Revenge of the nerds

From Tammy Swofford:

This is a great time to blog, and there is almost too much to keep up with, but we are certainly having fun. It is the revenge of the nerds 

If there is a film which accurately depicts what has just occurred in America’s political life, it is the 1984 comedy classic ‘Revenge of the Nerds’. To set the stage for my thoughts, let me bring readers up to speed on the basic plot. Two loyal friends, nerds to the point of ridiculous, enrol at (fictional) Adams College to study computer science. They are housed in the freshman dorm with the Alpha Beta, a fraternity populated with football players of below average intelligence. 

One rather dense student manages to burn down the frat house. Fire and alcohol are never companionable. Suffering a bit from Dunning-Kruger syndrome, the leaders of Alpha Beta deny fraternity membership to the deserving pledges (Lewis Skolnick and Gilbert Lowe). This established natural order of treating outsiders with disrespect finally comes to a head. 

The nerds set out bent on revenge. They report their grievances to the campus police. Unfortunately, the police are bound by the rules of the Greek Council. The nerds are denied adjudication of their misfortunes and realise the only way to effectively confront inaction and callous disregard is to gain a charter for national membership of a new fraternity. Scandalous schemes ensue. But by the end of the film, it can be easy to fall in love with “the nerds”. 

Art mimics life. And in this case, Washington has been accosted by tens of millions of voters named Skolnick and Lowe. We have dealt with the Washington fraternity. Our time is now, and it is the revenge of the nerds!

GO READ THE WHOLE THING.