This isn’t the first time we’ve tackled nerdy crushes here but since we talked to Miller C. Lashbrook, the host of ‘Pop Culture Fae,’ about a crush or two that were total nerds in the ‘90s…it only made sense to revisit some other nerds from that decade. So the following are nerds that we loved on television as well as at the movies back in the ‘90s.
T.J. Henderson, Smart Guy
Long before ‘Young Sheldon’ was even grown-ass Sheldon on ‘The Big Bang Theory,’ we got introduced to the pint-sized brainiac known as T.J. Henderson on ‘Smart Guy.’ Those who were not swooning over his older brother, Marcus (who was the singing voice of Simba btw!), were in love with the most intelligent kid since Doogie Howser.
Dana Foster, Step by Step
Jessi Spano walked so that Dana Foster could then saunter into the hearts of TGIF viewers everywhere on ‘Step by Step.’ One of her stepbrothers could probably go toe to toe with her in the classroom, but when it came to making people go into crush mode, Dana was it. She wasn’t just a smarty pants, she was also this badass, sarcastic character that never failed to put anyone and everyone in their place.
Josh, Dead Man on Campus
Josh wanted nothing more than to do well at school. We watched as he desperately tried to get straight-As. Then well, shit happens and he’s forced to do some unsavory things, but it was the ‘90s and a plot like this at the time was totally fine.
Daria Morgendorffer, Daria
Like Dana, Daria was a sarcastic brain. She was also a first animated crush for many who got many millennials into having this strange infatuation with those who wore glasses. Listen, we don’t wear them to be cute, we wear them because our eyes are shit.
Donatello, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Those who’ve checked out the show this week know that Miller also favored Donatello from ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ because he was the one always tinkering with things and the one who sort of was the brains of the operation.
Dana Scully, The X-Files
A hot nerd name in the ‘90s was Dana…guess so. She was an educated FBI agent who fucking investigated spooky ass shit, how nerdy is that? Plus, ‘The X-Files’ is most certainly one of the top 10 shows from that era that super nerds tuned into weekly.
Beast, X-Men
Another favorite of Miller’s, and many others, Beast from ‘X-Men.’ I mean, who doesn’t love a man in a lab coat?
Tia Landry, Sister, Sister
Before ‘The Suite Life of Zack & Cody’ gave us that wild twin vs. brainy twin, there was ‘Sister, Sister.’ Only their show didn’t involve living in a hotel. Alas, Tia was the school-loving, rule-abiding, twin that those who weren’t in favor of a more rebellious personality fell for.
Eric Forman, That ‘70s Show
While Eric Forman was in the ‘70s…we did crush on him in the late ‘90s so we’re going to say the ‘Star Wars’ loving nerd still counts here.
Ellie Sattler, Jurassic Park
What’s nerdier than dedicating your life to digging up dinosaurs? Exactly. With that, Ellie Sattler is a crush that many could not deny if they wanted to. I mean, she won people over in mom-looking khakis.
Crushgasm 