Talk:White & Nerdy

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White & Nerdy[edit]

Who spent time figuiring out which comics he was holding? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Marine7 (talk • contribs) 21:37, 17 December 2007 (UTC) The comics in his left hand are Uncanny X-Men #268 (September 1990) in front and Uncanny X-Men #201 (January 1986) behind it. The comics in his right are Uncanny X-Men #221 (September 1987) in front and Uncanny X-Men #210 (October 1986) behind it. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2601:282:1882:60F0:F4FF:F77A:8882:96BC (talk) 02:01, 21 September 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Schrödinger[edit]

The Schrödinger equation for the hydrogen atom, and its accompanying mistake, is mentioned three times in the article. Anyone have a preference for which one ought to be kept? --Diagonal P. (talk) 00:49, 28 January 2008 (UTC) probably the first one, so that teh lazy people that dont read the whole article only have to read a bit.64.231.10.91 (talk) 20:11, 21 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

D&D[edit]

I'd like to suggest this for the main article.

The two dice Weird Al rolls in the video clip are a 20-sided and an 8-sided. This could be just for the shapes as these are two of the quintessential D&D dice but it is also one of the more standard combinations used when making an attack in the game, where one usually rolls the attack (on a 20 sider) and the damage at the same time - many of the most common weapons do 1-8 damage. The results that he gets for the rolls are a 10 on the 20-sided and a 5 on the 8-sided.

--RLPLYR (talk) 01:28, 10 February 2008 (UTC)[reply]

YOU SUCK![edit]

  • Was that vandalism ever submitted no? Tomayres (talk) 21:10, 17 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Wow. That would ruin some vandal's day, lol. They were probably hoping that they couls type that way. And, haven't you noticed that the Atlantic Records page is locked? Some vandals wanted to test to see if they could actually write "You Suck" in Impact font.--Listen to your Princess, dear Wikipedians. (talk) 21:51, 21 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
LOLOLOLROFLOLOL! Yea, I bet vandals would do that! (geeky snort) they're dumber than a Commodore 64 (geeky snort) hyuk! hyuk!--Editor510 (talk) 18:42, 15 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Absolute lulz. I hope the article get's locked (instead of semi-locked). Kausill (talk) 00:53, 14 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Some? The edit history page is filled with vandalism and reversions, the page is repeatedly being protected, and there's even a special template on the Discussion page, as well as an entire section and Archive page.Wikipedian19265478 (talk) 23:41, 2 July 2010 (UTC)[reply]

you can't just type it right away, but you can html code it so you can make

YOU SUCK!

......64.231.10.91 (talk) 20:09, 21 March 2009 (UTC) Oh, and to answer Ur question, tomayers,[reply]

Yes...

—Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.231.10.91 (talk) 20:12, 21 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Miley and Mandy[edit]

In the 15th episode of The Miley and Mandy Show, Miley mentions White and Nerdy. Should we say this? —Preceding unsigned comment added by DineshAdv (talk • contribs) 23:47, 15 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I mentioned it last week in casual conversation. Should we put that up? </sarcasm>Superslacker87 (talk) 06:23, 19 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

No. To obscure. Somewherepurple (talk) 04:11, 25 January 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Trivia[edit]

  • "The vehicle Al rides in the park is a Segway PT."

Is this really necessary, considering it says so in the song? 90.212.120.95 (talk) 18:33, 3 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]


I like it that the article says ping pong is typically white. Someone should tell Asia. They need to stop dominating and outnumbering whites in "our game"- or maybe we could stop saying such dumb things. Either one. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.123.218.31 (talk) 01:40, 14 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Why is this turning into some racist thing now? Kausill (talk) 00:55, 14 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

References in video section[edit]

I removed the tag because I don't see that a prose format would work better for a list like this. Since the song consists of a series of items, it makes more sense to use a list format for these than to present it as one long paragraph. If your concern has to do with the notability of these items or the sourcing for them, then you've got the wrong tag. So I'll leave the tag for now, but without a comment on the talk page, simply adding a tag doesn't really tell what you think the problem is and why prose would work better here other than "because the style guide says so". PaulGS (talk) 05:59, 20 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

  • Um...what other explanation do you need? (I do understand your reasoning though; I just don't agree.) THE AMERICAN METROSEXUAL (talk) 06:07, 9 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]


Excuse me, I am the Jon Katz mentioned on Wikipedia as being an extra in the W&N video shoot, but it is linking to a different Jon Katz. I do not have a Wikipedia page, but I don't want people thinking I am that man.

Please advise? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.83.230.140 (talk) 07:36, 1 May 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Trivial Persuit Reference[edit]

Is the question "(Science & Nature) What is the melting point of a gorilla's head?" a reference to the 2005 released Gorillaz album Demon Days, and it's song "Fire Coming Out of the Monkey's Head"? 68.209.116.39 (talk) 23:47, 5 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

video section[edit]

I have significantly cut back on the video section; most of this were statements of observation that were not sources, and thus are inappropriate. However, I have scaled back onto what information could be sourced (cameos, some of the references in the video). Facts such as what type of car is in the driveway, or what issues of X-Men are being held up are neither necessary for an understanding of the level of "nerdiness" in the video nor are appropriate for inclusion as they constitute original research. --MASEM (t) 16:53, 4 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Things that can be observed directly from the video are not OR, and for works of fiction or the like, the work itself can be a source for plot-related details. If one can see that issue whatever of X-Men is held up, then the video itself is the source and it doesn't take any special knowledge to see that. From WP:OR: "Without a secondary source, a primary source may be used only to make descriptive claims, the accuracy of which is verifiable by a reasonable, educated person without specialist knowledge. For example, an article about a novel may cite passages from the novel to describe the plot, but any interpretation of those passages needs a secondary source." There may be a few OR statements in there, but deleting the entire section is not the way to fix it. Nor is the section trivia, since it is not a random collection of miscellaneous information. Some might feel it's trivial - non-notable - but that's not the same as calling it Trivia in the WP sense of a section where various facts that don't fit anywhere else go. PaulGS (talk) 05:28, 5 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

There are clearly some things in the list that are speculation where interpretation is needed:
  • *In the video, "Weird Al" refuses a 40 and sticks to his Earl Grey tea, a drink that Captain Picard on Star Trek: The Next Generation commonly drinks. - the last part about Picard is completely unnecessary, as it is speculative why it's there. The rest, thus, is just the enaction of a lyric, and not needed.
  • When in his library, Al is seen reading Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time, which is also the book he is seen holding in his READ poster. is happenstance, and there's no evidence this was intentional or not.
Then there's elements that are just re-enactments of the lyrics which should not have to be explained:
  • *Yankovic refers to M.C. Escher as being his "favorite MC". that's not specific to the video, that's part of the lyrics.
Then you have elements that are excess in detail which do not further improve the understanding of the video for the lay person that may never ever see it but needs to understand its generalities (the target audience we're writing this for, not fans of WAY):
  • The two automobiles appearing in the video are a (modified) 1967 Blue Chevrolet Impala Convertible and a 2004 or 2005 Toyota Prius NHW20. The 1967 Impala has the License plate "OG 4LIFE"; the Prius has a California clean-air vehicle HOV Lane access sticker. None of these advance any critical understanding of the video.
  • The bit about the final scene of the video (C's hand gesture in detail vs Al's Vulcan gesture in detail) is way too excessive.
This is just some of the examples. Yes, it's cool to be able to catalog to this much resolution but that's not appropriate for Wikipedia. Yes, technically, some of the facts can use the vide for its only source (such as the trivial pursuit card, it just needs a closeup) but at the same time, if you don't set a limit of what type of information can appear and using what source, this becomes just a list of trivia. Now, there is a Wikia for WAY, at [1] where this type of information can go, but we're writing an encyclopedia article here, and we need to try to consider the video from the standpoint of the causal reader, not the avid fan. --MASEM (t) 12:39, 5 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]
It's not speculative that Picard drinks Earl Grey. It might be OR to say that it's definitely a reference to Star Trek, but it doesn't say that - only that out of all the drinks out there, Weird Al picked Earl Grey tea, which is also the favourite drink of a character on a show often thought of as nerdy. The Hawking bit likewise contains nothing about this being intentional (which, absent a source, would be OR), only that Weird Al has used this particular book before. Notable? Maybe, maybe not. OR, definitely not. The M.C. Escher reference is relevant because "MC" is also a common rap term, here used in a nerdy way, showing the parody between Ridin' and White & Nerdy. Same with the hand gesture bit - gang signs are often associated with rap, and the Vulcan salute with nerds. It's quite common for Weird Al to not only parody the song, but also the original video, and those examples show that. The line about the two automobiles is probably too much detail, although it does show another contrast between the gangster and nerd stereotypes in the video. PaulGS (talk) 14:29, 5 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]
It is speculative to assume that Yankovic used "earl grey tea" in the lyrics as a nod to Picard's habit; similarly, there's no source that says they happened to use the same book in the video as was in the library READ poster. Now, do note that the reduced version does identify common elements between Ridin' and W&N (the Pac-Man sign, the white-screen dance, and I just added the end-shot callout), so that's reasonably fine to discussion, and I've kept sourced bits of other factoids (including all the cameos, the recognized shot locations), but most everything else is too detailed. Also, we avoid using lists in general to present information like this, preferring prose, and this helps to reduce what parts of the info list is not necessary to adequetely convey the sense of the video. --MASEM (t) 17:24, 5 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]
It's speculative to say Weird Al's use of Early Grey IS a reference to Star Trek and Captain Picard. It's not speculative to point out the two and let the reader draw a conclusion. Same with the READ poster - it's fine to say that Weird Al uses the same book in both and not say, without a source, that this was intentional. I still think a list format works better here, but if it's going to be reduced, then perhaps prose will work. PaulGS (talk) 22:31, 5 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Why, according to that logic, shouldn't we reproduce the entire Earl Grey tea article in the trivia section and "let the reader draw a conclusion"? Or we could just not mention it, and any readers wanting to make conclusions can direct themselves to the article on Earl Grey tea, right? --Maxamegalon2000 00:18, 6 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Because the entire article on Earl Grey is irrelevant to the video, and mention of the video doesn't belong in the Earl Grey tea article (although Captain Picard's use of it probably does). But, fine, leave it out. I'm not getting into an edit war over details in a Weird Al video. And I didn't write the section. PaulGS (talk) 01:04, 6 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I, for one, am in favor of putting the whole list back into the article. I am completely opposed to the philosophy that lists of things some users deem as trivia should be stricken from the article. I think that articles should be longer, not shorter. I think Masem has started an edit war. I also think we should add lists of cultural references to other "Weird Al" songs. Purplebackpack89 (talk) 20:16, 12 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]
We're an encyclopedia, first and foremost to serve the general reader and not the devoted fan. There's a Weird Al Wikia that can be used to outline all those cultural references (those that aren't attributable to sources). --MASEM (t) 20:31, 12 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I maintain that there was a general consensus FOR YEARS that that information was perfectly fine there. Can I get any support on this? If I can, I think I'll revert it Purplebackpack89 (talk) 21:51, 12 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Most of the information in that form would fall under "indiscriminate", which WP does not include. Noting the similarities to "Ridin'"? Not indiscriminate. Noting pop culture refs that have sourced information? Not indiscriminate. But anything else falls outside of those bounds; if the only reason to mention that Picard also drinks Earl Grey just as the lyrics say the singer does is because WP editors feel its necessary, that's indiscriminate. --MASEM (t) 15:17, 13 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Speculative to mention Earl Gray tea as a reference to Capt Picard when Picard is mentioned in the song ("only question I ever though was hard is do I like Kirk or do I like Picard") and the video even features a poster of Picard hung over the main character's bed? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.251.38.167 (talk) 15:16, 6 March 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Lloyd[edit]

Is the character based on Lloyd? He seems like he is because of the similarities 81.77.188.25 (talk) 14:28, 30 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Wikipedia mention[edit]

Wikipedia is mentioned 1:49-1:53 into the music song. I know I can edit it, but... OpenTheWindows, sir! 22:36, 14 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

It's already there, we even have an image of it. --MASEM (t) 22:39, 14 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]


Vector Calculus[edit]

What is the math on the wall in the background of the video? Could someone who understands it post a bit on it in the article? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.255.62.26 (talk) 18:02, 14 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]


No, just no. That math is irrelevant to the entire article. See Wikipedia:Avoid Trivia articles. --Martyleehi (talk) 18:32, 21 June 2011 (UTC)[reply]


It's already been mentioned - it's the (slightly incorrect) version of the time independent Schrodinger equation for the hydrogen atom. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 131.111.219.253 (talk) 18:58, 3 November 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Connecting White and Nerdy with LDS[edit]

Noticed that not only Donny Osmond was parodied in White and Nerdy, but if you look at other famous LDS people in recent news (i.e Romney) they are also being connected to the White and Nerdy culture. YouTube has a plethora of LDS White and Nerdy parodies and my concern is that this W&N stereotype is becoming a catch all misnomer for calling traditional religious values as being "white and nerdy". I believe the song is connected more to the "classic" idea that nerdy is connected mainly to people who like fringe technology (academia), fantasy and sci-fi and not the sole preview for just whites. The article should reinforce this in the article and not allow it to drift into other incorrect stereotypes. Septagram (talk) 07:08, 5 December 2011 (UTC)[reply]

We cannot make any statement either direction about this song and the Church of LDS without sources that make that for us. The only reason Donny is in the video is that Al thought he was the "whitest" person he knew, nothing at all dealing with the religious aspect. --MASEM (t) 13:46, 5 December 2011 (UTC)[reply]
Relatively few people outside of Massachusetts had heard of Mitt Romney when Weird Al did the song... AnonMoos (talk) 14:39, 5 December 2011 (UTC)[reply]

External links modified[edit]

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Too much detail[edit]

Why exactly is the plot of the entire music video in this article? ReaIdiot (talk) 15:55, 28 April 2021 (UTC)[reply]

I took out parts that were unsourced (per WP:TRIVIA) related to references in the video that weren't needed. But as it stands, the first two para are otherwise fine, one explaining the parody of the Ridin' video and the second of reference (sourced) that appear. --Masem (t) 15:59, 28 April 2021 (UTC)[reply]
The music video was a big part of the reason this song did well. Most of Weird Al's songs had accompanying music videos which were just as important as the songs themselves, as he would also parody the look of the band or the style of the video. I think the tag should be removed. MrAureliusRTalk! 16:18, 24 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

My point was just that the point is to give a synopsis, not give exact detail. This segment below is a huge run-on sentence with excessive detail (in my opinion). Section 1 (at start of page): It includes many references to activities stereotypically associated with nerds and white people, such as collecting comic books and action figures, playing Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), going to Renaissance Fairs, playing Minesweeper, riding a Segway, programming computers, writing his name on his underwear, unnecessarily wearing braces, using an ergonomic keyboard, reading Stephen Hawking, memorizing pi, editing Wikipedia, owning a fanny pack, watching Happy Days and Star Trek, making a “web page for his dog”, and eating "sandwiches with mayonnaise". Proposed edit: It includes many references to activities stereotypically associated with nerds and white people. (you don't need this overspecific detail, this is a run-on sentence) - ReaIdiot (talk) 22:03, 27 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

This section is also drawn-out and should be removed, in my opinion: The video shows a fictional Trivial Pursuit card, with questions that include the location of "The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota", on what page Harry Potter would die in the next book, and the number of Wicket men there are on a 43-Man Squamish team. Yankovic is shown making a shady deal with a stereotypical "thug" in a back alley to acquire a bootleg VHS copy of the Star Wars Holiday Special. ReaIdiot (talk) 06:17, 29 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

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