All The Tropes

Abhorrent Admirer: Difference between revisions

Page Discussion

Abhorrent Admirer (view source)

Revision as of 00:45, 23 February 2015

90 bytes removed ,  9 years ago
m
clean up
VisualWikitext
mNo edit summary
m (clean up)
Line 6:
An [[Gonk|ugly and/or overweight female]] is noticeably attracted to a male protagonist. Maybe she's even a little forward about it. The protagonist realizes this, and is profoundly uncomfortable with the whole idea, but the female character either doesn't realize he's not interested or [[Mad Love|is undeterred]]. Yet the character is not just uncomfortable; he's shocked, horrified, or disgusted. Even a wave and a smile from her will be treated as a fate worse than death for the recipient. [[Hilarity Ensues]].
 
In some cases, the point of the joke is that the protagonist is too nice to say anything, thus allowing the situation to come up repeatedly. In others, just portraying the protagonist's reaction -- whichreaction—which may be closer to mortal terror than awkwardness -- [[Sexual Karma|is considered enough of a punchline on its own.]]
 
The Abhorrent Admirer differs from more sympathetic characters in one key respect: the audience is expected to find her both unattractive and extremely unsympathetic, and is supposed to feel ''sorry'' for the protagonist because she has him in her sights and [[Stalker with a Crush|just won't take a hint]] or proves resistant to the [[Selective Obliviousness|clue-by-four]].
Line 12:
These characters tend strongly to be female rather than male, as a result of a few different gender stereotypes. For one thing, [[No Guy Wants to Be Chased]] means the mere fact that a woman takes the initiative in courting a man is often portrayed as evidence that she must have something wrong with her; for another, [[Double Standard Rape (Female on Male)|double standard rape]] means that sexually aggressive women are viewed as less threatening, and therefore more comical, than men who impose their attentions on obviously unwilling women. However, in recent years the male "undesirable suitor" has become more common in comedies.
 
An increasingly occurring variant of this trope is when the amorous woman in question is [[Transsexualism]]--typically—typically when a male character discovers that the lovely lady he's been chatting up in the bar either isn't ''really'' a lady, or wasn't born with [[Unusual Euphemism|the standard-issue female equipment]]. This is typically played for laughs, tending toward mocking the hapless and naive fellow.
 
This trope is [[Older Than Print]]: the original might be the medieval legend of the "loathly lady", which is the basis of the Wife of Bath's Tale in [[Canterbury Tales|that thing]] by [[Geoffrey Chaucer]]. Loathly ladies also figure in several [[Child Ballad|Child Ballads]]s.
 
May or may not overlap with [[Stalker with a Crush]], though that one usually isn't [[Played for Laughs]]. The [[Old Maid]], the [[Grande Dame]], and [[Lady Drunk]] are likely candidates to act out this trope. Compare [[Extroverted Nerd]], [[Hollywood Nerd]], [[Beauty and The Beast]]. Contrast [[Ugly Guy, Hot Wife]]. For versions where only the personality is a problem, see [[No Guy Wants to Be Chased]], [[Romantic Runner-Up]] and [[Casanova Wannabe]]. [[Kavorka Man]] is an inversion... [[Double Standard|and overwhelmingly male]].
Line 42:
* In ''[[Naruto]]'', [[Dark Chick|Karin]] is a variation of this. Even though she isn't all that unattractive, except for [[Die for Our Ship|a certain fraction of the fandom]], the point still stands since her forward propositions are always met with an icy reaction from Sasuke. Not to mention the lengths to which she goes to get in his pants.
* Miyako Miyazaki from ''[[Bamboo Blade]]'' is a cute girl with a sadistic side, but has only one major weakness: a middle school classmate by the name of Reimi Odajima who has been stalking Miya-miya ever since she beat up a boy she liked. Reimi follows her to all of her kendo tournaments snapping pictures and shooting videos of her beloved idol, often times inadvertently distracting her enough to lose her match. And yet having a psychotic for a number-one fan turns out to be quite handy later on when {{spoiler|Miyako and Azuma look through Reimi's photo and video collection to help Miya-miya train against an American rival.}}
* A variation in ''[[Axis Powers Hetalia]]''. Belarus isn't unattractive, her object of affection even admits that she's really pretty. It's her [[Yandere (disambiguation)]] [[Clingy Jealous Girl]] tendencies that makes her abhorrent -- thatabhorrent—that and the fact that the person who she is an abhorrent admirer of is her brother.
* In ''[[Girls Saurus]]'', almost every girl who shows an interest in Shingo (that is to say, most of the cast and most female one-shot characters) becomes an abhorrent admirer, due to their tendency to throw themselves at him and his gynophobia that makes him visualise them as horrible ogres.
* Shautieh Ley has ''four'' chasing after him in ''[[Bowling King]]'', Maya (everyone who meets her mistakes her for an alien initially) and the pint-sized, overweight, fanatical, [[Stalker with a Crush]] Maruko triplets.
Line 56:
* Ethel Muggs from ''[[Archie]]'' comics was originally created to facilitate this punchline. She was attracted to Jughead, who was notoriously uninterested in anything but food. She would have been unwanted anyway, so maybe they figured they'd make her unattractive just to underscore it, or perhaps they deliberately went with an ugly girl because it's one thing for him to say he's not interested in women (note how no other girl tries to so much as ask him out except under extraordinary circumstances), but if he turns down a hot one routinely he must be gay.
** Subverted in the [[Live Action Adaptation]] ''Return to Riverdale''. Set at and around the cast's 15th high school reunion, it reveals that Ethel was actually [[Beautiful All Along]] and is now a world-famous supermodel.
** Archie Comics have also downplayed this aspect of Ethel in later years. While she was as ugly as they come in her first appearances and used solely to torture Jughead, Ethel has since had some of her more distorted features toned down. She's still really tall with buck teeth and a big nose, but she's drawn much more normallynormally—even -- even pretty -- andpretty—and given trendier clothing. As well, she's more of a regular character now (being good friends with Betty), instead of a one-dimensional plot device.
** Subverted again in that Archie took her out on a casual date to a comedy club and museum and ended up preferring the fact that unlike Betty and Veronica, Ethel made no demands of him. He asked her out again after taking her home.
* Subverted via the extended introduction of Mary Jane Watson in ''[[Spider-Man (Comic Book)|Spider-Man]]''. Peter assumed that anyone his aunt was trying to set him up with must be hideous, and spent years dodging MJ.
Line 65:
 
== Comic Strips ==
* This was the original role of Gravel Gerty in the ''[[Dick Tracy (comic strip)|Dick Tracy]]'' comic strip; even grotesque villain the Brow was repulsed by Gertie's affections. She eventually met and married the equally grotesque B.O. Plenty, though B.O. was never used as an [[Abhorrent Admirer]], just as a side villain and then a comic-relief hillbilly. Naturally B.O. and Gertie's daughter, Sparkle, [[Ugly Guys Hot Daughter|is a stunner]].
* In ''[[Zits]]'', Jeremy gets one of these in the form of Amber, a girl who obsesses about him for a week or so before she breaks up with him (via the Posse) and disappears. In a rare case, she is somewhat sympathetic and not the butt of the joke (one strip had Hector pondering why of all people she'd obsess over ''Jeremy'').
* ''[[FoxTrot]]''
Line 74:
** First is Sadie Hawkins, A homely spinster at 35, she has a wealthy father who invented "Sadie Hawkins Day", on which women could propose to men. The character was so popular that the tradition caught on in real life, and outlived the strip character's fame entirely in the form of Sadie Hawkins dances.
** Then there is former [[Trope Namer]] Lena the Hyena, who was described as "the ugliest woman in Lower Slobbovia" and initially left undepicted. Cartoonist Basil Wolverton famously won a contest to portray Lena.
* In the newspaper strip ''[[Curtis]]'', the title character is this to [[Alpha Bitch|Michelle]]. [[Idiot Hero|Curtis]] presses his suit despite Michelle doing everything short of calling the cops on him -- uphim—up to and including repeatedly straight up telling him "Go away. I don't like you."
 
 
Line 126:
** Another version replaces the pastor with a gym trainer, and the woman with an attractive gym buddy and sexual favors... and also replaces Lena Hyena with a very large man, who is [[Black Comedy Rape|very intent on rape]].
*** And the French version of ''that'' version makes their first name rhyme with the sex act to boot.
** The Indian version replaces the pastor with a weight loss program. It also goes into some [[Adaptation Expansion]]: The program provides three packages: Lose weight in six months, three months, three weeks or: bonus special package: in '''ONE DAY'''. The young man orders the three month package, and a beautiful woman appears on the first week to be chased. He orders the second package right away to see what happens, and gets a ''really'' hot chick on the second week. Catching on to the pattern, he orders the third package on the third week, and gets a [[Memetic Sex God|Memetic Sex Goddess]]dess. He trains with her for three weeks, becomes a pretty fast runner, and almost catches her. Excited, he orders the Special Package, ready and warmed up to catch the hottest chick of them all. The doorbell rings; and when he answers he finds a [[Egregious|she-gorilla]] dropped off at his doorstep. There's a sign around her neck: "Meet Julie. She has been "[[Title Drop|specially]]" trained to recognize you by both scent ''and'' sight. If she catches you, she '''will''' [[Black Comedy Rape|rape]] you. Have a nice day."
* This joke is best told to a group of close friends that are okay with a little good-natured ribbing. It helps if one of your friends tends to be the designated [[Butt Monkey]] in your circle. Let's call them Aaron, Bob, and ([[Butt Monkey]]) Charles. (Feel free to [[Gender Flip]] the roles to suit the genders/sexual preferences of your friends) You tell these beloved friends of yours that one day, [[Rule of Three|Aaron, Bob, and Charles]] died and went to Hell. [[Satan|The Devil]] walks up to Aaron and says: "Aaron! Welcome to Hell. I'd like you to meet your new wife!". At this, a door opens and out walks the most hideous woman either of them has ever seen. She grabs the helpless Aaron and drags him away screaming to her boudoir for an eternity of violent lovemaking. Then [[Satan|The Devil]] walks up to Bob and says: "Bob! Welcome to Hell. I'd like you to meet YOUR new wife!". Another door opens and out walks an even MORE hideous woman than the first one. She grabs the helpless Bob and drags him away screaming to her boudoir for an eternity of violent lovemaking. Charlie is terrified, of course, but then a door opens up and out steps Angelina Jolie. Charlie can't believe his eyes, and she's even more gorgeous in person than on film. As Charlie is fumbling for something to say, [[Satan|The Devil]] says: "Angelina! Welcome to Hell. I'd like you to meet your new husband!".
** There's a similar joke about 3 women going to Heaven, and being warned to [[It Makes Sense in Context|step on the ducks]]. Of course, the first two women do so and get paired up with ugly men, while the last woman goes months without doing so, and gets a very handsome man paired up with her. When asked if he's her reward for doing well, he comments that "I have no clue - all I know is that I just stepped on a duck."
Line 161:
** The ''Full House'' team apparently loved this trope, because there was a character named Rusty that was depicted as such toward D.J. during the first half of season 4. The rub:{{spoiler|His mom was dating Danny}}.
* ''[[Married... with Children]]'' was fond of the "mortal terror" angle.
** Bud in particular was often an [[Abhorrent Admirer]]'s victim as a [[Running Gag]] of sorts.
** One episode had Al changing his mind and going for a ride with some middle-aged overweight women who decided he was very hot.
* This trope made up the entirety of the recurring "Wanda Wayne" and "Vera de Milo" sketches on ''[[In Living Color]]''.
Line 168:
** Roy has a tendency to attract this type of woman; there was also the woman who, upon encountering a bunch of tramps on their date, began shouting at them that they owed ''her'' money. Played with, in that since Roy himself is usually pretty desperate, he often ends up sleeping with them anyway.
** Not to mention the girl in the 'Friendface' episode who wears too much make-up. She's not exactly hideous, but her make-up and personality are both creepy. Roy tells Jen that "It was like breaking up with the joker".
* One episode of ''[[The Jamie Foxx Show]]'' had Jamie the victim of an [[Abhorrent Admirer]] ''named'' '''''DAMN!!!'''''
** Jamie Foxx is no stranger to this trope. He played this character himself, Ugly Wanda, when he was on ''[[In Living Color]]''. The episode might have been a [[Shout-Out]] to that.
* In ''[[Jeeves and Wooster (TV series)|Jeeves and Wooster]]'', it seems anyone actually interested in Bertie is off the end of one scale or another, even though none of them actually look bad.
Line 185:
* ''[[The Office]]''
** Meredith occasionally hits on Jim. For example, when she breaks her hip she asks him to sign her pelvis cast and singles him out in particular to thank for visiting her in the hospital. Jim seems disturbed, but too polite to say anything.
** ''[[The Office]]'' likes this -- Dwightthis—Dwight is one to Michael and Michael is one to usually Ryan and Jim but also to other members of the office.
** In the English version, David Brent tries to encourage the camera (and whoever's watching) to sympathise with him when his date turns out to be as overweight as he is, but she's a nice person and he's rude to her so it's almost an inversion.
* Played with on ''[[Top Gear]]'', where Richard Hammond gets a fan letter, ostensibly from a mentally-disturbed prisoner about to be released on parole... named [[Not That There's Anything Wrong with That|Stuart]].
* Subverted on ''[[Arrested Development (TV series)|Arrested Development]]'', as the plain, average Ann is considered an Abhorrent Admirer to George Michael -- byMichael—by his father. George Michael himself adores her.
* In ''[[The Suite Life of Zack and Cody]]'', the eponymous Zack and Cody have, on separate occasions, and despite their best efforts, attracted the affections of [[Stalker with a Crush|Agnes]].
* Harper and Justin from ''[[Wizards of Waverly Place]]'' are a good example of this. In earlier episodes, she was portrayed as Alex's weird friend who was convinced she was going to marry Justin despite his complete disinterest. Although in later episodes, Harper starts acting a little more calm around him and they become friends, Justin still seems highly uncomfortable when the subject of Harper's feelings for him come up.
* In 80's sitcom about a girl robot named Vicky and her family ''[[Small Wonder]]'', Harriet Brindle. Is treated as such by Jamie.
* ''[[Glee]]''
** April Rhodes, Mr Schuester's [[Abhorrent Admirer]], is one of the rare examples where her abhorrence is related to her terrible personality. She's actually very pretty, if a little trashy compared to the very wholesome-looking rest of the cast.
** Subverted somewhat in two other cases as well. Rachel has an [[Abhorrent Admirer]] in Jacob ben Israel and Kurt has one in {{spoiler|David Karofsky}}. In both cases, as with April Rhodes, it's not their appearance that makes them abhorrent, but their behaviour (they're both prone to acts of blatant sexual harassment and, in one case, death threats).
** Subverted completely in the case of Lauren Zizes -- itZizes—it initially looks as if she's being set up as an [[Abhorrent Admirer]] for Puck in episode 2x09, but by 2X12 he's completely fallen for her attitude and self-confidence and is desperately pursuing ''her''.
* Lily on ''[[The Hard Times of RJ Berger]]''. However RJ isn't disgusted with her so much as annoyed. The real disgust actually comes from his best friend Miles.
* In ''[[Zoey 101]]'' there is [[Butt Monkey|Stacey]] to Logan.
Line 248:
** ''[[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door]]'' has [[Recurring Extra]] Dupree.
* ''[[Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure]]''
** During the Lance Banson boss fight, his fangirls (Banson being a famous opera singer and [[Sky Pirate]]) will rush out from time to time. Sometimes they're attractive and mildly replenish his health. If Henry screws up his singing via the [[Match Three Puzzle]], they're rather plain and fat -- Bensonfat—Benson will freak out when they rush him, and their collision actually ''hurts'' him.
** Also, the first boss Lady D is this for Henry. He tells her he hasn't the time and she promptly tries to destroy him with her giant Wedding Cake Battle Fortress.
* Bit of a cutesy inversion in ''[[Fat Princess]]'' if you Fridge it.
Line 269:
== Web Comics ==
* ''[[Yet Another Fantasy Gamer Comic]]''
** There's features an interesting take on [[Abhorrent Admirer]] in one story arc. It revolves around a queen with a trio of daughters who is making arrangements with another king to have his son marry one of her daughters to cement an alliance, with intent to betray him later and become absolute ruler of both kingdoms. The prince in question, however, is in every possible way disinterested. Not because the daughters are necessarily ugly, but because they're ''gnolls'', and he's just plain not interested in an interspecies relationship (by gnoll standards they're actually pretty hot catches). Two of the daughters are incredibly forward and eager; it's never shown onscreen but when the middle daughter tries to actually use sex to win him over, it's implied he reacts badly. When he succumbs to the fact that he's not going to get out of this, he chooses the third daughter, who's surly and completely unwilling. When his father asks why he chose her over her cheerful, willing sisters, he points out that if he has to marry one of them he might as well choose the one he agrees with and who will, more importantly, be equally as miserable with the arrangement.
** When Gren briefly breaks up with Bob, she has Arachne set her up on a number of blind dates. All of the prospects are this in some way, either from being perverted (the kuo-toa), attractive but too sensitive (Turg), or absolutely disgusting (the otyugh and neo-otyugh). It's possible that Arachne did this on purpose, as she [[Does Not Like Men|despises men]] and thinks Gren should as well.
* Torg's [http://www.sluggy.com/daily.php?date=980110&mode=weekly blind date] from ''[[Sluggy Freelance]]''. May or may not actually be a woman.
Line 287:
* Fangirls and fanboys in the ''[[Official Fanfiction University]]'' series are not necessarily unattractive, but tend to have no grasp at all of personal space or no meaning no. Most of them are also underage, if the OFU is in a continuum where that applies, or even if it doesn't -- milennia-old elves really do not see the appeal of thirteen-year-old girls. Plus the sheer number of them tends to get wearing. "Fangirl Stampedes" are not uncommon.
* The Starfish loves [[Charlie the Unicorn]] and WANTS TO BE WITH HIM FOREVER!
* [[The Nostalgia Chick]] to [[Todd in the Shadows]]. She's a pretty lady, but her [[Cute but Psycho|personality]] and [[Stalker with a Crush|behaviour]] towards him is the reason why she's seen as abhorrent.<ref> Ironically, the pair are a happy couple in [[Real Life]].</ref>
** Todd himself is this toward [[Obscurus Lupa]] (who seems to bring this out in most of the males on the site), almost to the point of [[Single-Target Sexuality]]. It's unclear whether he really dislikes the Chick, or if he's just too blinded with love for Lupa to even notice her feelings for him.
 
Line 294:
* Sympathetic example from ''[[Avatar: The Last Airbender]]'': Meng, who falls in [[Love At First Sight]] with Aang in the episode "The [[Fortune Teller]]". Also subverted in that Aang doesn't react negatively to her at all, but simply fails to notice her affection until she tells him. When she does, he's not disturbed either, in fact he's sympathetic and says he likes her, just not the way she likes him.
* ''[[Looney Tunes]]''
** Arguably, the single greatest [[Abhorrent Admirer]] in the history of animation is Pepe Le Pew. Not because of his looks, as he is very handsome for a skunk (it seems the cartoon cats with the accidental white stripes seem to dig his groove after they have been rendered stinky or he had been rendered unstinky) but because of his unique, flower-wilting scent.
** [[Gender Flip|Gender Flipped]]ped with the female cat, Penelope, whenever her nose is plugged up and she loses her sense of smell, she becomes stinky herself, Pepe gets rid of his scent, or he has his white stripe covered by black paint and looks like a cat, at which point Penelope immediately goes crazy for Pepe and starts pursuing ''him''. His reaction is pretty much the same as hers. Along with whatever scent-related issues are involved, the problem with both Pepe and her seems to be that they both just come on too strong.
** Mama Bear turns into one of these at the end of ''[[Bugs Bunny]] and the Three Bears'', after the rabbit's attempt at distraction-by-seduction works a little too well. ("Tell me more about my eyes!")
** It happens to Bugs Bunny again in the cartoon ''Rabbit Romeo''. He is pursued by a large Slobbovian rabbit named Millicent who wants to "kees" him and "make marriage". Eventually she loses interest in Bugs and falls in love with Elmer Fudd who was tricked into wearing a rabbit suit. So Millicent starts chasing after Elmer instead.
Line 313:
* ''[[Family Guy]]''
** There're one-off jokes about a few women like this (including a few moderately attractive celebrities), but the most recurring one is the [[Butt Monkey]], Meg Griffin. Boys would rather set themselves on fire and kill their siblings than go to a dance with her. Strangely enough, Quagmire apparently thought she was at least somewhat attractive, since he kept asking when she turned 18. He's more or less alone in thinking that though.
** She was able to attract some males in the pre-cancellation era, before her "[[Hollywood Homely|ugliness]]" was played up, not to mention she has her own recurring [[Abhorrent Admirer]] in the form of [[Dogged Nice Guy|Neil Goldman]]. This crosses into [[Hypocritical Humor]] when Meg sobs about no-one finding her attractive, yet she treats Neil like garbage. Whether Neil counts as a dogged ''nice'' guy is debatable. Some of the things he did to try and win her affection were underhanded and downright depraved.
** Quagmire thinks pretty much everything is attractive, swinging between [[Abhorrent Admirer]] and [[Kavorka Man]]. He told Cleveland the only thing that doesn't arouse him is people who use the term "rubbish" for garbage. And he didn't find Peter's boss Angela attractive.
** Quagmire's attraction to anyone and everything (including Meg) is also subverted in "Barely Legal". Meg has been Brian's abhorrent admirer all episode and when she is sent round to Quagmire's house so he can "take care of her", it is heavily implied he is going to seduce her. He strips, puts on music and...has a heart to heart with Meg about the pressures of growing up and gives her a copy of Shel Silverstein's ''The Missing Piece''.
* Velda acts as one of these for Crash in the short-lived ''[[Stunt Dawgs]]''.
Gethbot
Bots
10,856

edits

Retrieved from "https://allthetropes.org/wiki/Special:MobileDiff/1245916"