CET

Hmm, now I have some insight into why I have historically dated artsy-girls rather than nerdy ones. It's odd because I've yearned for one of a nerdier persuasion and thought I would have more in common with them but that is apparently not so.


#1 and #2 I do pretty good at.

#3 I'm not sure because I read mostly non-fiction and hard science books and philosophical religious texts (like Taoist, Sufi and Kabbalistic works although I'm an Athiest).

#4 The only video games I play are online poker and MMORPGs but that's only at the expense of my Chi Kung practise so ideally I wouldn't be playing them (unless of course I start being profitable at poker which is unlikely because I bore to easily).

#5 NPR however is pretty much the only radio I listen to except for "Coast to Coast AM.

#6 If I have no conversational chemistry with a person I find it nigh impossible to force it and pretend to be interested in what someone is saying but when then ideas effortlessly lift the conversation to higher and higher levels of interest it is such a wondrous, compelling and rare thing I will treasure the next time I have the pleasure of experiencing it again.

#7 I guess I got this covered but I haven't been into guilty pleasure type pop media experiences for awhile now so I'm sure a lot of things will go right past me with out registering.

#8 Really? I do love that show and I on some level I would love a Liz clone as a SO but it would seem condescending to me but honestly I've always been terrible at giving and receiving compliments.

#9 I have an almost monk like lack of worldly possessions but I've not always been so ascetic so I can relate although it does seem to be somewhat antithetical to the NPR influenced sympathy for the suffering of the world to so wantonly engage in capitalism that has the minority of the world using a majority of its resources! Gawd. I think I need an NPR break. *sobs*

#10 I've always sort of wanted to but I've never had the money and on some level they seem sort of stalker-y although the other day I just knew that if I met Terry Farrell before she got married we'd totally be together now. I don't mean to sound ass-ish I actually did think that.

#11 I do Epically Fail at this because I've watched less than 10 horror films in my life and none of them contained zombies.


Actually that gives me insight into my nearly 3 year drought of any female contact from any stereotype. Damn humanity and its tendency for introversion! Also damn me for falling into that two-thirds (or was it 80%) of us who self identify as introverted.

Nevermind.

bedukay | June 26, 03:33 CET

Love the comments here and at the site. And nah, bedukay, for me using Liz Lemon as a form of compliment recognizes the genius/awesomeness of Liz Lemon, and I completely respect that. People may describe Buffy as a self-involved woman with many, many issues - but saying "I love you like I love Buffy Summers" would win me over in about 5 seconds flat. :P

Jav | June 26, 03:45 CET

It's crazy how many of those are so spot-on. Especially the one about preferably looking like David Tennant. ;)

but saying "I love you like I love Buffy Summers" would win me over in about 5 seconds flat. :P

Ha! Exactly!

Lirazel | June 26, 03:50 CET

If only there were more 'nerdy girls with a sombrero-wearing Giles' out there.

I'm trying to picture Giles saying 'Ole!'...but it's just not coming.

QuanticoMVP | June 26, 05:02 CET

QuanticoMVP While I don't have Fiesta Giles (The official name of that variant, thankyouverymuch) I did make a leather (Yes, actual leather) duster for my MAC (Moore Action Collectible; first wave) Giles.

And whittled the end of a rock candy stick to a point so he now has what I call a "quarter-stake" - a quarterstaff w/a stake point.

And hand-sculpted a Scythe for my (MAC) Buffy, using a bamboo skewer for the haft, and wrapping the grip in leather.

Not to mention the fact that I'm sculpting a replica Jackal, and have plans to craft my own Scythe.

And I built the WitchKing's morning star, and constructed his armor & helm from craft foam - the robe was made from a Simplicity pattern, but I bought a dress from an old witch costume for the underdress, and removed the collar from a child's vampire cape & attached two lengths of material to the front edge to make the cowl. I made a scabbard for an "officially licensed" plastic WitchKing sword, and fine-tuned and painted a wooden sword for the Morgul blade.

I also made a Galadriel Entranced costume.

Nerd? Me? Eh.

ETA: I just bought the theatrical release (VHS) of RotK so now I have both versions of all three movies. Theatrical on VHS and extended on DVD.

[ edited by ShadowQuest on 2009-06-26 06:54 ]

ShadowQuest | June 26, 06:30 CET

WHY don't I have a sombrero-wearing Giles??? *filled with angst over Fiesta Giles*

Mirage | June 26, 08:13 CET

Meh. I'm a little disappointed that even on such a high minded list as this one, item number two is still "Look a certain way." But I enjoyed the rest of it.

Revolver | June 26, 08:16 CET

But the advice was, "Look like John Hodgeman." That's not exactly difficult.

Acting like him is a totally different story, of course.

[Edited to make it funnier]

[ edited by ManEnoughToAdmitIt on 2009-06-26 08:38 ]

ManEnoughToAdmitIt | June 26, 08:38 CET

Yep Anonymous1, we did watch Waitress, which she loved. And I might try showing her an episode or two of Castle in the future. And she's already seen Dr. Horrible (she even commented that she met a Captain Hammer-a-like on her latest vacation with a girlfriend, who was just as smarmy and into himself ;)).

She unfortunately doesn't like westerns much, though. Which, combined with her distaste for SF, makes Firefly a tough hill to take. Which doesn't mean we're not going to try - she also hasn't given up on making me watch and like Sex and the City yet, after all, and that's a much more hopeless cause ;).

(Other than her obvious lack of taste - which, let's face it, brought her to me in the first place ;) - she's a lovely and very smart person, though, before I make her sound like some kind of idiot child ;))

GVH | June 26, 11:49 CET

I don't have a sombrero'd Giles but I do have a 30 year old Dalek. It used to go "Attack, Attack!" (etc), but its internal vinyl vocals are sadly defunct.

Nice list!

redfern | June 26, 13:29 CET

'Fiesta Giles'? (One in mint condition and one for 'funsies'.) Check.
Flying across the world to see David Tennant at Comic Con? Check.
Live alone but have a Playstation 3, Xbox AND a Wii? Check.
Well-worn copies of 30 Rock, Star Wars, Buffy, Angel, Firefly, LOTR, BSG and Dr Who in the DVD cupboard? Check.
Have a copy of 'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies' on the bedside table? Check.

Yup. I think it may just be time to bite the bullet, and admit I'm a girl nerd.

missb | June 26, 14:14 CET

I think the list hit the mark on a some, but was WAY off the mark on others. I enjoyed the humor, but while there may be a high correlation of certain things among nerds, others not so much. I am undeniably (why would I deny it?) a nerdgirl. I have won competitive nerd-offs. And yet I dislike NPR (as do many of my nerd friends). I have no idea who Liz Lemon is. I would have preferred the list to have presented its tips in a style more aware of the diversity of nerddom (or even EMBRACING the differences therein) and with a tone that didn't claim to speak for all nerdy women. For example, rather than saying '#8 Compliment her by saying, “You remind me so much of Liz Lemon”' it could have said "compliment her by saying things LIKE...."

I would find it a turn-off if a guy listens to NPR. Admittedly, I might overlook it if he knew what to do in a zombie attack; if he were wearing a Jayne hat or he quoted something from the whedon-verse, I might swoon.

Yes, yes, I'm probably taking something light-hearted too seriously. But many (not all) nerds have been ostracized for embracing/pursuing their own individuality which led them to focus on their studies, to delight in genre fandom, to ignore what society refers to as "fashion," etc. in the first place such that it seems disheartening for someone to lump them all together and claim "nerdy women like this" or "don't like that." Making the list inclusive in tone wouldn't have been hard at all.

roofpig | June 26, 15:43 CET

I'm sure there's hope for your girlfriend, GVH. I was completely unaware of my inner nerd until my honey introduced me (kind of accidentally - he didn't think I'd be into it!) to Buffy many years ago. Has she seen the whole series yet? You have to wait until Buffy is deep in her soul and then spring Firefly on her. The spaceship won't matter by then, I'll bet.

And give Sex and the City a chance! I thought it sounded dumb too... but ended up, during a long lonely month on an oil rig in China of all places, with the entire series on DVD in my room. I thought it was really funny and charming.

catherine | June 26, 20:28 CET

The list of men on the left sidebar is amazingly spot-on. All of those guys make me vibrate. :D

Willowy | June 26, 20:54 CET

By nature of being a nerd, all of these qualifications are pretty much easily met. However, I don't think the issue is a lack of nerdyness or not following the "do's" in our nerdy male population. There just aren't enough nerdy girls to appreciate all those "do's." (At least thats my excuse for being single right now.)

And FYI...
For those who don't know, the proper zombie killing etiquette involves a swinging, weapon of some sort. (i.e. A scythe, a sword, an ax, etc.) Basically anything that does maximum damage and doesn't run out of ammunition. (And sorry Captain Hammer, while your hammer may swing and cause maximum damage, it doesn't count!)

alexreager | June 26, 21:02 CET

Don't forget a cricket bat. And a shotgun could pull double duty: when you run out of ammo, use it to cave in zombie skulls.

Willowy | June 26, 21:18 CET

Easier yet, just post this on your fridge. It's got all the essential info for if when the worst happens.

brinderwalt | June 26, 22:20 CET

I need to print this brinderwalt, just with the little observation that if you flame them they have the strange habbit to multiply themselves :)

Brasilian Chaos Man | June 26, 23:21 CET

You know what else is good against zombies? Lawnmowers. Provided you have the upper-arm strength to hold them up over your head.

I was a little relieved the article didn't go into LotR. I do consider myself a nerd, but that just wasn't my bag. (I'm the only person I know who came away from the film trilogy going, "Meh.")

[ edited by QuanticoMVP on 2009-06-27 00:26 ]

QuanticoMVP | June 27, 00:15 CET

This list illustrates to me how I tend to make nerds of the girls I do date by slowly introducing them to elements from my world, two of which almost never fail are Buffy and Veronica Mars. My experience seems to be when you show a girl a show she dismissed that it's about a girl who kicks ass and takes care of herself and those she loves, suddenly you have established a new found connection and respect. The Whedonverse works on so many levels it's ridiculous.

silent knight | June 27, 01:27 CET

"Joss Whedon: Getting nerds laid since '97"

The Xan Man | June 27, 02:11 CET

I like to think of Veronica Mars as a fandom gateway drug. From there, it's pretty easy to convince someone to watch Buffy.

Lirazel | June 27, 03:35 CET

QuanticoMVP I agree that the LOTR Trilogy is made up of significant amount of underwhelmingness. It's a wonderful technical achievement but the tropes it created and utilized have become so integrated into the culture at large it seemed pedestrian to me. Tolkein's works are victims of its success in that regard at least in my opinion. Since I have no affection or history with LOTR I have no identification with it being brought to life via a film.

Edited for formating and to add that Veronica Mars/Kristen Bell is my ideal nerdy type female. She is made of gorgeousness and intelligence.

[ edited by bedukay on 2009-06-27 04:43 ]

bedukay | June 27, 04:41 CET

pretty much sums me up! :)
haha, fun post! (Y)

kristen / my real name | August 22, 15:13 CET