The rise of the nerds

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For centuries now, nerds have been considered inhabitant on the lowest rung of the sex appeal chain. While geeky bookworms pondered over life-altering scientific discoveries, their jock brethren went about flexing their brawn and picking up women.

But come the turn of the Gen Y psyche, and it seems that the Rambos have made way for the Leonards! Yes, remember our adorkable (adorable and dorky) Mr. Hofstadter from The Big Bang Theory who the hot waitress Penny falls for? It looks like this trend isn’t just relevant on-screen, its come full circle in reality too!
Says actress Vedita Singh, “I’ve never really been interested in macho men, it’s always those who can converse and are intelligent who have been way more attractive. They are definitely more presentable, thoughtful and make us feel good about ourselves!”
And it’s not just the attitude, the ‘nerd look’ as such seems to be interesting the women as well, as model Priya Nayak admits, “It’s a subjective look- but the dorky glasses really adds character to a lot of guys’ faces. And isn’t there something impishly cute about that boyish vibe? Several designers too have taken to dressing up models on the runway in such a style- the smart nerd look is definitely here to stay!”
Celebrity photographer Sharad Haksar agrees, “Just like bell bottoms and skinny jeans, thick frames and unkempt hairdos are a phase and women are certainly digging them.”
Singer Naresh Iyer who’s as popular for his geeky curly hair as his voice, has become a style icon of sorts; what does he feel about this? “I’m amused and happy people consider my curls to be cool but the inner character and persona is honestly more important, no matter how you look,” he muses.
“But no one should just adapt a look, if it isn’t them. What’s the point of pretending to be someone you’re not?” asks writer Arya Raj. True that!