“Revenge of the Nerds” is a 1980s cult classic with several elements that don’t hold up, including homophobia, misogyny, racial stereotypes, and a sexual assault.
In a piece for The Mary Sue, author William Bradley wrote, “I watched it again a couple years ago, for the first time as an adult, and was immediately struck by the way the film plays sexual exploitation and assault for laughs. It’s true that the nerds stand up to their bullies and empower themselves, but they are only able to do so by victimizing women whose chief crimes are snootiness and bad taste in boyfriends.”
The film notably contains a now widely criticized rape scene added for comedic effect. At a Halloween party, one of the main characters, played by Robert Carradine, sneaks up on a cheerleader while disguised in her boyfriend’s costume, and tricks her into having sex with him. When it’s revealed he is not, Betty decides to leave her boyfriend for him anyway, inexplicably rewarding the behavior.
“Rather than being horrified to discover that she’s basically been raped by a stranger, Betty swoons for her nerd conqueror,” The AV Club’s AA Dowd wrote. “She also instantly forgives the fact that Lewis has been disseminating naked photos of her across campus. It’s enough to make your skin crawl.”
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