Disney Nerds

Chris Taylor analyzes the appeal of big glasses and big heads

- by Chris Taylor, March 3, 2011

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My daughter loves Disney Nerds. During a recent trip to the Walt Disney World resort in Florida, she fell for a set of Disney Nerd pins which led to the purchase of a giant pink sweatshirt. She doesn't wear glasses or braces. She's eight.

When we first saw them, she didn't even know what the word 'nerd' meant. Sure, she'd heard it around, but had no clear frame of reference. She does know what it's like to be called out for being a little different. I think all kids do, but I don't think it's the cause of her fascination. After I explained that once upon a time, being called a nerd was a bad thing, she couldn't understand it.

"Why would you make fun of someone because they're smart?"

Why, indeed...

click an image to expand and read notes:

Nerds Rock Dress

Vinylmation: Disney Nerds

Vinylmation: More Disney Nerds

Disney Nerd Mickey with his Artist Card

The Anatomy of a Disney Nerd

I think the appeal of Disney Nerds works on a number of levels. They're new and novel, presenting the classic Disney characters in a new light. Their heads are usually bigger than their bodies, which children tend to identify with because for the first few years of life, the face is the single most important thing they see every day. The colors are bold and bright. Most of them have glasses, which tend to fascinate children, and some of the other features are exaggerated, e.g., buck teeth.

Disney Nerds certainly look younger than their classic counterparts. And more studious.

Frankly, they look closer to an actual child, especially in a child's eyes.

Think back to Tiny Toons or the Muppet Babies. Or even Rugrats. Those characters work because they bring the great big world down to a child's perspective and understanding. Whereas my daughter loves Mickey and Minnie, they are indeed grown up to her. The Minnie Nerd sweatshirt she got looks a lot like an 8-year-old little girl. Complete with hair bows and bangs.

A Nerdly Analysis

For older people, the love of Disney Nerds might arise from being called a nerd in school; from a love for other 'nerd-culture' icons like Star Trek, Dr. Who, and MythBusters; or from a general sense of exclusion.

(The word 'nerd', by the way, dates back to around 1950, first being used by none other than Dr. Seuss. The slang and slanderous version is dated to 1951 when the author of a story about college printed in Newsweek referred to 'nerds' as 'squares or drips'.)

I imagine today's acceptance of the word 'nerd' stems mostly from the fact that it's the nerds who have engineered our tech-obsessed society. Internet, anyone? Smart people run things. Smart people get things done.

Children have an innate sense about these things.

The New Age of the Disney Nerd

My daughter's generation is growing up in a cinematic culture of nerds: Spongebob, iCarly, Star Wars, even Dora the Explorer. All are considered nerds or nerdy due to intelligence, general kindness, or both. That's why I think my little girl identifies so much with the Disney Nerds: they are unassuming, friendly, and nice. They don't quite fit in with anything else Disney offers. They're on the outside looking in.

And they're a little goofy, too.

Don't all kids feel like 'nerds' at some point in their lives?

Currently, the Disney Nerds can be found on clothing, trading pins, back packs, and a new set of Disney Vinylmations. They were created for the Disney resorts exclusively.

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