Of nerds and men: dimensions and discourses of masculinity in Nerds FC

Edited book (chapter)


Carniel, Jessica. 2013. "Of nerds and men: dimensions and discourses of masculinity in Nerds FC." Ingle, Zachary and Sutera, David M. (ed.) Identity and myth in sports documentaries: critical essays. Lanham, MD. United States. Scarecrow Press. pp. 93-107
Chapter Title

Of nerds and men: dimensions and discourses of masculinity in Nerds FC

Book Chapter CategoryEdited book (chapter)
ERA Publisher ID3190
Book TitleIdentity and myth in sports documentaries: critical essays
Authors
AuthorCarniel, Jessica
EditorsIngle, Zachary and Sutera, David M.
Page Range93-107
Chapter Number7
Number of Pages15
Year2013
PublisherScarecrow Press
Place of PublicationLanham, MD. United States
ISBN9780810887893
9780810887909
Abstract

In the lead-up to the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Australian television abounded with soccer-focused programs to celebrate the national side's first World Cup
qualification since 1974. Among these programs was Nerds FC, a remake of 2004 Danish reality television series FC Zulu. In the course of the series, various 'nerds'-including computer scientists, maritime historians, chemists, physicists, and so on-were transformed from feminized intellectuals to masculinized sportsmen. The series premise is predicated upon an understanding
of muscular masculinity that sees sporting prowess as indicative of manliness, but it also engages with the new, postmodem form of masculinity ('metrosexuality') most readily associated with star footballer David Beckham,
as the nerds are also groomed to look the part of the modern celebrity sport star. In Australia, soccer has often been denigrated as both a feminine and 'ethnic' sport. Nerds FC utilizes the reality television trope of transformation. The effects of the Australian series are therefore twofold: (I) to use sport as a means of changing the nerds into men and (2) to use this process of
masculinizing the nerds to masculinize the sport in the eyes of its Australian audience. This chapter also seeks to locate the position of such a television program within the contexts of both reality television and the documentary
tradition.

Keywordssport; masculinity; television; reality television; soccer; Australian studies
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020440599. Gender studies not elsewhere classified
360505. Screen media
470214. Screen and media culture
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Byline AffiliationsVictoria University
Institution of OriginUniversity of Southern Queensland
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