Studying Needs a New PR
Rekha Joly looks at nerds, dropout millionaires and the paradox of working hard in academics
For a long time, the media has been painted with horns for its representation or rather its lack of representation. That very paradigm in recent times, has been shifting. However, there is one breed that remains to be getting the raw end of the deal. The “nerds”.
They are not handsome or beautiful (whatever that means). They are not cool and only popular in the academia field. They don’t dress sexy. They are either only studying or going to the library. They never have fun, unless you count quiz time. Nobody understands their humour but everyone laughs at them. They are always worried about the never-ending exams, assignments and proposals.
Ross Geller from Friends seems to be the pioneer for it. He is never taken seriously. He is not great with women either. Kerry Hennessy from 8 Simple Rules and Alex Dunphy from Modern Family are practically twins. The so-called black sheep of the family, they are always moody, annoyingly correct, not the popular one in school as compared to their respective “hot” sisters.
Let us not forget The Big Bang Theory in this whole discourse. The basic crux of the entire series is to laugh at the geeks and the nerds. The four leads are constantly humiliated with weird characteristics and of course, the run down formula of always talking about science, cannot talk to the opposite sex, with annoying traits.
Much like it is in the reel life, our reality also morphs into the same track.
I remember when I was in the 10th grade, I was hounded to get a good CGPA. Once I did, they told me the 12th exam is the most important. That my life depended on it. That I wouldn’t get into a college of my choosing. I got through college admissions with my 11th grade sheet. Then college came and I had to be serious. Till today, no one has asked me for my total percentage of the semesters put together when I have walked in for office interviews.
Only to have hundreds of people, from relatives to celebrities, say to me, that marks don’t matter. Marks don’t matter?! My hard work doesn’t matter? I went for tuitions. I woke up at 5 AM. I bought guide-books. What do you mean it doesn’t matter?
Then people lecture about the “lie of meritocracy”. That our merit is based on several factors like financial inheritance, personal connections, caste and gender. Is nothing sacred? After which, I have to listen to people proudly announcing college dropouts are millionaires. And they slap my face hard with some examples.
I felt like a crow had shit on me. Thrice, that too on the same spot.
So basically three-fourths of my life has been a lie. I can live without good looks, without popularity, and even maybe…just maybe without a man. But now you are telling me, I won’t get the money too?! That is just cruel.
Studying needs a new PR management. Period.
We really need to see it in a whole new way. Glam it up a bit. Dress it in couture. Spritz some perfume.
I am not telling you that studying is supposed to be like Tom Hardy. But probably that is exactly the point, right? That it can be Tom Hardy.
Buy Rekha Joly cake and she will remember you. She loves to make a complete idiot of herself while dancing. She also writes above-average pieces.
