Aisha Tyler Tells Students: It’s OK to be “Weird”

Actress and comedian Aisha Tyler recalled her childhood as being an outcast because she was “part of two minorities” and loved videogames. She was tall, African-American, and didn’t own a television. She owns up to being a geek, discussing the times she would spend an entire Saturday at the movie theater, alternating between the matinees and the arcade.

But she says that’s OK. “When I stopped caring what people thought, I was my happiest,” said Tyler.

Tyler’s eyes grew wide as she recalled, before a packed crowd at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee campus, a time where she was ridiculed on the playground in her school as they danced around her chanting her meditation name, another thing that made her an outcast to her peers.

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee celebrated “Geek Week” on campus with a TARDIS from BBC’s hit show, Doctor Who, in the student Union and giving away free bowties throughout the week. UWM and student organization Eighth Note Coffeehouse, Geek Week ended on Friday with Tyler’s lecture to an estimated 430 students in the Wisconsin Room of the Union.

Many know Tyler as a voice on Comedy Central’s show, “Archer” as well as being the new host on “Whose Line is it Anyway?” and on the talk show called “The Talk.” Tyler also does an online podcast which she started by doing the writing, editing, and production. Tyler did not come to campus to talk about her jobsl she came to lecture about Geek Week.

Justin Kraemer, president of the Eighth Note Coffeehouse, said that Tyler was not on the original list of people to speak during Geek Week. The committee organizing the event wanted an interesting candidate who was well known in geek culture but also had to fit the requirement of a budget. Kraemer and the Geek Week planning committee chose Tyler because she appealed to a vast audiences.

“We thought she would be interesting because there’s not a lot of mainstream, female, African-American geeks,” Kraemer said.

The funding to bring Tyler to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to lecture came from the Student Involvement Office. A cosponsor was needed from a student organization, which is where Evan Braun, Vice President of Student Affairs, pushed Eighth Note Coffeehouse to apply for a grant of the maximum amount allowed by Student Appropriations Committee of the Student Association.

Tyler’s talk started with an excerpt from her book, Self-Inflicted Wounds: Heartwarming Tales of Epic Humiliation where she talks about how she discovered who she is. The audience hung on her every word, showing glimmers of empathy and masking that with laughter, much like Tyler did.

Tyler expresses throughout her book and her stand up that geek culture is becoming mainstream, and no matter how ridiculed one may be for it, to push through and embrace it more.

“I was a weird kid. A complete weirdo,” Tyler read from her book while reminiscing about the times when she would spend a day at the arcade mastering her scores from a week prior.

Tyler’s talk consistently went back to her being unable to relate to others in her class. Because this was such a prominent theme of lecture, her TV series, Archer, made an episode that reflects her childhood. A photograph of Tyler at her eighth grade science fair was used as a reference to portray Tyler’s character, Lana, as a child.

While Tyler may have had a hard time relating to those in her grade as a child, audience member, Eigth Note volunteer, and fellow female gamer, Jessica Savoie found her lecture enjoyable.

“Her talk was very inspiring and relateable,” said Savoie.

Tyler’s talk embraced her passion when she read a letter she wrote to gamers who considered her fraudulent after her first appearance at her first E3 videogame convention.

While part of this letter was vulgar, Tyler did express, “I do this because of my love for video games, not because somebody paid me to do it. It’s not about the money; it’s about my passion.”

During this statement, audience members’ eyes were lighting up. A quick glance around the room, and all that was seen was glimmers of tears and smiles. Tyler was connecting with her audience, including female gamers like Savoie, who smiled brightly.

“Her honesty and frankness about how the world is changing in respect to geek culture is what stood out (to me) the most during her lecture,” Savoie said.

After her lecture, Tyler did a small question-and-answer before a book signing. A majority of the questions were video game based, however a majority of those who gained the confidence to ask Tyler a question among the packed room mentioned a common theme of family life.

Before questions were asked, most started with a brief thank you of how Tyler has helped these students in either making podcasts of their own or bonding with their family over watching “Archer” or “The Talk” together.

After Tyler’s lecture at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, she used her personal Twitter account in response to the turn-out on Friday evening.

“Thanks to all @UWM for an incredible night of keynoting #geekweek! Thanks for all the personal stories, hugs, art and beer!” Tyler tweeted.

Tyler then provided  a response to a question asked during her Q&A session as well as various questions given over Twitter with, “For everyone @UWM asking about how to make a podcast (and anyone else that’s curious) @JesseThorn says it all here,” with a link provided.