80's Movie Retro! WARGAMES

I remember this movie with Matthew Broderick, Ally Sheedy, the guy from 9 to 5 and the other guy from Northern Exposure (man, I know my actors, don't I? LOL)

The reason this particular movie sticks in my head, was because the first time I had seen it. And it wasn't at home or at the movie theater, but in Junior High!





Right, I guess you're wondering why we weren't getting an education instead, we're watching T.V. in school. I think it was due to an event the school wanted to put on for the students for fun. To get rid of the stress created by Jr. High challenges. Perhaps, it was to have us students relate to the "coming of age" that the movie also portrays a rebelious student and his "attitude" problem as he makes his way to the administrative office.

I wonder if he deliberately got in trouble for the sole purpose of stealing the school computers password.

Funny, how clerks back then didn't know the actual value of the secure nature of the password, and just wrote the passwords on a list in plain site for everyone to see. Of course, I guess they figured no one would have use for those passwords, or even know what it was actually for. As far as they knew, it could've been someone's grocery list.

I found it awesome to see someone in the movie playing the Coin-OP games I always played. (Galaga in his case)

Now, there's this part in the movie where he decides to have his computer autodial every phone number listing in the area until an actual computer from a gaming company picked up (you could tell, because you could hear some callers answer his computer with "hello?")

Now THAT'S a dedicated gamer!!

But, now that I'm older, I think back and wondered.

1. Did people at home have access to modem technology at that time period?

2. If they DID have that kind of technology, did computer companies actually have phone numbers for THEIR computers that not only answered, but ALLOWED outside calls to come in just so they could respond? I found that hard to buy. I'm wondering how these other computers even have their own dedicated phone number so kids like him are able to even dial them.

3. I laughed when the computer asked him, "Shall We Play A Game?" that he answered with "Global Thermal Nuclear War", back then, people didn't even USE acronyms. Wouldn't it have been EASIER to just say, "I want to play GTNW"??

Resistance of Girl Nerdom is FUTILE!

Resistance of Girl Nerdom is FUTILE!

(Indeed it was futile, and indeed I could not resist. Resistance is Buddhaful :)

A story on how I thought this all came to be.

To follow-up my retro blog entry about video games and their evolution since the 80's, I thought I would talk about the evolution of the “Nerdy Girl”.

Now, I am just talking from my OWN take/my OWN personal experience. Perhaps I was ignorant at that time in my life, but...as far as I know, there were no nerdy women. At least, as far as I knew. Correct me if I am wrong, but did they keep on the down low?

AS FAR AS I KNEW.....women didn't really read comic books, women didn't read/watched Sci-Fi, and women never played Pac-Man. (Perhaps they played Ms. Pac-man? Who knows). If they had been entertain themselves the way nerdy men did, they probably did it hiding or in secret. The women I knew of were mostly into girly-girl things like “My Little Pony”, "Punky Brewster" and “Care Bears”.

The stigma of “The Nerd” stuck with mostly men. Men with lack of social skills and probably didn't get out much. You had “The Nerd” and you had “The Jock". Well, this is probably how HOLLYWOOD portrayed us.

As displayed in such movies such as "Revenge of the Nerds" and "Can't Buy Me Love" (the latter which made a more significant impact on me revealing bologna of the system of classes and labels), nerds were also portrayed as the brainiacs of these flicks, solving problems, and possibly impressing the blonde ditzy girly-girl with his brains and perhaps thinking twice about the advantage of even dating a nerd. It's nice to have someone that can help you out academically.

Often times, the women in these movies are portrayed at the cheerleader type who dates the members of the football team. How cliche'd, right?

The beautiful people vs. the nerdy people. Define "nerdy" and "beautiful" after all , it's in the eye of the beholder.

Fast forward to the present. I'm not sure how this whole nerd thing with women caught on, but I think it actually evolved along with the rest of society's appreciation for diversity, so now it's cool for women to be nerdy, too.

Now we see women dressed in gorgeous costumes and looking very similar to their comic book counterparts. You have a potpourri of nerds of ALL types and sub-cultures actually. It's a big melting pot of nerdom! I love it!

To NOTE though, one thing I have noticed in the year 2009 at recent conventions. The age groups of nerds.

Female nerds, teen aged to college aged make-up the majority of female nerdom, fewer women in their mid to late 20's, and 30's and beyond...it's like finding the Loch Ness Monster,

Though, while men continue to age into their golden years as they always have in their love for their hobbies, women who reach a certain age seem to, stop? I could be wrong on this though, but this is my own personal demographic that I had come across. But that's just a small amount. Perhaps their priorities change? It's a big mystery.

The younger group seem more focused on the Anime' related niche' (there is an accent mark in niche' right?)

Anyhow....wait...this just in! Apparently, Screamer, a mid-to-late 30's woman has been sighted! Hold on a second...lemme bring 'er up .....

Yowsa! Watch we're you're pointin' Megatron!

Apparently she has been to BotCon and looks like she had made a recent blog that she'll be on mynerdgirl.com

She's armed with a mic and a cobra cape Looks like we'll see some footage there. Man, this nerd girl thing is getting me excited! It's nice to have common interests with such ladies. ;-)

Well, I think I'll endt his for this evening, had enough excitement for ONE night. From here on out, ladies keep doin' what you're doing, it is indeed appreciated. And Screamer, I hope those toys don't fall on you during the night. :-)

I have a feeling I'll be posting some more retro stuff, tid-bits and other follow-ups to my previous posts.


- E.T.

Movie Quote of the Post! (Take a Wild Guess!): "I'd buy THAT for a dollar!"