The seventies and eighties weren’t such a good time to be a nerd. It was an era when soldiers, jocks, and corporate men ruled the world, and D&D players weren’t likely to get the girl. As the decades went by, the dynamic changed enough that Jocks were hiding inside on sunny days playing video games (even if it was Madden NFL) and the Nerds made it outside long enough to notice that having a tan ain’t that bad.

However you want to put it, things have changed enough that it isn’t such a black spot on your rep to admit that you’re into stuff that once would have gotten your underwear run up the flagpole.