Glasses hovering over irises; unfashionable clothing covering skin; eyes trained on a textbook.
One of the world's most famous stereotypes; the nerd.
Everyone, every single student knows what a nerd is. The socially awkward, highly intelligent girl or boy that is teased for his or her excellence in academics; her interests alien to her other peers'. The nerd - banned from the social groupings and ladder known as popularity.
It's a cruel stereotype, a label. One that I dislike because I loathe stereotypes.
Once in a while a stereotype is funny; a common blonde joke or a quick little remark about a race. Something harmless, tossed casually into the air - to have a brisk, pleasant laugh over.
However when a stereotype starts taking over, becoming serious and controlling, influencing other's opinions and views it irks me. Especially school stereotypes; goths, preps, jocks, band kids, geeks and the infamous nerds. Being teased because you're smarter than most? Really? Just because you favour the colour black and a little eyeliner means that you're suddenly a depressed, moody person?
What really irritates me is that half of these stereotypes are exaggerated to the point where the actual meaning is lost. To where it defines who you are as a person in the eyes of others and that provokes my anger. Nobody can be summed up in a single word; not any single living thing in this entire planet be it insect or reptile. Not one breathing or still creature. Even a chair can't be described, be defined in a lone word.
And what I find depressing is that how so many people go out of their way to hide their interests, to hide parts of who they are because they're afraid of being labelled, of being rejected. So many lie, so many fail tests that they could easily pass; so many shove clothes that they would love to wear to the backs of their closets due to the fear of being rejected, of being pushed away. To not be called a nerd or a goth.
I think that gothic culture is beautiful to be honest. The art, the colours, the clothing. The music; have you heard those instrumentals? The soulful lyrics? The makeup, though extreme, is actually pretty intense and shows off the nature of the gothic world - mysterious, dreamy and intense with a touch of romance.
So why are you afraid to express yourselves? Embrace yourself; be it. Take those clothes and wear them, write down the answers to those questions. Reveal those parts of your personality; they're beautiful and they deserve to shine.
~tanisha (: x