Who’s Your Favorite “Black and Nerdy” Man?
Welcome to funkybrownchick.com — where the “M” in Monday stands for M-A-N. Yep, it’s time for another Manly Monday. Today’s post is dedicated to all of the black male nerds out there. Why? Well, about a week ago, one of my readers sent me an email to tell me that *I* am a black nerd. You might be thinking, “Oh, no, he didn’t.” But, yes, really, he did. The man that I’ll call “Michael” (because that’s his name), emailed me a link to an article about black nerds. He specifically sent the email to me because, in his own words, he thought I “might like” it. I couldn’t help but wonder: “Did this man just fucking call me a nerd?” ;) All kidding aside, I’d like to think that Michael didn’t send me the article because he thinks I’m a nerd. I think he sent it to me because he thought I’d like to read it. So, I read it. The article, “Black Nerds: The Revolution No One Could Have Predicted” by Raafi Rivero, is actually a really interesting read. It sheds new light on a theme James Hannaham originally brought up in the Village Voice a few years ago in his article “The Rise of the Black Nerd“. In Rivero’s piece, he writes:
Steve Urkel would bring the black nerd character to the forefront of American pop culture during his reign of terror run on ABC’s Family Matters during the 1990s, but the black nerd was yet to rise to the position of misplaced yet ubiquitous appendage that he enjoys today. While the rise of counter-cultures to the mainstream is all too common, their rise within black culture, already a marginal culture with its own mores, has created unexpected hybrids. Hip-Hop producer/artist Pharrell of the Neptunes, who sometimes refers to himself as Little Skateboard P, named his quirky side band N.E.R.D. as if prophesying the coming movement… or maybe Jamal Smith? Witness: Smith, the thugged-out nerdy skateboarder.
Very cute. Hmmm … Who would win the “Coolest Black Male Nerd” contest: Steve Urkel from “Family TiesMatters”, this skateboarding guy Jamal from the YouTube video above, Carlton from “Fresh Prince of Bel Air”, Dwayne Wayne from “A Different World” , or the kid who plays the “Jordan Thomkins” character on The Bernic Mac Show? Feel free to use the comment section to share your thoughts.
October 15th, 2007 at 11:10 am
None of these dudes! In your post you note Urkel is from the show “Family Ties” the show was “Family Matters”.
Now, who I find sexy/nerdy? Dr. Benjamin Carson! I know dude is old enough to be my dad but he could so get it! Brilliant and soft spoken and looks like Marvin Gaye…
October 15th, 2007 at 11:11 am
***drools***
October 15th, 2007 at 11:11 am
But cha know what? Urkel would have fought a pack of wolves for Laura. That was some real love right thuurr.
October 15th, 2007 at 1:56 pm
let’s not forget Obama. that man is rocking the nerdy intellectual vibe with true sex appeal.
October 15th, 2007 at 3:58 pm
What is this “nerd” concept of which you speak? I have no idea what you are talking about.
October 15th, 2007 at 5:54 pm
Dwayne Wayne might have been the coolest, hottest nerd ever… black or not.
October 15th, 2007 at 6:04 pm
Dwayne Wayne . . .always and forever *swoons*
October 15th, 2007 at 9:08 pm
@ Wonderlove: Family Ties. Family Matters. Same diff, no? ;) Thanks for the catch. I corrected it in the post.
@ HippieChyck: Intellectual vibe, sex appeal, AND he’s from Illinois. I *love* Obama!!! :)
@ Baba Doodlius: ;-)
@ MamaChristy: Couldn’t agree with you more. I love totally in love with Dwayne Wayne when that show was on.
@ Seren: I’ll arm wrestle you for him. :)
October 16th, 2007 at 12:27 am
Dwayne Wayne was the hottest. Funny though, I never thought of him as the nerd. I always thought his buddy Ronald was nerdier.
October 16th, 2007 at 8:44 am
Yeah, his friend was kind of nerdier because he tried waaay too hard to be cool. Dwayne was like, “I’m a nerd, and I’m fine with that.”
October 16th, 2007 at 12:38 pm
You are forgetting Steve Urkel’s alter ego Stephon. That storyline pits the need to be ‘cool’ or accepted against our own inner nerd. Stephon was a personification of steve’s personality, meaning that deep down steve had coolness buried within him. Conversely it is not unreasonable to assume that we all have a hidden inner nerd.
October 17th, 2007 at 7:19 pm
I *REMEMBER* that!! His name was something like “Stephon Urquelle”. Man, I loved that show. :)
January 30th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
Hey, I’m a Black Nerd. Can I be a late entry for this contest? I got the nerd power of 12 Urkels and 7 Carltons, not to mention a dab of that black kid from “Ned’s Declassifed School Guide” and a hint of Byron Allen.
January 31st, 2008 at 8:08 am
Three cheers for black nerd comedy!! :)
February 13th, 2010 at 2:45 am
NO . my main squeeze black nerd is Maurise moss from the British comedy” the It Crowd”. he’s funny and oddly adorable.