Magnetic Attraction:
The Appeal of Nerds

By TRILISA M. PERRINE

I love nerds.

Seriously, I do. There’s just something about them.

I think it all started back in the '80s with my first TV crush. I couldn’t help but admire the man. I mean, he could thwart the most evil genius with nothing but a toothpick, bubble gum, a tire iron, duct tape, and his comprehensive knowledge of all things scientific.

That’s right; I had (or should I say "have") a thing for MacGyver. I know I’m not alone on this one. Many female friends have admitted to me, in hushed voices, that they too found themselves drawn to the science nerd turned secret agent.

A few years later, "Doogie Howser, M.D." entered the scene. What teenage girl could resist the charms of a 16-year-old kid who had already made it through high school, college, and medical school? Certainly not this one! While I found his ‘bad boy’ friend Vinnie sort of cute, it was the teenage whiz-kid that struck my fancy. He had the ability to diagnose obscure diseases that stumped his mature colleagues, and in the pre-blog era he incessantly used his computer to journal his daily adventures and reflective moral lessons. Granted, Neil Patrick Harris has played some characters very different from the adolescent M.D. including the flamboyant and androgynous Emcee in Cabaret and the Dauphin in Joan of Arc. But to me, he’ll always be a shy, gangly, nerdy, awkward-around-girls, teenage physician, and I love him for it.

Lest you think my admiration of on-screen nerds limited itself to my teenage years, here are more recent examples.

The academic Dr. Daniel Jackson from the "Stargate" franchise (James Spader in the 1994 film and Michael Shanks in the TV series) makes even the study of ancient Egypt seem interesting to me.

"Alias’s" Marshall J. Flinkman (Kevin Weisman) quickly solves complicated issues of encryption while babbling about anything and everything at 90 miles an hour. He’s so adorable; I just want to give the guy a hug.

Joshua Malina actually warrants two places on this list of my favorite nerds. He took two marvelous characters from master-writer Aaron Sorkin and brought them to life as Will Bailey in "The West Wing" and Jeremy Goodwin in "Sports Night."

A freak laboratory accident (Isn’t that always how these things happen?) transformed a geeky computer technician into a secret agent with super strength, speed, and senses in the prematurely canceled "Jake 2.0." Jake Foley (Christopher Gorham), the nanobot-ridden super-human, still retained his nerdiness as he learned to deal with his new abilities – making him all the more endearing.

There's one more nerd whose place in my heart is secure – Peter Parker. From the comic book and the Saturday morning cartoon to the most recent incarnation on the big screen (Tobey Maguire in "Spider-Man" and "Spider-Man 2") Peter has always meant a lot to me. I remember wondering at a young age why Mary Jane wouldn’t give him the time of day and only showed an interest in his super powered alter-ego. This intelligent, witty, sweet boy next door was bright enough to develop his own web-slinger (the new movies changed this tidbit from the previous manifestations of the story). Who needs more than that in a man?

While I have turned into a bit of a nerd myself (I'm pursuing a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry), I’ve seen an overall change in trend. In this age when processor speed is often more important than brute strength, I think it makes sense for the nerd, the academic, the intellectual, the scholar to be attractive. No longer do we need the mighty man to hunt or gather. No longer is the ability to wrestle a bear with one’s bare hands a necessary, or even occasionally useful, skill. No longer is thrusting a sword through an enemy’s torso the measure of a soldier.

Technology rules our world today, and power lies in the hands of those that understand it – nerds. Think about it. Which would really be more useful in a boyfriend: a man who can bench-press 300 pounds, or one who can retrieve the lost files on your hard drive after he removes the virus your roommate accidentally installed on your computer? I know my answer.

In that spirit, I recently embraced my attitude and decided to announce it to the world. I bought a T-shirt that declares “I (heart) nerds.” Donning my proclamation, I ventured out into public, and the response I received was interesting. A number of women signaled their agreement with me in various ways, and one in particular made an amusing comment: “They’re going to be the millionaires someday after all.” While this comment has a ring of truth to it, I don’t believe money is the root of the attraction, but it can’t hurt.

There was one reaction to my attire, however, that was unanticipated. My friend left me alone for a moment at our table in the restaurant. Then, a strange man took the opportunity to stop by and say, “I’m a nerd.” Contrary to his belief, this came across as creepy, not charming. Plus, he wasn't nerdy at all. He was wearing a security guard’s uniform. Not too many self-respecting nerds end up in that profession.

So to all you nerdy men out there, know this: There are women who find you interesting and attractive. There are women who appreciate who you are, what you know, and how you think. Keep hope alive. This is one woman who has a deep and abiding appreciation for the nerd, and I’m not alone.