In my mind, this is more of a meme (in the social theory sense, not the Courage Wolf sense) than anything else. Some genres are infected by this idea of "genre purity," while others aren't. There are lots of different kinds of romance stories - dewey lovey-dovey romance, hot sexy why-isn't-this-porn romance, supernatural romance with time travelers, supernatural romance with highlanders, supernatural romance with vampires, supernatural romance with time travelling vampire highlanders (I am not kidding you) - but you don't hear romance fans moaning about what is and isn't romance. They read the romance they like and don't read the romance they don't. Science fiction is infected with this meme; romance isn't. If this BS about the "feminization" of epic fantasy continues, fantasy might be the next genre to succumb, which would make me sad.
Yeah, that puts me squarely in the "all genres have variety - get over it" camp.
Anyway, for crying out loud SethW, don't do the thing where you assume that everyone already knows what you're talking about; it's a way of assuming that you are already right, and it's annoying. "I personally enjoy being told a science fiction story" is a totally meaningless statement. I also enjoy being told a science fiction story. So does the guy for whom it isn't really a science fiction story if it doesn't involve huge-breasted space chicks in tight silver uniforms (and, for that matter, the guy for whom it isn't really a science fiction story if it doesn't involve space dudes with enormous packages in tight silver uniforms), AND the rocket scientist for whom it isn't science fiction if the science isn't plausible enough, AND the fireman for whom it isn't really a science fiction story if it doesn't focus on the social consequences of new technology, AND the middle school teacher who really likes stories with space elves but thinks it's science fiction if it takes place in outer space, AND the nurse intern for whom it isn't science fiction if it isn't set in the future.
I really hate that thing. Don't do it.