Men - Is it just women who have crushes on nerds?

My ex wife and several women I have seriously dated would fall into this category. My experiences has been that a) they are smarter than I am (not a problem so is a large part of the world) and b) they were control freaks. Being intelligent is more than having encyclopedic knowledge on a subject and the ability to manipulate that knowledge in creative and interesting ways. It also includes the ability to pick up on social cues and respond to them. In my experience that was not always the case. Intelligent women however are always more fun and interesting than a pretty face hiding an empty head.

Are we talking just about intelligence or about a woman who falls into the classic depiction of a nerd? Either way, intelligence is at the top of my list of things I look for. Beauty is in there someplace, but I've never really put any thought into where.

I say both - some one extremely intelligent and looks like a nerd - in some aspect. I am not saying ugly - just a bit nerdy or geeky. Not the beauty queen type.

This seems like an awfully loaded question.

It is and isn't. It is there to prompt a reply, however, in my other question .."Have you ever had a crush on a nerd?" I got a high amount of yeses from the women and I do not believe I received one yes from a man.

Also, I understand most men are more visual with attraction (not that there is anything wrong with it) just the way it seems. I figured if I put that sort of statement in it - I would get a response.

And you did. But fewer than I would have thought. Jeez, where are the guys to jump in and defend our brood?
Well, you have my response, so I'll just sit down now.

There are a lot of things that I find attractive-- none of them I would consider "inexplicable". The first thing that attracted me to my wife was that she was fun-- we had a good time together doing something we both enjoy.

I value intelligence more important than beauty and personally think it is a bit weird the amount of time some spend worrying about looks.

I think the question is a bit odd. It seems like you have an image of what an "attractive" man should be and what you are call "nerd" is a man that doesn't fit some stereotype of manly virtue. I don't know why it is "inexplicable" that you might enjoy the company of someone who isn't the typical everyday male.

Maybe the reason that you didn't get answers from men is that men like women for all kinds of reasons and simply don't think this way.

I visited the other nerd-crush thread. Most of the men mentioned there
were movie and TV characters. I would suspect ther are far more nerdy
men than nerdy women in those venues.

Who would you consider to be a nerdy woman on TV or in the movies?

I think the reason that a lot more women replied on the other thread is that you ladies have a hell of a lot more nerds to choose from.

When I think of all the stamp collectors, computer geeks and similar type people that I have ever encountered in my life, I can't think of one of them that is a female.

Name me a reasonably well known female nerd, just to start the ball rolling.

Snap! George.

Isn't one of the classic fantasies of most men the mousy librarian that turns into a sexpot when the lights go down? I'd say that's a nerd fantasy, wouldn't you?

I was wondering that, too. Can't quite bring up an image of a nerdy woman.

Janeane Garofalo? (sp?)

Elaine on Seinfeld?

Lisa Loeb?

Seems like most "nerd" characters that are women take off their glasses and shake out their long, lustrous hair at some point...

(Hadn't seen kicky's post when I wrote that!)

I think that divide doesn't exist with the male nerd attraction -- he's not expected to suddenly become a hottie.

No - it's not that. On another post I explained that I have this weird crush on a nerd. It is that character on Criminal Minds - I just have this weird crush on him - I find him very compelling for some strange reason. Now typically when you see some one on TV or a movie you are usually attracted to certain types - whatever your type may be.

The weird thing is - he is not my type. He is a nerd, geeky type, skinny - just not the "crush" type of guy. Not a typical heartthrob.

It is a little different between a crush and some one you have a relationship with - a crush is usually an attraction - so it seems odd (at least to me) to have a crush on some one that is typically not considered "attractive".

The first one that came to my mind was Ruth Baader Ginsburg. Even if I imagine herself 40 years younger, i can't see her take of her glasses and shake of her long, lustrous hair. Hillary Clinton is kinda nerdy. But she makes the best of it appearance-wise and turns it into professionalism.

Kicky, I've seen your photo and you are NOT a nerd! I would say that it was a healthy fantasy for most males.

That may be true about the nerdy women on TV - how about the woman on NCIS? The goth looking woman. How about that movie where the man was going out with the really heavy girl, but he thought she looked liked a beauty queen? When the women was heavy - that girl. And the movie - "Raining cats and dogs" - not sure if that is the correct title. The girl was a vet or something on the radio and some model posed as her when she met some guy over the radio. Also, the movie Circle of Friends when Minnie Driver was chubby. Just a few.

Yeah Kicky it is!

How about Thelma in Scooby Doo movie.

Unlike me, my girlfriend is a gigantic nerd. I mean, she's into fantasy, like Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, dragons and **** like that (she's 30, so please don't confuse her with my prepubescent concubine).

I mean she's a babe, but these things, and her pointy nerd glasses, are simply endearing.