Stef is a rather iconic example of how, back then, movies and books targeted for boys and young men completely missed the mark with female characters – especially girl-nerds. There are some improvements these days, but most of it still plays into those old off-the-mark female stereotypes.

Girl nerds are usually only girl nerds until they get a makeover into the hot girl fantasy. Then, they're too-cool-to-admit anything that could have them labeled nerds – and become the ones labeling others.

Girls got the message that boys don't like smart girls. And boys got the message that there's something wrong with smart girls – and that they should expect smart girls to really be hot-girls-in-waiting.