P.S. FUCK bullies.

I always thought of it this way: nerd describes intellect while geek describes obsessive interest. I was called a nerd for being smart and particularly good at science and math, while I was a geek for liking science fiction. But “nerd” as it is used now (and embraced by Nerdist, for example) seems to emphasize the obsessive attention to detail that one can direct toward anything, be it Doctor Who, astronomy, My Little Pony, literature…we all “nerd out” over the things we love.

I have to give Tennant his due, even though he never really sold me. I do think the partnership between him and Catherine Tate as Donna was the best the new series has seen. I agree that Matt Smith’s performance comes closest to what I see as “Doctorish”.

Peter Davison was my first Doctor too. I actually happened upon “The Five Doctors” on my PBS station, which then resumed showing the Tom Baker episodes from the beginning. So I was introduced straight away to the concept of regeneration, and found myself wondering, “When is this guy going to die and turn into the cute blonde guy?”

I grew up watching episodes of classic Doctor Who that my dad taped off of PBS. I’m a classic series fan through and through. I like the new series for the most part, but I just hate the romantic elements. I also don’t think that Russell T. Davies can write an ending to a season to save his life.

If you really want to experience all the episodes of classic Doctor Who in order, then there are ways. I’m pretty sure that all of the episodes of the First and Second Doctor that are missing are available in audio format. Most of episodes are available on DVD and the ones that aren’t will be in the future. It would take a lot of work, but it’s definitely possible.

Get over it.

Well, if you want to go all the way back, a geek was the guy who bit off chicken heads at the carnival sideshow.

One of us…one of us…one of us…

I don’t know about the anger. I was sometimes angry with certain aspects of being the Other (I was Weird – I don’t think I was ever labeled Nerd or Geek), but mostly it was OK with me because I can’t bear too much dullnormal boring status quo-ness, even from good people. I still won’t deal with them socially, and you won’t find me going to any high school reunion. Not out of anger, but because of a complete lack of interest. (Well, most of the people I would care to see from school were not in my class, and I know where to find them anyway.)

I can certainly understand how some people might have been, or still are, angry about being bullied, especially when there was enough of this to constitute a formative experience. I can get angry about how much people suck, and it doesn’t have to involve me directly at all. But frankly, when you are othered by the crowd and tagged as geek or nerd for bullying purposes (particularly in the days before the massive wave of self-identification), being a geek or nerd was very much exactly about being shit on. (Of course there are always people who appropriate the terms to be used affectionately or with admiration, but these were not, historically, the main usages.) You can get past it, but it doesn’t change the fact that these were bullying words used for bullying.

As to having being bullied as requirement or dues payment to be called a geek as it is currently used, this is stupid and pointless, and the people claiming these things ought to talk with geeks from times prior to theirs. Some things may, of course, be taken as supporting their position, after a fashion, such as people who would never self-identify as a geek, but who were othered with the word.

If you are going to own the words, I can’t see the sense in demanding that one must have been bullied for the words to apply. It’s a bit self-defeating for those who want a geek culture.

This drives me crazy for different reasons. I’m a fan of the new series, but I’m also a nerd. I want to watch the original show but they are more or less gone now. Oh sure there are episodes here and there but not how I want them. I want to see all of it. The breakdowns, books, and radio plays do not satisfy my deep seated nerd need to know every aspect of this show I love. All The Torchwood is the closest I can come now to getting a rounded Who herein and it bugs the crap out of me.

All that said, the episodes which *are* available are awesome, even out of order.