Re-Revenge Of The Nerds

I'm glad my brother is in Brooklyn. Were he in Miami now, he'd likely punch me for writing this blog. He's not a fan of the show seen on the left, and told me (repeatedly), it makes him angry.

I must say, I beg to differ.

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Five years ago, if you had asked me what my favorite movie was, I'd have likely have told you "Annie Hall." First of all, I love that movie. Secondly, it made me sound way more literate than I actually am.

A few years ago, I made a decision. I asked myself, what movie has brought the MOST happiness into my life? Which movie can I dependably watch to put a smile on my face?

Then the truth emerged, it's "Revenge Of The Nerds."

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I don't want to pontificate on Nerds too much like the neyrd in "American Splendor," but I want to discuss a bit of WHY I like it, and how it relates to Glee.

The movie achieves a delicate balance. It makes fun of the nerds and their geeky quirks, while still leaving them their dignity.

While they're caricatures, they're also characters. We care about Gilbert, Lewis, Booger, Wormser, Tikashi, and the gang, because they're real people trying to navigate the complicated maze of college.

I went to a college that was all nerds. And yet, who didn't feel like a nerd in college at one time or another?

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Which brings us to "Glee" and high school.

I know. Singing, dancing drama folk can be infuriating. I did a few shows in high school. I know how annoying those happy-go-lucky types can be.

And when you look at the Glee club, you can probably see a bunch of types.

In fact, you could see a bunch of sterotypes, the jock, the perfect cheerleader, the nerdy ms. perfect singer, the gay guy, and on and on and on.

'Glee' definately makes fun of each of its characters. There's plenty of slap-stick mockery, and no one is above reproach.

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But I like the show because there's more depth than that. Much like the Tri-lambs, each of the cast members of 'Glee' is treated as a fully-evolved person, with quirks.

I think it's more akin to "Freaks and Geeks," than say, "Cop Rock."

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In summation, I'd like to paraphrase Gilbert's final speech in Nerds and say "I'm a Gleek, and I'm pretty proud of it."

Go ahead big brother, throw a slushee in my face!