Neckbeard (slang)
Pejorative term and stereotype for men
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Neckbeard" is a pejorative term and stereotype for a man who exhibits characteristics such as social awkwardness, underachievement, and pretentiousness.[2] The term is derived from the neck beard style of facial hair, wearers of which may neglect social norms of facial hair care and identify with nerd, gamer, or geek subcultures.[3] The term has also been associated with anti-feminist internet users.[4]
Examples
- Some regard Comic Book Guy from The Simpsons as a neckbeard due to his appearance, pretentiousness, and love for comic books.[3]
- Some regard the character Plague in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo as a neckbeard.[3] The titular protagonist also shares some traits associated with the stereotype.
- In South Park's "Make Love, Not Warcraft" episode, there is a neckbeard named Jenkins who spends all of his time playing the online role-playing game World of Warcraft, going around killing other players' characters. The CEOs of Blizzard Entertainment describe him as having "absolutely no life".[3]
- Hal Stewart from Megamind has been regarded by some as someone who fits the description of a neckbeard due to his lack of any achievement, the slovenly state of his small apartment, his video game hobby, his obsessive fixation on Roxanne Ritchi, and his angry reactions when things do not go his way.[5]
Gallery
The American naturalist Henry David Thoreau wore a neckbeard in the 19th century.
John Adams Dix sporting a neckbeard, a style of facial hair common in the 1800s, named for the complete absence of a mustache.
The leader of the Slovak national revival and the codifier of standard Slovak Ľudovít Štúr wore a neckbeard at the turn of the first and second half of the 19th century in Europe.
