Hollywood Homely: Difference between revisions

'''Producer''': I wanted Mary Ann on ''[[Gilligan's Island|Gilligans Island]]'' ugly, not Cornelius on ''[[Planet of the Apes]]'' ugly. TV-ugly, not ... [[The Grotesque|ugly-ugly]].|'''''[[The Simpsons (animation)|The Simpsons]]''''', "Pygmoelian"}}

* ''[[Jennifer's Body]]'' stars [[Megan Fox]] as a beautiful cheerleader (certainly plausible) and [[Amanda Seyfried]] as her "plain jane" best friend. ''[http://www.freewebs.com/wildfire-fansite/Amanda_seyfried.jpg Amanda] [http://www.collider.com/wp-content/image-base/People/A/Amanda_Seyfried/Amanda%20Seyfried%20%281%29.jpg Seyfried!]'' In case fans couldn't tell that she's unattractive and unwanted, they named her Needy. It's also parodied, with Jennifer getting "ugly" from not feeding enough. Needy points out that it just looks like she didn't put on makeup. This almost counts as a [[Deconstruction]], since even in-universe, it's pointed out that Needy has to dress down when she and Jennifer go out, so she doesn't show Jennifer up.

* ''[[Last Action Hero]]'': Lampshaded, when Danny Maddigan tries to prove that they're in a film by pointing out that none of the women are ugly, to which Jack Slater responds:

* ''Love Potion Number Nine'': Even Hollywood isn't usually shameless enough to pass off [[Sandra Bullock]] as "ugly", but she is that town's go-to actress when they need an approachable, plain, girl-next-door type. "Usually" is the key word there, as she is supposed to be the ugly type in this film.

* ''Marty'': Ernest Borgnine (no prize himself in the looks department, although that's admittedly acknowledged in the film) goes on a date with a "dog" played by former model Betsy Blair, and former wife of [[Gene Kelly]].

== Literature ==

* ''A Nameless Witch'' by A. Lee Martinez parodies this:

"Round. Firm." She sighed. "That's how they're supposed to be. Ideally." }}

* ''[[Twilight (novel)|Twilight]]'':

* ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'':

** Xander, despite actor Nicholas Brendon being an incredibly attractive guy, and the character rather witty, he is supposedly the bottom of the social barrel at Sunnydale High, and numerous cracks are made at his inability to get girls. He dates the cheerleader Cordelia from Season 2 onwards. Doing so sent Cordelia's social status straight from 'most popular girl in school' to 'nonexistent'. Every acquaintance she had considered her completely insane for choosing to give Xander the time of day, and she ended up entirely exiled from her former social circle. Joss actually mentions this trope in the DVD commentaries:

*** It should probably be noted, however, that other than Cordelia and Company, Xander doesn't actually seem to be at the bottom of the social pyramid. Even he gives grief to other people in several episodes.

** Willow Rosenberg (played by the very attractive [[Alyson Hannigan]]); interestingly, in the original, never aired pilot, Willow was played by Riff Regan, who ''is'' decidedly more plain.

** Also averted, in the sense that, on any other show, Kelly would be considered [[Hollywood Pudgy]]. This is played with when Ryan refers to Kelly as having a little junk in the trunk.

** Except for Kevin:

'''Kevin''': Yes! [[Completely Missing the Point|Because then the models would come here and work with us!]] }}

* ''[[One Tree Hill]]'': Marvin McFadden (AKA 'Mouth') is constantly tormented about his average looks, which are perfectly normal standing next to normal people, but in the presence of the ultra beautiful cast of OTH, are shunned. Another example from this would be Millie, his girlfriend, who in all rights appears completely and utterly gorgeous, except for a thick pair of glasses.

** Somewhat inverted with Donna ([[Laura Prepon]]), who's frequently mocked as a "giant" and a "lumberjack" by Jackie, while alternately depicted as a "hot redhead" whom Eric could never hope to date otherwise. He even considered her his equivalent of the actual Brooke Shields dating Donna's father.

* ''[[30 Rock|Thirty Rock]]'': Liz Lemon ([[Tina Fey]]). This is [[Lampshade Hanging|lampshaded]] in the episode "Cleveland". Liz goes to Ohio and is offered a modeling contract and is complimented by people on the street.

* ''[[The Tudors]]'':

** In Season 3, Joss Stone appears as Anne of Cleves. Henry VIII claims he cannot tell her from his horse (which speaks either very poorly of his eyesight or very well of his horse) and is unable to consummate his marriage to her, supposedly because she is so ugly. This is based on something Henry actually said, but contemporary reports suggest that she was quite pretty. An alternative explanation suggested by other characters is that he's turned off because Anne is a virgin who doesn't know what to do. We also know that Henry was almost 50 years old and as heavy as 400 pounds, so he may have had performance anxiety of his own. Either way, it's most likely all in his head.

** Not ugly, but certainly trying her damnedest. That kind of gaudiness doesn't come from simply not caring.

** David Spade did a monologue in the show on how this seems to not only make the standards of beauty unrealistic but the standards of ''ugly'' as well.

*** This man obviously never watched the actual show and criticized it on it's premise.

** Actually, the show kind of averts this more often than not. While Betty is not exactly a super model, people around her usually recognize, both verbally and non-verbally, that she's pretty much an average looking woman and that, when she tries, she can look stunningly beautiful. The main problem with the girl is not her actual appearance but her awkward customs and fashion sense, which of course are something people in the fashion business will mock to death. Some characters, including ex-womanizers Matt and Daniel, as well as shallow Amanda even develop crushes on her, along with a series of seriously good looking, if nerdy, guys.

* ''[[WKRP in Cincinnati]]'': Many male fans insist this one was (unintentionally) inverted wherein Jan Smithers as [[Hot Librarian|shy]], [[Hollywood Nerd|nerdy Bailey]] apparently came off as a whole lot hotter than 'blonde bombshell' Loni Anderson. Loni Anderson stated that the trope was being intentionally subverted and that she enjoyed playing on a show where the two attractive women were loyal co-workers and good friends.

* ''[[Wonder Woman (TV series)|Wonder Woman]]'': Give Diana glasses and her hair in a bun and suddenly she's nowhere near as attractive as her superhero counterpart. As with the Maya/Just Shoot Me example, the second season (which fast-forwarded 30 years) stopped all attempts of claiming that even a bespectacled, ponytailed Lynda Carter was homely. Her supposed homeliness is highlighted in a brutal exchange between Steve and Diana in the season 1 episode called Beauty on Parade, where nazis have infiltrated a beauty pageant.

'''This Troper''': [[Big OMG|Wow!]] }}

* ''[[Yo Soy Betty, la Fea]]'', the Colombian soap opera on which ''[[Ugly Betty]]'' is based, looks [http://img.timeinc.net/pespanol/i/galeria/2006/septiembre/Betty_Colombia_090506.jpg a bit more convincing] into characterizing Betty as ugly, even when the main actress is [http://www.anamaria-orozco.com/amo08a.gif actually quite pretty]. Just see [http://estb.msn.com/i/79/C1A1B6E4E161C812F7BFBCD0B447.jpg this comparison].

* [[Troll]] Douchey Mcnitpick is still just [[Doug Walker]] in a wig, bad glasses, unflattering shirt and a constant scowl. If he smiled, cut his hair and wore nicer clothes he would be pretty cute. ([[Jerkass|Until he spoke of course]].)

* ''[[A Very Potter Musical]]'' Intentionally used for humor, when Harry, Dumbledore, and especially Ron, will deliver entire ''monologues'' about the horrid ugliness of Hermione, who is played by a very pretty actress. Draco tries this as well, but the most scathing thing he can come up with is that she's an 8 out of 10 (Maybe an 8.5...No more than a 9.8!)

** Of course, a few minutes after that she enters [[Beautiful All Along|looking so beautiful]] that Ron and Draco break into a [[Counterpoint Duet]] about how they're falling in love (falling in love, falling in love) with Hermione Granger (Danger...)

** Happens to Ginny as well. Harry calls her a "butterface" (in the sequel, though) and Harry makes it clear that he doesn't find her attractive, though she's played by a pretty actress. Sally in [[Me and My Dick]], played by the same actress, is treated the same way. It's even lampshaded when after Joey realizes that she's the one for him, and he says "You know, I don't know why I ever thought she was that ugly, she's really not that bad".

== Western Animation ==

* ''[[Batman: The Animated Series]]'' / ''The New Batman Adventures'' lampshades it beautifully, if a bit [[Anvilicious|anviliciously]] (but hey, [[Some Anvils Need to Be Dropped]]): One [[Villain of the Week]], Calendar Girl, was once a renowned model who was fired for getting old, unable to compete with younger models. She tried to make the transition to acting, and even managed to get the role as a mother on a sitcom, but was subsequently fired from ''that'' job when the network decided they wanted a to go in a "younger direction". Eventually, she decides to wreak bloody vengeance on the network and modeling executives who ruined her career, but she had so much plastic surgery done before turning evil that she wears a full-face mask. At the end of the episode [[Batman]] defeats her and the police unmask her, whereupon she begins to scream and sob upon the ground. She is in her mid 30s and still quite attractive, even in comparison to other models, but she is absolutely horrified the police can see her "old, ugly" face.

'''Batman''': She can't see that anymore. All she can see are the flaws. }}

* ''[[Daria]]'' is a reasonably-attractive girl to anyone with functioning eyes. Subverted in the episode, "Quinn the Brain"; while Daria is generally described as plain or even ugly (by people who believe that [[All Guys Want Cheerleaders]]), and usually shows disdain for makeup and clothing, she proves that she can match her fashion-crazed sister Quinn to make a point to her. Extra points for being a [[Spoof Aesop]], since Daria did so in order to [[We Want Our Jerk Back|set Quinn back on the shallow, airheaded lifestyle]] Daria so loathed her for, because Quinn being seen as intelligent was a threat to Daria's own self-image.

* Fiona's ogre form in the ''[[Shrek]]'' movies (and Shrek himself, to some extent). Apparently, she's supposed to be hideous, but she merely looks slightly chubbier and green. In this case she was beautiful to Shrek, and by the end of the movie she preferred the Ogre form, so it was more of a case of in-universe [[Values Dissonance]].

* ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1987|Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]'': Irma. Glasses? Ponytail? Baggy clothes? Check check and check - now everyone will know she's supposed to be the ugly one. Okay, always being around April probably didn't help, but was she really deserving of this piece:

'''Raphael''': The poor guy got konked harder than we thought. }}

* In one episode of [[The Simpsons]], Moe auditions for a role on a soap opera.

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