Why is it a stereotype that sci-fi is enjoyed by people of a nerdy persuasion? I'm leaning into it with this very title. Is it the fact that smart people tend to enjoy it and smart people are seen as nerdy? Is there something inherently dorkified about liking robots? What's a jock thing to like, action movies? There's no denying that the stereotype exists. Close your eyes and picture a Star Wars fan. Odds are, you're probably picturing a dude who wears glasses and collects figurines. In other words, a nerd.
But I'm here to say that it can't only be a nerd thing because that would mean most of the world's population are nerds. Sci-fi is one of the most popular genres of all time. Think about how insanely popular Dune is. If liking Dune makes me a nerd, then sign me up for Star Trek trivia night, and we can all look at these memes together.