History Main / EvenNerdsHaveStandards

* In ''Film/BackToTheFuture1'', even the eccentric, reclusive MadScientist Dr. Emmett Brown is appalled when he sees how nerdy and socially inept the teenage George [=McFly=] is.

* On ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb,'' even [[BollywoodNerd Baljeet]] considers [[LoonyFan Irving]] to be a nerd.
** Another episode has a sci-fi and fantasy convention, fresh off [[FandomRivalry a war between the two fandoms]], unite in mocking a teenage fan of the kiddie character [[PeripheryHatedom Ducky Momo]].
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'' younger Cosmo, who is apparently the biggest loser in his school, gets beat up by every clique group, even the nerds, and [[JerkJock Luther]].
** In the episode "Shelf Life" Mr. Crocker makes the class do a 500 page book report over the summer. Elmer says it sounds like fun which nobody takes kindly to, not even Sanjay!

* At the end of the ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'' episode "Lucky in Love", the nerd calls Danny, Tucker, and Sam "losers".
** In the early seasons, Tucker himself hates being called a "nerd" and "Techno-Geek". In one episode, he has gotten sick of it, but by the end, he starts to [[ProudToBeAGeek like being a "Techno-Geek"]].
* In the ''WesternAnimation/RockosModernLife'' episode "Canned", Rocko passes two comic book geeks, one of which is gushing about how [[PerverseSexualLust he thinks the "elf wenches" in his favorite fantasy comic are way hotter than real women]]. The other geek responds "Wow... you're an ''idiot.''"

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheLooneyTunesShow'', there's a flashback to [[EveryoneWentToSchoolTogether everyone's]] high school days, and we find out that [[spoiler:even Pete Puma and Marvin Martian, established losers in this particular continuity, refused to sit with Daffy]].
* This is a common theme in ''WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor'' where nerds have superhuman powers that set them apart from other kids [[OurZombiesAreDifferent (like turning into zombies if you steal from them).]] In any case, nerds are quick to compete with other nerds over their talents, like in one scene where a nerd calls another one dumb when he doesn't know that he can't catch cooties from his sister.
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy'' episode "Wishbones", when Billy's dad Harold finds the wishing skull, he wishes he could live his high school years again because he believed he was one of the popular kids, he approaches the jocks and the cheerleaders who beat him up, he then tries the bullies with the same result, then he attempts to befriend some nerds but even they beat him up and stuff him into the garbage can just like everyone else.
* In ''WesternAnimation/StaticShock'', Virgil remembers villain Speedwarp as the nerd who all the other nerds at science camp would pick on.
* In the pilot episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheOblongs'', Peggy is explaining to Milo the social hierarchy at school and notes that not only are they behind the dorks, geeks, and dweebs, but the wild dogs on the soccer field and [[LactatingMale the boy who lactates as well]].
* In the ''WesternAnimation/SheZow'' episode "Friend or Faux", a nerd compares [=SheZow=]'s fight with Tara to a specific event that happened in a specific comic. Another nerd tells her that she really needs to get a life.
* Bobby in ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill'' is geeky but BookDumb so he does see some of Connie's study habits as nerdier than him. He also joins a group of wannabe wizards but after refusing to drink dog's blood in their ritual and seeing them trying to cast a spell on him he breaks out laughing and admits he almost wants to give them wedgies.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Downtown}}'' episode "Night Shift", a group of nerds quickly get exasperated with one of their members who is so socially inept, he thinks 'laid' is the name of a Star Wars character.
* In the pilot of ''WesternAnimation/{{Detentionaire}}'', Cam gets shoved to the side by a Mathlete, which shows how low he is on the school's social totem pole.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/TheProudFamily'' episode "Twins to Tweens," Penny's life gets altered by Al Roker to where Bebe and Cece are teenagers and are much more popular than Penny, making her the outcast of the school. Penny then tries to hang out with the resident super geek, Myron. However, Myron (despite crushing over Penny in the main reality) rejects her outright even calling her a "nerd" as he leaves with his girlfriend.
* ''WesternAnimation/RocketPower'': In "Loss of Squid", Sam meets Oliver for the first time and is happy to have a friend who shares his interest in science and computers. However, Sam later gets bored of him because Oliver doesn't like sports or games, has no sense of humor, is afraid of any physical activity, and doesn't want to do anything else except study. At the end of the episode, Sam introduces him to the gang and tries to get him to play hockey.

[[folder:Western Animation]]:

* [[ComicBook/TheAmazingSpiderManJMichaelStraczynski Charlie Weiderman]] was such a big nerd in high school that even ''[[ComicBook/SpiderMan Peter Parker]]'' once picked on him.

* In ''ComicBook/GothamAcademy'', a flashback to TheEighties shows that the school's tiny role-playing club (the Gilkey Warlocks) was mocked by the honor students, the chess club, the drama group and the choir.

-->'''Mary Kate:''' Well, even THEY won't talk to Ethan!

--->(Raj nods in agreement)

-->'''Johnny Vegas''': That's the best thing - The trainspotters are sitting on a hill going "Losers! Get a life!"

* The Nerd Clique in ''VideoGame/{{Bully}}'' won't let Petey into their group, claiming that he is too weird.

** And then there's...

* A variation in ''Webcomic/MacHall'' [[https://www.machall.com/comic/marcon-review here.]] It claims when nerds arrive at a con, each one finds someone even worse than themselves in order to feel better about themselves. %% old url was http://www.machall.com/view.php?date=2002-05-26 - keep it handy in case it changes again, for thus one has the date.
* In ''Webcomic/FurthiaHigh'', [[http://furthiahigh.concessioncomic.com/index.php?pid=20080414 Bruce calls Kale and Campy nerds]] for chatting online and reciting poetry, respectively, while talking about how his {{LARP}}ing is much cooler than what they'll be doing. This is intended as HypocriticalHumor.
** Another time Bruce made fun of a couple guys playing a TCG in the cafeteria, while wearing his LARP costume.

** Another time he mentioned he wasn't as into a franchise as others and said, "This is where the big nerds get to pick on me" with an illustration of a hulking figure with big coke-bottle glasses and nerdy incisors picking him up.
** He also accused ''VideoGame/SunsetOverdrive'' of trying ''way'' too hard to be like this, setting out to be a game that's deliberately silly and weird and wacky while also mocking the "nerds" who would, despite its protestations, probably make up most of its target audience.

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' visit a BrandX version of Ikea:
-->'''Lisa:''' ''[picks up a pencil holder]'' Ooh, I want to get the krünk.\\

** And when Bart accidentally revealed that he has a ''stamp collection'' in "Homer the Vigilante", even Lisa laughed at him.

** Lisa also laughed at Bart in "Boy-Scoutz 'n The Hood" when he accidentally joined the [[ScoutOut Junior Campers]] during a [[DrunkOnMilk Squishee bender]].

** In the episode "Grade School Confidential," Martin's birthday party comes to an end when the oysters his parents served, instead of cake, gave the other kids food poisoning, except for Bart who gave his to Martin's cat, and Lisa who faked getting food poisoning in order to escape the overtly educational theme of the party.
** In "The Last Temptation of Homer," Bart simultaneously undergoes several medical treatments (orthopedic shoes, glasses to correct lazy eye, salve for a dry scalp) that combine to make him look like a stereotypical nerd. When he turns up at school and is duly shamed by the mob, even Martin Prince gets in his two cents.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'' younger Cosmo, who is apparently the biggest loser in his school, gets beat up by every clique group, even the nerds. And [[JerkJock Luther]].

* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark''

** In the early seasons, Tucker himself hates being called a "nerd" and "Techno-Geek". In one episode, he has gotten sick of it, but by the end, he started to [[ProudToBeAGeek like being a "Techno-Geek"]].

** [[CasanovaWannabe Cody]] [[InvertedTrope inverts]] this-- according to his [[AllThereInTheManual online bio]], the reason he thinks of himself as cool is because he hangs out with a bunch of friends even geekier than he is.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy'' episode "Wishbones", when Billy's dad Harold finds the wishing skull he wishes he could live his high school years again because he believed he was one of the popular kids, he approaches the jocks and the cheerleaders who beat him up, he then tries the bullies with the same result, then he attempts to befriend some nerds but even they beat him up and stuff him into the garbage can just like everyone else.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/TheProudFamily'' episode "Twins to Tweens," Penny's life gets altered by Al Roker to where Bebe and Cece are teenagers and are much more popular than Penny, making her the outcast of the school. Penny then tries to hang out with the resident super geek, Myron. However, Myron (despite crushing over Penny in the main reality) rejects her outright even calling her a "nerd" as he left with his girlfriend.

* In the ''Literature/JohnnyMaxwellTrilogy'' Johnny and his friends are pals because they don't fit into any of the school cliques, even the uncool ones. Wobbler in particular is described as "He ''wanted'' to be a nerd, but they wouldn't let him join", and Johnny reckons ''[[RailEnthusiast trainspotters]]'' are cooler than Yo-less.

* When Creator/DouglasAdams revealed that the question which produced the Ultimate Answer [[Franchise/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy (42)]] was [[spoiler:What do you get if you multiply six by nine?]], somebody pointed out that the math actually did add up... if you use base 13. Adams responded, "[[SelfDeprecation I may be a sad individual]], but I don't make jokes in base 13."

* Bobby in ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill'' is geeky but BookDumb so he does see some of Connie's study habits as nerdier than him. He also joins a group of wannabe wizards but after refusing to drink dog's blood in their ritual and see them trying to cast a spell on him he breaks out laughing and admits he almost wants to give them wedgies.

** When Sheldon and his arch-nemesis Barry Kripke, have to settle a dispute, they go with a basketball match, since sports are the one thing that neither of them have an overwhelming advantage in.[[note]]This is three seasons before Kripke is revealed to be an accomplished fencer.[[/note]] They are so terrible at it that the guys cannot help but find them pathetic, enough to where they briefly empathize with their schoolboy tormentors.

* In the ''Radio/JohnFinnemoresDoubleActs'' episode "Here's What We Do", the somewhat pretentious 18 year old Pidge is horrified to discover that while he was at Uni, his friend Gavin has got into ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons''. Less because he's got anything against the game itself ("Of course it's ''fun''!") as because it cements their nerd status. (Later, when admitting that [[spoiler: everything he previously told Gavin about what they're doing is a lie, he confesses to being in the university's ''TabletopGame/SettlersOfCatan'' team, and ''not'' the squash team]]).

-->'''Lisa:''' ''(picks up a pencil holder)'' Ooh, I want to get the krünk.\\
'''Marge:''' Mmmm, you don't want something that overshadows the pencils. ''(Holds up another pencil caddy)'' How about this pöpli?\\
'''Lisa:''' Mom, no! Everyone at school picks on the pöpli kids - even I do. ''(Under her breath)'' I just hate them so much.

* WebVideo/TheAngryVideoGameNerd thinks this way of sports nerds, as revealed in the Atari Sports episode. And he’s even more so towards the title character of ''VideoGame/LesterTheUnlikely''.
-->'''AVGN:''' "This 'nerd' makes me look like Creator/CharlesBronson! ''[[Series/FamilyMatters Steve Urkel]]'' could beat the shit out of this guy!"

* A variation in ''Webcomic/MacHall'' [[https://www.machall.com/comic/marcon-review
here.]] It claims when nerds arrive at a con, each one finds someone even worse than themselves in order to feel better about themselves. %% old url was http://www.machall.com/view.php?date=2002-05-26 - keep it handy in case it changes again, for thus one has the date.

* A variation in ''Webcomic/MacHall'' [[http://www.machall.com/view.php?date=2002-05-26 here.]] It claims when nerds arrive at a con, each one finds someone even worse than themselves in order to feel better about themselves.

* ''Series/{{QI}}'': In the "Invertebrates" episode, this was the reaction to the teams learning about the Worm-Charming Festival (which failed to charm any worms):

* The trope represents a common joke in ''Website/SFDebris'' reviews.