Right when I read the list's title, Data popped in my head. Thank you, Topless. Thank you.

How is Gordon Freeman NOT number one? He kills shit with crowbars, for god's sake.

Putting Big Bang Theory on your list invalidates everything you've ever done in your entire life.

Aside from putting Welcome to Eltingville on the list. Damn it, how is it we get shit like Squidbillies and yet a GOOD SHOW like that just gets a damn pilot?! Fuuuuhhhhhgggkk.

Actually, I'll answer that myself. Squidbillies costs twenty bucks and some crack rocks to produce. WTE actually had decent animation (compared to AS' usual standards). It's a miracle The Venture Brothers ever got picked up, but thank God for it.

Someone else remembers Eltingville Club! I really wish that had been a series instead of a one shot episode. So much potential..

Urkel? Bleh.

Urkel may have been a misstep.

Glad to see Data on the list. I tried making booby traps and gadgets in his honor when I was younger.

Well, at least Squidbillies doesn't cost $20, some crack, and a finely aimed orbitoclast to produce. Like the REST of AS' usual fare.

(I kid, I kid! I'd say less than half of AS' original programming involves the expectation of brain damage.)

I take it you haven't seen the "IT crowd"?

This list is a joke.

Urkel? Wow, what a horrible thing to have to remember first thing in the morning.

But, you did have the smarts to list Willow as #1.

And, I agree. Blame Oz.

Nice list. And thank you for making Willow #1. She was my favorite Buffy character until around season 4. Suddenly deciding to make her strictly lesbian was something I've never really forgiven Joss Whedon for (as well as the episode "Once More, With Feeling" but that's a whole 'nother story). I never understood why he couldn't have just made her bi, especially since I know a few nerdy bi girls. But no, Joss strangely refuses to reverse his stance on this and last I checked in the comics, she was still an adamant carpet muncher. Maybe one day he or someone else will give her a boyfriend again and she'll find that swinging both ways is even more fun, but I'm not holding my breath.

Man I wish they would have made the Eltingville Club. And I agree with Willow as #1, because she's the only one on a list I would love to have as a drunken Saturday night booty call with.

Comic Book Guy has the same surliness as Ignatius from A Confederacy of Dunces... in fact, when reading that book, I like to imagine Jeff Albertson's voice when Ignatius speaks.

What about Val Kilmer's character in "Real Genius"? Guy used the satellite laser beam he developed to flood the ahole professor's house with popcorn. He was what every young nerd in the '80s aspired to be.

I was hoping from Travis Touchdown from No More Heroes would make the list. He is obsessed with magical girl anime, wrestling, and obscure shooters. Plus he fights with a light saber.Opps, I mean beam katana.

Great list. I would have included Doogie Howser, and as I type this I'm having a flashback to his computer diary entries that ended each episode.

Maybe Neil Patrick Harris should get an honorable mention. He's played 2 great nerds:Doogie and Dr. Horrible!

Balls!

The SpaceMonkey has a point: Real Genius was foolishly absent in this list.

Write it again, but this time DO IT RIGHT!

Anybody who's upset that Sheldon from Big Bang Theory is on this list is just mad because he hits too close to home. They should take off their Spock ears and lighten the hell up.

Haha, glad someone said it so I didn't have to, Mr. Wesley.

I submit that #1 should be "Nerds of the Real World" aka, US.... the nerdy fans of sci-fi, anime and comics that allow lists like this to exist.

Also, just to defend Lewis, he didn't rape that cheerleader, he was just in costume so she thought he was her boyfriend. More like deception, yeah?

WHO GIVES A SHIT ABOUT WILLOW, GO GORDON!

Sheldon Rules!

That quote in the opening line is famously MISATTRIBUTED to Bill Gates.

Speaking of Venture Bros... shouldn't one and/or the other of them have made the list?

No one from Freaks and Geeks?

Hell, even Skippy from Family Ties or I.Q. from Bionic Six woulda been fine additions.

I am going to contact my congressperson about these terrible oversights...

sorry, borgqueen, "nerds of the real world" seems an oxymoron. but they would probably be more along the lines of the sheldons of the world, the guys who can do tech support, the scientists, researchers, and writers who, while narrowly social, accomplish something with their autistic-like brains.

i think the guys you refer fall more in the dork column number 5, or 2 (shudder), nerds of the imaginary world who feel Star Wars truly has more merit than Star Trek, or who blow a fuse when the gijoe movie doesn't copy the 80s cartoon, or who knew the wolverine movie to be bad but still paid to go see it, etc. but dorks are cool too, right?

interesting that, as a girl, you defend lewis.

I agree with Honest Steve--the omission of Travis Touchdown from this list is a travesty to all of nerdom.

I missing Moss from "The IT Crowd"...

Here's another admonishment for not including Val Kilmer's "Real Genius" Chris Knight to the list. And what about the same movie's closet-dwelling uber-nerd Lazlo?

A bit obscure, but it was honestly the first greatest nerd that popped into my head:

Jerry Mitchell (Casey Seimasko) from 3 o'clock High

yes! totally amazing list. I can't begin to tell you how much I agree with number 1.

Lazlo. Lazlo! Good call, TrapJaw. Lazlo was the man. Jon Gries also played Broots on The Pretender. He's a good nerd.

Dean Venture also a good suggestion. No Misfits of Science or Edison Twins, but that's probably for the best.

Ah, Willow. How many nerds hack into the city mainframe on their imac? Say what you will about the lesbian move, but I'd go for Amber Benson too: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3339/3588810157_803a34e428.jpg

What about the 2 guys from Weird Science? They built a magical girl and a nuke!

What about David Lightman from WarGames? How could that computer nerd genius who's awkward around the opposite sex yet can hack into NORAD's WOPR and almost start WWIII not be on this list?

Travesty!

Comic Book Guy is more douchebag than nerd. If anything he's more of a geek, loud-mouthed and probably smells and has an unhealthy obsession with geek culture. Professor John Frink and Martin Prince are more of the nerdy characters because they are extremely smart and get picked on by bullies and jocks. And of course Milhouse Van Houten is the dork because he looks like a nerd, but doesn't have the brains of a nerd.

Really the problem here is that nerd, geek, spazz, dork, dweeb, and doofus have almost become synonymous when in reality they are not.

Nerds = smart usually math, science, and computer oriented.

There are usually represented by real-life guys like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, Tina Fey, Tom from MySpace, The Facebook kid, doctors, lawyers, pharmacists, chemists, physicists, etc. Their intelligence leads to successful careers or they create things of use to the non-nerd (stupid) population.

Fictional nerds are David Lightman, Dr. Light, Mr. Spock, Dexter, Reed Richards, etc.

If the Revenge of the Nerds movie was used to help clarify who were really nerds than think of Lewis Skolnick, Gilbert Lowell, and Harold Wormser. All are very smart but have social retardation skills but will eventual become successes.

geek = smart in pop culture, knows a lot of useless trivia, may excel in one subject area, but never attain the genius of the nerd.

Most of us who come to this site are geeks. Whether we are comic geeks, cartoon geeks, film geeks, tv geeks, music geeks, game geeks, sport geeks, etc. we all obsess about one thing or another too much that it takes away from our regular life often making many of us socially awkward around non-geeks. We can relate to nerds as many of them may have geek tendencies and we even know a few spazzes. We try to disassociate ourselves from dorks, dweebs, and doofuses since they are even more socially awkward than us.

Real life geeks are people like Wil Wheaton, Gene Roddenberry, George Lucus, Steven Spielberg, John Leguizamo, Wazowski bros., Jon Favreau, Stan Lee, Albert Brooks, Bill James, Sam Raimi, Peter Jackson, Woody Allen, Band Geeks, Pop Convention Attendees, Major League Gamers, Jeopardy contestants, Math Teacher, Science Teacher, your Uncle who always wins Trivial Pursuit, etc.

Fictional geeks are Cameron from Ferris Buller, Geordi, Barkley (ST:TNG), Comic Book Guy, Jerry Seinfeld from Seinfeld, etc.

If you look at Revenge of the Nerds than Dudley "Booger" Dawson and Arnold Poindexter would be your geeks.

dork, dweeb, and doofus = looks like a nerd, but has the brains of a regular Joe.

By far being a dork, dweeb, or doofus is the worse. Imagine looking like a social reject smart guy, but not being any smarter than the average person. This is the worst scenario. Regular folks want to have nothing with you because your ugly and weird and than the people who could accept you like nerds and geeks don't want you either because you're too bland and insipid to join them in their fantasy world.

Real life dorks exist everywhere, but I guess guys like Drew Carey, Alex Trebeck, Adam Sandler, Game Show Hosts in general, librarians, av guy, park ranger, etc. are the best examples of this.

Fictional dorks are characters like Skippy from Family Ties, Doofus from Ducktales, Joey Gladstone from Full House, Al Borland from Home Improvement, Alan Jerome Harper from Two and a Half Men, Spence Olchin from King of Queens, George Costanza from Seinfeld, etc.

If we look at Revenge of the Nerds again than Toshiro Takashi the Japanese exchange student is the best example. I mean the guy is a bully magnet and if he was at least brainy he'd have some redeeming factor, but even the other Tri-Lambs kind of take pity on him.

spazz = geek that cannot control his/herself.

Basically a spazz is a geek on crack. Most teams of geeks have at least one spazz in their midst. They are usually over hyper, take things too literally, and sometimes just look disheveled and homeless. Spazzes also do the more stranger stuff that even geeks would hesitate to do like take dares or do outrageous stunts.

Real life spazzes are guys like Ben Stiller, Will Ferrel, Tom Green, Michael Phelps, PTO/PTA parents, Gym Coach, Fear Factor Contestants, Steve-O, etc.

Fictional spazzes are character like Tweek from South Park, Butters from South Park, Pig-Pen from peanuts, Kramer from Seinfeld, etc.

If we look at Revenge of the Nerds there was no real spazz character, but both Booger and Lewis did have some spastic tendencies. As for Lamar? Well he doesn't fit any of these categories as he was a Tri-Lam and was simply an outcast because he was a homosexual black male.

So while I do like your list, I think some of these characters mentioned here are hardly nerds and more likely one of the other categories mentioned here.

cam: nerds, dorks, geeks, etc... they are all pretty much the same, no? I was using a loose definition as in, those fans who by their love and support of these genres, keep them alive and allow sites like this one to exist, not necessarily those who are like the characters on this list. I was not a genius child prodigy like Sheldon, but I have been for my whole life, a die-hard Trekkie and a fan of any and all sci-fi (yes even bad sci-fi.... SciFi Channel movies of the week are my guiltiest of guilty pleasures). Am I a nerd, geek, dork, etc? Hell yes baby, even without a genius-level IQ or a job in computers/tech support etc. We come in all shapes and sizes.

And if Lewis had sex with her against her will that would be rape. He just never took off his helmet.

Third.

"GalvaTRION said:

The SpaceMonkey has a point: Real Genius was foolishly absent in this list."

If you read the comments with the voice of Comic Book Guy, they are utterly hilarious.

Agreed, Val Kilmer from Real Genius should have been on here.

http://www.slycomics.com/

"Urkel is as indicative of the 1990s as flannel shirts and Pauly Shore."

Wow. That puts life in the '90s into an awful, painful perspective. To paraphrase Bill Simmons, I will now slit my throat with a Pearl Jam CD.

cool list. and surprisded date and urkel did not rank a little higher. though loved that willow made the list. for the list was no doubt hard to narrow down given all the choices that could have made it

Speaking for the lesbian perspective, Oz was the experiment and Tara was the real deal. Regardless, she makes an excellent #1 Nerd.

Yeah, Lightman was the one I most identified with. Nerdy as hell, but not a complete basket case.

Loved Willow, but I've never forgiven Joss for the whole Oz mess. (And yeah, I know it wasn't entirely his doing. Doesn't matter.)

Oh Sheldon, don't you ever stop being your nerdy awesome self.

Willow shouldn't even be here, and Lazlo Hollyfeld and/or Chris Knight should be.

Sigh. Rampant Whedonism does its vile work again.

Hell, I'd say you're wrong to omit Dr. Emmett Brown, too. If he wasn't a nerd, I don't know who was-- and He Invented Time Travel, DAMMIT.

You missed the #1 best nerd in all of popculture: Harry from Spellbound! Seriously, you're telling me any of the nerds on your list can even come close? Just watch the opening minutes, I rest my case.

Aaaaaactually, that wasn't Oz's fault. It was that cunting whore Veruca's fault.

No Freaks and Geeks? No Chuck? For shame!

Actually, if memory serves me correctly, Lewis only pleasured her orally before she realized it was him. Doubt that could be considered rape.

Also, it can never be considered rape if you pleasure her more than any other man before, apparently.

Oh, and it's incredibly wrong to forget the old-school nerds that came before these, and heavily influenced a lot of them, such as:

Professor Julius Kelp
The original Nutty Professor as played by Jerry Lewis is the grandaddy godfather of nerddom in film. Not only is he brilliant-but-awkward, but he manages to get the hottest girl in the end.

"Brain" aka Harold Hellman
While he was also a criminal and kind of a weasel, "Brain" (from "Escape From New York") was undoubtedly a nerd, and since he was the most intelligent nerd in New York Maximum Security Prison, he was given a lot of power and leeway. He made the cars run. He developed weapons. He lived in the New York Public Library with the hottest woman in New York. What's not to love about Brain's life? Sure, he got blown up in the end, but up until Snake came back, Brain was living the high life.

Barney Springboro
OK, so he's kind of obscure, but those who remember ZAPPED! will remember Scott Baio's Barney as a great nerd character who stumbles upon the formula for telekinesis, and uses it to lift girls' skirts, hide pot plants from teachers, and intimidate his overly-protective (and weird) parents. In the end, he's yet another nerd who gets the girl.

Ted aka "the geek"
We never know for sure that he's really named "Ted", but "the geek" from Sixteen Candles is undoubtedly, as he says, the "king of the dipwads". He hangs around with all the other nerds, geeks, and spazzes, but he aspires to be more. He aims for a pretty girl, and when he doesn't get her he still parlays the encounter into a profitable panty-showing venture (and a winning bet for floppy disks). He braves the perils of a prep party, and by the movie's end, he bangs the prom queen. Ted is, indeed, a nerd to admire.

Duckie Dale
Alternative nerd, Duckie Dale (from "Pretty in Pink"), is a nerd scorned. He should have gotten the girl in the end (and did in the novelization and the original film, until test audiences decided they wanted Sam to get the rich guy in the end. Boo!) However, despite giving in and letting the girl of his dreams run off with a complete jerkwad prep, Duckie wins the day in pure style. He wasn't a brainy nerd-- No, his gift was pure geek style and wit. Maybe others didn't appreciate it, but he sure stood out in a crowd. He didn't have a car: He rode his bike past a girl's house if he liked her. Duckie was a different class of nerd, but a nerd nonetheless.

Brian Johnson
"The Breakfast Club" gave us a smorgasbord of 80s high school archetypes, and among them was the nerd; Brian Johnson. He was entrusted to write the essay that would complete the day's detention. He couldn't build an elephant lamp. Out of the entire group present on that day, he was the only one going home alone. Poor Brian; He's such a beta male that even after all that sharing and understanding and learning to respect each other, he probably *still* ended up doing other people's homework and making out with his pillow at the end of the day. Mark him down as perhaps the most realistic nerd on screen, ever.

I needed to proofread:

Professor Julius Kelp
The original Nutty Professor as played by Jerry Lewis is the grandaddy godfather of nerddom in film. Not only is he brilliant-but-awkward, but he manages to get the hottest girl *by the movie's* end.

The other way is just a bit wrong... Though maybe true.

Cool but not as cool as Electronic Cigarette

Another proofread fix:

Duckie Dale
Alternative nerd, Duckie Dale (from "Pretty in Pink"), is a nerd scorned. He should have gotten the girl in the end (and did in the novelization and the original film, until test audiences decided they wanted *Andie* to get the rich guy in the end. Boo!)

(I got my Molly Ringwald characters mixed up!)

This was a pretty good list until the end. Spider-man takes a backseat to a friggin' Mary Sue character from Buffy? I still can't believe that anyone likes that Big Bang show. Ugh. Lame finish. Overall a decent list but the ordering is rather poor.

meant no harm, borgqueen. i just like to split hairs and you were the nearest bystander. THE PR0F3550R summed it pretty well, tho i doubt it'll ever become established diction.

as to the rape/stud question, because she was physically decieved as to who she was with, her will, her decision as to who she was with, was denied. so, while not textbook rape, it doesn't look good for lewis.

sci-fi channel movies, huh? that truly is a guilty pleasure. :)

She wasn't a lesbian - she was bisexual. The tv series just refused to admit that because apparently "bisexual" doesn't exist unless it's on the L Word, in which case it's just bi with lesbian leanings...

*clears teh throat*

I thought Peter Parker should top the list. Even though Willow was smart (and used a freakin' apple computer), Peter Parker actually SHOWS his nerdiness. Willow was teased for being a nerd, but how many times did she quote math algarathms (I'm positive that's not how that's spelled, but too lazy for check right now)? Or get down with her scientific nerdy self? Hardly ever.

So, P.Parker should have topped the list... or Sherlock Holmes, as he was the first most awesome nerd EVER. Or Van Helsing, for some of the same reasoning as Holmes. Or Watson, since he was more awkward...

THE PR0F3550R, I think you are confusing nerd with geek, ergo geek, as in thinkgeek, is specifically computer or technology based fandom. Nerds are the best of the best, and have a mix of intelligence, supreme fandom, and the best social skills.

Otherwise I agree with you.

On a related note, this is the crappiest 10 Best List in a very long while. Toplessrobot, I'm ashamed of you. :(

@THE PR0F3550R:

Damn. Did you write your dissertation on the different stratas and pecking order of nerdery, or did you just copy and paste the Wikipedia entry?

What about Toby from American Splendor?

Gordon Freeman should be #1. Most badass Nerd period.

Willow was always my favourite nerd. I guess I sort of identified with her. I guess it was no surprise when I came out either. Oz was a cool guy (hell even I would have probably dated him back then too), but no one has anything on Tara... I agree with Rusty: Oz was the experiment, Tara was the real deal!

Pretty solid, well-rounded list. Me likes.

Nobody seems to have commented that Sheldon, on last night's rerun of Big Bang Theory was wearing the TR robots shirt. I'm okay with this list, and less with the Willow-haters in the comments- drag your knuckles and slack-jaws elsewhere, please.
@Mr.C- very cool reference to Ignatius, though I can't imagine him saying, "Ah yes, this will be adequate sustenance for the Dr. Who marathon".

@ Mikes: I would love to see a screencap (or clip) of that!

Yeah! Revenge of the Nerds totally ROCKED! Go Lambda Lambda!

RT
www.real-anonymity.pro.tc

Hi..
Yeah good one after reading the title , i got some ideas flying in my mind and Thanks GOD i was rite

This comment section proves that nerds will always criticize and catering to them is infuriatingly impossible.

Bill Gates didn't say that. Charles J. Sykes did.

What about the Nerds from the Movie Real Genius?

Those nerds should be number 1!

How could they not have Doc from Back to the Future??!?!?!?

Couple of things:

- I loved Real Genius, but Chris Knight was just a really funny smart guy. The main character was the nerd, and man, was he a doozy.

- Who gives a shit about Willow's sexual appetite? If that's why you were watching the show, you missed the point.

- Gordon Freeman belongs where he is on the list. Like Rob says, the crowbar drops his nerd quotient down a little.

Overall, a great list. I would have added Egon from Ghostbusters though. Just Sayin'.

Sheldon should have been number one, far funnier than Willow ever was.

How can you guys leave out the science nerd and the computer nerd from NCIS?
Worst.List.Ever

willow, willow you be my love? haha only kidding she was far more attractive than old pointy-nose whiney buffy imho. i would have had added wesley crusher to the list, you know... for tha laydeez. and macguyver? he HAD to be some kind of nerd to know all that stuff :)

Willow is strictly lesbian, although I never liked Tara (too bland for me), I understand why Joss did it.

And for those who think Joss never showed love to the bi-sexual community, look no further than Faith. Writers hinted on several occassions she was bi.

Also check out the Season 8 comic for another (surprising for some, but not for hardcore fans) bi character.

Parker wasn't so nerdy after high school. But on the other hand yeah he does live with his aunt. Props for adding Dexter

What no OTACON from MGS?

How can Sheldon not be #1!?!?

Where the hell is Chloe from 24!?!?!?

Might have been said but no love to Brain from "Pinky and the Brain"?

Seriously? The characters from a 1-off pilot from 5 years ago made a top 10 list? ANY top 10 list?

I think you might be overestimating the cultural impact of Welcome to Eltingville.

Was there a vote on this? Who left out the Lone Gunmen? Maybe they came in at #23?

Smiles,
HMJ

How could you not have Horseshack from Welcome Back Kotter!

Murray from Riptide? Or do you not remember the 80s at all? And the Lone Gunmen, too, thanks Jack Blackthorn.

http://ihatejade.com/index.php?c=viral&m=index&id=b8e8f5ce5902ba54d45ddfd6f646de6d

i guess egon from GhostBusters was too cool for the list of nerds?
"Egon this reminds me of the time you tried to drill a hole through you head"
"It would have worked if you hadn't of stopped me Peter"
Classic

Re: Egon.

Hey... Treppanning is somewhat reliable! He'd have been fine!

And you're right. I totally missed him on my list, too. For that matter, I'd have to throw Ray and Louis on there, too.

Great list especially regarding Willow, CBG, Dexter and Data but Sheldon and Urkel over Brain from The Breakfast Club, Brain from Pinky & The Brain, Hermione from Harry Potter(in some ways she is more awesome than Willow), Archie Comics' Dilton(surprised nobody has mentioned him yet as he has been around since what, Year Two)? And I guess you COULD list Holmes and Watson as nerds/geeks too.

"It was that cunting whore Veruca's fault."

This should be a t-shirt. And while it is totally understandable why she'd switch for Tara, I can't see for the life of me the appeal of Kennedy!

GO Willow!

You forgot nerds from other pop media and the absence of Devo sticks out like an opposable digit with a contusion

What about phineas & Ferb????

I suppose everyone has their favorite...mine, I agree with lots of posters...Sheldon, hands down.

Stupid nerds, I hate them. Tho I enjoyed playing Half-Life.

I think that Gordon Freeman deserves to be a lot higher than #10. I mean really, who else is cool enough to not only be a scientist, but also fight through hordes of monsters?