Give Geeks a Chance: Difference between revisions

A trope common in [[Romantic Comedy|Romantic Comedies]] and Teen Comedies, in which a dorky ([[Nerds Are Sexy|not necessarily]] ''[[Nerds Are Sexy|ugly]]'', just... geeky) guy ends up with the totally hot babe. Generally, at the beginning of the story, the geek begins the story as an outcast whom the beautiful girl would never be attracted to. He may be a band geek, or a scientist with all the social graces of a tube worm, or a ''[[Dungeons and Dragons|D&D]]'' player who still lives in his mom's basement. And through the course of the story, she begins to see through his spaz-like exterior to the [[Single Woman Seeks Good Man|decent, love-worthy man within.]]

 

 

Related to [[Ugly Guy, Hot Wife]], and subject to the same [[Double Standard]], since gender inversions are practically non-existent; there may be more to the male geek than his pocket protector, but for women, looks are all that ''should'' matter. If a [[Hollywood Homely]] geek girl (or [[Hollywood Homely]] non-geek girl, for that matter) sets her sights on a hot guy, she might be able to [[She Cleans Up Nicely|make a]] [[Beautiful All Along|few slight]] [[The Glasses Gotta Go|alterations]], but it's more likely she'll just be the [[Abhorrent Admirer]] who makes him run away in terror. Also extremely rare is the male geek that actually considers a similarly geeky girl. This holds even for works aimed at a female audience, and therefore any nerdy girl ''will'' eventually be revealed to be [[Beautiful All Along]].

 

== Anime & Manga ==

* In ''[[Bamboo Blade]]'', the character [[Yandere|Miyako]] [[Violently Protective Girlfriend|Miyazaki]] dates and is VERY in love with [[Ugly Cute|Dan-kun]]. He has a head like an acorn, she sparkles.

 

 

== Comics ==

** This hasn't gone uncommented -- Pete's friend Johnny Storm (otherwise known as The Human Torch) has pointed out the sheer number of gorgeous women that Spidey has dated, including Gwen Stacy, Mary Jane Watson, and the Black Cat (although Black Cat is more about Spidey than Peter).

** He's also recently caught the attention of [[Ms. Marvel]].

** His cause is helped by the fact that most artists post-Steve Ditko have given him a significant amount of [[Progressively Prettier|male polish]].

* [[Incredible Hercules|Amadeus Cho]], the 7th smartest person on Earth (as verified by a soap company - oh, and Reed Richards). Managed to win the heart of a [[Perky Goth]] Amazon Gorgon girl.

** It must be noted that the looks are inverted, as the aforementioned Amazon Gorgon got her looks from Medusa, while Cho is always drawn quite handsomely.

 

== Film -- Animated ==

* Doctor Doppler and Captain Amelia in [[Treasure Planet]].

 

'''Louis:''' 'cause all jocks think about is sports. All ''we'' ever think about is sex. }}

** To be fair, she falls for him as a consecuence of him giving her really good sex, so it may be a subversion.

* In the ''[[American Pie]]'' films, Jim Levenstein and Michelle Flaherty fit this trope. While it's true that Michelle is ''also'' a geek (specifically, a band geek), she's a sexed-out band geek played by ''[[Alyson Hannigan]]''.

** Partially subverted in-universe though- Jim initially dismissed Michelle for her [[Adorkable|dorkiness.]] whereas she seems to have chosen him at least partly by physical attraction.

** Tenacious D.

** ''[[School of Rock]]''.

* 2009's ''[[I Love You Beth Cooper]].'' High school valedictorian stalker nerd with enormous nose meets up with [[Hayden Panettiere]] as Beth Cooper. Nuff said!

* ''Sideways''. Lampshaded by Paul Giamatti's long monologue comparing different types of wines.

* Applied with irony in ''[[Ghostbusters]]''. Geeky accountant Louis Tully is often hitting on pretty cellist Dana Barrett, despite Dana's constant hints that she wants absolutely nothing to do with him. {{spoiler|However, once they're both possessed, they merge the key and the gate.}}

** In the sequel Louis and the Ghostbusters' [[Sassy Secretary]] Janine Melnitz end up babysitting Oscar and, after some wine and pizza, start making out on the couch.

** Although, he still managed to get together with Lorraine originally even without the help of his future son. The difference being, due to Marty's involvement, was ''how'' they got together, ultimately ending up improving their lives drastically, which Marty discovered upon returning to 1985.

* Cruelly, cruelly subverted in ''[[Wet Hot American Summer]]'' with Katie and Coop. Though she seems to warm up to him and even {{spoiler|confesses her love for him}}, at the very end of the movie she {{spoiler|rejects him for the hot [[Jerkass]] Andy, telling Coop that she really likes him, but she just wants to have sex with a hot guy and she doesn't care if he treats her like crap.}}

* In ''[[The New Guy]]'' the geeky and socially awkward Dizzy ends up with head cheerleader Danielle.

* ''[[She's Out of My League]]'' has this as central plot driver.

* In ''[[Mighty Morphin Power Rangers]]'', Billy got more romantic subplots than any other ranger.

** Also, the final pairings of [[Power Rangers Jungle Fury]] {{spoiler|(Theo/Lily and Dominic/Fran)}} went along these lines as well, both of the alternative options {{spoiler|(Casey and Maryl respectively)}} being more conventionally "normal" compared to their rivals.

* ''[[The Drew Carey Show]]'', with Drew and just about every woman he dates, with a few exceptions like Wanda Sykes, and the much-older Shirley Jones. See also the page quote, from one of his standup routines.

* Jerry Seinfeld regularly brought home supermodels on ''[[Seinfeld]]''.

* The entire premise of the live-action Japanese series ''[[Densha Otoko]]'' which chronicles the attempts of a weakling, nerdy, geeky, otaku-type guy who is trying to date a beautiful woman with the assistance of a messaging board on the internet, after he saved her from a drunk guy on a train. Based on a real story.

** Also available in manga form as ''train_man''.

** Later reversed when Marcy married the amazingly hot Jefferson Darcy

* This was, in fact, the central gimmick of the 1992 FOX series ''[[Flying Blind]]'', in which Neil, a shy, repressed nebbish played by Corey Parker, somehow fell into a mutually fulfilling relationship with Alicia, an incredibly hot bohemian woman played by Tea Leoni. The series slightly bucked the trope by keeping the couple unmarried, which allowed the constant implicit tension of the possibility that Alicia would come to her senses and leave him.

* Rodney and [[Hospital Hottie|Jennifer Keller]] in ''[[Stargate Atlantis]]''. When he takes Keller to a science presentation on Earth, his colleagues initially think she's his (also attractive) sister.

** On the flight back, she is the one who suggests they join the [[Mile-High Club]], although it could've just been to shut him up.

** Although Jill is also really geeky.

* Arguably inverted in ''[[Sabrina the Teenage Witch]]'' with Sabrina and Harvey. It's true that the pretty, blonde, funny, Sabrina is practically the poster girl for [[Cool Loser]] but she ''does'' have a lot of dorky interests (science, maths, high school journalism...). Harvey on the other is a popular jock (though not a [[Jerk Jock|jerk]]).

* In ''[[CSI New York]]'' it's a partial inversion as female geek hottie Lindsay ends up with male hottie Danny.

* ''[[The Big Bang Theory]]''

** Leonard and Penny. However, in earlier seasons, Leonard was paired with the equally geeky Leslie Winkle, but it's Penny he's fixated on. They're currently in full-on [[Will They or Won't They?]] mode.

** Averted with Howard Wolowitz, the show's resident [[Casanova Wannabe]] who regularly strikes out with most of the hot babes he tries to pick up, before hooking up with the utterly adorkable Bernadette.

** Plus they figured out that he has to always be in uniform too.

* In ''[[Freaks and Geeks]]'', Sam Weir is finally able to start dating his dream girl, [[All Guys Want Cheerleaders|cheerleader]] Cindy Sanders. Unfortunately, she turns out to be somewhat of a [[Bitch in Sheep's Clothing]].

** Less a [[Bitch in Sheep's Clothing]] as they just found they had nothing in common.

* Seth and Summer in ''[[The OC]]''.

* ''[[Primeval]]'' has Connor and Abby. N erdy, awkward Connor Temple and hot, ass-kicking Abby Maitland.

* Averted in ''[[No Ordinary Family]]''. [[Alpha Bitch|Bailey]] is genuinely interested in JJ, but he only wants fellow geek Natalie.

* Sav Bandhari on [[Degrassi]] tends to be a bit socially awkward, but ends up having a rather storied love life.

** Liberty and Toby were both this trope in the earlier seasons too, although Toby was gradually [[Demoted to Extra]].

** ''[[Glee]]'' had this with Brittany and Artie.

 

 

* Otacon and Dr. Naomi in ''[[Metal Gear Solid 4 Guns of the Patriots]]''.

** {{spoiler|[[Butt Monkey|Johnny Sasaki]] and Meryl got married at the end.}}

 

 

* Occasionally played around with for Velma from [[Scooby Doo]] such as later on in Scooby Doo on Zombie Island.

* While the writers of the ''[[Rugrats]]'' ''[[All Grown Up]]'' series tried to avoid flat out confirming certain pairings (most likely trying to avert a [[Broken Base]]) but [[Ship Tease]] did happen nevertheless. One example of a pairing that got [[Ship Tease]] that fits with this trope is Chuckie and Angelica. (In which of course has received even more attention from fans in fan work.)

* ''[[Doug]]'': Athletic Patti and the clumsy, shy, [[Adorkable]] title character.

* Subverted in ''[[Daria]]''. In the tv movie ''Is It Fall Yet?'', Quinn, Daria's beautiful and popular sister, falls for her nerdy tutor. She asks him out, believing that she is playing straight this trope, but he tells her that he's not interested in her because she's shallow. It is implied that this is the first time a guy ever turned her down.